Strut tower

[Vlad Dragu]

Hello everyone.I have a 2005 Volvo S60 D5 with 147000km~91000 miles.I seen on YouTube some cars that have holes in front strut towers.I live in Romania so here is not so much salt.My question is:My strut towers can fail? My strut bearing plates has some visible rust(I heard that after some years is normal).
Thanks and sorry for bad English

[Georgeandkira]

Yes, strut towers can rust out from the "inside" (where the strut assembly goes).
When you change your front struts go in there and remove any rust.
Use a rust converter. They act like a primer. Any paint will add protection.

[oragex]

George, I would advise against rust converter paints. I did use one under the car in some areas, it didn't last but what's more is on the can it says not to apply over galvanized bodies - which the S60 is. It may attack the galvanized coat. In fact, in the areas where I applied the paint, it looks like it actually caused more rust to appear. It was the black Tremclad

[Vlad Dragu]

This can happen only in salt countries or country doesn’t matter ?

[Longhouse21]

Salt doesn't actually cause corrosion but it certainly enables it. Corrosion takes place electrolytically, just like a battery. Positive electrode (generally the steel but in the case of galvanizing it's the zinc), negative electrode some other less active metal or area on the surface that's at a different potential and a current path (through the metal and a conductive liquid, salt water just so happens to be a very good conductive liquid). Anything that interrupts the circuit will break the corrosion cell, so paint, plastic, wax....
There are multiple types of corrosion pathways but they all work like a battery with metal wastage at the anode of the cell.
Best course of action is to clean the surface of all rust, salts, dirt, debris, and make sure it's fully dry before covering with a good primer applied in several coats to exclude pin-holing of the paint film then apply a waterproof layer (topcoat, wax, etc)
Zinc coating works because the zinc is sacrificial, but when IT corrodes it forms a passivating oxide layer (the white powder) that interrupts the cell.

[Vlad Dragu]

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[Simmy]

Originally Posted by Vlad Dragu

Hello everyone.I have a 2005 Volvo S60 D5 with 147000km~91000 miles.I seen on YouTube some cars that have holes in front strut towers.I live in Romania so here is not so much salt.My question is:My strut towers can fail? My strut bearing plates has some visible rust(I heard that after some years is normal).
Thanks and sorry for bad English

yes rust can cause strut towers to fail usualy a line parallel to the wings mine rusted and was a mot failiure i had to have a weld repair with a plate on the top it usualy shows as a few small rust spots .

[Vlad Dragu]

Thanks @bkulcsar for your private message !! I can’t reply you in private because I have less than 30 posts.
Good roads and many kilometers!!

[Vlad Dragu]

So it’s normal to have some rust on bearing plates?

[Darlo 1]

Originally Posted by Vlad Dragu

So it’s normal to have some rust on bearing plates?

Yes, mine has to.