Each year, the Iowa Department of Transportation uses approximately 200,000 tons of rock salt to keep our highways clear of snow and ice. While some consider this to be necessary for our safety in winter driving conditions, all this rock salt is incredibly corrosive and can cause a lot of unsightly and expensive damage to your vehicle. One particularly frightening element of this damage is that the majority of it occurs where you can’t even see it - on your vehicle’s undercarriage. Left unattended, road salt can cause thousands of dollars in damage to your car or truck, but there is an easy fix that many owners overlook.
Hazards of Road Salt
The biggest threat posed to your vehicle by all this rock salt is rust. Your tires kick up salt and slush from the road, which creates rust spots on your vehicle. On an older vehicle, salt will cause further corrosion to the already rusted spots, especially on the undercarriage of your car or truck. Prolonged exposure to salt can cause damage to the car's exhaust and muffler systems, coil springs and even the frame and subframe of the car. And unfortunately, by the time many vehicle owners notice the damage, they may already have an expensive repair situation on their hands.
Wash Your Car!
So, aside from keeping your car in the garage all winter, what is an Iowa driver to do? Even though your car won’t stay nice and clean looking for long, it’s important to have your car washed at least a few times each winter. Make sure that you use a tunnel wash that includes undercarriage washing, as some regular car washes won’t have the water pressure necessary to get at the most at-risk spots. Even though these car washes may be a little more pricey than some others, making that $12 or $15 investment a few times over the course of the winter is a heck of a lot better than spending thousands repairing a rust-damaged vehicle. And, even though some states and municipalities use a brine mixture as a de-icer, it’s still a smart idea to give your vehicle a good washing, top to bottom, above and underneath, once winter is over.
Here at Terry’s Auto Body & Trailer Sales, we see a lot of salt damage that could have been prevented. This spring, make a stop at your local car wash and prevent rust and salt damage before it can take a toll on your vehicle!
