Better to wash dry road salt off or leave it on?

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: NoNameJoe
I always wanted to spray oil but I feel like it causes more problems than it could solve? The underside would get all caked in grime from dust soaked into oil wouldn't it? Like one big engine oil leak but all over the bottom of the car.

I don't even know what it would do to the hoses and rubber (although Fluid Film is safe I believe).


It does look messy so what? Does rust look more presentable?
Yes you will get your hands dirty when working on some stuff under there, but all fasteners come off with no problems, a simple job doesn't turn into an all day ordeal because of rusted in components or broke bolts.

And "rubber" components are no longer rubber, therefore there are no issues.

 

[Bamaro]

Wash it off

 

[RISUPERCREWMAN]

I get my truck oil sprayed every fall, so far not a spec of rust.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: NoNameJoe
Something I've always wondered is whether it's better to leave dry road salt on the undercarriage or wash it off quickly?

In other words is exposing it to short term moisture by hosing down the undercarriage with straight water to dissolve the salt and dilute it, better than leaving dry salt on?

I always thought that it was best to go wild and dilute it all off and that even if it's wet afterwards, it would rust less than salt left on that becomes wet and dry over a longer period of time. Was I wrong? What's the least likely way of creating more rust?


There's no such thing as "dry" road salt. As long as there is salt on the metal and the ambient relative humidity is greater than effectively 0, there's corrosion. Rinse often. Every possible opportunity.

 

[Rand]

As mentioned earlier no point in rinsing often up here.

The roads are covered in a salt slurry for weeks at a time.

Its currently in a warm snap of 50f (last weekend nights were 8F or so)

MASSIVE RAIN STORM.. so I went and blasted the undercarriage with the hot water rinse for 1.50$ at the local car wash.

And splurged for another 1.50$ to soap and rinse the rest of the car.

I call it splurging because it lasted 9 hours before I drove it on the highway in the rain.. but luckily by then the rain had washed all the salt off the road.

 

[mjoekingz28]

I dont know of a good way to implement this, but dont forget about the engine bay. I have seen many northern cars on eBay that look terrible under the hood. Somehow the salt mist gets in there.

 

[TiredTrucker]

Originally Posted By: Bluestream
OIL spray your undercarriage and never worry about salt again


Just tons of dirt buildup from driving my dusty gravel roads with an oiled up underside.

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: TiredTrucker
Originally Posted By: Bluestream
OIL spray your undercarriage and never worry about salt again


Just tons of dirt buildup from driving my dusty gravel roads with an oiled up underside.


Back in the day right after the oil (used crankcase) was sprayed on you drove down a dusty gravels road as the dust held the oil from washing off. Today with non-drip undercoating oil, its no longer needed.

My Explorer after 17 salty winters