Does anyone use this? I just saw it on tv today and it suppossedly turns the metal of your truck into the negative half of a capacitor. I know a sacrificial anode won't work in the air, but I'm not sure about this product. Any thoughts? Anyone have this on their truck?

 

To be more descriptive, CounterActs is a brand name of an electrical rust preventing system. Electrical rust proofing has been used for some time on underwater and buried equipment, but the typical sacrificial anode method won't work in the air. This product claims to use electricity to turn the truck into a capacitor which slows down the oxidation process by switching the polarity of the iron. Does anyone have any experience with this product? Anyone have a reason I haven't thought of why this wouldn't work?

 

Well I found the site but no where can I find any warranty info or guarantees?

http://counter-act.com/index.html

 

Darned good question. About the only thing I found that seemed like a testemonial turned out to be an add on off-road.com. Two-guys garage (tv show) promotes it but they promote a lot of "stuff". You would think if it really worked they would install it on high end vehicles and military humvees. Sigh, when did we all turn into skeptics.

 

We're all skeptics because false advertising is relative.

 

I have a system that is the same principal as the one your asking about. Its called electroshield. I cant say if it works or if it dosent because my truck has no rust on it yet because I did a paint job from the bare metal up. But now after doing some research on it I think that all this electronic rust kits on autos is just snake oil. You are better off waxing the outside and spraying the inside panels with oil . There are lots of buisness that do oil spraying on vehicles.

 

How does the electroshield work? What's the theory behind it?

 

I dont quite remember but there is two patches[cathodes] that you stick on each side of the vehicle which are connected to a control box. They are supposed to produce an electric [neg or pos?] current throughout. I just googled electroshield but got nothing. They got my money and are now out of buisness.Only thing is when I open the hood there is some pretty green and red leds blinking to remind me.....

 

If I may ask, roughly how much did you pay for the product?

 

I'll send you a PM

 

When I first started in the car business I worked in an antique body shop. One customer had an old 40ish Chevy truck that he had a chain dragging on the road to help with static electricity, I couldnt argue with him as his truck had no rust but I would hate to be the one behind him when a link wore off. Anyone have thought on this?

 

Hadnt heard of dragging a chain. Found a post on one of the science sites that said:::

"The more common term is cathodic protection, usually used on liquid storage tanks or anything thats immersed in water (pipes).
The only problem is cars usually are not immersed in water, water (electrolytes) is/are needed to touch the anodes, completing the the 'circuit' which puts a charge on the desired metal and prevents rust from forming.
The newest form of protection uses the form of impression current (directed cathodic protection) through metals, throwing a positive charge, corroding its own anodes to disrupt the forming of rust. On vehicles I could see this using a good 30 volts at least, well on your way to a dead battery. Also, unlike a pipe or ship, the current would have to go through a lot of dissimilar metals possibly resulting in corroded joints.:::" It would be very interesting if there is anything that actually works.

 

Wow, a blast from the past.... My uncle was into every sucker gimmick that came along in the 70's and talked several members of my family into magnets on the fuel lines, intake air vortexes and yes even the anti-rust cathode system. It is supposedly used on ocean vessels to stop rust. But like most great gimmicks, it is probably based on a twisted bit of truth.

I know every vehicle we had these systems on rusted just as fast as the ones that didn't have them.

There may be a scientific basis to the claim, but I would say if someone's truck was lasting longer with this device, it would be because the person paid for an anti-rust device and figures he'll keep his truck longer, so he washes it more often and takes better care of it.

To prove the point, put the rust thing on and scratch a bit of the fender where it is easily repaired, then just repaint it in a month when it's all rusty.

 

Rusting is a process where electrons are lost from the outer shell of the atom or molecule. The theory behind it is that if you induce a small current, electrons, you will not loose any and therefore not have any rusting. The problem is that all metal surfaces must be bonded to each other, most of the compnents are seperated by some non-conducting part like rubber. The current needs to run from one end to the other. Some of the systems that I have read about had little sticky tabs that held 2 wire on each end of the vehicle, this would make a nice connection for a short period.

 

I read somewhere (hearsay) that consumer reports or someone said that it doesn't work. Personally, I have no idea.

I lost a lot of respect for Sam Memolla since his shows have turned into infomercials. But, I still watch them.

Pete
(xploretx)