What could possibly inspire me to create a web site about orange spots on white paint?
This is a great question! I know it is a great question because it is a question that was also posed by my wife!!!!
I’ve spend thousands of hours researching this topic. I’ve approached the rail dust removal from a scientific approach. I’ve consulted professional chemists; I’ve researched the active ingredients listed on the safety data sheets; I’ve read the long words on the label and assessed these components; and I’ve applied this knowledge from a scientific perspective. …and from the perspective of a passionate, disappointed truck owner. My passion is described below.
So, here’s my story….
A few years ago, I bought the nicest truck I’d ever driven. Not only was it the nicest truck I’d ever driven, but it was also the nicest truck I had ever been in. This truck was a life milestone. Financially, I reached a point in my life where buying a truck that met my family’s needs was possible. I was quite proud. So, you can imagine how disappointed I was when I looked at the tailgate and found orange spots on the tailgate. It was like a kick in the gut. All of that money spent on a truck that may not make it to my minimum ten years without rusting out.
Why ten years? Two reasons:
For over a year, I had begun to accept that this dream truck was a disappointment. A co-worker introduced me to an orange spot remover, called Iron X. I reluctantly tried Iron X to remove spots from my F-150. I was amazed!!! Within five minutes, these demoralizing orange spots had disappeared!
This was such a relief to me that had to share this information with anyone who had the same problem. If someone had told me that Iron X would make my orange spots disappear in five minutes, then, I would not have been so disappointed for so long!
I’ve noticed that several other cars have these orange spots. I’d like to share this knowledge with those people in order to prevent them from suffering the same disappointment.
My story is not a short story. It took place over two years. The rest of this post describes my saga. Perhaps some of this information hits home for you?
So today I received in the mail a bottle of iron X orange spot remover. I bought iron X to remove orange spots from my Ford F-150. I can’t wait to try it. I noticed about a year or two ago that my Ford F-150 had orange spots on the tailgate. I was very disappointed to see this because so much of the Ford body is made out of aluminum. The tailgate is definitely made out of aluminum and I never expected to see rust on the tailgate.
When I first discovered this I was both disappointed and angry. I had just dropped $55,000 on a truck made of aluminum with hopes that it would last longer than my previous F-150. (My previous F-150 lasted 14 years before I sold it.) I couldn’t believe that a truck that cost that much, with that much new technology, and that much aluminum, could possibly rust after only 3 years. I’m a lifetime Ford driver, but I gave serious consideration to switch it over to Chevy.
I have a co-worker who drives the same exact truck: Ford, four door, F-150 2013. (For the record, I purchased my truck before he bought his.) One day, he asked me if I had orange dots on my truck. I said “yeah actually last winter I discovered orange spots on my tailgate.” I expressed how disappointed I was with Ford for creating a vehicle that would rust so quickly. He said he was also disappointed. He also explained that he washes and details his truck nearly every weekend. We shared a few ideas, and later both spent time on the internet researching
We both developed a couple of theories about where the orange specks were coming from. The series included:
Theory number One Defective Paint
Perhaps the metal flake in the paint was not completely dried when it was added to the paint solution and sprayed onto the truck at the factory? This theory had a lot of merit. We were both excited about this because it was a common denominator. A manufacturing defect would explain why two nearly identical trucks had the exact same problem with orange dots appearing on the paint. We both had orange dots on the tailgate, which made us suspect a material of composition and compatibility with aluminum and the metal flake.
I am not to paint expert. As a matter of fact it’s one of the few things on vehicle maintenance or repair that I do not dare touch, mostly because of the potential health hazards of the vaporized paint. So I don’t claim to be an expert on paint.
This common denominator inspired my coworker to file a warranty claim with Ford. He actually called the warranty 1-800 number and spoke with a Ford representative. he was advised to visit a local Ford dealer and file a warranty claim. So he did. He filed a claim following the process explained in the papers that came with the Ford truck. He was a little bit nervous, because he bought the truck used. He was excited to find out I have the same problem, because he knew that I bought my truck brand new from the local dealer. He expected that I would receive more serious consideration because I bought the truck new from the dealer.
My friend visited the local Ford dealership. He said that the service manager took dozens of pictures of his truck and confirmed the claim. apparently, the local service manager has two observed images and validate the warranty claim. Which he did without objection
I followed his lead. I called the 1-800 number and filed a claim. Next, I visited the local dealership for routine service, and while I was there introduce myself to the new service manager. He offered to take pictures of my truck as well. He later explained that it could take up to 6 to 8 months to receive a reply from Ford on the warranty claim. He explained that it just takes a long time To have a claim filed and completed. He shared a couple of examples where he had submitted claims for other items and explained that the process just takes time
He was very professional and courteous and didn’t argue with me on the topic. I was impressed. I half-expected that I would have a fight on my hands or deal with a grumpy guy. However that was not the case at all
Months have passed since both of us filed our claims. we went on a About our lives expecting that we would not hear anything for months. We are both awaiting a reply from Ford about our warranty claim. I remain open minded and objective. After I receive a reply from Ford, I’ll be happy to share it here.
Theory number two: rail dust
Early in our search for answers, we learned about rail dust. Actually, this is not a theory that we developed. However this is what we were told by the local Ford service manager and the Ford warranty people. They said that the truck was likely exposed to rail dust. Apparently, it is believed that metal dust from a passing train will settle onto a vehicle and cause orange spots. according to this Theory, the orange spots are rust, iron oxide, that has built up on the paint.
We both found rail dust listed as a common cause when we searched the internet. As a matter of fact many websites do not describe orange spots, but instead, describe rail dust.
We were both rather stunned by this theory. At work, we both park in a parking lot that is located within 150 feet of a railroad line. I’m not sure how far this rail dust can travel through the air. The train passes by up to six times per day.
Here’s an interesting thing about the theory. I routinely park my truck in the same spot facing the same direction. Don’t ask me why, I just do. What’s interesting is that the truck normally faces into the wind. Predominant wind conditions come from the West blow toward the east. I know this because of the type of work I do. What’s interesting is that the tailgate would be on the downwind side of the pickup truck. If the real dust were to settle on objects, I would more likely expect that the rail dust would settle on my hood or side panels, or roof. Settling on the vertical, downwind section and creating the most damage on the tailgate seems like a pretty weak theory.
Additional facts
So here’s an interesting curveball! My 2013 Ford F150 has a leer fiberglass cap. The cap was installed a few months after I purchased the truck. The reason that I did not receive shipment of the cap and install it with the truck, was because of the paint code on the truck. The paint number was new to Leer. Leer needed time to receive the new paint and confirm the procedure to apply it properly. In order to confirm that Lear painted the cab a color that would match my truck, the local Leer dealer copied the paint number directly from my truck.
The information above was preliminary information. As you read the other posts on this website, you’ll learn what we’ve learned through our research and experience.. Other articles will continue the saga around warranty, TSB’s, etc.
I hope this is helpful! Leave a comment with any questions!