I was going to say the same. It doesn't look like ever gets driven! Nice!

In the winter, any days above 2-3C, I go to self-serve car wash (this way my driveway is not covered in ice!), and quickly wash the body from salt. Then I kneel down and spray water UPWARD. This way the salt is washed away.

A few washes here and there makes a BIG difference. Look around for self-serve car wash near your house. It is only $2-$3 per wash for me.

The rust you see above is from cars that are not given a chassis wash often...

The part where you see the rust (post #1) is covered by the wheel when the car is sitting on its four tires.

It does NOT matter, when you kneel down with a hose, you go around the car and spray water UPWARD.

So whether the wheel is there or not, it does not matter, if you aim the hose all around, water will gets everywhere to rinse the salt off.

The rusty brake line is completely enclosed by plastic, upwards spray will do nothing to remove the salt that has worked it's way in. I'm planning to cut a couple 2" holes to allow cleaning the brake lines on wife's.

I didn't put the plastic shield back on mine after replacing the rusty brake lines as I'm planning to replace one more piece that goes from the abs block to one of the back lines as it's rusty forward of the union also.

I have to agree with CN90. Judging from the OP's first pics... that car seldom gets an under carriage cleaning. Don't have to remove wheels or unclip the lines to get water on them, if done before dirt/grime has already built up that is. I was worried about my front lines under the cover after all the horror stories here, but they still look great at 120,000 miles. I clean the wheel wells regularly and the undercarriage at least a couple of times a year. We rarely see salted roads so I'm sure that helps but the few times we have I clean the undercarriage immediately. :dunno:

My undercarriage is not quite as clean as CN90's... but not far behind it either. Even seldom cleanings a couple of times a year makes a big difference it seems.

^None of that is saying that it's the best design from BMW either. But it is not a horrible or unsafe one if everything is kept from getting caked in garbage.

Edit: This is part of my twice a year under carriage cleaning:

https://i.postimg.cc/76vqpMWq/20160414_155909.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/G2kbr8WG/20160414_163838.jpg

For the stuff you can get to underbelly spray will help but most is shrouded in plastic and the most common failure point in the brake line is included.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...aae2b9b804.jpg

Those are my two rear brake lines after removal, the part completely shielded from any attempt at hosing off.

I do realize that some parts can be accessed and agree they should be hosed off especially early spring if you live where they salt the road.

BMW goofed in the fabrication of their steel brake lines. Either too thin of coating or too sharp of bends. They still lasted most of two decades but they could have lasted twice that.

^nothing that a scotch pad can't clean off...LOL
MINE LOOKED JUST LIKE THAT!

Mine was removed becauae the rust made it through to the inside of course.

If you get to it before failure clean it up and paint with some Rust-Oleum.

Original Poster lives in Alberta, where it is very cold in winter and a lot of salt is used.

Anyway, they use salt in Nebraska too, and you can see that I rinse the car often, even in the winter, my brake line looks fine.

I just cleaned the area under the plastic cover. Then I snap close ONLY one side and zip tie it. I leave the other side open so it is easier to wash, i.e., water can get in and out easier.