How do I prevent my car from rusting

[bluestateguy]

Forgive me for the dumb question.

Moving to Michigan, I've been taken aback by the number of rusted cars that I see here. It's more than in any place I have seen, though I have never had a car in a place that snows before. My car is garaged at home, but will that be enough to protect me? What do I need to do to stop--or at least slow--my car from rusting.

[baldguy]

1. Keep it a humidity-free climate controlled environment.

Barring that, only drive it in the desert.

[jdadd]

2. I live in north central Ohio....

Rust is a pretty big problem here too. I usually put my good car in the garage and drive a "pre rusted" beater in the winter. My good car is a 95 model and it still looks new.

[1gobluedem]

3. Wash it often in the winter

Get the road salt off it. I've lived in Michigan all my life and have never had a car rust.

[SharonRB]

5. I haven't either

The newer cars are pretty well rust-proofed (and by "new," I mean in the last 20 years or so). You do have to keep the salt washed off, though. It's mostly older cars that you see rusted out on the road.

[Demeter]

4. Move to Florida--and Stay Out of Hurricanes!

Welcome to Michigan, by the way. A car's gotta die sometime, try not to get too bent out of shape about it.

[meganmonkey]

6. Wash it - weekly

I second what 1gobluedem said.

Pain in the ass, but you gotta do it.

I finally have a half-way decent car in reasonable shape and I have gotten really good about taking it in to the drive-thru car wash.

[MichiganVote]

7. Wash it-----often.

[maddogesq]

8. Please choose one:

A. Wash it often.

B. Wash it a lot.

c. Wash it every time the weather is nice right now.

D. Move to Colorado, where gravel is used insead of salt.

#. All of the above.

[Jokinomx]

9. Welcome to Michigan....

As everyone stated...wash the salt off in the winters... and if your car is fairly new there are companies that you can have an undercoat applied to help also. Keeping your car in a garage is always a smart move.

Ziebart is one popular undercoating franchise.

:toast:

[sarcasmo]

10. If you don't have it garaged all winter you don't prevent it from rusting.

Michigan roads will rust it in ten years or less.