As the melt into spring continues, rust prevention is a constant fight every vehicle owner has to maintain.

As the roads melt, the salt and water that result is something that eats away at vehicles, new and old. While these conditions are unavoidable, the amount of rust picked up driving them can be mitigated.

Henry Klassen, manager of CSN Klassen in Swift Current, has made a career of repairing, reducing and preventing rust on vehicles. His insights into the worst causes of rust and how to deal with it are valuable to anyone who cares about maintaining their set of wheels. 

"On pickup trucks, especially above the rear wheels, it's the way they're built," began Klassen. "It's a double wall, so if you can get in there to wash that out, that's going to help preserve it from getting rusted out above the wheel wells."

One of the only ways to get into that interior on the rear panels is to take out a taillight and blast the water through the opening. The other less intimidating way is to use the hole on the top of the panels, usually square-shaped, and blast the water in from there. The panels have drain holes, but the pent-up dust is what can hold moisture, creating mud and leading to rust. Washing them out can help prevent rust and preserve the panels for years. 

Spring and autumn are the worst times of year for this kind of rust and grime. The cool nights lead to condensation forming in the warming dawn, guaranteeing moisture on every surface. 

"It turns dust into mud and starts rusting them out from the inside out," said Klassen. "That's one key thing that vehicles rust out from."

Of course, one of the best ways to prevent rust is to keep a vehicle clean. Regular trips to the car wash are fantastic for keeping the rust down by eliminating any grime that can eat away at the paint and metal, especially for managing road salt. 

"The quicker you can get it off, the better."

Outside of seasonal things like salt, water and mud, stone chips are a big player in the southwest for rust. A small hole in the paint leaves the bare metal exposed to the elements, ready to begin deteriorating. 

"One thing you can do is wash it, dry it, and in those chips, use a car wax with a silicone base," advised Klassen. "What it will do is repel the water so that it won't rust."

When washing a vehicle, truck or car, wash the undercarriage. The bottom of the vehicle is going to get the most rust. Being sure to blast up into the underside of the panels and frame will help keep oxidization down and preserve the condition of any ride. If using a wand wash, it just means squatting down and aiming up. Getting the undercarriage package is necessary for automatic washes at least every couple of washes.