Hello everyone, I got a 2001 Acura TL (bought it for around 2900) it has a little rust hole in the frame near the engine and it has no radio. Is it worth fixing its not big yet and it has around 195K miles?
It’s just so I can hold on to it for a few more years until I can get a new one. Thanks
The rust hole may look little to you, but further inspection (up on a lift) might tell a different and expensive story. I'd take it to a muffler shop for evaluation. They weld everything.
Usually visible rust is only the beginning and there is much more extensive damage hidden. I'd do a hammer test on the area around the rust hole and the rest of the unibody frame rails to get a better idea of what you're dealing with.
Rust is never as small as it looks. I found a pair of tiny rust holes in my Ranger's frame the other day after noticing a sight discoloration and pitting in the frame rail. I whacked it as hard as I could with a 20 oz framing hammer and rust chunks fell out, opening a hole half the size of my pinky pad or so. As others suggested, wince a little, pound it with a hammer and hope for the best. Rust on a unibody is a lot harder to fix than a body-on-frame vehicle like a truck.
Hard to say without seeing the rest of your vehicle.
Bang on it with a big hammer and see if pieces fall off like Scotty Says. He has a number of very entertaining videos on the subject.
Even if you verify it's solid enough, personally I would not spend the $$ to fix it.
I would however use a rust inhibitor spray can to hose down the inside and outside of the hole.
That may hold the rust at bay for a few more years.
