How To Protect Your Car From Road Salt Damage

Winter in several places can be harsh on frequently traveled roadways. To make your commute easier, the local Department of Transportation takes action in full swing by sanding, plowing, and salting roads. Salting lowers the freezing temperature of the water, thereby melting the ice.

Salting is standard practice and many consider it to be highly effective in preventing collisions related to the weather. But it can also invite some unforeseen challenges like rusting on vehicles. You must remove the salt from your vehicle as the rust gradually eats away the car’s body. Even worse, it can affect the brake lines of cars.

What Causes Rusting Of Cars?

You must be thinking about how road salt can cause rust on vehicles. It is simple: cars are made of metal. Oxygen and carbon dioxide from rainwater gets blended with free-radical ions of road salt. Prolonged exposure of elements on the metal of the car brings about rusting. To escape rusting, monitor and maintain your car more frequently than you would in summer.

Top Tips To Fight Road Salt Damage

To ensure that your vehicle is rust-free even during harsh winters, there are a few measures you can undertake to protect your car. The following are some tips you can follow to stay away from road salt damage:

-Wash your vehicle thoroughly every week to ensure that no salt particles are left behind

-Wax your car’s exterior. Waxing will serve as a shield and provide protection to the surface

-Make sure that your car tires are clean

-If your area experiences frequent ice storms or snowstorms, stay alert. Whenever a storm hits, wash your car right after

-To get rid of salt in wintertime, wash your car during the day so that there is sufficient time for it to dry. The ideal temperature outside must be 40 degrees or even higher

-Close and open all doors of your car(s). Unlock and lock all the doors several times

-To ensure a clean machine throughout the season, repeat washing under the abovementioned condition at an interval of 10 days

-Do not drive when there is deep snow: For your safety and your car’s wellbeing, avoid driving in deep snow. To begin with, you can get stuck while driving and get stranded. Deep snow might pack salt in the undercarriage from where it can become difficult to eliminate. This leads to corrosion and drivability issues

-While driving, watch out for puddles. Driving over puddles of water puts you at risk of collecting more slimy dirt and also serving as a magnet for road-crew salts

-If you notice any rust or even the slightest sign of corrosion on your car, take action as soon as possible so that it won’t spread

Road salt becomes part of lives for those living in areas that experience wintery weather. You need not worry about the damage it can do to your vehicle as you can endure it easily. The abovementioned steps will ensure your safety and that of your car.

Time to Visit Your Fraser, MI Auto Repair Shop?

Feel free to stop in and visit Car Guys Auto Center today or give us a call at (586) 285-4444!  We would be happy to answer any auto-related questions you may have.  We are located at :

Car Guys Auto Center
32639 Groesbeck Hwy
Fraser, MI 48026