It's salt season again

[michaelluscher]

It's all over everything
Rusting out my stuff, making badly paved roads even worse
Oh, and to top it off, I found out my sanitation department is out bragging about it on TikTok


No point having the car washed, it'll be salt crusted by the time you get home
And the hose finally froze
I'm punching air right now
How are you dealing with salt season?

 

[Oillover]

How are you dealing with salt season?

Years ago I left that part of the country and never looked back.

 

[KGMtech]

Oh Joy! can you hear the cars melting?

The only benefit of our Eastern climate is that our paint usually doesn't fade as much as in the South, well the paint that remains on the sheet metal at least.

 

[Nick1994]

So what's your solution instead of salt? Just let the snow/ice buildup so cars can't even drive anymore? I guess they won't rust out if you can't go to work.

 

[B1974]

Here they use sand because it's too cold for salt to work.

 

[JHZR2]

Its not that cold in NYC yet... Rinse the car, oil it where you can once dry, move on with life...

 

[Accent Abuser]

It's all over everything
Rusting out my stuff, making badly paved roads even worse
Oh, and to top it off, I found out my sanitation department is out bragging about it on TikTok


No point having the car washed, it'll be salt crusted by the time you get home
And the hose finally froze
I'm punching air right now
How are you dealing with salt season?

Time for fluid film.

 

[2010Civic]

I fluid filmed all my cars in October. The roads in MN have been covered in salt for 2+ months.

 

[doublebase]

I fluid filmed all my cars in October. The roads in MN have been covered in salt for 2+ months.

I do mine twice a year, just did mine today. A little later than usual but we’ve had a good week here without salt...figured if I’m going to do it do it now.

 

[930.engineering]

So what's your solution instead of salt? Just let the snow/ice buildup so cars can't even drive anymore? I guess they won't rust out if you can't go to work.

Nothing as easy as that:

1. using what's permitted by the FAA (ethylen glycol, carbonyl diamide/urea, acetate, formic acid etc)
2. using sand (when cold enough)
3. as suggested - do nothing (except let people get proper snow tires)

Yes, it's actually possible to avoid cars rusting. Do you really think one would accept similar corrosion on airplanes?
.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Nothing as easy as that:

1. using what's permitted by the FAA (ethylen glycol, carbonyl diamide/urea, acetate, formic acid etc)
2. using sand (when cold enough)
3. as suggested - do nothing (except let people get proper snow tires)

Yes, it's actually possible to avoid cars rusting. Do you really think one would accept similar corrosion on airplanes?
.

I was always impressed with Colorado's handling of snow treatment, least around the area I lived (Colo Spgs). A majority of the time, nothing but sand and sunshine. In very cold weather or re-freeze conditions they'd use magnesium chloride spray, either as a pre or post treatment. My 1985 F-250 that spent its whole life in Colorado had no rust other than in the usual cosmetic places in the sheet metal-- wheel arches and behind the front fenders. When I sold it in 2018, the fella that bought it here in KY (I brought it with me when I moved here in 2017) thought it was unbelievable how rust-free it was given the age.

 

[ctrcbob]

When traveling in the French Alps, when we had a lot of snow, they just plowed. I asked if they salt the roads. Said no, because the salt makes its way into the pristine alpine lakes. People drive careful but traffic does not come tons stop.

When I lived in Western NY, where they salt heavy, the salt works it’s way into Lake Ontario and the Genesee River.

 

[KGMtech]

It would be so nice if the Ontario municipalities were to cut back on our taxes if the tax payers could show proof of having snow tires, then these areas could reduce their use of salt = big benefits for environment.

 

[CDX825]

ODOT loves to waste salt here in Ohio. That and brine get spread like its free. If they are even calling for flurries they are dumping the stuff heavy. The county I'm in will use sand and cinders when the salt supply is low but not very often. I hate the the salt and brine because it eats up everything metal and dry rots anything rubber.

I seen an article last week how road salt is getting into our drinking water supply and causing problems with aquatic life in streams and rivers. Really doesn't surprise me at all having lived in northern Ohio my whole life. When they treat the roads here they make black top roads look white with all the salt and thats no exaggeration. All that run off from the roads can't be good for water supply or environment.

 

[Rand]

sometimes there is more salt on road than snow.. in NE ohio.. no joke... and I'm not even talking the extreme lake effect areas..
only secondary snow belt here.

 

[JimPghPA]

I had my 2016 CR-V treated with undercoat at Rust Repair Incorporated on rout 88 in early November, before the first winter arrived after I bought it in February of 2020. And I took it back to get the firs of 6 free touch-ups last October.

All the vehicles in Pittsburgh PA have not yet turned white this Fall / Winter ( we have not had our first snow when the first salt is put on roads this winter, YET ). But we may get some snow before this week is over with.

The point about it not making any sense to wash it off sometimes is valid. Less than a day later they trun all white with salt again when the salt spreading seaon is in full swing. It is not just the salt being on the roads, but also the amount of it that is constantly being kicked up into the air in fine amouts from all the vehicles tires. It really does get rediulous sometimes. Sometimes there is soooo much salt in the air that it actually agrivates your sinuses.

 

[JimPghPA]

Now days there are some excelent all season tires with the TPMSF symbol rating that actually have decent traction even on icy roads if you take it careful. But there are always the peopel who have no idea of how to drive in bad conditins and also at the same time drive around on bald tires. That would have to be prevented before salt states would ever stop dumping it on roads. And that is not easy to do.

I still remember walking across an "Off Track Betting" parkign lot in the winter and seeing cars in that lot with bald tires while there was snow on the roads. And I thought of the people who were in there loosing money on gambling while at the same time there vehicles badly needed new tires good enough for winter. And those kind of people will always be a certain percent of the driving public. And as long as they are, states will continue to dump salt on roads.

And the parent who drives there kids around while being oblivious to what is required to drive on snow covered roads without salt will still go out and wreck the vehicle with the kids inside the vehicle if salt is not used.

 

[Pew]

Not so much worried about salt, moreso the endless amount of folks that don't take it careful when required. Caught these four on my holiday trip from IL to CO. The first two trucks passed me only minutes prior; the black dually throwing up snow and ice on everybody's windshield.

 

[92saturnsl2]

And those kind of people will always be a certain percent of the driving public. And as long as they are, states will continue to dump salt on roads.

The less considerate side of me says let Darwin continue to do his work... I digress.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Not so much worried about salt, moreso the endless amount of folks that don't take it careful when required. Caught these four on my holiday trip from IL to CO. The first two trucks passed me only minutes prior; the black dually throwing up snow and ice on everybody's windshield.

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The general rule in my experience, is there will always be a greater ratio of trucks & SUVs off the roadway in winter weather than cars.

The ignorance to winter driving where I live is comical. I have one guy I work with that locks his older Explorer into 4WD anytime it rains or snows. He insists he has better "traction" and can corner better and there's no convincing him otherwise. Then he wonders why he only gets 25k out of a set of tires. People justify buying trucks and SUVs here because it "snows" (once or twice a year.) I put snows in quotes because they've rarely, if ever, seen a real snow.