# Heated Garage **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** ford, expedition\ **Created:** [September 20, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heated-garage/36888 "2009-09-20T14:12:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![trfcpa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a88e4f/32.png) [@trfcpa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/trfcpa)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heated-garage/36888/1 "2009-09-20T14:12:58Z")
We live in the U.P. of Mi and keep our garage heated to around 35 degrees during the winter. I recently had a metal brake line rust out and the garage said I had an unusually large amount of rust under the vehicle after only five years and I was wondering if the heated garage could have caused this. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heated-garage/36888/2 "2009-09-20T14:29:33Z")
There is another post on this, and, yes, your heated garage DEFINITELY contributed to the quicker rusting. In snow areas where salt is used on the road, it’s best to keep the garage as cold as possible. If you want easy starting, you can always install an engine block heater of about 600 watts on a timer to come on 1.5 hours before you need the car. ---
**Author:** ![twotone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@twotone](https://community.cartalk.com/u/twotone)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heated-garage/36888/3 "2009-09-20T15:09:51Z")
A heated garage is OK if you reduce humidity as well – most automobile museums do this. If you heat your garage with high humidity you are actually making it worse. Either do both or neither. Twotone ---
**Author:** ![mshugna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@mshugna](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mshugna)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heated-garage/36888/4 "2009-09-20T18:52:33Z")
To reduce salt damage try to wash the undercarriage during the “salt” season. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heated-garage/36888/5 "2009-09-20T20:11:39Z")
Yes, Keeping your car cold can reduce the rust. Below about 20?F no rust will form. You are warming it up enough to allow rust formation, but not to melt off the snow salt and ice. To reduce rust, keep it cold or warm it and rinse it. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 12:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heated-garage/36888/6 "2009-09-26T00:24:07Z")
Is having clear, ice-free roads worth the overall cost?? Do we REALLY need to salt the roads as heavily as we do?? When you dissolve a $35,000 SUV in 5 years, destroy your bridges, pollute the landscape with salt, is it really worth it so you can maintain 10 over the speed limit?? ---
**Author:** ![DoctorPinto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b19c9b/32.png) [@DoctorPinto](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DoctorPinto)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heated-garage/36888/7 "2009-09-26T00:34:17Z")
From past experience, I can tell you that there’s nothing like sliding down an icy hill sideways, knowing that nothing you do with the steering wheel or brake pedal will make any difference to the outcome. Yes, we really need salt. If you intend to keep the vehicle, spend the $5 at the car wash a few times a month to clean off the muck under the truck and in the wheel wells. ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heated-garage/36888/8 "2009-09-26T03:50:57Z")
Canadians have the right idea and keep cars under carports more than we do, which I consider the ideal car parking situation in most conditions. Save garages for what they were intended…junk storage.