New Owner Of Ls And Have A Few Questions

[DrAlbert]

Hello,

I am the new owner of a 2006 Lexus LS and have a question about how to prepare the car for the the snow. I have recently moved to the northeast from south Cali so this snow thing is pretty new to me. I've spent a few weeks here and so far, i don't like the weather. It hasn't gone much above freezing and there has been a substantial amount of snowfall already.

When i purchased the car here, i hadn't really given much thought to it, but the salt and sand they put on the roads can't be good for the car's finish and materials. I know salt is very corrosive and i'd hate to let it eat away at my beautiful car.

I have done a little research already and have heard that the 'protective spray' the dealer applies during purchase does very little against these salts. My car has some sort of clear film on the hood which the dealer explained to me would help prevent sand chips, but it is very unappealing and does not protect the rest of the car.

Is there anything i can do or have done that will protect my car from being destroyed by the harsh road salts? My worry is that rust will form and the metal will soon become something that resembles swiss cheese. I will try to take the car through the car wash every once and a while but that doesn't clean the undercarriage or wheel wells- places it cannot reach that salt may be hiding.

Thank you for any help,

Dr Al

[SW03ES]

As long as the temperature does not go above freezing, the salt is inert so it is not corrosive. It has to be damp, and above freezing for it to have any corrosive effect on metal.

Metal on cars today is galvanized, and it is actually really resistant to rusting. In fact your Lexus is warrantied against rust perforation for many years and many miles, in fact I believe its 10 years and unlimited miles.

Just keep it washed as much as you can, and don't park it in a garage, leave it outside so it stays cold if you are really concerned. I just drive mine as normal in the winter. Its REALLY filthy right now because we had a lot of freezing rain and they overreacted with the salt on the road like they always do. I still park mine in the garage.

[eatingupblacktop]

Since I don't drive mine in the winter except when the roads are clear/clean/dry, I never had it rustproofed, so I can't recommend a particular rustproofing process. There is plenty of debate as to which measures work the best. Annual apps don't last more than one season vs one time undercoating which might not reach all the various crevices. One thing I found from visiting a vendor, you don't necessarily have to allow them to drills holes for the app. My concern was the holes they drill are plugged but the metal is exposed regardless and the plugs expand/contract which allows the salt solution from the road to make contact with the exposed metal. In addition the drilled metal is stressed and more susceptible to rust. I didn't have mine done for that reason. For me it's moot because I don't drive it in the salt anyway. Nevertheless, the tech advised me that they can do about 90% coverage without driling holes by using the openings provided by the manufacturer. Before deciding on a particluar app, go in and talk to the tech to find out details about their process.