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With temperatures plummeting and winter stepping in full force, it’s only a matter of time before our roads are fully covered in snow. In such situations, road salt is critical to keep traffic flowing as it lowers the freezing point of water, effectively turning that black ice into water. While the salt gives you more grip, it also damages your car — making road salt a winter car care hazard.
See, the salt does help dissolve the snow and ice, but your tires kick it up as you drive along. Now, this isn’t a problem if it happens once or twice, but since your car’s underside is completely exposed, you can see how drivers in really snowy regions have issues with road salt.
The biggest problem which can arise is rust. Road salt loves to eat up paint and metal. It will go through anything. Because it usually affects the underside, it’s difficult to detect. It can be too late by the time you find out that it has completely rusted out your subframe, fenders or entire undercarriage. If you drive over a road covered in road salt often, make sure to inspect the bottom of your vehicle for rust.
If you’re really unlucky, you’ll run into issues with the hydraulic brake system too. Salt attacks everything, and hydraulic fluid-filled hoses are no exception. It’s not that uncommon for the exhaust, muffler and springs (shocks) to be damaged too. Road salt is harmful, but many roads would be impossible to drive on without it.
“Well, what can I do to prevent it?” you may ask. The truth is, if you’re going to be driving over salt-covered roads, the only thing you can do is give the car a good wash afterwards. Don’t let salt accumulate and eat away at the metal while your car is sitting in the garage. If you can, take it to a car wash that has an under-spray. You can have your vehicle treated with an oil under-spray beforehand to protect it, which greatly reduces the damage caused by road salt.
For more details regarding the under-spray, as well as general tips, contact the best Auto Body and Collision Repair Service in Toledo, OH, Yark Auto Collision Center.
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