Before beginning, I’d like to say that every person who I spoke with at Ford was very polite and professional. Honestly, not very helpful, but professional.
Is rail dust covered by my warranty? The Ford Warranty Guide acknowledges orange spots (fallout, industrial fallout, rail dust, etc.) and states that the orange spots are covered under warranty for a short time after purchase. Ford published two Technical Service Bulletins, TSB’s, explaining the source of orange spots and provided guidance on proper removal of orange spots. However, Ford Warranty people and my local Ford garage seem completely unaware of orange spots and how to remove them.
What does Ford say about the orange spots?
The Ford representatives that I have spoken to have not explained what the orange spots are; where they come from; or how to remove them. In this article, I’ll share my experience with Ford. Then, I’ll explain the Technical Service Bulletins (TSB’s) that I discovered. This TSB brings validity to the information shared about orange spots on white paint. If you own a Ford vehicle, this is a MUST read. If you own a vehicle with rail dust, this is a must read!
First Stop: The local dealer.
During a routine service at my local Ford garage, I mentioned to the service personnel that I had already noticed rust spots on the tailgate of my truck. The service team knows me by name. They know that I take very good care of my truck. They know that I intend to keep my truck for 10 years and I intend to pay forward to service it properly to ensure that it makes it to 10 years. so I wasn’t talking to a group of cold hearted strangers. I joked about the Fords not lasting as long as they used to. But, no response from the service team. No suggestions about how an aluminum tailgate would begin to rust. No mention of “ail dust”. No offers to take a closer look. No suggestions about cleaning or paint care. Nada
Obviously, I was pretty disappointed in forward at this stage, However, I accepted this as” just the way it’s going to be” and moved on.
2nd stop: Ford’s warranty hotline
I’ve never filed a warranty complaints on any vehicle I’ve ever owned. Normally, the service manager will suggest that An issue should be addressed under warranty, then takes care of the warranty themselves. So the concept of dialing 1-800 to complain about a Ford product was very foreign to me. However I followed my co-workers lead and dialed the number. An operator kindly collected all of my information and provided me with a case number. I asked if they had received a lot of warranty complaints about the paint, but she made no indication that orange spots on white paint had been a problem.
Third stop calling back to the local Ford Service Department
I was told that the service manager would need to assess my claim. This made sense, it’s not like somebody was going to fly up from Detroit to take a closer look at my paint! A couple weeks later I had a simple oil change scheduled. While at the garage, I introduced myself to the new service manager and explained that I was the person who he had spoken to about orange spots on the tailgate of the truck. I told him that I had submitted a warranty claim with Ford for the paint issue. I suggested that he take pictures of the paint and perform whatever assessment was necessary while my truck was in the garage that day. He agreed to check the truck and complete his assessment while the truck was in the garage.
Well speaking with a service manager, he mentioned “rail dust”. That’s it just “rail dust”. He didn’t tell me what it was where it came from or how I could remove it just “rail dust”.
Fourth stop: Technical Service Bulletins ….thank you Google!
At this point of the game, everything would have gone quiet. Total radio silence…. However, the power of Google kept the game going! I spent an enormous amount of time on the internet trying to learn as much as I could about these orange dots. I learned about technical service bulletins published by Ford for this exact problem.
What is a technical service bulletin?
A technical services Bulletin is not a recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires manufacturers to conduct a recall when they find a defect that affect the safety of a vehicle. The NHTSA will initiate a recall in situations where the defect could impact the safety of the vehicle When a manufacture discovers defects that do not impact a vehicle safety, the expectation is that a technical services bulletin will be written to help resolve these minor problems. You can actually go to the NHTSA website to see if there are any recalls or Technical Services bulletins for your vehicle. Just enter the vehicle identification number(VIN) to get results. There is no fee to look up information about your vehicle. Here is a link to the website: https://www.nhtsa.gov/
Ford has issued two Technical Services bulletins pertaining to orange spots on white paint. The first was in 1989. The second was in 2004
In 1999 article number: 99-12-10 was written. This technical service bulletin was titled: paint – iron particle removal – industrial Fallout – acid rain neutralization. paint – rough textures / ferrous metal contamination – acid rain discoloration or exit.
