Every car owner and driver knows that driving and car maintenance changes seasonally. There are different parts of the car that require more care and attention depending on what time of year it is. In the winter, usually the biggest parts of the car to pay attention to are the engine, as you need to make sure you do not overrun it and damage it before it has heated properly, and the tires, as the slicker roads from rain and snow can cause a lot of issues for people. However, depending on where you live, there is another thing to watch out for, something especially that many Texans were not watching before. So, what is this other important thing to pay attention to for your car? Well, that is the main exterior body of your vehicle!
Why does my car’s body run the risk of damage in winter?
Because of the extreme winter weather much of Texas is experiencing at the moment, even with some places experiencing an “arctic blast,” the roads have not been doing well. To try and normalize the roads in order to create safer driving conditions, the Texas Department of Transportation treated the roads with a salt and water brine mixture. Since, the state has seen heavy rainstorms which has caused the salty brine to be kicked back up. Now, when driving on the treated roads, your car could be attacked by salty grime which can cause blocked sensors and royally dirty up your car.
The cars most at risk here are newer cars that are designed with safety systems that rely heavily on sensors in the car’s body.
In order to make sure your car stays safe this year; experts suggest getting it washed or washing it yourself frequently. This will make sure you formally remove the grime and build up from your car, and hence your sensors, often and can do simple wiping away in between. They suggest that if you do not want to deal with washing your vehicle entirely often, you can simply take a bucket of water with a little bit of soap mixed in and wash the sensors individually. For example, you can clean up the outer rim of your vehicle, backup camera, bumper sensors, etc.
Either way, it is incredibly important to stay safe this winter by including frequent car cleaning, in some capacity, in your routine.
