Protect Your Car From Salt Damage
With the recent onslaught of snow, the roads are covered in salt to counter snow, ice, and slush. Salt plays an important role for public safety in the winter, but its degrading properties can also damage your vehicle if you’re not careful. Salt can destroy your vehicle’s finish, increase rush, and potentially interfere with your car’s driving performance. Prevent salt damage to your vehicle with some of the tips below and with Smith Chevrolet service!
Avoid Driving Before and After Snowstorms
It’s simple, but it can make a huge difference. Your town or city is most likely to send out high salt distribution immediately before and after snowstorms. Avoiding driving during these times can reduce your vehicle’s exposure to salt over the long run.
Clean Your Vehicle’s Tires
Tires are likely to get the most exposure to salt throughout the winter because they are closest to the road and have pockets that might pick up salt during the course of your drive. This means you should pay extra attention to your vehicle’s tires. Keep them clean and salt-free by checking and rinsing them every few days or so.
Wax Your Car’s Exterior
Because they retain a lot of moisture and are bombarded with salt during the winter, your vehicle’s doors, fenders, hood, and tailgate are the most vulnerable to rust damage from salt. Waxing your vehicle’s exterior can prevent this sort of damage. Wax works to protect the paint surface of a vehicle, almost like an invisible shield. It’s a good idea to schedule professional waxing to make sure a good coat is properly applied, and the undercarriage of your vehicle is completely sealed.
Wash Your Vehicle Yourself
Commercial car washes tend to use repurposed water, meaning it probably contains levels of salt, especially in the winter months. A DIY car wash at home will prevent further salt exposure. You can use a hose (high-pressure hoses work best), making sure to spray the salt off of hard-to-reach areas like beneath wheel wells and behind fenders. Also make sure you spray under your vehicle at multiple angles to ensure all salt is washed off.
It’s also important to wash your vehicle during the day. This allows more time to dry since the frigid temperatures at night will just freeze any remaining moisture. The optimal temperature for washing your vehicle is 40°F or higher. If you can, try to get in a wash every ten days or so because doing so will prevent salt from accumulating and causing greater harm to your vehicle.
Smith Chevrolet Service
Looking for Chevy dealers Hammond, Indiana? Look no further! At Smith Chevrolet Hammond, Indiana, we can help you prevent or fix any salt damage on your vehicle. Visit us today to learn more about or schedule winter maintenance!
