Here in NJ, it has been snowing like crazy (at least once a week). And since I have to drive every day, either for school or work, there is salt all over the road. But today I looked at the side of my car and it looked like it went off-roading. How long is the paint safe from the salt before it starts to kill the finish? I can't really justify going to a car wash when my car is just gonna get filthy again in a couple days. It has been mostly <40 degrees every day and I don't really have the time for a proper wash

 

as a jersey-ite too, i feel your pain. the past few weeks have been absolute shit and the past week specifically has been too cold even to use water to wash your car without it freezing over. My tsx spent last winter getting beat up by the weather and it was fine but i suggest you buy a waterless car rinse like griots and spray it in your garage and let it fall off to clean it interim during the winter if you are worried about salt.

woo jersey

 

As a tech I see what all this salt and moisture does to our cars. Most of what we see is penetration to exhuast parts, suspension parts, nuts and bolts. Honda's body integrity is excellent and although there paint is somewhat thin and soft due to epa regs the corrosion resistance of the body is excellent. If you can't propper wash use a brushless carwash or just hose it off paying attention to the uncarriage and the wheel wells, that will help neutralize some of the salt. Also a proper coat of wax does wonders, lots of great ones out there. Nu finish and Black magic or even an auto armour product last the longest in my experience. But even a coat of spray wax will help protect the clear coat. When spring comes it will shine right back up.

 

I bring my wifes TL to the car wash once a week. I use the wand and just blow off all the crap out side the undercarriage and the wheel wells. That is really the best thing you can do and then detail come spring time.
I do that with all my vehicles. My 97 4Runner still lokks great for being 13 years old. And it stays outside and the other cars are in the garage.

 

I have no garage since my dad has all his stuff in there. I don't really have the time to even think about hand washing my car right now since I'm a high school senior with a part time job. Usually I'm home after its dark, so that even makes it worse to try to wash it. My friend told me about a place in Wallington that is just a spray wash. Maybe I'll try to do that ASAP as long as the water won't freeze.

 

All I do unless I get a chance at home to properly hand wash it is once a week or at the end of a road trip I go to the local place with a spray wash and use the wand and rince water only to get off the crud and what salt/chemicals that might be there then thats it. Drying it will increase the chances of scratching.

 

I totally feel your pain, it's been hell here the last 1.5 months. I just had part of my truck repainted, and it's been coated in salt ever since. I haven't wanted to rinse it or wash it because it's below freezing, but I may take it to a self wash place, and just spray it off, since there's water and salt on it, rinsing the salt off and having just water shouldn't be too terrible i guess

 

i'll have to get the cars to the car wash soon after this next snow hits again...