NIssanBoston Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 I've been concerned for quite a bit about rust forming in various locations of my truck, and i came here seeking answers. I was recently working on my engine of my truck and noticed a bunch of rust forming and a lot already formed on the strut wall of the driver side it's also formed a bit on the wheel well. For the rust how can i stop it from spreading and also eliminate the rust completely without it eventually damaging critical points on my truck? What are some of the steps i can take to prevent rust anywhere else (even if it does not show. ) I've already scraped some rust flakes off the rust spots with a wire metal brush. All the help would be greatly appreciated. Some pics aswell to show you what i'm dealing with. The rust that concerns me the most. The rust on the wheel well. And on the body. Thanks for all the help! -David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
00PathfinderSE Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 There is a recall for strut housing corrosion. You should have your Pathfinder taken into the Nissan dealer to have it looked and have the recall completed at ASAP. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdj Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 Just had my "strut housings " repaired by Nissan free under recall last Jan. I just junked the truck because the rot extended beyond the patches they glued on and they aren't resposible for anything past the patch area. When my rear lower control arm mount started to tear off truck (2" from the patch)I had to scrap it. If they "fix" the strut housing just know that you better start shopping for something else to drive before the rest of the front end falls off the "frame rails"...the rust doesn't stop there and will not stop anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01Pathmaker Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 Doesn't look to be all that terrible, seem to be catching it early enough. Nissan will take care of the strut towers under the recall, as for the rest, as long as it's not holes, can be sanded or ground down (accordingly) to fresh metal, treated/glazed/primed/painted. As for preventing rust, best thing to do is keep it as clean as possible, properly applied undercoating may help, but at this point even that would bubble in areas where it may be starting prior to application. I've always thoroughly flushed the wheel wells and undercarriage after a beach run, and several times during to winter. Hasn't eliminated it, but certainly helped keep it at bay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdj Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 If they fix the strut housings BELIEVE me the front end will be done for VERY soon. Primer and paint will not help what is happening around the strut patch area and front sub frame. I don't mean to sound negative but I just junked mine after the recall repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushnut Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 just had my strut tower patches done and still only have minimal rust in the surrounding areas......just saying...every vehicle is different. I know rust never sleeps, but if you keep an eye on it and deal with it..the sooner the better .. for myself, I'm prepared to weld in patches if I have to... It just comes down to how long you are prepared to keep your vehicle. for me thats as long as possible...I own it therefore I WILL keep it. the truth is, when you live in a winter climate, keeping a vehicle is a battle. You have to ask yourself "how much work am I prepared to do?" I've replaced both front fenders (JY and Kijiji....the Canadian CL), and dealt with under body rust with a die grinder and a wire wheel then spray on rust inhibitor along with bed liner. not to mention spraying the inside of the Unibody rails and seams with rust inhibitor. I understand the truck won't last forever but I'll do my part to see that it lasts as long as possible. It sounds to me like JKD had the recall fix preformed to late...and the dealer probably should have bought him out rather than patch it. As for me now that I'm done with all my "mods" it's all maintenance from now on, or until I find a newer Pathy to transfer stuff to. but that will hopefully be sometime in the future. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdj Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 (edited) It's kdj,(jkd is my identical twin) when my drivers side strut tore off(that was a fright) there was only a rusty bubble on the passenger side. I didn't think Nissan would even touch it but they did the patch on both sides. 6 months later I had a fist sized hole where the rear of the lower controle arm mounts (2" from the patch). I scraped and cleaned and undercoated for four years before this and beleive me no one was more surprised than me when that spot erupted to the point I was afraid to drive it with in a month or two. As for the dealer, why would they buy my truck when they could fix it for a couple of hundred bucks? Between the new exhaust, new tires, rotors, pads etc. that I had done in the same time line because I thought the truck was now good for years, it fell apart, they patched it for a couple hundred. I wouldn't have let them buy it after just sinking a couple of grand into it. It's now my parts source for the new 2003 Chilkoot. Will I never learn? Edited August 16, 2014 by kdj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIssanBoston Posted August 16, 2014 Author Share Posted August 16, 2014 Thanks for the replys everyone , looks like it's off to the nissan dealership monday for me to see if they can fix it for free under recall, yeah here in boston its the same as canada , lot of snow and salt being put on the roads so that eats away at your truck very quickly. I hope i caught it early enough to make my truck last at least 10 + years. I just bought it not even 6 months ago... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIssanBoston Posted August 16, 2014 Author Share Posted August 16, 2014 I went to the dealership today, i told them about my problem and about how there was a recall for the strut housing dealing with rust. He looked up my VIN number and come to find out he said that there was no recall under that VIN number... I looked at him puzzled and was like ok how am i going to fix the problem then? I read and know a lot of people who had this problem and about the recall and nissan should fix it for me for free, he then just said call the actual Nissan corporation and walked away.., What are my other avaliable options, would i be able to fix it myself by spraying some rust prohibiter on it? I can't junk my truck , i don't have the money for a new truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIssanBoston Posted August 16, 2014 Author Share Posted August 16, 2014 (edited) I actually just talk to one of the nissan reps on the nissan website and he said i do have a "campaign" for the Path strut tower so i have an appointment to get it fixed on thursday at 9. So i'll tell everyone how it turns out and take pictures of the fix. Edited August 16, 2014 by NIssanBoston Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01Pathmaker Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 