If you thought icy roads are a headache, car experts say there’s one unfortunate reality when it comes to winter: the solution used to make roads safe can damage your car.
“When the salt and ice melt, it gets on to bare metal and helps the corrosion process faster,” said Ricky Frazier, manager of Zips Car Wash in Wichita.
Frazier recommends that people wash off their car — either a professional facility or at home — the day after a storm hits.
“Even though you’re getting right back on the road, you still want to get that big layer of salt off, so you know, it doesn’t hurt your vehicle,” Frazier said. “If it stays on there for more than a couple of days, that’s when it starts the corrosion process.”
Frazier said people should focus underneath the vehicle. If you do go to a car wash, he said you should pay for a place that washes the undercarriage.
As the temperature begins to rise, the damage will begin. Rust can eventually cause brake failure and paint damage.
Yet, Frazier said the problem can be prevented by waxing a vehicle. He suggests that people do this by fall, but if you have yet to do so, he said you can do it anytime. Frazier recommends that people wash off their car completely, then wax it.
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