How Winter Effects Your Car

Driving on the Lakeshore in West Michigan is hard on your vehicle in the winter. But what if there was something you could do to prevent the damage that happens? We are happy to tell you there is!

How Winter Weather Effects Your Car
So, what happens if you DON’T keep your car clean throughout the season? Snow, sleet, ice, and rust destroy it:

• Road salt reacts with metal, which can corrode and rust your vehicle and fade the paint.
• Road salt and sand can build up and chip away at the paint. They also become flying debris from the road, other drivers, and salt trucks, scratching your paint. When freezing water expands, it damages the paint, as well.
• In addition, cold morning starts, salty roads, and melting snow and ice allow rust to form. Rust will eat away at your paint and affect the interior floor, weakening your chassis from above and below over time.
• If you don’t store your vehicle in a controlled climate, you're likely to find interior mold with a musty smell.

Are Car Washes the Solution?
Experts recommend washing a car 1-2 times per month to prolong the life of the vehicle. In the winter, once a week is a much more proactive schedule. So, what about driving through the car wash every month? Unfortunately, the solution isn’t simple: Automated carwashes are hard on your paint. Even if you opt for extras like "wax" sprayed on your car along the conveyor belt, the brushes simultaneously create tiny scratches in the paint from debris lodged by the previous automobiles before you.​

Why Is the Condition of the Paint So Important & What Should I Do?
Sure, we all want our automobile to look as good as when we drove it off the lot, but its paint is there for much more than head turning. Given that a vehicle's paint protects its metal from corrosion and rust, it is essential it be cleaned AND given a protective coating of wax or polish to create a barrier from winter's moisture. If one wants to take an extra precaution, a clay bar treatment to smooth out scratches and remove engrained debris will protect the vehicle's paint and metal from water expanding on the damage already there. A ceramic coating will make moisture bead and roll off and protect against corrosion from road salt. It is ideal to have this done before the first snow falls to avoid damage happening in the first place, and then follow up with maintenance wash and waxes every month. At Garza Detailing, we even offer weekly simple maintenance washes with an interior vacuum and quick clean for a reasonable price!

So, CONTACT US for a quote! We’ll ensure your vehicle is clean and protected throughout the winter, so you don’t have to pay for the damage.

​Safe driving!