Hey Robby how does salt get in the Air ?
I'll assume, Brian, you mean in our area of the country.
For the last several days have you noticed the dust that the cars/trucks are throwing into the air?
That is salt, ground down to the consistency of talcum powder.
It gets drawn into any low pressure area of the car body as well as getting deposited on the areas we see......looks like the car is coated with dust.
Cars not being driven, but out in the air get the same treatment....the dust gets into every seam.
If you noticed, even this morning, (Monday) the streets were wet......yet, we had no rain or snow.
The humidity in the air was drawn to the dry salt on the street (and in all the crevaces of your ride) and recondensed......so, just peacefully sitting there, the vehicle (and anything else that salt attacks) continues to corrode.
Thus the saying 'I think I can hear it rusting'.
To further the aggravation, add a car wash to the mix.
All car washes (other than those DIY pressure wash places) reclaim their water......it is filtered but you cannot filter saline content so as the day goes on, the car wash water gets more salt content.
Under the floor, there is tank, not unlike the tank for a toilet, and it has a float.
Water is always being lost as it gets hauled down the street by the cars getting washed......the float system admits fresh water to maintain the tank level, but there is always some salt in the tank.
Folks that think they are doing the car a favor by running through a wash are actually adding to the salt damage........pressurized salty water is being forced into seams that generally don't even get wet.......that'll be $15.00 bucks please.
That's why you see salt lines trailing out of all the drain areas after the car has dried.
This is why car nuts, such as myself, have a car to give to the rust gods.....Sorry Cruze, you're it.......and why we generally trade it off after five years......right before it starts to get evil looking.
Sucks to live in the salt belt.
Aren't you glad you asked?
Rob
