Topic: Should I keep my car in the garage during winter nights?

[Ze5wy6]

Someone told me the car will rust faster because the ice and snow will melt and the salt water will speed up the corrosion process, so it's better to leave the car out all night. Is this true?

[safristi]

Yup ..if the garage is heated or above freezing temp...Nope if the reverse is true.

[ericthejet]

You can wash the car too but only in warmer winter weather, like -5 or milder as below that the salt doesn't work that well on promoting rust on your car.

[barrie1]

The salt reaction only works in warmer weather. Not sure what temparature but probably around freezing the salt looses its effect. If the garage is not heated then you should be alright. I only put a car in that I am not winter driving. The Winter Beater gets the Driveway and very few Baths.

[ovr50]

An unheated garage is fine; the main thing is getting the vehicle out of the wind. It will start on darn cold mornings in the garage, whereas out in the wind - different story. You'd have to have a pretty warm garage for rusting to become a problem.

(Message edited by ovr50 on December 20, 2004)

[HeliDriver]

I don't think wind is an issue as far as getting the car started. True, a car may cool down from operating temperature slightly faster in the wind, but if the car has been parked overnight, this will be irrelevant by morning.

To an inert lump of steel, minus 20 in zero wind is exactly the same as minus 20 in a howling gale.

[maritime_storm]

The only hitch is that you'll have to sweep the water of your garage each day. Insert warm car with ice & snow on it into cold garage. The garage warms up long enough for the snow & slush to fall off the car on to the garage floor, which you'll need to squigee out each day. As for the rusting, it won't make a difference if it's outside or inside, however you will have the benefit of not having to clean your car off each time you want to go anywhere. As they mentioned above a heated garage will rot a car out quick, that watery slush I mentioned freezes again in an unheated garage, but in a heated garage is evaporates keeping your car wrapped in a warm moist environment that rust loves so much. And to comment on Sir-Civics reply, he's right, windchill affects living organism that radiate heat, not solid objects.

[ovr50]

Sir & Maritime - you are correct and I am in error. I think this discussion on wind-chill is also a repeat and I think I was wrong then too. Well, I'm consistent if nothing else.

[johngenx]

The other problem with a warm garage is the condensation also gets into fuel systems and crankcases.  Use a garage heater to keep the super-cold out and keep the temp to freezing or just below.

[asdf]

The whole premise behind leaving the car outside is that you want all the water on it it to freeze thus removing any free water that would assist in the rusting process.  If you stick your car in the garage it will likely be wet all night even if the temperature in the garage may be below freezing (remember that salt will lower the freezing point of water).  IIRC, saltwater will accelerate the rusting process regardless of temperature.  

(Message edited by asdf on December 21, 2004)

[twotoques]

I used to keep my car in an unheated concrete block garage with a concrete floor.

At night the snow would melt off, from the heat from the car, I guess. In the morning the car would be sitting in a puddle of slush and water. Now you know this is not a good thing.

I started leaving the garage doors partially open at night, so the garage wouldn't get warm enough to melt the snow.

[ovr50]

Since that happens to lots of folks and since tires don't rust or corrode; I'm not going to worry if my vehicle sits in water/slush on the garage floor. Probably doing more damage to the garage floor than the car.

[Snowman]

Our vehicles sit in an insulated garage that is about +5C or so. Ice and snow melts off and runs into the drain. As I wash them frequently I do no think salt will be an issue.

[mjb]

Salt is only used in conditions that are warmer than MINUS 12 degrees Celcius... below that, it's not effective in melting the ice/snow that it's intended to get rid of... Assuming that's true, you may conclude that the benefit of keeping your car out in the cold is only present if it's below minus 12 (to avoid rust action)... however, now you're looking at starting a colder car/engine... which is hard on it too... so now you'll have to plug it in... costs you money... well... so does a car wash... In Saskatchwan, we always park indoors if possible... spend the money on a good car wash... preserve your engine... recently bought a car from Ontario... can't believe how much rust there is "down under"... will likely sell it in a year or so...

[slybry]

My opinion is that parking a car in a garage will result in speeding up the rusting process of the car. I have seen older cars in good condition start rapidly decomposing once parked in a garage for a couple years. I bought a low mileage Mazda 323 years ago that have be garage parked for its 1st 5 years. Despite my oil spraying I found the rust had already set into underbody and I experienced all sorts of failures to brake lines, gas lines, gas tank, and lower part of doors.

If you only keep your cars for 5 years it will make little difference. If you hold onto cars for longer there will be a price to pay.

There is no doubt that having car in garage has it benefits. The car is warm and free of snow and ice. This is nice but you car will pay a price for it. Many feel the benefits are worth it.

As my garage if filled with everything known to man except cars I am forced to keep my cars outside. I do spray them every 2nd year with Duracheck chemical spray. My cars remain rust free for 12 years plus. But I do face the endless scrapping and snow removal during the winter.

[slybry]

One last thing I forgot to mention is that I live in Montreal where streets are salted like crazy. Out West in the prarie deep freeze the problem might not be so bad because (from what I have seen) they rarely salt the roads.  

It all depends were you hang your hat.