How to Keep Your Car Rust-Free This Winter

While snow and ice can certainly be pretty to look at, it can be a nightmare to drive through. That’s why most states and municipalities that experience wintry weather salt their roadways. While salt is excellent at melting snow, it’s also adept at corroding metal. This means that driving on salted roadways makes your vehicle substantially more susceptible to premature rusting and corrosion.

While salt damage on your car’s body is unattractive, it rarely poses a threat to the operational integrity of your vehicle. Salt damage to other parts of the car, however, can make it challenging to drive your car effectively or cause long-term mechanical problems down the road.

Mufflers, coil springs, the exhaust system, the brake system and the sub-frame are all especially susceptible to damage caused by salt exposure. Working with a mechanic specializing in auto maintenance in New Palestine, IN is the best way to ensure that your car stays in good shape, regardless of the weather and road conditions.

Here are just a few tips that you can follow to help you fend off rust and maintain the structural integrity of your vehicle:

• Wax before winter: One of the best ways that you can protect your car’s paint and body in advance of the winter season is by investing in a detailed car wash and wax. This will remove any debris from the surface of your vehicle and then coat it in a thin layer of protective wax. This will also leave your vehicle looking great!
• Avoid plows and puddles: Puddles tend to accumulate salt, meaning that when they splash up onto the undercarriage of your vehicle, they’ll be coating it in a layer of salt and debris. Similarly, driving behind a plow means that you’ll be driving directly on top of a freshly laid layer of new road salt!
• Wash the undercarriage after a storm: Always be sure to thoroughly wash off the undercarriage of your vehicle following a snowstorm. The time directly after a storm is when the roads are most likely to be coated in salt, meaning that this is the point when your vehicle is most susceptible to salt damage.
• Opt for a pre-winter inspection: One way that you can safeguard your vehicle against salt damage is by investing in a pre-winter inspection. During this inspection, a mechanic will examine your car for any areas that may be extra susceptible to salt damage. Additionally, you may have the option to invest in a special protective coating for your undercarriage designed to keep salt damage at bay.

Since 1982, Auto Air and Heating, Inc. has been a trusted provider of auto maintenance in New Palestine, IN. We’re proud to provide each and every one of our clients with high-quality automotive repair and maintenance services. We’re able to offer a robust range of automotive services, including heating and air conditioning maintenance and repair, brake replacement, transmission service and engine repair. Contact one of our friendly representatives today to learn more. We look forward to assisting you!

Categorised in: General Maintenance

This post was written by Writer