Road Salt: A savior for drivers during winter weather, but on the downside, detrimental to your vehicle.
Road salt lowers the freezing point of water, which turns the ice back into water and brings traction back to the roads. It’s essential for winter driving, but it’s also corrosive. Over time, it can cause extreme damage to your vehicle, the most common damage road salt does to a vehicle is rust. Not only is rust an eyesore on your vehicle, it can cause problems ranging from hydraulic break system leaks to subframe damage.
Predictably so, the majority of damage from salt happens underneath your car, where much of the mechanics is exposed, and where salt bounces up from the road. This means many times the damage goes unnoticed.
To help fight this issue, go to a carwash that has an under spray. This will attempt to reduce the chances of rotting in the underbody caused by salt corrosion. You can also take your car to a shop before the winter season and get it pre-treated with an oil solution under spray that will help fight off salt corrosion. If your vehicle has the red brake warning light on, do not drive it. This indicates a low fluid condition and can lead to severe consequences if not taken care of immediately.
It’s good to be aware of potential damage in a situation as unavoidable as driving on salted roads. The best thing you can do is get your car ready before the season even begins.
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