Vehicles in scope of this Technical Services Bulletin included several Ford models built from 1996 to 1999.
The contents of this Technical Services bulletin are listed below. However, what is interesting is that the term rail dust is defined within this Technical Services Bulletin I would invite you to read the technical services bulletin for yourself.
A second Technical Services bulletin was published by Ford in 2005 / 2006. This is article number 0 4 – 9 – 6. It is titled body dash paint – iron particle removal – industrial Fallout- acid rain neutralization. The scope of this type tickle Services bulletin includes several Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury models built in 2004 and 2005. This Technical Services Bulletin explains the cause of orange spots; and the proper decontamination / cleaning process.
TSB 04-9-6 BODY – PAINT – IRON PARTICLE REMOVAL – INDUSTRIAL FALLOUT – ACID RAIN NEUTRALIZATION
Publication Date: May 4, 2004
FORD: 2004-2005 CROWN VICTORIA, ESCORT ZX2, FOCUS, MUSTANG, TAURUS, THUNDERBIRD
2005 FIVE HUNDRED, FORD GT
2004-2005 ECONOLINE, ESCAPE, EXCURSION, EXPEDITION, EXPLORER SPORT TRAC, EXPLORER, F SUPER DUTY, FREESTAR, RANGER, F SERIES, F-650, F-750
LINCOLN: 2004-2005 LS, TOWN CAR, AVIATOR, NAVIGATOR
MERCURY: 2004-2005 GRAND MARQUIS, SABLE
2005 MONTEGO
2004-2005 MONTEREY, MOUNTAINEER
2005 MARINER
This article supersedes TSB 99-12-10 to update the vehicle lines, model years and service procedure.
ISSUE:
Ford Motor Company has released a private labeled material to be used for iron particle/acid rain service repairs.
ACTION:
To remove these particles/contaminates, use ONLY the following Motorcraft products and procedure. No polishing, compounding, color sanding, or repainting should be done before this procedure is performed. This procedure uses products that are acidic, alkaline, and neutral and must be properly mixed and used in their specific order. Refer to the following Service Procedure for details.
SERVICE PROCEDURE
NOTE: ANY CHANGES TO THIS PROCEDURE WILL CAUSE AN INCOMPLETE OR UNSATISFACTORY REPAIR. THE USE OF ANY OTHER PRODUCT OR PROCEDURE MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO ALUMINUM OR PAINTED SURFACES.
NOTE: THE PRODUCTS USED TO REMOVE SURFACE CONTAMINATION FROM PAINT ARE DESIGNED FOR VEHICLES, WHICH HAVE EXPERIENCED EXPOSURE FOR LESS THAN 120 DAYS. VEHICLES THAT EXCEED 120 DAYS OF EXPOSURE MAY REQUIRE THE PROCEDURE BE REPEATED TO RESOLVE THE CONCERN. ONCE THIS PROCEDURE IS COMPLETED, IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO PERFORM POLISHING OR REFINISHING PROCEDURES AFTER VEHICLE INSPECTION.
IDENTIFICATION
Ferrous metal particles (hot iron dust) are generated by manufacturing facilities, rail shipments, etc. Moisture and heat combine with particles to create a chemical reaction. This reaction creates an acid, causing the iron to corrode and etch into the paint surface. Additionally, industrial fallout and acid rain generate corrosive compounds that fall on the vehicle’s painted surfaces. When subjected to moisture and temperature, chemical compounds are created that etch the paint surface. To assist in identifying surface contamination, use a (Tandy-Radio Shack #63-851) 30x lighted magnifier.
CONCERN DESCRIPTION
Ferrous Metal
Light Colored Vehicles: Small orange stains the size of “mechanical pencil lead.” The surface is rough to the touch.
Dark Colored Vehicles: Small white or silver appearing dots with a rainbow ring around the dot. The surface is rough to the touch.
