— Protecting Your Car From Salt —
He will soon be here. All through the night, drifting to and fro. Leaving destruction in his wake. And there’s no avoiding him.
Ok, bit dramatic. Actually, we’re GRATEFUL our city does such a bang-up job of keeping us safe on the roads through the winter. And although salt trucks are helpful to keep us from slipping, they can do quite a number on our vehicles…
… IF we let them.
So what exactly does salt do to your vehicle?
Most road salt is sodium chloride – a chemical that lowers the freezing point of water. This helps keep our roads from being slippery. The more salt, the harder time that water has turning into ice. So when you take that turn, which you didn’t see coming, at 40mph, you don’t end up in the ditch. But that salt is also constantly sprayed onto your vehicle’s underside. And sodium chloride has effects there too.
Your car’s undercarriage is metal. It’s steel, which is an alloy of iron with carbon and other elements. When iron comes in contact with water and oxygen, there’s a chemical reaction that creates iron oxide. Iron oxide — known by his friends as RUST (or “Rusty”, depending on how close you are). And the addition of salt allows the electrons to move more freely. Salt DRASTICALLY speeds up this process. Ergo, more salt = more rust.
And you don’t have to be an auto mechanic to know there are some important things on the underside of your car. Things like your brake lines. Once rust has its way, the hydraulic fluid will leak out of the lines. And this will cause the brakes to not work properly – if at all! Not to mention, the exhaust system, suspension, and gas tank – all of which are also down there.
Not to fear – Drake’s Carwash is here! Drake’s wants to see that you, your car, and the Saltman all get along swimmingly this winter. ALL of our wash packages include an undercarriage wash. This means our automatic carwash includes a component that sprays off the underside of your vehicle. “Erie Insurance” recommends, you “Spray your car down at least once a week if you live in a snowy area. Invest in a wash that cleans the undercarriage of the car.” [https://www.erieinsurance.com/blog/road-salt#] And our ULTIMATE wash package also includes an “Undercarriage Rust Inhibitor.” Most modern cars receive a layer of “undercoating” when they roll off the assembly line. But it doesn’t last forever. Our rust inhibitor adds a layer of protection back to these essential areas.
And Drake’s makes it easy to add this kind of protection to your life. Sign up for one of our Go Unlimited plans. For one low, monthly payment, you can stop by as often as you like. And it’s the perfect time to sign up. Because for a limited time, if you buy an unlimited plan, the second month is only $0.01! A penny to save your vehicle from damage through one of the harsh winter months.
Our Go Unlimited packages allow you to cruise through in a dedicated express lane. And no matter when you come to Drake’s, there’s always free vacuum time.
So you don’t have to be scared anymore. This winter, Drake’s Carwash can make sure that the salt stays right where it belongs. – on the road.