If you live or park near the sea in Cape Town, your car lives in salty air every day. You cannot see it, but over time it takes a toll. The good news is that coastal cars are easy to look after once you know what to watch for.
What salt does to a car
Salt on its own is not the problem. Salt attracts moisture and holds it against the surface, and that speeds up corrosion on exposed metal. It also leaves a gritty film on paint and glossy surfaces that dulls them and carries abrasive particles that scratch when the car is wiped.
- Paint. A salty film dulls the finish and can mark it if wiped dry.
- Exposed metal. Chips, scratches, wheel arches and the underside corrode faster in salty air.
- Wheels and brakes. Salt and moisture build up around them.
- Chrome and trim. It can pit and stain.
- The engine bay. Salty air gets in there too, and settles on metal and connectors.
Who it affects
Anyone who parks close to the coast, from the Atlantic Seaboard to seafront roads around the peninsula, is exposed, and so is anyone who spends time at the beach and drives home with the sea breeze coming through. Wind makes it worse, because it carries fine salt spray further inland than you might expect.
How to look after a coastal car
- Rinse often. A quick rinse of the whole car, including the wheels and wheel arches, removes salt before it settles. Do it after windy beach days especially.
- Never wipe a salty car dry. Rinse it first. Wiping a car that is covered in salt and grit scratches the paint.
- Wash properly every couple of weeks. A proper wash removes the film a rinse leaves behind. Our snowfall wash is R200 and includes a high pressure wash, snow foam, hand dry and a deep vacuum.
- Rinse the underside and wheel arches with a hose when you can, because that is where salt and moisture collect.
- Fix chips early. A chip that exposes bare metal is where rust starts.
- Park in a garage or under cover whenever you can.
Do not forget the engine bay
Few owners think about what salty air does under the bonnet. A grimy, salty engine bay is harder to inspect and can hide early corrosion. Engine bay detailing (R350) cleans, degreases, dresses and protects it. Read our guide on whether you should clean your engine bay for what is safe to do yourself.
When the paint looks tired
Salt, sun and wind together can leave paint dull. If it looks hazy even when clean, a machine polish restores the gloss and depth. Our guide on oxidised paint explains what is going on.
Early warning signs of salt damage
- Small orange spots on bare metal or around chips
- Paint that bubbles near edges, wheel arches or the bottom of the doors
- A white, powdery residue on trim
- Pitting or staining on chrome
- A gritty, rough feel on paint even after washing
None of these are reasons to panic, but all are reasons to act early. Small problems are cheap to deal with and big ones are not.
A simple coastal routine
- Rinse the whole car, including wheel arches and wheels, after windy days.
- Do a proper wash every couple of weeks.
- Inspect the paint for chips and fix them promptly.
- Clean the engine bay from time to time.
- Park under cover where you can.
Wheels, arches and the underside
These are the parts that collect salt and moisture and are the hardest to see. After a windy day by the sea, a gentle rinse of the wheels, the wheel arches and, where you can reach it, the underside of the car washes away salt before it has time to cause trouble. Checking them from time to time also helps you spot corrosion early, when it is easy to deal with.
