Xref: utzoo sci.electronics:6578 rec.autos.tech:8578
Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cornell!chang
From: chang@svax.cs.cornell.edu (Richard Chang)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics,rec.autos.tech
Subject: Re: parasitic anodes for rust prevention ???
Message-ID: <28830@cornell.UUCP>
Date: 12 Jun 89 16:33:53 GMT
References: <11854@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> <4345@druco.ATT.COM>
Sender: nobody@cornell.UUCP
Reply-To: chang@svax.cs.cornell.edu (Richard Chang)
Organization: Cornell Univ. CS Dept, Ithaca NY
Lines: 24

In article <4345@druco.ATT.COM> jhs@druco.ATT.COM (J H Shore) writes:
>in article <11854@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU>, wolfgang@mgm.mit.edu (Wolfgang Rupprecht) says:
>> Has anyone tried playing with parasitic anodes for rust prevention of
>> automobiles?  I have seen several likely gimmics that you "bolt-on"
>> and forget.  
>> 
>
>I would suggest making your parasitic anodes passive, so to speak, 
>rather than  using +12vdc.  
>
>Naval ships--and probably merchant marine ones as well--use large 
>zinc bars bolted in strategic places both within and external to the
>hull to minimize electrolytic action associated with prolonged 
>exposure to sea water.  None use an active potential (that I know of).
>

  My Bentley manual for my '86 VW Golf describes some zinc strips
that are bolted to the front fenders (where the fenders are mounted
to the sides of the engine bay).  These are supposedly used to
prevent rust.  So, at least one manufacturer has tried this and
found it worthwhile to install in production models.  In any case,
isn't galvanized steel just zinc coated steel?  I would suspect that
if he got this active parasitic anode to work, he would end up oxidizing
the zinc coating any galvanized steel he has in his car.