Should you have your vehicle under chassis-washed?

[SabinaV]

Is under chassis-wash recommended or will harm the vehicle.

[Goforit1010]

It won't hurt your vehicle regardless where you live. Washing off the dirt that accumulates, especially salt (where they salt the roads in winter), actually helps. Brake lines, transmission cooling lines, fuel lines a benefit from being cleaned periodically. The last thing you want is a rusted brake line or fuel line that leaks.

Realistically, that's not likely to happen for MANY years - even if completely neglected, but I have had it happen on a car I was asked to drive once. NOT cool having brake fluid leaking and then half your brakes are useless when you need to stop! I did a temporary fix on the car so I could get it home, but those first 100 miles weren't any fun at all!

I always wash the underside of all my vehicles when I take them to a car wash - even in summer.

[OlderAndWiser]

Do you live in an area tha experiences winter snow/ice and uses salt on the roads? Do you drive on the beach and get your undercarriage exposed to salt water?

[SabinaV]

City & Dirt Road mostly, beach no

[OlderAndWiser]

If your undercarriage is exposed to salt, it needs to be regularly washed to prevent the salt from starting corrosion.

[Screenwriter]

As someone else said, if you live in an area where there is salt used to melt ice on the roads, you absolutely have to wash the underside of your car REGULARLY. But you don't have to pay anyone to do it. You can do a good job at a commercial car wash.

I used to live in Chicagoland and when it was 10 degrees and sunny out everyone was at the car wash taking car of their cars to prevent rust!

Also, if you live in an area where you are regularly driving along a gulf or ocean beach, you need to do the same for the same reason: salt accumulation on cars causes paint and metal to rust.

If you're unable to DIY, find a detailer or other to do the job if you can afford it. Or at least use your home hose. This is better than nothing. And do it regularly. Weekly or more.

[DeeDeeDeVour]

Our cars & pickup get their bellies washed every time they roll through the brush-less car wash.

Our fleets of commercial vehicles get treated to regular weekly or semi-monthly "pampering" which also incorporates under chassis washes.

Despite having two (2) heavy-duty lifts at home, we take our RVs for belly washes to the same facilities where our commercial trucks & pickups get washed but the RV detailing is often done at home.

[WindAtMyBack]

It's one of the most important parts to wash. That's because it picks up all kinds of nasty stuff from the road. It's especially important if you live in an area with salt, like salt on winter roads, and salt from the ocean which gets in the air and lands on the ground.

Not washing under the car and inside the wheel wells can do some very serious damage over time. The car can literally collapse if the structure of the car gets weakened too much. I've seen this happen several times.

You should spray up under the car as best you can. You can also get a lawn sprinkler and put it under the car. It will spray upward and help get to spots that you can't easily go to yourself.

[lightbulb27]

Yes, wash off the salt and chemicals during the winter. Other than that, you don't need to go washing dirt off so often. It's a matter of rust... which destroys the cars, some more than others.

[hypojoe]

Strongly recommend especially if you live in the rust belt or salt belt especially the rocker area and fender wells i was under my car every time i wash

[Makeushiver]

I don't even wash the parts of the car I can see though since it's been raining every day for the past 3 months in CA it woudn't be worth washing anything

[Dargil]

It depends where you live. If they salt the roads in the winter, yes. Most places elsewhere, no.

Of you can drive on the beach, yes.

[SabinaV]

City & Dirt Road mostly, beach no

[exitseven]

In the winter I do it to wash the road salt out. I do it myself in the summer to wash the beach sand out.

[Surely]

Just think of all of the road dirt, salt, calcium and all of the other nasties that gets thrown or splashed onto your car’s underside while driving. A little clean water shouldn’t hurt a thing!

[jamesgoldman]

Never known if it being done, maybe it's a US thing

[Likes2drive]

Yeah, if you have been through salt water or have salt from the roads spray under the car

[Noah-z]

From my experience my car always have some troubles after washing

[CuriousMufuxka]

Nah. You can do it yourself with a garden hose and spray nozzle.

[EaterPeter]

I think it should be cleaned once or twice a year or every quarter?

[Iron_Man]

I wash it by hand

[legalboxers]

only if salt is there

[Dav1dTh0ma389]

Probably

[In_Trance]

Yes you should