[maa335iF30]

Hey guys....anyone else paranoid about driving on treated roads during winter? I'm from LA recently moved to east coast....

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by maa335iF30

Hey guys....anyone else paranoid about driving on treated roads during winter? I'm from LA recently moved to east coast....

Treated as in salt? Or the actual road treatment?

[xlover]

Originally Posted by maa335iF30

Hey guys....anyone else paranoid about driving on treated roads during winter? I'm from LA recently moved to east coast....

if you are very concerned just take your car to a touchless car wash every couple weeks just to get the salt and sand off. its not really a big deal on modern cars the way it was back in the day. Personally i more or less let it go over the winter and get it detailed in the spring

[Level3]

I assume he's talking about salt treatment for icy roads. I live in NC as well and this winter storm we had this week has them salting the roads a lot.

[maa335iF30]

Originally Posted by spuntyb

Treated as in salt? Or the actual road treatment?

Salt, brine, and whatever other crap they mix in there!

Thanks for your responses.

[maa335iF30]

Originally Posted by Level3

I assume he's talking about salt treatment for icy roads. I live in NC as well and this winter storm we had this week has them salting the roads a lot.

Yep. Everyone is paranoid here and go over the top...

[skw]

Just rinse it off every so often, no big deal.

[Blubaron79]

When it's cold out the salt really can't even react with the paint or metal.

[KneeDragr]

Originally Posted by spuntyb

Treated as in salt? Or the actual road treatment?

The brine solution is actually worse than salt as far as corrosion. But at least you wont get rock chips if they dump brine on the road right in front of you.

[auf Deutsch]

9/10 cars I pass this time of year are covered in salt making it difficult at times to even recognize the make/model from a distance. A once per week car wash is a good idea.

"A clean car is an aerodynamic car." -Dan Conner

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by maa335iF30

Hey guys....anyone else paranoid about driving on treated roads during winter?

It beats driving on ice.

[S4NoMore]

Originally Posted by maa335iF30

Hey guys....anyone else paranoid about driving on treated roads during winter? I'm from LA recently moved to east coast....

Yes.

Seek out your nearest coin-op DIY car wash bay or touchless wash, and at least rinse top to bottom and the undercarriage every so often as best you can.

[fecurtis]

It can be bad if you leave it on for several months at a time. When the weather clears up, just get it washed.

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by maa335iF30

Salt, brine, and whatever other crap they mix in there!

Thanks for your responses.

Gotcha. I let mine sit in salt all winter. Maybe a touch up at a brushless, but that's rare. She went to Detailer's Domain in December, and will head back there for a detail once it gets a little warmer. I don't plan to keep her beyond the 3 year lease, so I'm not as concerned about it beyond the appearance which is admittedly annoying. My mineral grey is eggshell white right now!

[Thumper333]

Originally Posted by maa335iF30

Yep. Everyone is paranoid here and go over the top...

Over the top? That's how you WIN!

Originally Posted by Billfitz

It beats driving on ice.

This is very true. I would rather deal with washing my car off (including undercarriage) every week at least in the winter than sliding off a cliff or into the back of a semi. All about choices.

Out here they use Magnesium Chloride except in the mountains where they mix salt and sand together as well. I am sure the Magnesium Chloride causes cancer and destroys other stuff, but that's why I never drive the 944 in the winter.

[BavarianFanatic]

Magnesium Chloride "brine" is the devil. It is exponentially more corrosive than rock salt. Here in PA they apply it hours/days before an expected storm. The result is clouds of dust that reach every square inch in/around the car. It's one thing to have a wet mist from driving on wet treated roads, but that only reaches areas that actually get wet while driving. But that dust, it's the worst. My previously perfect Southern truck started rusting away the first season they started to use MgCl2.

By the way, rust CAN develop when it's cold out. Not sure why anyone would think otherwise. Go grab an untreated sheet of steel and stick it outside. Salt, or not, it'll rust when it gets wet...

[spuntyb]

Snowball 2's current status:

EDIT: anyone's guess why it posted the picture twice

[Livfast335]

My car looks like this all winter. They slaughter the roads with salt ALL winter, my car went from Estoril Blue to Alpine White. I pressure wash it every weekend to get most of it off. Winter blows!!

[Ali Shiralian]

Originally Posted by Blubaron79

When it's cold out the salt really can't even react with the paint or metal.

True, most of the damage occurs when salt remains on the surface of the car and the weather temperature rises. Immediately wash the car if a rise in temperature as heat acts as catalyst for the salt to penetrate and cause rust.

[Jimminez]

You mean you're concerned about your car looking like this? My car is blue under that protective salt shell. Not much you can do other than rinse/wash when you can, with regular sealant and wax applications.

As others have said, at least the brine doesn't cause dents and chips unlike rock salt, sand and gravel some places use.

[34.50]

I take mine through the car wash everyday. Hate having a car with salt on it, so I try to keep it clean as possible.

[mrich1353]

You will also learn the hazards to your front end - even the best clear film protection can't protect from some of the flying stones / gravel. I am a proponent of running the ugly vinyl bras on my front end, but nobody makes one for an m-sport.