Although road salt is necessary for safe transportation when snow and ice accumulate on roads and highways, taking active steps to protect your car from road salt is necessary to avoid rust and corrosion and general loss of your investment.
When salt is on the road, washing your car is the major factor in combating corrosion and maintaining the value of your car. Salt that remains on a vehicle surface and undercarriage for any length of time can;
- damage your car's clear finish.
- promote rust.
- affect the mechanics of your vehicle.
Preventing Salt Damage
- Wash your vehicle every 10 days or less.
- Wash your vehicle whenever the temperature reaches 40 degrees or higher.
- Wash your vehicle during the day to allow it to dry completely before freezing evening temperatures begin.
- Immediately after washing the vehicle, open and close all doors, the trunk, and other parts of the car with locks several times before parking it to prevent locks from freezing.
Snow and sleet contain corrosive road salt and rain and snow collect pollutants in the air and drop them as acid rain which can damage the cars protective finish.
- Wash your vehicle as soon as possible after a snow or rain shower.
- Wash the underside of your car often during the winter months in a car wash that does not use recycled water.
- Avoid driving through large puddles of standing water where road salt collects.
- Repair paint chips that are larger than the tip of a pen to avoid corrosion.
- Wax your vehicle every six months or less to give your vehicle a strong protective coating.
- Wax your vehicle before winter to protect your paint from corrosive salt.
Vehicles are one of the biggest investments we make in our lifetimes and protecting them from the ravages of the environment, such as salt and rust is important. Certain vehicle problems are inevitable, but rust from road salt is one that can be prevented.