How often does road salt realistically need to be removed to prevent permanent corrosion damage?

[JCERRN]

Immediately is true. I let mine sit for a week or two. You get these white spots that don’t come off easily. You will need to BKF or Citrisurf them with some serious elbow grease to get them to come off. So now, my CT doesn’t get to play outside until it’s dry outside. It’s too much of a PITA to clean after mag chloride gets in it.

My CT is my daily driver. Guess i may need to get a wrap.

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[bentoncalder]

My CT is my daily driver. Guess i may need to get a wrap.

A clear wrap on the front should help with most salt debris. And shouldn’t be too expensive. I’m considering it

 

[JCERRN]

Question is the title. Manual maintenance section says “immediately” remove road salt, other contaminants. Realistically, how long do you guys think salt or other contaminants can stay on the panels/undercarriage? No one washes the car every day. Especially not when its 20 degrees outside…

Im happy to report i just finished my first wash after ~72 hours driving one of the winter road salt capitals and there is no permanent finish damage. In fact, the fingerprints are harder to get off than the road salt stains…

 

[Crissa]

Im happy to report i just finished my first wash after ~72 hours driving one of the winter road salt capitals and there is no permanent finish damage. In fact, the fingerprints are harder to get off than the road salt stains…

Yeah, it's all about the right solvents. And stainless can taken them all! I don't know why some are so picky, but some people just are, I guess.

-Crissa

 

[Mattkalin]

My personal rule is to wash Once a Week regardless of Rain, Sleet, Snow, Salt , Sun! I have gone a few weeks and repaired some light oxidation with Barkeepers. Really a non issue.

 

[Docedward]

My personal rule is to wash Once a Week regardless of Rain, Sleet, Snow, Salt , Sun! I have gone a few weeks and repaired some light oxidation with Barkeepers. Really a non issue.

I pick up my AWD tomorrow and personally, I'm treating the stainless steal as a benefit that it is not so "hard" to maintain. "Wash" it- (I'm thinking more of like a prepubescent male shower). Buff with some bartenders pal if your picky about some defects/ iron deposits. For the "stains", they are never permanent- they can all be buffed out. That's stainless steel. Naive, yes. But also think maybe its a preference thing here. One can dedicate as much energy and science or as little as one wants. In the end, it is a heavy, stainless steel object that will never look better than my dishwasher. Just saying.

 

[bentoncalder]

I pick up my AWD tomorrow and personally, I'm treating the stainless steal as a benefit that it is not so "hard" to maintain. "Wash" it- (I'm thinking more of like a prepubescent male shower). Buff with some bartenders pal if your picky about some defects/ iron deposits. For the "stains", they are never permanent- they can all be buffed out. That's stainless steel. Naive, yes. But also think maybe its a preference thing here. One can dedicate as much energy and science or as little as one wants. In the end, it is a heavy, stainless steel object that will never look better than my dishwasher. Just saying.

Barkeepers friend changes the finish colour so be advised. I would follow the recommendation of Tesla and get Citrisurf77

 

[CyberJustice]

ONLY use citrisurf as recommended by Tesla. BKF is much more acidic. Also you will have to use citrisurf on your truck at least once a year, especially after Winter if you want it to back to a flawless state.

 

[Crissa]

ONLY use citrisurf as recommended by Tesla. BKF is much more acidic.

This doesn't seem to be true, based on a simple Google search.

Barkeepers friend changes the finish colour so be advised. I would follow the recommendation of Tesla and get Citrisurf77

Both will change the color, because they're both acidic cleaners depending upon passivation to release the base ions from the metal alloy surface.

-Crissa

 

[Docedward]

Well, I picked it up. Had to have them file down a very sharp point on rear driver panel, adjust the proximal driver side frunk alignment, remove some tree sap and... had to rust spots on the Frunk. When addressing the Frunk rust, the service guy said, "Let me go get the chemicals." He came back with a scrub brush and some paste on it. I said, "Wow, you guys use Barkeepers Friend too!?" He said, "How'd you know! Yes, we do." Yep, and now I have to polished booby-like swirls on my Frunk. Ha!

Will get some Citrisurf77.

 

[CyberJustice]

This doesn't seem to be true, based on a simple Google search.


Both will change the color, because they're both acidic cleaners depending upon passivation to release the base ions from the metal alloy surface.

-Crissa

BKF is stronger based on my own personal experience. Citisurf is much easier to apply and take off.

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