It's possible that the previous owner brought it in for the recall and they did the simple level 1 repair (insection, scuff and spray undercoating) because rust was minimal. If this in fact did happen, this is why no open recalls showed when the service guy punched in your vin. When you bring it in, if they try to tell you they're only going to do a level 1 (which is good in the sense that there is nothing but minor surface rust) I'd be persistent and insist they do the level 2 (quite a bit more involved, adding braces in the strut towers). Had the level 2 done on my '01 about a year ago, rust was fairly minor, but my dealership knows that I don't go down quietly (have gotten corperate involved twice in the past to get situations rectified), so when they called to tell me, I got no arguement when I told them they were going to do the level 2. Keep us posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIssanBoston Posted August 16, 2014 Author Share Posted August 16, 2014 Thanks for the advice, i'll make sure to keep on persisiting about level 2 repairs. It's possible that the previous owner brought it in for the recall and they did the simple level 1 repair (insection, scuff and spray undercoating) because rust was minimal. If this in fact did happen, this is why no open recalls showed when the service guy punched in your vin. When you bring it in, if they try to tell you they're only going to do a level 1 (which is good in the sense that there is nothing but minor surface rust) I'd be persistent and insist they do the level 2 (quite a bit more involved, adding braces in the strut towers). Had the level 2 done on my '01 about a year ago, rust was fairly minor, but my dealership knows that I don't go down quietly (have gotten corperate involved twice in the past to get situations rectified), so when they called to tell me, I got no arguement when I told them they were going to do the level 2. Keep us posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushnut Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 read my OH Crap! thread.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patqx4 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 This thread is depressing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIssanBoston Posted August 17, 2014 Author Share Posted August 17, 2014 I agree.. :\ i don't want to loose my truck.. This thread is depressing I have read it!, i just hope i get good results and customer service just like you did.. I hope it goes the same way for me and they repair it fully and not just do a half-fast job read my OH Crap! thread.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIssanBoston Posted August 21, 2014 Author Share Posted August 21, 2014 Dropped my car off today, they said there going to do Level 2 repair on my rust so i'm happy about that, should have my truck back by tomorrow they said. Will post pics of the results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01Pathmaker Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 Good to hear as long as the rust is minimal, hopefully it was caught in time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushnut Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 once you get it back, I'd take the time to crawl around underneath and spray everything with a rust inhibitor. there are a bunch on the market. I figure they are all about the same. from now on I plan on doing this twice a year. spraying up into the unibody frame rails and such. hopefully it'll keep my truck alive for a few more years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkiBumBrian Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 I remember seeing a device that keeps a very small amount of current running through your frame and body to inhibit rust formation. Do they work? I am just glad I have never lived in an area where rust/cancer is a problem. The only rust on mine is the battery tray, for obvious reasons. Good luck on the repair! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 I found one of those rust modules on a frontier at the jy. Fenders and bedsides were rusty...I grabbed it for tbthee pathy but I suspect its nothing more than a gimmick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIssanBoston Posted August 22, 2014 Author Share Posted August 22, 2014 Well , got a call from colonial Nissan today and they basically told me they need to keep my truck until monday because they needed to order a bolt (LOL) and it would not get there until monday, so im carless for the weekend, i already miss my truck so much. I actually went there and asked to see my truck to see what work was being done and it looks like my passenger side was no good either (No visible rust from what i saw looking at it regularly) So they have that all apart and the drivers side it looks like there going to do over . I have hope in them and i hope that they fix my truck and i'll be on my way. I don't trust dealerships though... Kind of ironic because my truck is there >.>. Had no choice though, I just can't wait till i get my damn truck back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 They are supposed to give you a loaner vehicle.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIssanBoston Posted August 23, 2014 Author Share Posted August 23, 2014 They offered me a rental at no charge, but the wife doesn't trust the dealership and said we could live without the truck for a couple days... >.>, was kind of hoping to try one of the newer cars... oh well :\... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdj Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 They kept mine 2 extra days for "bolts". When I got it back I found a bunch that were broken off and not replaced because they weren't easy to see, including all the ones for the now rattling air box. Other things like broken brake line retainers bolts were replaced with zip ties. Make sure you inspect everything they have touched. Unfortunatly when I had mine done everything was covered with slush and ice by the time I drove it home and I didn't find all this stuff till spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdj Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 (edited) I remember seeing a device that keeps a very small amount of current running through your frame and body to inhibit rust formation. Do they work? I am just glad I have never lived in an area where rust/cancer is a problem. The only rust on mine is the battery tray, for obvious reasons. Good luck on the repair! It's a sacrificial anode to draw the rust to it. I don't know if they work on cars but boat outdrives use them though the water. If you what some interesting reading google "electrolytic rust removal". It's a great way to clean up rusty parts. I've tried this and it does work very well. A few tips are while washing soda (Arm and Hammer-hard to find) is recommended T.S.P. does work. Don't use stainless steel as an anode, use only a plastic tub or pail for the solution. Don't try it on tempered, spring steel, galvanized or non-ferrous metals. I could go on but look it up, I swear it works. I think www.stovebolt.com has a good article on the subject. Edited August 23, 2014 by kdj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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