This time of year, it’s easy to think of another Wonder Lake winter fondly. Well, if not exactly fondly, without too much dread yet. It’s only as winter truly begins to set in that we start to contemplate what it really means – the cold, the snow and ice, slippery conditions, cars, trucks and SUVs that don’t want to start. We could also add rust to that list.

A Wonder Lake winter is an opportune environment for rust. It will cause rust on fences, mailboxes, and just about anything made of metal that is exposed to the elements. This includes your car, truck or SUV. Rust is just chomping at the bit to get at your vehicle and winter starts a feeding frenzy.

Rust is actually the name for the iron oxide that forms on the surface of metal components when exposed to moisture and oxygen.

In the summer, moisture will roll off your car, truck or SUV’s smooth and shiny surface. The paint inhibits its access to the metal underneath. The sun dries puddles and water evaporates in the heat. But winter doesn’t provide the factors that wick away moisture the way that summer does.

Worse yet, snow and ice tend to build up and stick to things, like your vehicle. And then there’s another element that increases the effects of rust – road salt. Rust is caused by an electrochemical reaction when metal, moisture and oxygen mix. Rust sets in faster when road salt is added to the mix.

The top tip for inhibiting rust on your Wonder Lake car, truck or SUV

The best thing you can do to protect your vehicle from rust is to frequently run the car, truck or SUV through the car wash. Applying wax, including the undercarriage cleaning and wax, will further protect your vehicle.    

Having undercoating applied to your vehicle’s undercarriage, inside doors and panels will also help. It’s also a good idea to have good all-weather floor mats that protect the floor of the vehicle, under the carpet, from moisture. 

If you’re up to it, there are also weepholes in the bottoms of doors. When they become clogged by dirt, snow or ice, moisture builds up above them and has nothing to do with itself other than to cause rust.

Winter is coming. And the Wonder Lake winter of 2022-23 will pass. The question is whether rust will win the fight this winter or if you can hold it back to protect your car, truck or SUV.