[Maugham]

During Winter storms here in the Chicago area, government agencies put large amounts of salt

on our roads.

Since I moved here I've been taking our cars to automated car washes regularly, following the storms. However, I'd rather not have who-knows-what chemicals and particles sprayed under high pressure onto our new Ody.

Our garage is not heated, so handwashing in there is not practical.

If your situation is similar, how do you deal with keeping the salt from corroding the lower portion of your vehicles?
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Maugham

"I plan to live forever. So far, so good"
'02 RP EX-L on order
'85 Prelude that we'll keep!

[This message has been edited by Maugham (edited 09-15-2001).]

 

[ckonarske]

There's really not much you can do except give it a good wash once in a while.

Believe it or not, you're better off without the heated garage. Corrosion takes place when the salt and water is above freezing, so during those long, cold stretches when it's too cold to even have the car wash do it, at least the car isn't rusting while you're waiting for the next warm spell.

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Chuck
Click here for Ody pics, mods and fixes on FotoTime.

 

[adam1991]

I'd have to look it up, but the conditions under which rust forms are very narrow. Chuck's right--a heated garage would only CAUSE rust to form. Low temperature (high also) PREVENTS rust.

So salt by itself isn't enough. You need salt, AND moisture, AND the correct temperature range.

Just do the car wash thing with the undercarriage spray. Works fine.

 

[Maugham]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by adam1991:
I'd have to look it up, but the conditions under which rust forms are very narrow. Chuck's right--a heated garage would only CAUSE rust to form. Low temperature (high also) PREVENTS rust.

So salt by itself isn't enough. You need salt, AND moisture, AND the correct temperature range.

Just do the car wash thing with the undercarriage spray. Works fine.</font>

I agree that the undercarriage spray does get the salt off the lower portion of the car. I have two concerns:<ul>[*]The overall effects of high pressure car washes on paint, and; [*]Even when it is very cold out, parts of an operating car get warm (engine, exhaust system, wheels, interior) so salt removal is important even in frigid weather.[/list]
Regards,

------------------
Maugham

"I plan to live forever. So far, so good"
'02 RP EX-L on order
'85 Prelude that we'll keep!

 

[adam1991]

Well, so don't use high pressure washes.

Around here, car washes tend to open up on warmer and sunny days, just to serve the people who want to get the salt off. And right up the street is one that hand washes, along with offering an underbody spray.

 

[ckonarske]

Just for the record here, for over thirty years I've been using high pressure hand washes on my engines, engine compartments and any other part of the car I can reach and have NEVER had any damage. The only exception was on my '65 Mustang whose paint was a separate part of the car and would always like to go somewhere else when the opportunity arose.

Except for that, no problems.

------------------
Chuck
Click here for Ody pics, mods and fixes on FotoTime.

 

[RobertC]

Up here in snowland (Quebec, Canada), they put salt on the roads like its going out of style. You rarely will see cars over 12 years old up here especially if they have been winter driven and not properly taken care of.

One way to prevent rust is to have a good anti-rust treatment that will not harden and or crack with time. I had my 2000 EX sprayed will a special grease compound before it's first winter last year. One of my customers have been doing this commercially for more than 20 years and he applies his own mix. It never drips and or leak. During the long warm summer we had this year, I just notice that the stuff kept on spreading to the surface in the joints. I just washed it off the paint on the outside surface where it appeared (Joints on A-Pillar/ Winshield, Joint between rear bumper and rear quarter panel).

Then during winter time, I have my Ody hand washed professionally for $15.00CDN just about every week. In the summer time, I wash the Ody myself and have been using a high pressure washer. One note of caution with high pressure washers, do not put the nozzle within 12 inches of the body or you risk pealing off the clearcoat, specially where you had paint chips missing.

Best regards from salt ridden Montreal


RobertC

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Maugham:
During Winter storms here in the Chicago area, government agencies put large amounts of salt

on our roads.

Since I moved here I've been taking our cars to automated car washes regularly, following the storms. However, I'd rather not have who-knows-what chemicals and particles sprayed under high pressure onto our new Ody.

Our garage is not heated, so handwashing in there is not practical.

