Corrosion prevention in the "rust belt"

[DewayneP]

I've had my 2013 Model S 85 for a little over 2 months now. I live in Western NY and for those of you that know that area we use a lot of salt and brine on the roads. It makes for a very safe drive but also causes all kinds of corrosion to our vehicles. I know most of the Model S is aluminum and won't rust, but aluminum definitely will corrode and flake apart. Not to mention all of the electrical connections on top of the battery, etc... Does anyone have any real world experience with corrosion prevention on a Tesla they've had for a number of years in the rust belt? On my other vehicles I coat everything underneath and all body cavities with Fluid Film. Anyone have any other experiences of what I should and shouldn't coat? Looking at the electronics housed in the wheel wells behind a nice absorbent wheel well liner has me a little concerned and I'd like to protect them as much as possible. Looking for any advice. Thanks.

 

[WallysRide]

I don't know about overall corrosion prevention, but in your climate you should definitely regularly inspect the ground nuts on both driver's and passenger's sides in the space underneath the frunk tub. Search this forum for "ground nut" and you'll see the various problems and false errors that can arise from corrosion of these ground nuts. I recall that the driver's side nut will cause more serious disabling events, whereas the passenger's side nut will cause more false alarms.

 

[DewayneP]

Thanks WallysRide. That is on my list of preventative action to take when I have the Frunk tub out. This car lived its entire life in Phoenix AZ and southern CA, mostly in AZ so it hasn't even really seen much in the way of moisture. Surprisingly the rubber components are still in good shape so it must have been stored in a carport or a garage.