The good news is that nowadays all car exhausts are made from a material which is rust resistant. This means that some of the work has already been done for you in terms of protecting your exhaust against the elements. However, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t things which you can and should do to protect your exhaust further.
If too much rust builds up, it can prevent the exhaust from doing its job properly and can have serious consequences on the smooth-running of your vehicle.
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Listed below are a few steps which you can follow in order to avoid this from happening.
Powder coating
This is one of the most effective methods of protecting against rust. It can only be performed on brand new or recently cleaned exhaust pipes. It can seriously improve the appearance of your exhaust, as well as protecting it from the elements. The only down side is that it is relatively expensive. Specialist equipment is required to carry out the procedure, so it can only be performed by professionals.
Chrome Plating
Some modern cars come ready-fitted with chrome plated exhausts. If yours has not been plated then you should consider having this done. It will not only make your exhaust incredibly shiny and improve the overall appearance of your vehicle, it will also mean that it will take much longer for rust to develop on the surface. Again, unfortunately, this is a specialist procedure which cannot be carried out at home and it could set you back a bit. But if the overall appearance of your vehicle is important to you then this is certainly something to consider.
WD-40
Unlike the previous two options, this is one idea that you can follow at home, without having to part with a significant amount of money. WD-40 is a lubricant which is available at most hardware shops. It helps rainwater to run off the exhaust pipe more quickly and therefore makes it more difficult for rust to form.
Keep an eye out
If you clean off small areas of rust as they appear, it is much easier to keep your exhaust pipe rust-free. Keeping on top of the rust by doing a small amount of cleaning every so often will prevent you from having to work hard to clean off a lot of rust all in one go. Doing just a small bit at a time will save you a lot of time and should mean that your exhaust pipe lasts much longer before you need a replacement.
If you are at all concerned about how best you can protect your exhaust, especially if you have just had it replaced or if you have just bought a new car, you can always talk to your car dealer or to your local mechanic to discuss the best options. It may be that your exhaust is already chrome plated, or is made of a sufficiently rust resistant material so that you will not have to do much at all to protect it from the elements.
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All about Exhaust
- How to Diagnose Problems with Your Exhaust
- How to Repair a Split Exhaust
- How to Protect Your Exhaust from Rust
- How to Remove the Rust from Your Exhaust Pipe
- What is the Catalytic Converter?
- How to Replace the Catalytic Converter
- What is a Diesel Particulate Filter?
- How to Replace the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF Replacement)
- What is a Diesel Particulate Filter Cleaner? How To Use It.
- Why is the Particulate Filter Required by Law?
- What is DPF Regeneration?
