Rust...anybody seen this?

Terminator · Jan 13, 2016

My Model S has 2400 total miles. I just found this on both sides and haven't seen mention of it on the Tesla threads...I'm pretty sure this is a result of washing the car since it's winter here... If you know what causes it, tell me. It looks like something made of steel hidden in there needs a coat of paint! This is my first attempt to post a pic on this thread...forgive me if I blew it! 
 
Cheers! 
John

santana338 · Jan 13, 2016

Terminator said:
My Model S has 2400 total miles. I just found this on both sides and haven't seen mention of it on the Tesla threads...I'm pretty sure this is a result of washing the car since it's winter here... If you know what causes it, tell me. It looks like something made of steel hidden in there needs a coat of paint! This is my first attempt to post a pic on this thread...forgive me if I blew it!
Cheers! 
John

Take it to your service center. They should fix that ASAP under warranty. I haven't seen anything like this before, but it looks similar to the side marker corrosion issue and I just had my side markers replaced this year to fix them.

SmartElectric · Jan 13, 2016

There are some threads on rust such as:
Aluminium body Vs. Road salt

Unlikely this is rust though it may be "galvanic corrosion" instead.
Best to get Tesla to review.

See this on a "different site":
No more rust! | Forums | Tesla Motors

Aluminum does corrode and in many ways can be worse for structural integrity than steel. I have aluminum panels on a work boat that are completely corroded through, while the stainless steel used in the same spots on its sister boat has no corrosion.
The Model S does have many steel body components, including the battery cladding on the bottom, and the bumper structures that are bolted to the aluminum chassis are high strength steel. There are other boron steel reinforcements throughout the body. On some cars delivered in the U.S., the steel in the bumpers is beginning to rust and are showing streaking below the headlights.

green1 · Jan 13, 2016

SmartElectric said:
There are some threads on rust such as:
Aluminium body Vs. Road salt

Unlikely this is rust though it may be "galvanic corrosion" instead.
Best to get Tesla to review.

When aluminium corrodes it's grey, not orange. This isn't that. it looks like rust. Possibly from the chrome? or some other actual iron/steel component.

LetsGoFast · Jan 13, 2016

green1 said:
When aluminium corrodes it's grey, not orange. This isn't that. it looks like rust. Possibly from the chrome? or some other actual iron/steel component.

+1. That is almost certainly old fashioned rust, probably from some hidden component. It should be replaced.

Skotty · Jan 13, 2016

That's most unusual. Does kind of look like rust, but with only 2400 miles, I'd be surprised if anything was rusting yet. I have to wonder if maybe this is another occurrence of the infamous hood foam, though none of the past occurrences looked quite like that. Also, could it be a leaking fluid? Are any of the Tesla fluids roughly that color?

araxara · Jan 13, 2016

Considering that those parts are all plastic (including the fog light cluster) and those spots look like they have dripped from above and run down, I would think this is something external to the car. Maybe you parked somewhere where this dripped from above. Or this is something that has dripped from above the bumper. Maybe some structural elements or screws above the bumper?

Dutchie · Jan 13, 2016

It is even on the Lights. This is not rust but something else..

1208 · Jan 13, 2016

Edit: just read LetsGoFast's post below, it sounds the most plausible.

LetsGoFast · Jan 13, 2016

Could be rust from the water spray nozzle...

evp · Jan 13, 2016

Yeah, I agree that the origin of the rust is not the car. It's been dripped on. Check your garage, then think back to other places you might have parked it.

Terminator · Jan 13, 2016

What spray nozzle? the one I wash with? Nope...

After taking a closer look after my post, it appears the water enters from around the headlights and exits from the rear edges of the fender openings as the photo shows.
Nothing above the car is a source. There is no rust residue above the openings in the fenders. I expect that someone here has seen this. My suspicion is that after washing the car, water collects on something made of unprotected steel and the car sits overnight while the rust forms, then when I drive it, the rusty water spills out. Whatever it is, is behind/below the headlights, out of view...

This pic shows active rust forming on the left side behind the nose cone. The left side had much more rust than the right.
I will pursue this with the Service Center. 2400 miles is nothing.
John:smile:

Skotty · Jan 13, 2016

Wash it off and see if it comes back? I could see it maybe coming from an external source. It's just that I have never in my life seen a car rust in such a way, and certainly not at only 2400 miles. Someone will have to do a closer inspection to figure it out.

Terminator · Jan 13, 2016

Yeah it's pretty strange...it wiped off effortlessly with a damp cloth. I'm going to look at possibly some water was introduced by spraying the wheel wells...bottom line something in there needs some paint.

The car hasn't been out of my sight since I washed it on Sunday, except for when I was at Home Depot yesterday evening...maybe some prankster with a bottle of rusty water...

hmm...

SeminoleFSU · Jan 13, 2016

if memory serves, I think this has something to do with the metal part of the bumper or some piece in that area. I had rust leaking out of the front like this so I took it to the service center and they replaced a part (can't remember the details) but it fixed the issue...

Terminator · Jan 16, 2016

...Followup: Long story short...Service Center checked it out and will be replacing a part that apparently wasn't "coated" in a couple of weeks...

Super_Popular · Jan 16, 2016

Are you sure it's not hot sauce LOL

Terminator · Jan 16, 2016

...it didn't taste spicy at all...not even salty.

tomp · Jan 17, 2016

Could be some of the orange spray foam they were using in the hood (or maybe still are). I had some of it ooze out of my hood a while back.

LetsGoFast · Jan 17, 2016

tomp said:
Could be some of the orange spray foam they were using in the hood (or maybe still are). I had some of it ooze out of my hood a while back.

or ....

Terminator said:
...Followup: Long story short...Service Center checked it out and will be replacing a part that apparently wasn't "coated" in a couple of weeks...

Rust...anybody seen this?

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