‘Spray extra on the tires’: Man shares his clever winter driving hack. But the product he’s using could send him sliding off the road

A Facebook video about dealing with winter ice has gone viral, but not for the reasons the creator probably wanted. Ceith Griffith posted a video telling drivers to spray WD-40 inside their wheel wells to stop snow and ice from building up. More than 1.6 million people have watched it, and most of them think it’s a terrible idea.

According to Motor 1, Griffith says the problem is real enough. When you drive in winter, ice and slush pack into the space around your tires. This can make your wheels heavier, throw off your car’s balance, and even stop your tires from moving freely. His answer is to spray WD-40 on the plastic parts inside the wheel well so ice slides off instead of sticking.

But people on Facebook weren’t buying it. One person joked, “Spray extra on the tires so the snow doesn’t stick as you drive on the road.” Someone else put it more plainly, writing that if WD-40 gets on your tire treads, you’ll be spinning around even in rain, never mind on ice and snow.

It sounds clever until you think about what could go wrong

The biggest worry is what happens if the spray gets where it shouldn’t. WD-40 is made from petroleum, which makes things slippery. If even a little bit lands on your tire treads or brake parts, you could lose grip on the road or your brakes might not work properly. That’s scary enough on a dry day, but it’s way worse when roads are already icy.

Mechanics have been saying for years that WD-40 doesn’t belong near wheel wells. Petroleum products can mess up the plastic and rubber parts you’ll find there. A driver who actually tried using sprays in wheel wells said it flat out doesn’t work after testing it themselves.

Having some snow packed in your wheel wells isn’t actually that dangerous. Car companies test their vehicles to make sure they can handle it. The trouble only starts when the buildup gets really bad and starts pressing against the tire or causing shaking while you drive.

There’s another problem too. WD-40 can actually hurt rubber over time by drying it out and making it crack. Your wheel wells have plastic covers, sensors, wires, and brake lines running through them. Spraying chemicals in there could end up damaging things you didn’t mean to touch.

So what should you do instead? The boring answer works best. Just kick the ice off your wheel wells when you notice it building up. You can also take your car through a good undercarriage wash, especially if your city uses a lot of road salt. Some people have luck with special Teflon sprays made just for stopping snow from sticking. You can also just kick the ice off and call it a day. That simple method has kept cars running fine for decades.