How Road Salt Affects Your Car

Winter is coming, and with it comes snow. As one of the most dangerous driving conditions, cities and counties treat roads with salt, which melts through the worst of snow and ice to keep drivers safe.

But while this salt significantly improves road safety, it has one major drawback: damage to cars. Just as salt’s corrosive qualities wreak havoc on snow, your car takes quite a beating from driving on winter roads. Here’s the lowdown on how salt affects your car and what you can do about it.

Appearance

Salt can affect your car’s finish in two main ways. The first is through mechanical action: as you cruise down the road, thick chunks of road salt are spun up by your tires, careening across your paint. In addition to scratches, this causes distinctive white smudges.

The second is through rust. Salt works so well against ice because it lowers its freezing temperature, but this chemical reaction also creates free ions. There’s a lot of science here, but the basic idea is that these free ions bond to metal and cause rapid oxidization. Snow chunking on your car increases the exposure time, which is why you often see rust around wheel wells.

A good wax with high quality carnauba-based wax is essential to keep salt damage minimal to your paint. You should also wash your car in the winter whenever snow is done.

Mechanical

No one likes cruising around in a rust bucket, but some of the worst salt damage isn’t as easily seen. Your car’s undercarriage – the exhaust, suspension, fuel and brake lines, and more – is mere inches from the road. Though modern designs often have plastic or metal shields, these components take quite a beating from salt. Worse, they’re typically raw, exposed metal.

Damage here can be extensive and go beyond just the damaged parts. For instance, worn brake lines can introduce air into the system, causing damaged brake calipers, rotors, and even a master cylinder. Rusted suspension can cause misaligned tires, leading to premature wear or even an accident.

Economy Express Car Wash offers several options to keep your car running through the winter! Our hot wax and clear coat sealers protect your car from the elements, and our de-salt and undercarriage wash services wash harmful road debris away. We offer monthly plans too, perfect for long commutes or winter trips!