Industrial Fallout
Water spots containing ferrous metal are present and the surface is rough to the touch.
Acid Rain/Etching
Surface will exhibit irregular discolored spotting.
Dark colored vehicles may exhibit cloudy or graying spots where the acid has begun to etch the paint.
Extreme cases of etching may be felt.
DECONTAMINATION PROCEDURE
Use Motorcraft Acid Neutralizer, Alkaline Neutralizer, and Detail Wash to decontaminate and neutralize the paint surface. Perform the procedure only on vehicle when the paint surface temperature is cool. Follow the step-by-step procedure listed below to perform this service operation.
Rinse off dust, dirt, and debris with cold water. Flush liberally.
Prepare Motorcraft Acid Neutralizer by mixing eight (8) parts of water to one (1) part Acid Neutralizer in a bucket.
Wear gloves and use a clean wash mitt to apply mixture of Motorcraft Acid Neutralizer to the entire vehicle starting at the top of the vehicle working toward the side. Work fast and keep the vehicle wet with solution, lightly agitating and moving quickly around the vehicle repeatedly for five to seven (5-7) minutes. For vehicles with severe conditions, work the product for up to eight (8) minutes.
NOTE: USE A SEPARATE MITT FOR EACH PRODUCT. DO NOT INTERMIX MITTS.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with cold water to remove Motorcraft Acid Neutralizer.
Dry only the horizontal surfaces of the vehicle at this time. Do not dry glass.
NOTE: MOTORCRAFT ALKALINE NEUTRALIZER IS READY TO USE. DO NOT MIX WITH WATER. DO NOT SPRAY MOTORCRAFT ALKALINE NEUTRALIZER ON THE PAINTED SURFACE.
Pour the Alkaline Neutralizer into a dispenser (squirt bottle). Squirt the neutralizer directly onto a clean wash mitt. Apply the product to the vehicle, keeping the areas wet and lightly agitated for five to seven (5-7) minutes. For vehicles with severe conditions, work the product for up to eight (8) minutes.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with cold water.
Prepare Motorcraft Detail Wash by mixing 29.5 mL (1 ounce) of Detail Wash to 3.7 L (1 gallon) of water.
Shampoo the vehicle with Motorcraft Detail Wash using a clean wash mitt. Rinse the vehicle with cold water and dry the vehicle completely.
SURFACE CORRECTION FOLLOWING DECONTAMINATION/NEUTRALIZATION
Visually inspect paint surface for evidence of removal of ferrous metal particles and water spots.
NOTE: ACID RAIN DISCOLORING OR ETCHING WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL PROCEDURES DEPENDENT ON DEPTH OF DAMAGE; POLISHING, BUFFING, COLOR SANDING, OR IN EXTREME CASES, REFINISHING.
DO NOT intermix buffing products. Use only one manufacturer’s products.
Always follow the manufacturer’s product usage sequence. Use the appropriate recommended pad at recommended buffing speeds as specified by the product manufacturer.
NOTE: WHEN ATTEMPTING TO AFFECT A REPAIR BY BUFFING, POLISHING, OR COLOR SANDING, DO NOT REMOVE AN EXCESS OF 0.3 MIL OF PAINT FILM OR REFINISHING WILL BE REQUIRED. USE OF AN ELECTRONIC MIL GAUGE (ROTUNDA 164-R4025) IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO INSURE CONTROL OF PAINT FILM REMOVAL.
Use a dual action sander with a Velcro backing plate and foam pad to fine polish and remove any swirls created by a rotary buffer or pad.
Use an alcohol and water mixture (1 to 1 ratio) to clean the buffed areas and to verify removal of scratches and swirls before application of the final polish.
PART NUMBER PART NAME
ZC-1-A Motorcraft Acid Neutralizer
ZC-2-A Motorcraft Alkaline Neutralizer
ZC-3-A Motorcraft Detail Wash
OTHER APPLICABLE ARTICLES:
NONE
WARRANTY STATUS:
Eligible Under Provisions Of New Vehicle Limited Warranty Coverage