Car washes & snow

[ChinoCharles]

Is it bad for the paint to wash the car when it snows outside?

The ground here has been covered for a few weeks now and there is a lot of salt built up on the roads. I haven't washed the car in this time because I heard that you aren't supposed to when there is a lot of salt on the road.

Thoughts?

[Go4th]

My thought thats it.
I would think you would want to wash that salt off every day.
I would probally wash it more now than I would if there were no salt!

That salt is bad news for cars! At least the old ones. You can tell when someone lives near the coast. So I would get that salt off as often as possiable.

[spkrman]

So I would get that salt off as often as possiable.

x2

only problem is washing in freezing weather... the water can and will freeze, although I'd rather have that than salt :)

[Doc Zaius]

I was talking with the guys who did my rust protection... just got it done yesterday. They say washing a car on those really cold days is the worst... spray gets into all the tiny cracks and crevices, freezes, expands, and more salt can get in there. Plus, the water can transport salt up into places it might have a harder time getting to.

Just my $0.02

[spkrman]

well more specifically, *where* could it get trapped? I dont see any immediate places spraying water would push salt into somewhere otherwise inacessible.

im sure the water wont instantly freeze, and once it drains there will certaintly be less salt than before... I'd much rather have a few odd spots of salt than having it everywhere.

Not to mention, when you pull up with your spotless car during the winter, and everyone else's car is completely covered in salt/dirt/grime from the months of not getting washed, your car looks a hell of alot better :)

On that note, I notice the local car wash is packed when the temp gets above freezing on a weekend.