If your situation is similar, how do you deal with keeping the salt from corroding the lower portion of your vehicles?
<center>

</center>

</font>

 

[Maugham]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by RobertC:
One way to prevent rust is to have a good anti-rust treatment that will not harden and or crack with time.</font>

Does anyone have any brand recommendations? Regards,

------------------
Maugham

"I plan to live forever. So far, so good"
'02 RP EX-L on order
'85 Prelude that we'll keep!

 

[Kuruma Hayai]

There is a brand called 'Diamond Kote' which has a 4 year warranty. Annual inspections are required and after 4 years, the vehicle has to be recoated. The underside is sprayed with a black rubber-like coating and the inside panels and engine bay with a clear/amber color coating.

Another brand that the dealer is suggesting is the brand 'Protec'. It's done at the dealer and has a lifetime warranty for as long as you own the vehicle. Inspection is done every 2 years and recoating will be done if necessary. According to the dealer, similar materials used by Diamond Kote are applied.

As for which brand is better, I don't know. I'm thinking about the lifetime warranty on the Protec. But I'm not familiar with the Protec brand. I'm happy with my Diamond Kote. Mind you, even with these applied, I still rinse my car especially the wheel wells everytime it goes in the garage. This means everyday if there's salt & sand.

 

[Maugham]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Kuruma Hayai:
Mind you, even with these applied, I still rinse my car especially the wheel wells everytime it goes in the garage. This means everyday if there's salt & sand.</font>

How does one rinse a car when convenient water sources are frozen solid?

I have a detached unheated garage. The only way to get water to it in the winter is to carry it from inside the house.

Regards,

------------------
Maugham

"I plan to live forever. So far, so good"
'02 RP EX-L due 10/17
'85 Prelude that we'll keep!
'01 Ninja folding aluminum scooter
'00 New Balance model 658 shoes

 

[FrankBullitt]

The coming winter has me thinking about rustproofing, too. I've never had much faith in most commercial treatments, dealer or other aftermarket; but I'm considering a couple that seem to be popular with the classic car set in the UK (where taxes seem to make older cars more popular as daily drivers).

One of these is called Waxoyl; I have no experience with it but the idea makes some sense, as the insides of cavities are treated to a fog of an atomized oil-based rust preventitive. I don't know of any dealers, but I think it's available as a DIY. They also make a waxy chassis undercoat, but I'm not sure if it is also DIY.

Another maker I've read about is Dinol, though their multiplicity of products is confusing.

I'm not sure I'll end up using any of these- I would really like to add some sound dampening pads/spray to the doors and body cavities, and am afraid these solvent based rustproofers would cause some problems for said dampening materials.

 

[Kuruma Hayai]

Maugham:
Can you bury a hose in the ground from your house to the garage? Just an idea. I've got a faucet inside the garage so water doesn't freeze on me during winter even if it's -40C outside. However, water inside the hose is solid ice. I just use a bucket in cold days like these or a quick trip to the DIY car wash just to take salt & sand out.

 

[Maugham]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Kuruma Hayai:
Maugham:
Can you bury a hose in the ground from your house to the garage? Just an idea. I've got a faucet inside the garage so water doesn't freeze on me during winter even if it's -40C outside. However, water inside the hose is solid ice. I just use a bucket in cold days like these or a quick trip to the DIY car wash just to take salt & sand out. </font>

Kuruma,

Thanks for the ideas.

The freeze depth here is about 4' underground, so I'd need to go below that for a 50' run from the house to the detached, unheated garage. I'd need to install a heater for the vertical portion of the pipe or hose otherwise any unheated portion would freeze solid.

Also, I can't figure out how to easily deal with the runoff without creating an ice skating rink

.

I do use the commercial spray locations but the closest one is a couple of miles away and the car just gets coated with salt again on the trip home. Of course, that's better than not rinsing at all.

Regards,

------------------
Maugham

"I plan to live forever. So far, so good"
'02 RP EX-L due 10/17
'85 Prelude that we'll keep!
'01 Ninja folding aluminum scooter
'00 New Balance Model 658 Shoes w/ '01 White Laces