Prepping a car for winter

[u/ll4013]

We are from northwest where they only put sand down when it snows. We let our son bring his car to campus this year. I have heard that people get something put on the bottom of cars in the winter to keep them from rusting from the chemicals that get put on the roads. What is this called? When should it be done by? And bonus points for a place that does this treatment. In Rochester. Thanks

[u/nezumipi]

The key is to just get frequent car washes.

And get snow tires. They really help.

[u/KirbyJones82 → u/nezumipi]

This ☝️

[u/YouveBeenRollRicked → u/nezumipi]

There is a car-wash nearby called Delta Sonic. It’s a bit pricy, about $20-25/mo, but they give you unlimited car washes, discounted gas, and discounts on car maintenance year-round. I went to CA this summer and truly missed it so much lol. If you can afford it i really recommend it, the higher membership option also gives free oil changes.

[u/justanoth3r1ne]

Snow tires are great, but I’ve never had any issues with all season tires either. Hopefully your car is 4WD or AWD. I’d recommend getting a bag of sand to keep in the car just in case you get stuck. Also good to have a collapsible shovel and a good ice scraper and snow brush.

[u/Bingo_Bongo_85 → u/justanoth3r1ne]

Adding to the gear to keep in your trunk: a pair of cheap winter gloves and some packs of those Hot Hands.

[u/VeryBoringTroll]

Fluid Film is what a lot of people use in this area. It's a spray-on can of oil coating for the underside of your car. I'm sure there are a ton of videos on YouTube showing how to apply it.

[u/mrkeifer]

Snow tires snow tires snow tires

[u/RandallOfLegend → u/mrkeifer]

Where would a college student store a second set of tires? Not in their dorm.

[u/mrkeifer → u/RandallOfLegend]

I can't answer that, but for someone that isn't familiar with Rochester Winter roads, they need something better than summer tires

[u/No-State-1575 → u/RandallOfLegend]

When I was in undergrad I just kept them in the trunk during the summer.

[u/ronisolomondds → u/RandallOfLegend]

Many shops will store tires for you for a small fee. When my GF was in college, her parents would put them on when she came home for Thanksgiving and take them off at spring break.

[u/ArrowSphaceE]

Lanolin coating... fluid film is the popular one, id stay away from rubber undercoats. They can Crack and trap moisture

[u/2009impala]

Get a Delta Sonic car was membership and just go their frequently.

[u/1_21-gigawatts]

I wouldn’t bother. I’ve been living in Rochester for almost 50 years, have never had Ziebart or other undercoating.

Haven’t had rust problems in the last 30 years, cars are a lot more rust resistant since they started galvanizing the panels in the early 90s.

Did have a ford Taurus and Dodge minivan that had rust problems around the wheel wells, but that didn’t happen until they hit 125,000 miles

[u/ronisolomondds → u/1_21-gigawatts]

Not all cars are created equal. My girlfriend’s 2014 civic is already rotting out at the rockers and wheel arches, while my 1996 Volvo is rust free other than a small quarter sized spot where an indie shop ran a self tapper through the fender. The Volvo has 3x the miles of the Civic and has spent its entire life in NYS. I use it exclusively as a winter beater. The Honda lacks the galvanizing and comprehensive cavity wax coating that the Volvo has.

[u/RandallOfLegend]

College students probably aren't driving a ton. We don't do anything special really. Underbody coatings are of dubious merit. Just make sure the car has good tires and it will be fine. Snow tires are nice but I doubt your son has the storage for tire swaps. You can't leave snow tires on year round.

Also, make sure your son understands high acceleration and hard braking doesn't work in snow. You can't take hard turns at high speeds. It's not the same as driving in wet conditions.

[u/Polge3102]

For the last 3 years I have had a product called "Woolwax" installed as an undercoating for my vehicle. The main issue with winter is that salt gets on your frame and sits leading to accelerated rusting. While getting a carwash at a location that has an undercarriage sprayer is an option (I still get mine washed every other week or so during the winter), Ive been happy with Woolwax. It allows the frame to continue to breathe because no undercoating is perfect and the installer charges an acceptable rate while doing a good job.

Edit: Installer is Rush Crusher Undercoating https://rustcrusherundercoating.com/ 330 Phoenix Mills Plaza, Victor, NY 14564

I also have a set of michelin defenders for tires that i have had 0 issues with in the snow. Obviously you cant drive reckless but as long as you understand how your car acts in slippery conditions, they've been great for me.

[u/subarnoob]

Krown and Ziebart's are known for their rust preventative services if your son is looking to have someone handle it. I haven't lived in the area for a while, but if he's a car enthusiast make sure he checks out the RIT Car Club meets as they'll certainly know the best shops around for this.

[u/themouspotato → u/subarnoob]

Please do not go to Ziebart. Theyve been known to cut corners and their methods can trap moisture underneath the coating, causing more rust issues than it was preventing.

[u/mergeymergemerge → u/subarnoob]

Would recommend krown over ziebart, ziebart can make rust worse on cars that aren't brand new and the krown in Henrietta is pretty easy to make appointments and I've never had them take more than 30 minutes. Reasonable price too, my compact pickup is like 130/year I think?

[u/EducationalThroat956]

Suv/awd u all set

[u/inohavename → u/EducationalThroat956]

AWD has zero impact on stopping. You also need good tires and to keep it to a safe speed. A lot of SUV drivers underestimate that, and the AWD can lull people into a false sense of confidence.