How to avoid rust in DC area?

[maverickfhs]

So in DC area winters can be harsh and also treatment on the roads can be corrosive on the car.

In heavy snow areas, do you guys wax your cars pre-winter or wash them after every snow?

Because it's very difficult to wash every time(if) there's snow. Any tips or suggestions? Also how that rust on and inside the car can be avoided? I have one car which I drive once a week for 50-70 miles and rest of the time it's parked on the driveway, asking this particular question for it

Thank you.

 

[Bgallagher]

Usually I will put a coat of a good wax like collinite as close to winter as I can. I also try to wash the car whenever there is a decent storm where salt is used. Either in my driveway if possible or in a self serve car wash. No brushes or anything, just wash and rinse. Every little bit helps.

 

[maverickfhs]

Originally Posted By: Bgallagher
Usually I will put a coat of a good wax like collinite as close to winter as I can. I also try to wash the car whenever there is a decent storm where salt is used. Either in my driveway if possible or in a self serve car wash. No brushes or anything, just wash and rinse. Every little bit helps.


Thanks, what about the area under the car? I'll make sure to wax the whole car, before snow this year.

 

[maverickfhs]

Originally Posted By: Bgallagher
Usually I will put a coat of a good wax like collinite as close to winter as I can. I also try to wash the car whenever there is a decent storm where salt is used. Either in my driveway if possible or in a self serve car wash. No brushes or anything, just wash and rinse. Every little bit helps.


BTW, you just wash the car and then put wax on it, correct? No rubbing compound or anything?

 

[supton]

Move?

Is rust that bad down there? I have to wonder if simply hosing off the underneath is sufficient. Up here, oil coating goes a ways.

 

[eljefino]

I've seen Maryland plated cars that were pretty rusty. Of course they could have dragged them down from further up.

In DC frequent car washing should do the trick. Just wait for a rain storm to wash any salt off the roads then get washed, or drive through some puddles.

 

[maverickfhs]

Originally Posted By: supton
Move?

Is rust that bad down there? I have to wonder if simply hosing off the underneath is sufficient. Up here, oil coating goes a ways.


Honestly, I would love to move but I can't

Just curious, what kind of oil do you use for underneath?

 

[maverickfhs]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
I've seen Maryland plated cars that were pretty rusty. Of course they could have dragged them down from further up.

In DC frequent car washing should do the trick. Just wait for a rain storm to wash any salt off the roads then get washed, or drive through some puddles.


Makes sense, so just wash and clean it up sooner than later.

 

[Bandito440]

The worst rust usually seems to form in concealed areas like pinch welds, rocker panels, inside doors, etc.

I like a light oil for this; one with corrosion inhibitors that seeps into gaps. Companies like Krown and Carwell offer a good service, and you can order Fluid Film from Amazon if you want to DIY.

Do you ever make it to Pennsylvania? This appears to be the closest dealer to D.C. https://www.krown.com/united-states/pennsylvania/mechanicsburg/MECHANICSBURG/

Give it a good wax before winter if you want, but every time you wash the vehicle, salt is deposited into concealed areas.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: maverickfhs
Originally Posted By: supton
Move?

Is rust that bad down there? I have to wonder if simply hosing off the underneath is sufficient. Up here, oil coating goes a ways.


Honestly, I would love to move but I can't

Just curious, what kind of oil do you use for underneath?


Sorry, was teasing on the first comment.

Bandito440 responded on what oil that could be used. I use Fluid Film myself, bunch of threads on here about the various kinds.

 

[Doublehaul]

Dont wreck the car...factory metal is galvanized and e-coated. Re-pop panels are NOT. Beyond that, spray it off once a week or so paying attention to the inside bottom of the doors and rockers...

