I've got a White '05 Lariat SC 4x. I was washing it the other day and found a bunch of tiny rust spots all over the sides of the truck. I was told its from the brakes and given the amount of dust these things throw tend to believe it. These spots come off with waxing but wondered if anyone else found this. I have seen this on other trucks as well (SuperDutys) which were also white. When smoothing your hand over these you can feel them. Anyone notice the same thing or know what this is exactly?

 

All cars/trucks I have seen have rust spots on them-white is just an easier color to see them on. If your truck is brand new you can bring in back to the dealership and in most cases they will detail your truck and claim/charge it back to the manufacturer as industrial fallout.. hope that helps

 

I have never seen that. I have 18k miles on my truck on the only thing with rust is a few chips on my front bumper.

 

Do you live, or park anywhere near any industrial areas with large stacks?

 

It's probably "rail rust". If you still have your window sticker with the pricing and additional features, on the bottom of it you will see "Convoy" or "Rail". If your truck says "Rail", you are more likely to have railroad dust - basically the dust that is created by steel wheels on steel rails. You should take it to your dealer to have it taken care of no charge. I'd also recommend using a clay detailing kit on it after you get it back. That may be what the dealer does, but who knows.

 

If it is actually rust then Ford would be obligated to repaint it or replace the truck. I'm thinking it is something else. The dealer should have caught this. They have people who check the new vehicles out with a short test drive and look it over. My new F-150 I bought a month ago has yet to reveal a single thing to complain about.

 

It's got to be external rust, something like DAThomas9 says, or something else external. If you can get rid of it by waxing, it's not part of your truck, but something on your truck. If we could all get rid of rust by just waxing, I'd invest in Meguires.

 

It is Rail Dust as preveiously stated, try the clay bar. If that dosen't remove it, it will have to be repainted. The auto manufaturers have benn dealing with this for years. I have even seen them put big magnets under rail cars to try to catch the dust.

 

My wife found them on my silver screw and we thought it was from the 35"swampers flipin rocks.

 

The last brand new Lincoln I bought was White.I would get these rust spots every winter, even on the plastic/vinyl body parts.I thought it was something in the road salt used here in Ohio in the winter.They were always more numerous/noticable in the rear of vehicle.I would just wax them off in usual spring waxing, some took alot of elbow grease.I now have another Black vehicle.I don't know which is harder to keep clean, probably the black ones.Good Luck!

 

I was the guy who use to check them in off the truck and cleaned them before the customer drove their new vehicle home, it is rail dust.
A clay bar, a good buffer or even using a good cleaner wax will take care of it.

 

There is a TSB for this:
TSB 04-9-6 BODY - PAINT - IRON PARTICLE REMOVAL - INDUSTRIAL FALLOUT - ACID RAIN NEUTRALIZATION

Publication Date: May 4, 2004

FORD: 2004-2005 CROWN VICTORIA, ESCORT ZX2, FOCUS, MUSTANG, TAURUS, THUNDERBIRD
2005 FIVE HUNDRED, FORD GT
2004-2005 ECONOLINE, ESCAPE, EXCURSION, EXPEDITION, EXPLORER SPORT TRAC, EXPLORER, F SUPER DUTY, FREESTAR, RANGER, F SERIES, F-650, F-750
LINCOLN: 2004-2005 LS, TOWN CAR, AVIATOR, NAVIGATOR
MERCURY: 2004-2005 GRAND MARQUIS, SABLE
2005 MONTEGO
2004-2005 MONTEREY, MOUNTAINEER
2005 MARINER


This article supersedes TSB 99-12-10 to update the vehicle lines, model years and service procedure.

ISSUE:
Ford Motor Company has released a private labeled material to be used for iron particle/acid rain service repairs.

ACTION:
To remove these particles/contaminates, use ONLY the following Motorcraft products and procedure. No polishing, compounding, color sanding, or repainting should be done before this procedure is performed. This procedure uses products that are acidic, alkaline, and neutral and must be properly mixed and used in their specific order. Refer to the following Service Procedure for details.

SERVICE PROCEDURE

NOTE: ANY CHANGES TO THIS PROCEDURE WILL CAUSE AN INCOMPLETE OR UNSATISFACTORY REPAIR. THE USE OF ANY OTHER PRODUCT OR PROCEDURE MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO ALUMINUM OR PAINTED SURFACES.



NOTE: THE PRODUCTS USED TO REMOVE SURFACE CONTAMINATION FROM PAINT ARE DESIGNED FOR VEHICLES, WHICH HAVE EXPERIENCED EXPOSURE FOR LESS THAN 120 DAYS. VEHICLES THAT EXCEED 120 DAYS OF EXPOSURE MAY REQUIRE THE PROCEDURE BE REPEATED TO RESOLVE THE CONCERN. ONCE THIS PROCEDURE IS COMPLETED, IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO PERFORM POLISHING OR REFINISHING PROCEDURES AFTER VEHICLE INSPECTION.



IDENTIFICATION

Ferrous metal particles (hot iron dust) are generated by manufacturing facilities, rail shipments, etc. Moisture and heat combine with particles to create a chemical reaction. This reaction creates an acid, causing the iron to corrode and etch into the paint surface. Additionally, industrial fallout and acid rain generate corrosive compounds that fall on the vehicle's painted surfaces. When subjected to moisture and temperature, chemical compounds are created that etch the paint surface. To assist in identifying surface contamination, use a (Tandy-Radio Shack #63-851) 30x lighted magnifier.

