Do you drive your car after they've salted/sanded the roads? How long do you wait?
02-08-2005, 05:02 PM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Do you drive your car after they've salted/sanded the roads? How long do you wait?
Ok, it snowed 9 days ago and they salted and sanded the roads. I live in Maryland and it STILL hasn't rained yet washing away the leftover salt/sand that remains in spots. I've met quite a few people that won't drive their 993's till it's rained a bit so the salt washes away. Is this ludicrous?
The roads are obviously clear, but it looks like there's a light layer of salt here and there and at the end of a few days of driving my Bimmer, I notice that my car has a slight coating of white salty, sandy stuff on it. Is it really bad for my car to take it out on a beautiful, sunny winter day with this stuff still left on the roads? Or should I be obsessive compulsive about it and not drive it till the rains legitimately wash away this deleterious salt? I thought we had galvanized bodied cars... what's all the fuss about this road salt days after the fact?
Just trying to be a good owner.
Steve R
PS - Is any of the following "rant" I found on the internet ring true for the situation I've described?
"Salt completely fouls up cars. In the garage, we routinely replace dozens and dozens of radiators every year that have been rotted to pieces by salt. What happpens? Well, unless you're out there washing your car every few days, the core of the radiator gets oxidized to bits. And, you know what else? If it's eating the radiator, it's eating everything else on your car as well.
Most of us think that by washing off our car, we're getting the salt off. Sure, you're getting some of it off. But think of the underside of your car. Think of all those little nooks and crannies that are encrusted with salt. Eventually, all that salt is going to take its toll.
Want to know what the end result it? It's SWISS CHEESE. A car that should last you 15 years winds up lasting you only eight or nine because it's all rusted through. Brace yourself, because one day you'll walk into the garage and your mechanic will call you over and say, "Look at this! The frame is all rotted out. Your car doesn't even cast a shadow. It doesn't pay to fix this. You should junk the car." And you know what? Everything else about the car might be perfectly good. In eight years, the car has literally disappeared in front of your eyes."
The roads are obviously clear, but it looks like there's a light layer of salt here and there and at the end of a few days of driving my Bimmer, I notice that my car has a slight coating of white salty, sandy stuff on it. Is it really bad for my car to take it out on a beautiful, sunny winter day with this stuff still left on the roads? Or should I be obsessive compulsive about it and not drive it till the rains legitimately wash away this deleterious salt? I thought we had galvanized bodied cars... what's all the fuss about this road salt days after the fact?
Just trying to be a good owner.
Steve R
PS - Is any of the following "rant" I found on the internet ring true for the situation I've described?
"Salt completely fouls up cars. In the garage, we routinely replace dozens and dozens of radiators every year that have been rotted to pieces by salt. What happpens? Well, unless you're out there washing your car every few days, the core of the radiator gets oxidized to bits. And, you know what else? If it's eating the radiator, it's eating everything else on your car as well.
Most of us think that by washing off our car, we're getting the salt off. Sure, you're getting some of it off. But think of the underside of your car. Think of all those little nooks and crannies that are encrusted with salt. Eventually, all that salt is going to take its toll.
Want to know what the end result it? It's SWISS CHEESE. A car that should last you 15 years winds up lasting you only eight or nine because it's all rusted through. Brace yourself, because one day you'll walk into the garage and your mechanic will call you over and say, "Look at this! The frame is all rotted out. Your car doesn't even cast a shadow. It doesn't pay to fix this. You should junk the car." And you know what? Everything else about the car might be perfectly good. In eight years, the car has literally disappeared in front of your eyes."
02-08-2005, 06:00 PM
#5
Rennlist Member
Steve,
From a "Salt City" (yes, Syracuse's nickname) perspective, wait. You're right about the salt dust - it will get everywhere throughout your car. Wait a few days till a good rain washes the roads. I road my Trek 38 miles on Sunday (45 F here) and I was COATED in road salt dust and can still taste the damn stuff. Count yourself fortunate only having to wait a few days - my car won't see the sun till April at the earliest.
From a "Salt City" (yes, Syracuse's nickname) perspective, wait. You're right about the salt dust - it will get everywhere throughout your car. Wait a few days till a good rain washes the roads. I road my Trek 38 miles on Sunday (45 F here) and I was COATED in road salt dust and can still taste the damn stuff. Count yourself fortunate only having to wait a few days - my car won't see the sun till April at the earliest.
02-08-2005, 09:05 PM
#7
Rennlist Member
I had a trip planned up to Killington for some skiing. At the last minute my wife needed the truck (gx 470) so I had to take the porsche. It was pretty well coated when I got back - and I noticed a new chip. Damn. In the end though - the roads were mostly clear and it was a blast to drive it. Isn't that the point?
Trending Topics
02-08-2005, 09:17 PM
#8
Burning Brakes
Aside from the salt/dirt that is thrown up into the nooks and crannies of the chassis, salty water can stain the metal of certain components of the engine, transmission and other parts. When I am buying a used Porsche, sellers often claim the car has "never" been driven during the winter, one look at the stain metal parts tells me that is not true.
