How Often Do You Wash In Winter?

[CF_Machete]

Road salt is a ***** by me. seems to be worse this year with the lack of snow. I have an unlimited monthly pass at the local car wash and hit it up 1-2 times a week. Even still, I have some mild rust on my N-Fab step bars. Might need to hit them with a wire brush and spray with bed liner in a month or two.

 

[hikenbike]

Optimum No Rinse every 2 weeks.

 

[NWFLBowhunter]

Wife hand washed hers 3 times last week. Pollen is in full swing around here it seems. Mine gets a bath each weekend.

 

[msp]

whenever it gets close to 32 degrees....

 

[jspagna1]

now THAT is one beautifully kept 4Rnnr sir!!!!!!

Ya I wish I still had it. Had it for 16 years. My daughter drove it for 2 years after I bought my 11 and then GAVE it to my brother-in-law with 170,000 miles on it who destroyed it !!!!!!!!

Hopefully my 11 will be just as faithful?

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I try to get it clean fairly quickly after it snows. CO uses mag chloride so I want that off my truck asap.

Yep. That shit will rust out fiberglass if left on long enough.

Somebody here a while back has a friend that works for CDOT and he said the manufacturer subsidizes the Mag-Chloride to the point that it basically costs the Colorado government little money net.

Personally I would love to see that crap get banned all over the state (I know some mountain counties have banned it) because it was polluting the streams and causing transformers to short out and catch their wooden poles on fire.

I was reading an article about the damage it does to the trucking industry and I bet if you ask any owner/operator of a big rig what they think about Mat-Chloride, you are going to get an earful.

The government knows the damage it causes but doesn't care because its cheap. There's your hard earned tax dollars at work right there. LOL

 

[NuclearN8]

My wife and I are working on the best solution to this question... move to a location where they don't salt or coat the roads.

To me it's coutnerintuitive to spray water on a vehicle in the winter.. then you not only have salt on the interior of the frame rails but also water (because it all doesn't drain out or freezes)...

I spray the entire undercarriage right before winter with fluid film (including inside the frame), don't touch it all winter, then in spring I spray everything off pretty good and then reapply the fluid film in the same fashion (basicly everything except brakes or exhaust)...

I detail the paint before and after winter as well... don't really wash it during the winter, except maybe to rinse off the large stuff if it's going to be above freezing for a low for a couple days.

If I wash in the winter I use optimum no rinse car wash, great product. it's so good I've started using it year round.

 

[SteveGT]

Every 3 weeks or so here.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

... To me it's coutnerintuitive to spray water on a vehicle in the winter.. then you not only have salt on the interior of the frame rails but also water (because it all doesn't drain out or freezes)...

I've actually read a good article about this very topic. I will try to find the link.

The issue is, below freezing mag chloride (according to the experts) doesn't really do too much damage, it's after the temp is above freezing (ergo: your garage) where the real silent and deadly chemical stuff happens.

Trust me on this, if you are in Colorado and have to drive on a state highway that was recently sprayed with mag chloride, you had better hit the car wash ASAP.

I have personally seen the effects on multiple new vehicles (including my sons new truck) where the chrome starts to pit within days of driving through it if not removed immediately. Even if the vehicle gets dirty right after you wash it.

If you've ever seen it, it leaves a film that looks as though somebody put molasses in a spray bottle and put a fine mist all over your body panels. Because of vortex, the back of cars generally have the greatest concentration of it and its not uncommon to see fairly new vehicles here that have started pitting. It doesn't only affect metal either. It does the same thing to plastic chrome.

 

[bms4r]

Whenever temp reaches above freezing I usually power wash the under side to get some of the salt off.

 

[CoMtn4Runner]

As soon as the roads are dry. As blitzkrieg said, mag chloride is terrible to have hanging out on your vehicle. Anyone who says otherwise is lying.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Here's a pretty good article summarizing things. The last sentence really hits the mark.

Mechanics blame winter road treatment for damage to cars - WFSB 3 Connecticut

 

[CO-Cygnus]

As soon as the roads are dry. As blitzkrieg said, mag chloride is terrible to have hanging out on your vehicle. Anyone who says otherwise is lying.

+1.

I'm seriously considering a membership at a decent car wash with an undercarriage washer.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

+1.

I'm seriously considering a membership at a decent car wash with an undercarriage washer.

Brother, some of the best money I ever spent was on a good power washer.

To be honest it's really not any colder than a spray your own car wash, the water is not recycled and you can spray to your hearts content until she is clean.

The problem is, those automated car washes do not have human eyes or fingers, and cannot see or feel the crap building up on top inner frame and rails of your running boards, fender lips, etc...

Take a test I ask people to do when they just had their vehicle cleaned. Take your middle finger and carefully (sometimes there are sharp spot welds and such) along the top of your rear wheel fender lips.

Guarantee you will be surprised and the crap that is in there. And that is a magnet for rust because that dirt and road grime stays moist.

 

[Phoenix4R]

Once a month, usually after I've been out on the trails. But I also live in Arizona.....