The winter brings out a lot of issues for car owners. If you live somewhere that sees heavy winters with lots of snow, you already know how much more work it is to own a vehicle, especially when it’s a diesel truck. Your truck’s exhaust system takes quite a bit of that damage on itself, and you should be ready in case something goes wrong. We’ll take a look at how cold weather affects your exhaust system and how to prevent the worst from happening.
When the cold starts to set in, the roads start to break apart and create extremely undesirable driving conditions. Water trapped inside the road’s asphalt freezes and expands, causing new cracks and potholes to form. Your exhaust system is the first thing to get hit when you drop into a pothole too hard. On top of that, it also takes the brunt of the force when driving through large amounts of snow and ice. This is why you need to keep a careful eye on your exhaust system throughout the winter.
Rust isn’t good for any part of your truck, but rust in your exhaust system can be a serious hazard. Your exhaust system can rust quickly in the winter due to water vapor not being able to evaporate quickly enough. If your truck is still cold and doesn’t warm up quickly, this extra water can mix with what comes out of your exhaust and create corrosive compounds that prematurely rust your exhaust parts.
Cold weather can affect your exhaust system way more than normal if you don’t allow it to warm up properly. Going on short trips without warming up your truck first is a recipe for disaster, and not only for your exhaust system. As often as you can, allow your truck at least 10 to 20 minutes to run and warm up when the temperature drops to freezing levels. It will help get things moving properly and shake off frost and moisture.
Salting a slick or icy road is one of the most effective ways to allow vehicles to get more traction on the road. However, this can cause issues with your vehicle if you allow this salt to kick up onto your exhaust system and accumulate over time. The chemicals used on roads are more than just salt; they are all acidic and corrosive in one way or another, meaning they’ll eat through your truck’s undercarriage quickly unless you take the time to wash off that salt in between long trips.
If the cold weather has your truck in bad shape, take a look at the diesel exhaust systems for Ford trucks that we have here at Norcal Diesel Performance. They’ll help you stand up to the worst that winter has to throw at you.
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