How often do you get an underbody flush car wash in the Winter (Salt/Rust) (Milwaukee: home)

[Exime]

I thought this thread would be relevant to what will probably be a wet, snowy, cold year.

Obviously rusted cars is an issue in Wisconsin and I was reading an article that said liquid brine/salt trucks have added disastrously corrosive elements. Great!

So what is the trick to keeping your car structurally sound for many years. Do you invest in a $10 underbody flush every time a snow storm dries out? Once a week? Once a month?

[ccjarider]

Moved away.
(Not because of rusty cars of course)
It just happens to be a neat side benefit.

Every day here I see neat old cars from 60-90's just being used as daily drivers.

[ccjarider]

I tried to take care of it by washing bottom of cars but after years of that mess, I just gave up.
I believe newer technology vehicles withstand the chemicals much better than yesterday.

[froglipz]

Flush salt from undercarriage as soon as roads are dry.

[adr3naline]

Frequency should be entirely dependent on the manufacturer. My wife's Ford Focus developed rust around inlets on the frame/subframes after just 3 winters. [She got the underbody wash 1x/mo during the cold seasons]. My Porsche has some sort of corrosion prevention coating from the factory that's guaranteed for 10 years, underbody flushes not required.

[43north87west]

I like to use the hand car washes and high pressure wash the undercarriage myself whenever there is a dry spell. Otherwise I go through touchless with undercarriage wash. However, being only a part time resident, I avoid driving in the snow or slush. It definitely is manufacturer specific with warranties. I had a Volvo with a 10 year corrosion warranty, IIRC. I think my last Audi had a 12 year one. My Mercedes had an extremely long warranty, IIRC, but I'm sure they would never honor it as Mercedes seems to love finding ways to weasel out of their responsibilities like only Germans could. Lexus only goes to 72 months.

The most important thing is having a dry parking place for it. Parking indoors in a dry environment greatly reduces corrosion, especially when combined with frequent washes after snow events.

Living in Arizona where stuff doesn't rust EVER, it kills me to keep a nice car in the Midwest. I usually demote vehicles *to* Wisconsin to live out the rest of their years, because I can start off with a new-looking five (or ten) year old car, and it stays nice until I'm done with it.

Also, unless you exclusively drive around the North Shore or the nicer suburbs, if your travels include the more "urban" areas of Milwaukee, or your parking habits include parking on the street at times, your car will be in a constant state of having panels replaced and refinished as a result of constantly being bashed when either on the road or parked. That is if it's not just outright totaled by an uninsured motorist or a drunk student. Driving through the ghetto on a regular basis is certain death to your car; it's just a matter of time.

[Milwaukee City]

Originally Posted by froglipz

Flush salt from undercarriage as soon as roads are dry.

This. Only in winter and after a big snow storm do I pop for the big wash at a Kwik-Trip or a better wash at Full Service Car Wash. If it has been really messy and salty from a big storm I'll run it through again. Make sure you drive the car or park in a garage because you don't want frozen locks or the handle of your 90 Buick to literally rip-off after you lift the handle.

No enough water your car will rust, too much water your car will rust. It's all about balance and moderation.

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

No enough water your car will rust, too much water your car will rust. It's all about balance and moderation.

Not sure on the water causing rust statement.
Cars really don't rust here in PNW and yet they will be wet for months at a time.
There is little to no use of deicing salt.
I really think it is the wet salt chemical reaction that causes most car rot.

[adr3naline]

Originally Posted by ccjarider

Not sure on the water causing rust statement.
Cars really don't rust here in PNW and yet they will be wet for months at a time.
There is little to no use of deicing salt.
I really think it is the wet salt chemical reaction that causes most car rot.

It is.

Think of it this way...throughout the winter commute of a Midwest car, salty snow and water seeps into it's deepest crevasses. When that car arrives home and is parked in a garage where temps >32*F, that snow melts, the water dries up....and all that salt is left to eat your body panels like termites. This is exactly what happen to my Mini Cooper some years ago - a design defect allowed snow/water to pool up under my tail lights, and voila - rust.

For this reason, you see many in WI choose to park their vehicles in their driveways, because the snow doesn't have a chance to melt and that salt isn't getting a chance to eat their car. At least not on a nightly basis.