Johnhav430

I didn't know that beet juice could be used instead of salt.

Having owned a Nissan for over 18 yrs., I personally have seen how salt destroys vehicles. Last fall I found a stabilizer end link had completely snapped apart.

When I bought a used LS I specifically looked for a FLA or TX (did not actively look for AZ) car....

http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/...ing-everything

LeX2K

Pretty sure in Calgary there is a salt cartel, the city dumps the stuff on to great excess it's absolutely ridiculous. The damage is extremely obvious the salt destroys curbs, concrete retaining walls, the road itself and of course cars. It's also an environmental disaster because Calgary does not filter or process run off from streets it goes straight into the Bow River.

05ls430518

iTrader: (1)

Same in NY they use a abundance of salt and and spray a "brine" type of solution on the roads which decimates cars, i think they should just use sand and make snow tires a requirement and if you dont have them you get a fine......sorry for the rant. I hate how i cant drive my ls 4-6 month out of the year due to all the salt on the roads, i am going through lexus withdrawal haha.

UDel

In Florida or Texas you have to worry about flooding/damage or heat causing interior parts to melt which is a problem for LS's. It is always something no matter states you live or look in.

mmarshall

Salt, though, can be easily washed off....all it takes is a hose and above-freezing temperatures. Sand and abrasives, when they impact, do lasting damage to the paint, trim, and glass.

SW17LS

They're ridiculous about the salt around here too, way crazier than they would have been. We had a threat of perhaps an inch of snow Tuesday night, they started brining the roads Monday morning! It had all worn off and they had to brine them all again Tuesday afternoon, when a reasonable person would have ordered them brined for the first time. Efficient!

LeX2K

Heck no, road salt is very difficult to wash off it permeates into everything.

05ls430518

iTrader: (1)

The salt isnt a problem its when you go to wash it off combining it with water that it eats away at the vehicle also you have to remeber the salt gets on top of the gas tank, inside fender liners, in the little nooks and crannies in the frame as well as drain holes stupid places that that washing your car could never reach.

SW17LS

I watched an interesting Pat Goss video about salt and he makes a good point, about the biggest problem being salt DUST after the roads have dried, because it gets everywhere. A much bigger problem nowadays than it used to be, the roads are STILL covered in salt dust even after heavy rain last night.

Here's the video:

Johnhav430

Yeah roads remain salty long after the weather event has passed...I have been thinking about it more and more because I have always been a "hand wash only" person until 2016. I read about LS430s having rust where the plastic is attached on the lower doors. But now, we have monthly car wash memberships on my wife's SUV and the LS. BMW is hand wash only, but the dealer runs it through the car wash every time they have it, and I actually don't see any issues over 11 years.

Anyway, I observed closely this year--there were still cars as of last Friday (maybe today), which had salt all over them. I suspect this means their cars have been covered for minimum 10 days, getting rewet, or worse, about 17-20 days. I clearly remember washing my car on a Mon., where the weather was nice, but the car wash was empty, because the roads were still wet (why wash your car when it literally is rewet upon leaving the wash, right?). It seems to be difficult to be diligent about washing as well, with a hand spray, it's very seldom the right time due to temps...the BMW has not moved out of the garage since 12/20 but I literally washed it at the spray wash that day...

My buddy said I'm ruining the 2006 LS and it's a shame. That car was from FLA and likely garaged, and now it is outside 24/7/365....again the indie pointed out on the lift that this car cannot be from the Northeast as it wouldn't look like that being a 2006. I'm thinking even if it's getting ruined, it has at least a significant delay on the deterioration....

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

anyway guys, thanks for another reason i won't be moving to a snow state even though florida has its share of fun like hurricanes - which is why i won't be moving to the coasts either (and sea salt!).

mmarshall

Granted, you can't put the hose everywhere, but, if you are diligent with it (as I am), you can get most of it off, most of the time. One problem is that a lot of people simply don't have the patience to (properly) do a thorough hand-wash, both above and on the underpinnings. You don't just go out and do it in 10 or 15 minutes....I usually budget a good 2-3 hours (including drying-time) for a thorough wash/clean-up after driving in salt. And, of course, I simply avoid driving in salt whenever possible or feasible.

mmarshall

Even apart from salt (say, if you are inland, away from the coast), the high temperatures and humidity in FL don't do metal any good, either. The ideal place to ward off corrosion is, of course, the desert Southwest....one reason why the Air Force keeps older planes in storage at Davis-Monathan Air Force base in Arizona.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

i don't think humidity is a factor. as for heat and direct sun, that's what a garage is for.