Anybody ever used these or heard anything about them?The unit that keeps a very low electrical charge running through the vehicle to help prevent corrosion.
A load of malarky?Or any validity to the claims
My '91 Bronco is pretty much gone with rust(from all my beach buggying),but I do want to protect the '02 Super Crew I just got from the same fate.

 

I had one on a '91 cherokee while in Guam for 2 years, seemed to help alot.

 

-Junk, the galvanized coating on some parts is the best protection.

 

Eric, I have one of these installed on my 2002 Ford Focus (came with it when I bought it used). Should I leave it on or take it off? Maybe I could sell it?

-Matt

 

From a website discussing these devices: "We do not believe these electronic rust preventers can work since they do not involve a sacrificial anode. In any event, they are usually fitted by dealers to new cars (gives them extra profit) and since new cars take years to rust, few people would complain that the rust preventer does not work."

Also, because the body is isolated from the frame to reduce noise, you'd have to install bonding wires to tie everything together.

Steve

 

This is a very real problem for steel vessels that float in saltwater, its called electrolysis, in my case it is offshore drilling rigs. If you have dis-simular metals you really increase the electrolysis. Anyone with silver fillings in their teeth can tell you about the pain of biting down on a stick of gum and not all of the foil wrapper has been removed, this is electrolysis.

When steel is placed in saltwater, it becomes a battery, a very weak one, but a battery none the less. To prevent the electrolysis from happening, there are two ways of controling it, one is passive, the use of sacrificial anodes (zinc). Some folks that have outboards that are used in saltwater will find a small anode usually by the propeller.

The other is active or cathodic protection. The metal vessal produces a positive electric current. Cathodic protection is when you put a negetive electric current in the water around the metal vessel, the negetive current zeroes the positive current produced by the metal. This is all done electronically and probes are put into the water.

Now how it works in the automotive industry, I can not tell you, as I live in the south and when we have a snow storm, it looks like a heavy frost out side.

But electrolysis is a very real thing.

 

ive never noticed that problem with my fillings, i can easily chew on a ball of tin foil. dont ask.

 

I almost want to ask lol.

 

A boat or a pipe buried in the soil have a conductive medium surrounding them. An automobile does not have a conductive medium so you can't hang an electrode "out there". Passing a current thru the body will not do anything but cause corrosion in the body seams and joints.

Steina has posted the real reason for the devices...