Hi,

Whats the best way to deal with road salt in extremely cold areas? Right now its 17 or so outside, so obviously, washing isnt going to work.

As far as I know, so long as the dried road salt that is on the car is not wet, it will not corrode the metals. Plus, any kinetic activity would be very slow if the surface was damp, due to the temperatures.

That said, would using something like a california duster to remove the salt that is on the surface now help at all? At least the concentration of salt on the surfaces would be lower.

I have also found a product called salt away, which is supposed to aide in the removal of road salts. I am thinking of getting some from the marine store, putting it into a hand-pressurized spray bottle unit, and then going to the local DIY car wash, spraying the car down, using the salt away, then rinsing. I just worry that all the water will freezeonto my car, which isnt that great. But is that still a better bet than leaving the salt sitting onthe car?

Thanks,

JMH

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Current Diesels:
1981 240D (73K)
1982 300CD (169k)
1985 190D (169k)
1991 350SD (116k)
1991 350SD (206k)
1991 300D (228k)
2008 ML320 CDI (199k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (442k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (267k)

Past Diesels:
1983 300D (228K), 1985 300D (233K), 1993 300D 2.5T (338k), 1993 300SD (291k)

Hi JHZ,

Washing your car is probably the best way of keeping down the effects of road salt. As far as cold weather washing, I wouldn't worry about it at all. Where I live up here in Western Canada there is no option to the cold weather, and no predictable repreaves to it either. We all still wash our cars in -20*C (-4*F) or even colder!!? Washing your car at extreme tempuratures will not hurt anything. Here is a few key things to do after you wash your car at below freezing temps:

1. Wash only at indoor DIY type carwashes.

2. When finished, wipe dry all of your door and trunk rubber seals AND corresponding surfaces. (this way you will be able to get out of or into your car after!! )

3. Some people go as far as squirting lock de-icer into all of the key-holes on the vehicle as well. WD-40 does a great job of this as well, just don't get it everywhere, or be careful to wipe up any drips.

4. When it approaches -40*C (almost the same F) if one HAS to wash their vehicle WD-40 wiped on the door rubbers will help after drying.

I usually only go as far as #1 & #2, but have heard of other people who have done #3/4 also.

Hope this helps.

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'85 300SD 'Otto' new to us Sept. '07
'82 300SD 'Jurgen' (July '06 fan shaft broke, toasted rad, 3am in the morning 60km from home, walked 16km hitchhiking.... )
'70 SS Chevelle (finally back on my property, in the shop on stands)



"The thinking required to solve a problem cannot be the same thinking used to create it!"-Einstien

What ever you do...don't store your car in a heated garage if road salt is used in your area.

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Dean Albrecht
"Lead, follow, or better yet, get out of the way!"E500 owners motto

My heated garage has been the best thing since sliced bread. It gives me an opportunity to wash my car in comfort in the dead of winter.

I only use the garage heater when I am working on the cars or washing them since the salt will do more damage when exposed to above freezing temperatures. I believe this is what need2speed was referring to.

I also rigged up a way to run my garden hose up to my stationary tub in my basement to allow me to wash my car with warm water.

When I am done I rinse the salt debris out of the garage floor otherwise it will eat at the concrete.

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Ray
1998 Mercedes E320, 200K Miles
2001 Acura 3.2TL, 178K Miles
1992 Chevy Astro, 205K Miles

I respectfully dissagree with Deans assumption. Been storing our cars in a heated garage forever and we have PLENTY of salt around here. Have owned the 93 since 96 and it's positively showing no rust anywhere, as I periodically get it up on one of the racks at work and take a good look. I do rinse them off when they get a good coat of salt on them, but don't think you really have to worry with a Benz.

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95 SL500 Smoke Silver, Parchment 64K
07 E350 4matic Station Wagon White 34K
02 E320 4Matic Silver/grey 80K
05 F150 Silver 44K

I'll admit my experience with road salt and heated garages came from watching a Porsche 911 rust away before my eyes....eventually you could see the road pass by under the floor mats! Hopefully , MBs are built of stronger stuff. ****E, Porsche built my E500!

FWIW, up here at the 53rd latitude, we use road salt for 6-7 months of the year and its commonly accepted that garages heated above zero will accelerate rust.

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Dean Albrecht
"Lead, follow, or better yet, get out of the way!"E500 owners motto

We routinely get into the underbody structures of cars, and the integrity and seam sealing on the older [95 & older] Benzes continue to amaze me. As long as there has been no compromises of the structure, and the seam sealing is sound, A Benz should outlast just about anything on the planet under adverse conditions. I don't know what they use on the roads in Europe, but would be surprised if M-B didn't do a lot of salt spray testing.

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95 SL500 Smoke Silver, Parchment 64K
07 E350 4matic Station Wagon White 34K
02 E320 4Matic Silver/grey 80K
05 F150 Silver 44K

I went through a $16 machine wash on a cold day.

The machine blows hot air and finally wipe with soft clothes.

However, the machine drying was not perfect. Right after coming out of the machine, I looked around the car and found some water drops frozen, e.g. edge of trunk hood.

I feel (but do not have scientific evidence) that it is not good for paint. The cold car suddenly gets hot water and hot air and meet very cold air again. This happens in a very short time. It might be that short time is less harmful: the abrupt temperature changes occur only to a shallow depth. I don't know.

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ktlimq....I dont think the water used is "hot". It is just slightly warm to room temp warm or else you would be seeing cracking windsheilds and such.

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99 C43
98 S420
99 C230K
01 C240

For the last month and a half I have been visiting the drive through car wash in temps as low as -15*F. They are using a butt load of salt here and it really gets all over the car. The wash I am using also has an underbody spray which gets all, or most, of the road crud, salt and snow pack from the wheelwells and suspension. Plus they have a couple guys who finish dry the car after the blowers do their thing. Cost is about $7 a week.

I see plenty of cars around here that you can literally see right through the door skins. I don't want to have that happen to the 560, so I'll get her washed once a week.

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Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

I take the 126 once a week to the hand wash place near me. With the power washer they wash the bottoms and wheel wells to get rid of all the dirt and salt and then hand wash it and at the end put tire dressing aswell as towel dry. All for $10.

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99 C43
98 S420
99 C230K
01 C240