CONCERN DESCRIPTION

Ferrous Metal

Light Colored Vehicles: Small orange stains the size of "mechanical pencil lead." The surface is rough to the touch.
Dark Colored Vehicles: Small white or silver appearing dots with a rainbow ring around the dot. The surface is rough to the touch.
Industrial Fallout

Water spots containing ferrous metal are present and the surface is rough to the touch.
Acid Rain/Etching

Surface will exhibit irregular discolored spotting.
Dark colored vehicles may exhibit cloudy or graying spots where the acid has begun to etch the paint.
Extreme cases of etching may be felt.
DECONTAMINATION PROCEDURE

Use Motorcraft Acid Neutralizer, Alkaline Neutralizer, and Detail Wash to decontaminate and neutralize the paint surface. Perform the procedure only on vehicle when the paint surface temperature is cool. Follow the step-by-step procedure listed below to perform this service operation.

Rinse off dust, dirt, and debris with cold water. Flush liberally.
Prepare Motorcraft Acid Neutralizer by mixing eight (8) parts of water to one (1) part Acid Neutralizer in a bucket.
Wear gloves and use a clean wash mitt to apply mixture of Motorcraft Acid Neutralizer to the entire vehicle starting at the top of the vehicle working toward the side. Work fast and keep the vehicle wet with solution, lightly agitating and moving quickly around the vehicle repeatedly for five to seven (5-7) minutes. For vehicles with severe conditions, work the product for up to eight (8) minutes.
NOTE: USE A SEPARATE MITT FOR EACH PRODUCT. DO NOT INTERMIX MITTS.



Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with cold water to remove Motorcraft Acid Neutralizer.
Dry only the horizontal surfaces of the vehicle at this time. Do not dry glass.
NOTE: MOTORCRAFT ALKALINE NEUTRALIZER IS READY TO USE. DO NOT MIX WITH WATER. DO NOT SPRAY MOTORCRAFT ALKALINE NEUTRALIZER ON THE PAINTED SURFACE.



Pour the Alkaline Neutralizer into a dispenser (squirt bottle). Squirt the neutralizer directly onto a clean wash mitt. Apply the product to the vehicle, keeping the areas wet and lightly agitated for five to seven (5-7) minutes. For vehicles with severe conditions, work the product for up to eight (8) minutes.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with cold water.
Prepare Motorcraft Detail Wash by mixing 29.5 mL (1 ounce) of Detail Wash to 3.7 L (1 gallon) of water.
Shampoo the vehicle with Motorcraft Detail Wash using a clean wash mitt. Rinse the vehicle with cold water and dry the vehicle completely.
SURFACE CORRECTION FOLLOWING DECONTAMINATION/NEUTRALIZATION

Visually inspect paint surface for evidence of removal of ferrous metal particles and water spots.
NOTE: ACID RAIN DISCOLORING OR ETCHING WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL PROCEDURES DEPENDENT ON DEPTH OF DAMAGE; POLISHING, BUFFING, COLOR SANDING, OR IN EXTREME CASES, REFINISHING.



DO NOT intermix buffing products. Use only one manufacturer's products.
Always follow the manufacturer's product usage sequence. Use the appropriate recommended pad at recommended buffing speeds as specified by the product manufacturer.
NOTE: WHEN ATTEMPTING TO AFFECT A REPAIR BY BUFFING, POLISHING, OR COLOR SANDING, DO NOT REMOVE AN EXCESS OF 0.3 MIL OF PAINT FILM OR REFINISHING WILL BE REQUIRED. USE OF AN ELECTRONIC MIL GAUGE (ROTUNDA 164-R4025) IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO INSURE CONTROL OF PAINT FILM REMOVAL.



Use a dual action sander with a Velcro backing plate and foam pad to fine polish and remove any swirls created by a rotary buffer or pad.
Use an alcohol and water mixture (1 to 1 ratio) to clean the buffed areas and to verify removal of scratches and swirls before application of the final polish.

PART NUMBER PART NAME
ZC-1-A Motorcraft Acid Neutralizer
ZC-2-A Motorcraft Alkaline Neutralizer
ZC-3-A Motorcraft Detail Wash


OTHER APPLICABLE ARTICLES:
NONE

WARRANTY STATUS:
Eligible Under Provisions Of New Vehicle Limited Warranty Coverage

 

Thanks. These responses validate the reason I participate here, and tell everyone I know to do the same. Funny part about this is that these did not exist when I bought the truck. I am checking with the dealer today. Now I can mention a certain TSB...

 

If you live in a cold climate where they scrape the snow it is steel particles off the scraper blades when they clear the roads. The blades wear when they scrape against the pavement and the small steel particles splash up on your truck in the slush and snow and stain your paint. If you washed it everyday you wouldn't see them. I had a white Mustang that would get rust spots all over it in the wintertime if you didn't keep it clean.

 

I noticed a few rust spots on the lower doors on my truck this last weekend when washing it. I didn't know where it could have come from but wax did remove it.