NHTSA: Wash your vehicle!

[Chris Meutsch]

Originally Posted By: ls1mike
Originally Posted By: Smokescreen
Quit putting so much salt on the road and the problem will decrease

This the undercarriage of my 02 Silverado 2500 HD.

We don't use salt out here. It is kind of nice.

Glad I don't live in the rust belt.


You sir, are making me sad.

 

[Traction]

Pretty clear. QUIT USING SO MUCH SALT! Plow the roads, make winter tires manatory, or stay home. I have not driven in winter without winter tires for 20 years. Salt always ruins the fun of driving in the winter.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: Chris Meutsch

You sir, are making me sad.

You could always move out here to Washington state. I grew up in New York and remember rust well! I don't miss the stuff!

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: ram_man
Working I'm a shop I Can tell you I see more early through mid 2000's Chevy trucks come In needing brake lines because they blew out than any other vehicle by far. I'm not being biased in any way mind you. I am jut reporting what I've personally seen. Either Chevy owners are bigger slobs and don't maintenance their vehicles as good as other owners of other brands or their design/ quality is questionable.
Got a friend with that problem on his truck right now.

 

[HerrStig]

THe new "pretreatments" used before storms to keep ice formation down are worse than plain salt.

 

[bdcardinal]

Good thing we don't have that rust problem here, Governor Moonbeam says we can't wash our cars anymore.

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted By: Traction
Pretty clear. QUIT USING SO MUCH SALT! Plow the roads, make winter tires manatory, or stay home. I have not driven in winter without winter tires for 20 years. Salt always ruins the fun of driving in the winter.


As a commercial truck driver, IMO the salt is a necessary evil. A big truck is extremely squirrely empty in the snow, and loaded not much better. Unfortunately, we would have to stop commerce in the Northeast if the roads aren't treated well enough for a big truck to pass. It's just too dangerous, but I do see your point. I'm glad I'm out of the rust belt where my car was junk after 5 years. That was years ago, though.

 

[Rick in PA]

I remember a few years ago my brother, who's been a mechanic all his life (and that goes back to the '50s) said brake lines were a problem. He felt it was because they were skimping on anti-corrosion coatings. I suspect the salt slime they spray on the roads these days doesn't help matters.

 

[Kestas]

Years ago, brake lines were coated with terne plate, a lead-rich coating. The push to remove lead from our product stream resulted in brake lines now coated with an epoxy coating. These epoxy coatings aren't as corrosion resistant as terne plate.

I've had to replace terne coated brake lines around the 10-15 year mark. I'm not surprised new brake lines now rust faster.

 

[eljefino]

We get snowbanks that melt every sunny day and that melted water would refreeze to ice if it weren't for the perpetual layer of salt on pavement.

Somehow, though, my saturn lived 19 years on its original brake lines. Some undercarriages either shelter them properly or allow them to rinse clean easily, and I haven't figured out what "shape" is best for this.

What worries me are these body pans... Kia Soul has a plastic tray over the floorpan. What lurks beneath? I've seen brake lines, maybe not on a Soul, disappear to points unknown.

 

[sciphi]

Or undercoat it. I'm really surprised that oil-film undercoating places aren't more popular up here.

 

[rjundi]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
We get snowbanks that melt every sunny day and that melted water would refreeze to ice if it weren't for the perpetual layer of salt on pavement.



Salt is a requirement of winter in new england especially my coastal area. I just get rid of cars at the 12-14 year mark and move on.

 

[wirelessF]

I wonder if the same would've been said for the rusting Toyota frames? IMO GM should issue a recall for rusting brake lines since they are all steel. I've never seen a poor steel line design the time I went under my 02 Silverado. My 01 Tundra much more better looking brake lines than the Silverado.

 

[Doog]

I spray my brake lines with Rustoleum undercoating when the car is new. Takes 4-5 cans to do the whole underside. Cost $25.

Touch it up every 3 years.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: Doog
I spray my brake lines with Rustoleum undercoating when the car is new. Takes 4-5 cans to do the whole underside. Cost $25.

Touch it up every 3 years.


How do you know when they're gonna pop? I could see using an oil base where you can see the steel underneath, but rubbery goo?

 

[Claud]

In the UK all passenger cars over three years old have to pass a roadworthiness test that checks lights, tires suspension, brakes, emissions, and other safety related items.
Corrosion affecting any safety related item means a failure, that includes rusty brake lines.
In the '70s and '80s I made most of my living fixing older cars to pass this test. I must have made miles of copper/nickel brake lines over time, it's an easy and cheap job, a bit messy if you aren't careful, but using copper/nickel tubing makes a fixed for life repair. I suppose a few bucks per car can be saved making new cars with steel pipes instead, I can think of no other reason cars shouldn't leave the factory with them.
Surely the onus should be on the car owner to see that his car is in a safe condition regarding wear and tear and corrosion. Not the same as a manufacturing fault I emphasise.
If you live in the rust belt, then rust is something that goes with the territory!.

Claud.

 

[hattaresguy]

My 10 year old Silverado is pretty clean underneath. All I do is spray it off with a garden hose in the winter when the weather permits.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: BMWTurboDzl
Seems like a logical decision. Apparently a lot of people don't know that they, from time to time, should wash off the underside of their vehicle.


Unfortunately, there's no easy way to do it...

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: skyactiv
II use a water sprinkler and slide it beneath my car to knock the salt off.

How are you gonna use this when it's below freezing?

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: Traction
Pretty clear. QUIT USING SO MUCH SALT! Plow the roads, make winter tires manatory, or stay home. I have not driven in winter without winter tires for 20 years. Salt always ruins the fun of driving in the winter.


Here's a novel idea...how bout using something that isn't corrosive at all? They have products that aren't, but they insist on using salt...I bet if people starting suing road commissions for the damage salt does to their vehicles, they'd stop using it...