nicholam77
Go Kart Champion
- Location
- Minneapolis
Alright guys. I live in MN where they heavily salt the roads and I have to shut off my external water at my house for ~6 months due to freezing temps so I can't do a traditional car wash at home during the winter.
Just wondering if anyone has tips for beating the rust. Is it even possible?
My last car (mk4 Jetta) had rust all over the door sill and it was just hideous to look at. The mk7 is the nicest car I've had and the only one I've bought new and I desperately want to keep it looking good.
I know the true answer to this is to get a beater and garage the mk7, but I just don't have a good place to park it or the extra funds. Plus life is short and I'm not going to be leaving MN anytime soon and don't want to only get to enjoy my car for half the year.
My big question is in terms of rust: is it better to wash the salt off, or keep it away from water? I have access to a "touchless" automatic carwash during winter where no brushes or anything touch the body. It also sprays down the undercarriage. But... this also leaves the underside and a lot of little nooks and crannies like the door sill and hinges, wet. Obviously moisture accelerates rust. My other concern is the soaps in an automatic car wash not being pH balanced and stripping the protective layers I've built up before the winter season. I would assume doing regular touchless washes is the way to go to at least get most the salt off.
My plan for prep this year is to clay bar (never done this before but the car is about 2 years old and figured I'd give it a try), then use a sealant, and then a wax. And a rust inhibitor like FluidFilm on the undercarriage parts.
Will the sealant and wax get stripped by a touchless car wash? Is there a better way? Opti No Rinse or similar? Salt and grime is so heavy here it just seems wrong to grind it in with a no rinse solution. My gut is telling me it should at least be sprayed down first which I can't do.
If anyone has any good winter care routines or techniques I'd love to hear them!
Just wondering if anyone has tips for beating the rust. Is it even possible?
My last car (mk4 Jetta) had rust all over the door sill and it was just hideous to look at. The mk7 is the nicest car I've had and the only one I've bought new and I desperately want to keep it looking good.
I know the true answer to this is to get a beater and garage the mk7, but I just don't have a good place to park it or the extra funds. Plus life is short and I'm not going to be leaving MN anytime soon and don't want to only get to enjoy my car for half the year.
My big question is in terms of rust: is it better to wash the salt off, or keep it away from water? I have access to a "touchless" automatic carwash during winter where no brushes or anything touch the body. It also sprays down the undercarriage. But... this also leaves the underside and a lot of little nooks and crannies like the door sill and hinges, wet. Obviously moisture accelerates rust. My other concern is the soaps in an automatic car wash not being pH balanced and stripping the protective layers I've built up before the winter season. I would assume doing regular touchless washes is the way to go to at least get most the salt off.
My plan for prep this year is to clay bar (never done this before but the car is about 2 years old and figured I'd give it a try), then use a sealant, and then a wax. And a rust inhibitor like FluidFilm on the undercarriage parts.
Will the sealant and wax get stripped by a touchless car wash? Is there a better way? Opti No Rinse or similar? Salt and grime is so heavy here it just seems wrong to grind it in with a no rinse solution. My gut is telling me it should at least be sprayed down first which I can't do.
If anyone has any good winter care routines or techniques I'd love to hear them!