Can a modern car "rust away" in a garage?

[Leicesterdave]

..I don't literally mean rust away but you know what I mean. 24 hours later the car is still soaked and it's cod and damp.
Will it do any long term harm?

[pauldm28]

Sounds like a >-)))))'> fishy story to me.
I've heard that driving your car straight off a salted road into a warm damp garage is the best possible conditions for rust to form. Its best to rinse the car off first with plenty off water up into the wheel wells.

Edited by pauldm28 on Tuesday 9th November 19:42

Edited by pauldm28 on Tuesday 9th November 19:45

[randomwalk]

with cold temps I would think rusting would be very slow as chemical reactions are slowed with cold temps, therefore an unheated garage would be best, maybe better to leave outside where it is even colder.

[xPOW]

or buy a dehumidifier for £250 and when you go to your car the next day, it's bone dry on the outside and also on the underside which you don't usually see ;-)

[Ullevi]

pauldm28 said:

Sounds like a >-)))))'> fishy story to me.

No, but turbot and damp will be fine.

[kambites]

xPOW said:

or buy a dehumidifier for £250 and when you go to your car the next day, it's bone dry on the outside and also on the underside which you don't usually see ;-)

Doesn't work so well in the winter if your garage isn't heated. I put my car in the garage about 5pm yesterday and it was still slightly wet this morning. Not that there is really anything on my car to rust.

[Leicesterdave]

So it seems there isn't a problem leaving a wet car in a cold garage. If anything I'd have thought a heated garage would be best?!! Shows how I know nothing about chemistry.

[300bhp/ton]

Leicesterdave said:

..I don't literally mean rust away but you know what I mean. 24 hours later the car is still soaked and it's cod and damp.
Will it do any long term harm?

Yes. But how long do you plan to keep the car?

[Leicesterdave]

300bhp/ton said:

Leicesterdave said:

..I don't literally mean rust away but you know what I mean. 24 hours later the car is still soaked and it's cod and damp.
Will it do any long term harm?

Yes. But how long do you plan to keep the car?

Years- who knows exactly but until economically not viable to repair.

[CaptainSlow]

Depends on the garage. My old neighbour had a prefab garage that wasn't very nice. His wife's car was always parked in there and the constant damp rotted the car car out prematurely.

[RSGulp]

kambites said:

xPOW said:

or buy a dehumidifier for £250 and when you go to your car the next day, it's bone dry on the outside and also on the underside which you don't usually see ;-)

Doesn't work so well in the winter if your garage isn't heated. I put my car in the garage about 5pm yesterday and it was still slightly wet this morning. Not that there is really anything on my car to rust.

Get a XDry Adsorption Dehumidifier - no more hot gas defrosting or thermal cut-outs in Winter. I've been running mine non-stop for 4 years now and it's excellent (even in -temps).

[Leicesterdave]

CaptainSlow said:

Depends on the garage. My old neighbour had a prefab garage that wasn't very nice. His wife's car was always parked in there and the constant damp rotted the car car out prematurely.

It ain't a prefab- just a classic flat roof +brick construction. Bit leaky too.

[xPOW]

kambites said:

xPOW said:

or buy a dehumidifier for £250 and when you go to your car the next day, it's bone dry on the outside and also on the underside which you don't usually see ;-)

Doesn't work so well in the winter if your garage isn't heated. I put my car in the garage about 5pm yesterday and it was still slightly wet this morning. Not that there is really anything on my car to rust.

buy an adsorption dehumidifier not a refrigerent one as they work better in cold temperatures.

[kambites]

xPOW said:

buy an adsorption dehumidifier not a refrigerent one as they work better in cold temperatures.

That would work I guess. I'm intending to extend over my garage anyway, at which point I'll insulate it well enough that I can heat it.

[300bhp/ton]

Leicesterdave said:

300bhp/ton said:

Leicesterdave said:

..I don't literally mean rust away but you know what I mean. 24 hours later the car is still soaked and it's cod and damp.
Will it do any long term harm?

Yes. But how long do you plan to keep the car?

Years- who knows exactly but until economically not viable to repair.

You could always wide it down to get most of the water off.

[xPOW]

kambites said:

xPOW said:

buy an adsorption dehumidifier not a refrigerent one as they work better in cold temperatures.

That would work I guess. I'm intending to extend over my garage anyway, at which point I'll insulate it well enough that I can heat it.

good idea. the building I converted to my garage (pics in the 'garage floor' thread) was a 100 year old workshop. I had to seal the floors and walls, featherboard the exterior (as the bricks were too badly corroded on the outside). The roof still lets in a bit of water as there's not lining - it's just century old slates straight on the roof timber, so the dehumidifier has its work cut out, but it does a good job. I use the Ruby Amber Dry if that helps.