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[deleted] OP t1_j3pzbuc wrote

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NativeMasshole t1_j3qwvrm wrote

Yup. Washing the salt off can save you lots of money in future maintenance. The people here saying "rust free!" are probably talking mostly about body panels and wheel hubs, which are already protected thoroughly. However, your undercarriage has lots of nuts and bolts (and your exhaust) which can all get rusted together. Your mechanic will thank you if you wash your car.

Now the protecter that other commenter mentioned, that's a waste of money. Unless you're getting hand-waxed, everything beyond soap and water is probably just dye to make the water pretty so you feel better about spending $20 on a wash.

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[deleted] OP t1_j3r1mqx wrote

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NativeMasshole t1_j3r8nte wrote

Absolutely, make, model, and year can make a huge difference.

Also whether you garage your car, have a private drive, or park in the street. Leaving it out in the elements is worse, and then street parking can lead to more dents, dings, and scratches for rust to work its way into.

Some areas even have salt restrictions due to reservoirs/watersheds.

There's a ton of factors. But one thing is for sure: salt corrodes metal.

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xtraman122 t1_j3qjoo5 wrote

Not really, most of those are gimmicks to get more money. I suppose some that supposedly spray a protectant might do something but it’s mostly a feel-good thing people like to do.

To which I’d recommend to OP, if you’re tight in cash, I’d save some of that money and do some cheaper washes here and there. Can go to Ernie’s twice a month on a basic wash with buying the little booklets and save a few bucks.

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