Pitting corrosion of stainless steel occurs in solutions of organic acid, such as tartaric acid, in an electrolyte solution with methanol. However, methanolic solutions containing at least one organic halide and at least one organic hydroxyacid and some water provide reduced pitting corrosion of stainless steel. The organic hydroxyacid may be a hydroxy acid containing 2 to 10 carbon atoms with at least one hydroxyl group and at least one carboxylic acid group, in a non-limiting example, glycolic acid. The pH of the methanolic solution may range from about 3.5 to about 8.