Yes, humidity is a factor...but more so at high temperatures. Lower temperatures tend to lower the rate of the oxidation process in metal. That is why aircraft and vehicles stay relatively rust-free even in the high temperatures of the Arizona desert...the extremely low humidity simply prevents most of the oxidation process. If you doubt my word, ask a chemist or metallurgy engineer. We also see that in naval aircraft aboard ships at sea or on land bases on the coast....special processes in the construction designed to protect against intense salt-effects.

 

it's pretty simple... you don't see rusty cars in florida.

 

So the secret to salt on your car is moisture, and temp. If its below freezing, the salt won't cause corrosion. Over freezing, it will. I too run my cars through a carwash nowadays, in fact I just ran the LS460L through one yesterday, first time through with 415 miles. I just don't have time to wash them myself, and the weather makes it really unpleasant even if I did. I also don't have time to take them someplace and have detailers wash them and wait, and our lives are too unpredictable to have somebody come here to my house and wash them. If you take the time to find a good carwash, damage to your car will be minimized. The one I use doesn't do any brushing before the cars go in, all their equipment is regularly cleaned, it uses LOTS of sudsy soap (lubricity), they use microfiber towels to dry, no spinning wheel/tire brushes in the tunnel (these are a killer). Keeps my cars a level of swirl free that I can deal with at this stage in my life (not perfect). I spray them down with spray sealant after they're done at the carwash which makes them perfect and drip free, and honestly these days thats the extent of my car care regimen. You know what? They look pretty damn good LOL.

What "ruining"? And, "a shame"? Its a car, a tool. You bought it to drive it and use it where you live, and thats what you're doing. Take as good care of it as you reasonably can. Its not a one of a kind masterpiece or work of art.

Oh its amazing. Imagine the cost of brining every road in Montgomery County (high density, lots of roads) and having to do that TWICE before the same storm. The point of the brine is to have it on the surface when the snow falls, when you do it 2 days before it snows, of course you have to redo it.

This seems to have gotten worse since we had those big snows semi-back to back over a few years. I'm on my HOA board and we have that issue too. We were completely unprepared for the cost of snow removal in those years, and it was 3-4 times more than what our annual budget was which required us to do assessments and raise rates. So now we have a huge snow budget...and no snow. For us its no big deal, unused snow budgets go into the reserve funds and we use that money for improvements and landscaping, etc...but when you look at reducing the budget you wonder, well if we do that will we have another huge snow year again? I'd imagine the same thing is going on at a government level, only they're of course profiting from it themselves which we aren't lol. If they don't use it, they loose it in the next budget.

 

I'll bet you see plenty near the coast...especially in and around Miami.
Also, consider that today's cars are generally better-equipped to deal wth rust-producing conditions than in the past...that's why we have 5 year/100,000 mile rust-through warranties.

 

You do not. I've spent lots of time around water and the ocean, FL, here in MD, in the islands. You don't see rusty cars in the Caribbean, let alone FL.

Heat and humidity cause other potential concerns, as does a high level of salinity in the air, but the type of rusting you're talking about is caused by chemicals used in high concentration to treat winter roads, and is not caused by living near the coast.

 

My car wash has a guy maybe spraying it as you go in, if you're lucky. Last year, they would take blue tape and tape my sat radio puck that's on the trunk, no longer. The LS has RFID so I just approach, and the gate goes up. Last week, the guy let the car in, in front of me, and walked away! I was gonna blow my horn after 3 min. sitting there lol Another guy saw me and loaded me. My uncle said in every case (he sets them up) a person must press the button for the vehicle to proceed. I thought to myself, because I sat there, I need to take a better look on how that track works...

My wife's has 2 guys wiping with the microfiber on poles, and 4 guys drying at the other end. But a person must manually read the number off the sticker on the windshield, and for some reason they generate a receipt, and tape it outside the car, to show what services to provide? This place does have the local PD's cars, so that must be sweet. My wife's comes out much cleaner, but then you have to (or should) tip the crew....this adds to the monthly.

