What would cause corrosion in engine bay?

Checked under the hood for the first time ina few months to find what appears to be some light corrosion. Looks like some kind of fluid was splattered all over the inside. When I rub the engine block its kind if chalky.

Ive already gone and sprayed a few parts with corrosion x but you can see from the photos. Would this be cause by coolant spray?

Also, strange four wet oil spots on the hood. Would be directly over the air filter but I see no reason for the oil.

Car is parked in a car port. Absolutely no exposure to salt water.

 

Looks like every vehicle I have had after winter driving.

 

Yeah, you never know what they're laying down on the streets. Different chlorides and now beet juice.

 

OP, where do you live?

 

I live in Ca, near sf. Only driven in snow two or three times where roads might have been salted.

 

Living by the water doesn't help.

 

Does it look like your battery has boiled over at all.

 

Just clean it off with some degreaser and don't worry about it. There is so much crap on the roads - grease, oil, chemicals etc. Almost of every piece of heavy equipment being hauled around leaks hydraulic fluids. I try to blast out the engine compartment each time I wash the truck and it helps keep things clean, easier to work on, and better to spot any problems under there.

 

those 4 oil spots are likely the glue compound between the two hood pieces.

Either way everything here is normal and nothing to worry about.

 

That's all it takes.

My father lives in middle of nowhere West of Ocala FL which requires traveling about a mile over "dirt" roads--lime rock dust actually, which is only mildly corrosive normally. However last December he had a hip replaced and I stayed with him for 6 weeks. In and out of there 2 or 3 times a day, and when I got back I found the "talc" like stuff all over the truck, top/bottom/engine and bed. Had to use a pressure washer to get it off...

 

I don't look under the hood much, is that first photo a coolant line going into a overflow/reservoir bottle? If so, it could definitely be coolant causing the chalky spray.

In the last pic, is that a supercharger or is this a 4 banger engine, because that doesn't look familiar to what I've seen on my 3.0L. If it's a supercharger, it'd seem possible it's throwing oil.

My thoughts are just thoughts based on the fact that others have already said the obvious normal road crime...paired with not really seeing exactly what I think you intended to show in the pics.

 

Yes, the truck is supercharged and the line is going to the coolant reservoir for it.

In terms of driving in the snow once or twice, I realize all it takes is a single exposure to salt to start the process but this just doesn't seem like salt to me and I don't see how it would have splattered all over the engine bay like that...so I'm still not sure what to think about it.

 

oxygen + moisture = oxidation

 

I'm pretty sure CA doesn't salt their roads even up where it snows but someone correct me on that if I'm wrong. If you're close to the beach though maybe that's the culprit...I drove on beach sand for a couple days last summer and my sliders/bumper were covered in surface rust by the time I got home...beach sand/salt is no joke.

Now that you've cleaned if off, keep an eye on it to see if it starts up again...then you'll know if you have an issue or if it was something you drove through/over on the road.

 

galvanic corrosion cant be stopped

 

THIS.

 

They definitely salt the roads in Big Bear when it snows a lot like last winter

 

LOL...galvanic corrosion is corrosion hat occurs from two different metals contacting each other IE: a steel bolt into aluminum threads.



@littleblue81 , detail the whole engine bay really well then drive it up to full temp for 30 mins or so then pop the hood and see if you can see any more of that happening. That would be a tell if you have an over pressurized hose spewing any fluids. Cooked coolant will look like that...just went through a head gasket prob myself last year and that kind of white residue was my first clue something was goin' on under the hood.

 

Ah ok...I was up there snowboarding for the first time last winter when Big Bear got hit with the biggest snow storm it's seen in 10 years...it was insane. People stuck everywhere, it was mayhem. Barely got out ourselves that night, it was full on snow wheeling all the way down to the bottom of the mountain.

 

You can install a sacrificial anode. (Sorry, natural gas employee humor)