Does CO use salt on the roads in winter? (Lakewood: buying, maintenance)

[LoneWolf72]

Hello all,

I currently live in TX, but I'm looking at buying a car from Carvana and the CARFAX says that the car was owned/driven in the Lakewood, CO area for the first 8 winters and 40,000 miles of its life.

I'm just wondering if the CO Dept of Transportation (or whatever the state road/highway maintenance agency is called) uses corrosive salt on the roads in winter to melt ice/snow like they do back in Northeast and Midwest states.

I have a no road salt policy when I buy cars so I never buy cars that have spent significant amount of time in states like NY, NJ, MI, PA etc etc.

So to sum up, do they use road salt on CO roads/highways like they do in those states?

Thank you and any help would be much appreciated.

[GypsyPeak75]

They use magnesium chloride (and other products).

https://www.codot.gov/travel/winter-.../products.html

[davebarnes]

Magnesium dichloride is a magnesium salt comprising of two chlorine atoms bound to a magnesium atom.

[LHS79]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf72

Hello all,

I currently live in TX, but I'm looking at buying a car from Carvana and the CARFAX says that the car was owned/driven in the Lakewood, CO area for the first 8 winters and 40,000 miles of its life.

I'm just wondering if the CO Dept of Transportation (or whatever the state road/highway maintenance agency is called) uses corrosive salt on the roads in winter to melt ice/snow like they do back in Northeast and Midwest states.

I have a no road salt policy when I buy cars so I never buy cars that have spent significant amount of time in states like NY, NJ, MI, PA etc etc.

So to sum up, do they use road salt on CO roads/highways like they do in those states?

Thank you and any help would be much appreciated.

Make sure to inspect the bottom of the car closely- MagChloride that is used here can corrode electronics and metal if not washed of every month or so in a good car wash.

[brk330]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf72

I have a no road salt policy when I buy cars so I never buy cars that have spent significant amount of time in states like NY, NJ, MI, PA etc etc.

If you are looking at classic cars, they tend to have chipped up hoods, cracked windshields, destroyed dashboards, shriveled up rubber seals and and the paint will be scorched off the roof/hood/trunk.
BUT, very little rust. It's a joy to not have to PB blast every bolt.

[StealthRabbit]

Pass on this car. (It's too used, as 8 winters of corrosion is 7.5 too many.)

Buy one that has never seen a snow / ice state / salt state.

I was in Colorado this week and surprised and the large amount of rusty cars (salt damage).

Working on 'salt' cars is a PITA, and exhaust, suspension, and brake systems are fatal components that take the brunt of salt damage. (And tough to keep a watchful eye on)

I have a no road salt policy when I buy cars so I never buy cars that have spent significant amount of time in states like NY, NJ, MI, PA etc etc.

You can do better, keep shopping.

[pikabike]

Yes, CDOT uses salts on the roads. CDOT moved to using mainly liquid de-icers, a.k.a., mag choride and the like, instead of old-fashioned sand and salt. BUT IMO the mag choride is worse for metal. Not only does it rust steel alloys, it damages aluminum rims unless you wash the stuff off ASAP.

In addition, some places use “liquid de-icer” all year ‘round as a dust suppressant on dirt roads. It does work for that, temporarily. It also turns the road brilliant white at times, kills trees and other roadside vegetation, and is nasty stuff to breathe.

If you are very worried about corrosion damage from salt, the entire state of CO should be crossed off your list.

[Westerner92]

Truth be told, Colorado is rough on vehicles. Mag chloride (MgCl2) is used here. The second chloride ion lowers the freezing point more than sodium chloride, but also makes the salt water more corrosive. CDOT and local roads will sometimes throw down sand if they’re running low on salt or it’s a big cold snap of below 0°F temps.

The kind of car that’s 8 years old and only has 40K miles suggests that it was garaged and/or not driven in winter, but yeah, I’d say your policy is totally justified here.

[COcheesehead]

Coming from the Midwest where salt on the roads was the norm. I just got used to seeing rust spots or rust throughs on cars.
Having been in Colorado now almost 30 years, can’t say I have seen the same here. Can’t recall seeing any rusty cars.

[otowi]

I think they do use Magnesium Chloride, but probably a lot less than in the Midwest - in general, our roads do not get nearly the attention for snow removal/prep than in the Midwest - much smaller crews/budget/scope of work, etc.