My buddy is busting on me, he does live in FLA, has a 3 car garage, and had a LS400 (not 430). He says my car deserves to be garaged, but we only have a 1 car garage, occupied by the 335.

As mentioned, I like your area...as a matter of fact, we're headed down this weekend (thank goodness not Super Bowl weekend)....bday party in Rockville. But we'll end up staying overnight in Clarksburg, as our other friends have more room in a newer townhome area. My wife's godson is in Rockville and we attended the christening inside Walter Reed which was really cool.

Anyway, I'd like to see this beet juice in action, but I think it costs more than CaCl?

 

Of course, rust as we know it is limited to iron/steel components (except for galvanized or Stainless-Steel). Many vehicles, today, have non-steel body panels. Salt, though, is still salt....whether you find it in water, water vapor (humidity near the coast), table salt, rock salt, or the brine used in treating roads.

BTW, I agree with you that the salt-powder on the roads here, from all that dried-brine solution, can be a PITA. It is indeed out of control in this area.....primarily because of local politics and the enormous hype in this region from winter storms....can't let a single flake stick to the roads LOL.

 

The only way to wash ALL the salt off is to get under the car and scrub everything, and even then the salt has probably gotten into areas you can't see or effectively clean. For example you'll need to remove all the wheels to properly clean, clean the brake components as well.

Here in the spring the roads are literally enveloped in clouds of salt drive a freshly detailed car and 5 minutes later it has a film of salt all over it.

 

if you can't see (or refuse to accept) the difference in results between sea salt in the air and spraying vast quantities of salt directly on hundreds of miles of roads which mixes with snow and gets EVERYWHERE on the underside of vehicles, and if you haven't noticed that vehicles in northern states clearly rust out significantly more quickly than those in sunshines states (humid or not), then i can't help you and further discussion is pointless.

 

A Trabant won't have rust holes in 5 years, corrosion warranties are nearly worthless.

 

And salt in the air doesn't penetrate everything as well? If you can't see that, then I agree further discussion is pointless.

 

I asked my uncle, who sets up the car washes. Asked him, should I spend $11/mo. more for the undercarriage wash? He said no. It does something, but not much. It won't do as much as you spraying with a high pressure hose, and even that, cannot get everything off. I think you are totally right about the need to scrub, and think about how impractical if not impossible that is....and if people lease their cars, this isn't even a concern...

edit Again from all I could find on the web, someone said in FLA, if you park on the ocean, and sea water routinely splashes your car, you can identify this rust because it's not on the undercarriage, it's the actual panels of the vehicle rusting. But it only happens if sea water splashes the vehicle, and that's not the majority of cars in FLA (wind helps). The fact that the indie pointed out something about my undercarriage not being typical of the northeast for an 06 told me something. I didn't bring the subject up...he did

 

One year there was a salt shortage, so a local spice company donated garlic salt. Roads were clear and cars smelled nice too.

 

I own a car that has seen 30 Canadian winters, pressure washing is not good enough to remove winter salt. It will get some but not good enough that stuff clings like crazy, probably because they formulate the stuff so it bonds to the road. Lovely. Here's my winter beater.

https://i.imgur.com/OPYIUmU.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/slLnXRo.jpg

Similar in Hawaii, you see cars with rotted out bodies in places you would not expect the upper frames rot from the inside out. The rest of the car is great no rust. Humidity plays a role as well I think.

Best rust prevention is Fluid Film, makes a bit of a mess but one application easily lasts all winter. Nothing with Fluid Film on it will rust plus road salt doesn't seem to like it either, it sticks to the surface but then washes off.
Is this for real?

 

I say with love my friend, but man you are cheap lol

Nice! Yeah you won't be far from me at all, I'm in the Kentlands in North Potomac/Gaithersburg a bout 5 miles south of Clarksburg on 270.

One time when you get down here we should link up for lunch or something. I'll get the tip

Bit is right on here Mike. Its about concentration. How you don't see the difference between salinity in the ambient air and huge quantities of salt being continually driven into the undercarriage of a car from the wheels I truly don't understand...

What do you think does more damage, smoking 30 cigarettes a day directly into your lungs or being in a park everyday next to somebody who is smoking?