Ive don't this to all of my trucks and they hold up extremely well...(except for the first and last dodge i once owned)and we use so much salt on the roads you could mine them

 

[Wolf359]

Well I'm way further up north and I don't have problems with rust, I just take the car to a car wash that does undercarriage washes. They also use some kind of rust inhibitor as part of the wash. I see other cars of the same vintage rusted out, but mine never really got the rust that other cars did. No real issue getting it washed in the winter too, usually do it a day or two after it snows, and I get it washed at least once or twice a month during the winter. I usually try to do it when it's above freezing as I once had it washed when it was below freezing and the water ends up freezing your doors close. Even when it's below freezing, I then wipe down the doors so the water doesn't freeze the doors shut.

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted By: supton
Move?

Is rust that bad down there?


Not really. Around here rust is nothing when compared to places like Canada, New England, Upstate NY, midwest, etc. Having said that, if you live in one of the places I just mentioned and want to buy a used car, look someplace further south than DC.

My 1995 Ford Escort only has real rust in the rear strut tower area, and that isn't due to salt on roads.

 

[Leo99]

I'm in NJ and I don't see cars rusting out like I did decades ago. I don't do anything special to my cars. The ATF dipstick tube on my Corolla is rusting as are some engine brackets but the bodies are fine.

 

[maverickfhs]

Guess, I should leave them as-is, since I don't drive a bugatti or a Ferrari

Waxing before winter and a wash after a snow drive, sounds good and appropriate for weather around here.

 

[GenesisGuy70]

Don't drive your car from November to April and store it in a giant air tight container that is humidity controlled.

Other than that, rust is inevitable.

 

[caprice_2nv]

I live in Ontario Canada. Rust is inevitable but modern vehicles can get badly rusted within 10 years if no undercoating is done. I recommend people get Krown rust control sprayed once a year before the snow hits. Once the bad weather comes there is salt everywhere for the rest of the winter here. It doesn't just get washed away shortly after the snow.

I spray Krown or some other type of undercoating on my 83 Caprice every year. So far it's kept the frame and most of the floor mint. I had to repair part of the drivers floor because I didn't have good floormats and the snow and slush kept the carpet and floor wet all the time in the winter. I also had to fix a hole behind the chrome on the right rear quarter panel and some minor bubbling around the chrome on the wheelwells.

That's the damage after 34 years and 220k miles. I also don't wash it through the winter because it's almost always below freezing and I am afraid to wash some of the undercoating off.

 

[OneEyeJack]

It would be interesting to see photo documentation of areas prone to rust through a couple of years on a given individual vehicle without any protection process other than maybe keeping it clean and then see one of these rust prevention schemes at work.

My 84 Honda has never seen snow and seldom temperatures below freezing here in Southern California and has no structural rust at all, just a couple of less than dime size surface spots.

 

[Al]

DC should be child's play. Biggest thing is to wash (spray) underneath and wheel wells when going to the car wash. Make an effort to use cloth/paper towel to clean inside and outside the very bottom of the doors.
I never wax for the last couple decades. Waxing is over rated.

 

[Doublehaul]

Undercoating was great on pre-galvanized cars. It does nothing to the galvanized ones however and don't take my word for that...ask a fixtures engineer. Its been tested do DEATH by the OEMS. Cars did not start using galvanized steel and stainless exhaust systems until the late 80s...and the japs were later than that...early to mid 90s. IIRC the first domestics to use truly galvanized steel were the W-Body GMs followed soon by everything else. Chevy trucks got it for the 88 model year changeover...s-10s in 94...Rangers in 93 iirc

The parts of cars that rot do so from the inside out. Unibodys are somewhat better than body on frame as evidence to all the rusted trucks, grand marqs etc rolling around...and they all do it.

A fixtures engineer can tell you where his design will rust and in roughly what time frame assuming its not wrecked or refinished. There are standards (primarily in europe) that must be met for corrosion. IIRC cars sold in Europe must be warranted for 10 years...so thats the design perimeter. Since our domestics sell many of the same platforms over there...rest assured they do everything they can.