[Lotus99]

I don't even know what the part is / does... Which would be my first question.

I've noticed these white deposits on it, and I wiped them off once, and they came back a week later. They're like the deposits you see on AA batteries that have leaked...

The car doesn't get driven every day (every few days probably), and we live in the Pacific Northwest, so it's quite wet and rainy these days (car's parked outside all the time).

My other car, with the same N54 engine, is parked in the garage overnights but outside during the day at work, and doesn't have the same deposits. So I'm a bit puzzled what they are / is going on...
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[C.Pop]

Corrosion. Not a big deal. You can clean it off but it's very likely to return.

[Lotus99]

Thx. Makes sense.

Forgot to mention this car gets driven mainly on weekends when we go up to the local mountains, and they salt the highway. Whereas my other N54 only sees city driving, and we get almost no snow here, so they rarely salt the streets.

PS What is the part I'm looking at? The right side of it seems to have some wound copper coils in it... I thought a motor of some kind.

[BlackBB6]

Originally Posted by Lotus99

PS What is the part I'm looking at? The right side of it seems to have some wound copper coils in it... I thought a motor of some kind.

Oil filter housing and the alternator is to the right.

Originally Posted by Lotus99

Thx. Makes sense.

Forgot to mention this car gets driven mainly on weekends when we go up to the local mountains, and they salt the highway. Whereas my other N54 only sees city driving, and we get almost no snow here, so they rarely salt the streets.

PS What is the part I'm looking at? The right side of it seems to have some wound copper coils in it... I thought a motor of some kind.

lol you trollin

[Lotus99]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

lol you trollin

[MAC335i]

[Miller335]

I would be sick to my stomach if I saw that.
I live in the NW and they don't salt any roads around here.

Park outside?
Dude your car is rusting out.

[E30 Racer]

It's not rust, its oxidation. Happens to raw aluminum in certain environmental conditions, and does not require being exposed to salt.

If it's not too bad, you can try wiping the parts down with boeshield (http://boeshield.com/). It's a hassle, but effective. I've used it on show cars with good results.

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Salt Corrosion! My worst enemy!

[WedgePerformance]

I don't miss the salt from the mid-west or east. Living on the West Coast has been the best and my car looks new year after year after year...

[CustomColours]

What is this part. Next to it is a part with a wound copoer coil. Hahahaha. Sorry. Im not poking fun jusy iv never known anyone male to not know what an engine oart of any kind is. Lol

[3000GT MR]

Is that an instagram picture? For real, my original oil filter housing looked like that and it never saw salty roads being in the SE. I think I'm far enough inland (20-30min) where I don't think the salty air would do it either. My new housing has been on there for almost a year and still looks good. I guess we'll wait and find out

[Lotus99]

I do live like half a mile inland from the ocean, so maybe it's in the air, as you say. I'll wipe it off, and see if I can find the Boeshield spray, if not, maybe wipe it down with WD40 and see if it helps.

[techwhiz]

Aluminum oxide. Ever seen an aluminum screen door?
Actually the oxidation forms a hard protective layer. The oxide is harder than aluminum and protects the aluminum underneath.

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Originally Posted by 3000GT MR

Is that an instagram picture? For real, my original oil filter housing looked like that and it never saw salty roads being in the SE. I think I'm far enough inland (20-30min) where I don't think the salty air would do it either. My new housing has been on there for almost a year and still looks good. I guess we'll wait and find out

If it's not salt corrosion then it resembles it perfectly.

My daily driven cars look like that in their engine and suspension components that see salt. The cars I dont drive in the winter or salt look immaculate.

[Lotus99]

I guess since that oil filter is so close to the front grills, it's sucking in the road salt, especially since most of the driving the car sees is highway driving, so it's being blasted in at high speed...
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[3000GT MR]

Originally Posted by Jeff@TopGearSolutions

If it's not salt corrosion then it resembles it perfectly.

My daily driven cars look like that in their engine and suspension components that see salt. The cars I dont drive in the winter or salt look immaculate.

I'm not saying it isn't from salt. But salty air can do it just as quick and as much as salty roads. Especially if your right on the coast with consistent breeze. The two people I know here have the same thing and one is very inland and has bought and only driven down south since brand new. Just one of them things I guess.

Originally Posted by 3000GT MR

I'm not saying it isn't from salt. But salty air can do it just as quick and as much as salty roads. Especially if your right on the coast with consistent breeze. The two people I know here have the same thing and one is very inland and has bought and only driven down south since brand new. Just one of them things I guess.

Word...could be a number of different things. I've also seen dried "white spots" on aluminium parts after washing down the engine bay with well water that has a decent amount of calcium in it.