fabrizzio71

Hi Everyone,

I'm having an issue with some rust coming through the paint right above the bumper at the edge of the rear passenger side wheel well. It's just a small spot that shows, but after looking behind the bumper and up inside the wheel well, it is apparent that there is a good bit of rust on the metal panel that runs down near the top of the back bumper. I've determined that this is due to years of having water and grim being slung up from the wheel to the exposed metal.

When comparing the passenger and driver's side rear wheel wells, I see that the drivers side does not have this issue because there is a fender liner that runs from the mud guard protecting the whole area behind the wheel. I assumed after seeing this that the liner on the passenger side came off or was taken off for some reason. After talking to the service center at Acura, they told me that that there is no part listed for a fender liner on the passenger side. The reason it's on the drivers side is to protect the fuel lines coming from the fuel tank. So, unless I can find some way to cover the area behind the wheel, I'm stuck with a rust problem that will only continue to get worse. Does anyone have similar problems and any ideas about protecting against rust or finding an aftermarket solution for a fender liner? Thanks for any input.

Fenix85182

My '97 has the exact problem, except it's now more than a spot of rust and has worn away the fender lip and is bubbling up about 2 inches. My driver's side has started to rust where the rear bumper connects to the quarter panel.

Alas, it's a 16 year old car, and it's bound to happen. I'm going to try my hand at repairing rust and repainting my Jeep come spring time, then going to set in on repairing the rust spots on the CL.

Unfortunately there's no quick fix for it and it's something you probably shouldn't ignore. My father's manta, "rust doesn't sleep".

fabrizzio71

Thanks for the reply. I think this summer I'm going to have to get in there and fix up the rusted areas or it's only going to spread to more places. Going to have to take the rear bumper off and see how bad the damage really is. Sprayed some WD 40 in there for some temporary protection last week.

mshipon

Exact same issue! I just purchased a single owner 2003 Acura CL S-Type 6 speed with 93,000 miles. The car is in great shape except for some rust at the right/rear wheel well fender area. I'm looking for a repair shop that will repair it properly for a reasonable amount of money. So far, no one will touch it or charge a fortune to repair! The car has not been in an accident. Any suggestions?

fabrizzio71

Congrats on the Type S, sounds like a great find. I actually never got around to dealing with the rust issue asides from spraying a bunch of WD 40 in there on the inside of the wheel well and putting touch up paint on the outside (which rusted through again not long after). When looking into other solutions I had gone to the acura dealer thinking that I was somehow missing a fender liner for the right rear side. It turns out that they never made one for the right rear; only for the left rear to prevent corrosion on the fuel lines. Bad design choice. After that I even considered trying to fabricate a liner out of some sort of durable rubber but I never found the time or materials. I suppose it's still a possibility. Ideally I would have taken the rear bumper off and sanded all the rusted parts and then put some coats of rustoleum metal protection on there. Then I would have tried to bond some sort of rubber type material on there or what have you. Then it would be easier to deal with the outer cosmetic issue. Hope that helps.

toddnoeth

around ohio that rust spot is refered to as "Honda rust." it's typical with all late model honda and acura cars... i'm fortunate as not to have been infected with this viral rust issue... but i'm sure i will get it if i don't do something soon... just stay away from truck "bed-liner" sprays! they are durable... but they can have 'pin holes' after curing and allow water to enter... and takes forever to evaporate. so the rust issue can become devastating. best bet in my opinion is to get a rust converter and apply periodically. effective but not permanent... thus the need for repeated applications (after thorough cleaning).

Phobius

97 Cl 2.2 with same problem. Started to clean the spot to slow/stop over the winter. Well the spot grew and grew. for a quick fix I picked up Bondo's fiberglass kit with the long fibers.
cleaned and broke off rush until I had good metal, mixed the fiberglass and applied to both inner and outer surfaces. this at least I hope stopped the growth. Now it's time to finish the job. Sadly trying to find a small amount of paint to match will be the real problem. It's that red from '97. nice color but not anything carried in the stores.

Good luck with your repair, and I'll try to get back with paint supplier information when I find it.
Jerry (Phobius)

Halmiles

99 CL 3.0---My newly acquired Coupe has surface rust in only one area of the body---and it is the same spot on the right side. I'll make that a priority before the snow and salt season begins.

Notahonda

I fixed my friend's 97 Acura CL 3.0 before by cutting out a chunk of the rusty quarter panel.

In doing so, I discovered the cause of rust is due to 3 reasons:

(1) There is an inner roof condensation drain pipe that empties into this area above the rear wheelhouse.
(2) There are small openings in the inner wheel well that are supposed to allow moisture to drain but get clogged.
(3) Insufficient body sealer /cavity wax is applied to the area where the inner wheelhouse is spot welded to the quarter panel flange. This seems to be hit and miss from the factory. My friend's 1997 3.0 had little sealer, but his replacement 2.2 of the same year has plenty of sealer factory applied and no rust at all.
(4) There is a black plastic molding that is pressed onto the wheel well sheet metal flange to protect it from moisture but actually collects moisture.

Solution:
(1) Before it rusts in this area, spray some anti-rust spray (or cavity wax) into the upper wheel well area, accessed by detaching the trunk carpet liner on that side.
(2) Wash/remove any muck that builds up in the wheel well area after snowfall / salt / muddy road conditions.