It snowed a little bit here and they put salt down on the roads and it always ends up on the sides of my car. I've been looking around to find it through this forum and other random websites and I can't seem to find anything credible. I want to get it off because it looks bad, but I want to wait because it'll just go right back on tomorrow when I drive it again. So does anyone know the effects of the road salt?

Sorry if this is the wrong section of the forum.

 

Si.

 

I hate to be a dick, but that's like asking if water is wet. Salt is awful for vehicles, causes nothing but rust. Keeping it clean helps immensely, even just spraying the car off with water as often as you can will help, spray the underbody too. Get it off or it'll eat your car.

 

I hate to sound like a richard as well but how do you not know that?

 

 

As someone else mentioned the salt causes rust - Regular washes (spray the underbody too) will help.

 

not as much as bleach.

 

the salt will eventually destroy your car, this is why i park mine in the garage for the winter. if u dont have this option. maybe get it under sprayed and rust proofed. not sure how effective this is as i have not done it to my cars before

 

They over use salt in my area. The freak'n streets turn white, and look very thirsty

 

They poured out salt in the complex where I live when it was just a bit of flurries with sun for the next few weeks..

 

Same here haha I just wish it didn't get caked on the roads, I try to spray my car down to get the salt off, then I drive to school, and it's there again

 

Salt it horrible. You should see most of the cars on the eastcoast.

Many subarus and hondas have rear quarter panel rust and all cars have underbody.

 

This should be common knowledge for most people, salt promotes rust or corroison and since the under carriage and most of the parts down there are made of metal there is a very high possibility that they will rust and corrode.
unless your car is made of plastic.

 

Yes... I know. That's why asked him how he doesn't know that. Preachin' to the choir, bro.

 

Don't you just hate physics.

 

I do, I really do. Hahah

 

wash your car with brake fluid ... it kills the salts effects of causing rust ... FACT i read it on the interweb

 

Salt, by itself, won’t hurt your car. Here is a picture of my 350z.



The car looks like this all winter long. The Z’s paint is very durable and remains looking great for years even with this abuse. My Z is a 2003, and it honestly looks new.

Here’s the problem with salt. If salt gets under gaps in the sheet metal that hold moisture, you car will quickly rust. It happens on the panel’s underside (where the moisture remains) so you don’t see it until the panel is damaged beyond reasonable repair. The 350z’s vulnerable rust point is along the outmost seams of the rear wheel wells.

--Spike