Car Care Section

[Action Jackson]

I think we need a section for general car care.

Stuff like:
-washing and waxing
-tire and brake cleaning
-opinions for products
-detailing
-dealing with scratches, stonechips, swirlmarks...
-stuff for interiors/exteriors/leather/vinyl.....

Blah, blah, blah.

[130hp]

dats sounds like a pretty good idea.
most people post those things in the exterior and interior section.

[Action Jackson]

Ya, I thought it might be better and more specific if it was in it's own section.

[MP5Navy]

Do we really need another section just to talk about how to wash your car? How difficult can it be? If you have any concerns just put together a post that has all the info and post it in the HOW-TO section of our board.

[Evil Homer P5]

I think this is a great idea.

[feedb4ck]

I'm kinda with DAve on this one...

Can't people do a search and get most of this kind of information. I mean, there are only so many waxes and polishes out there....

[Clappy]

yup.. Dave is right.. if you have questions on how to wash your car.. put it under the How To...

[ProBoy]

Or just make one sticky post with all the advice and add to it as needed.

[kiwee]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (MP5Navy @ June 20 2003,09:57)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Do we really need another section just to talk about how to wash your car?  How difficult can it be?  If you have any concerns just put together a post that has all the info and post it in the HOW-TO section of our board.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
i'm with dave on this!

[MP5Navy]

So what's up with all you lazy asses who wanted this section... I still don't see a How-To on how to practice any sort of car care.

Punks.... Y'all never gonna catch up to the How-To king of the TPC!

[macklum]

Rather than a how to section ,why not a section on cleaning tips that people have tried and were successful using.
This area would not be used to flame someones idea and this would be use at you own risk .

[Action Jackson]

http://www.properautocare.com

Here's one of MANY threads on cleaning, this one deals with ENGINE CLEANING:
http://www.protege5.com/vbb225....d=23492 (http://www.protege5.com/vbb225/showthread.php?threadid=23492)

Here's a not so detailed description of what I like to do for washing.

Personally, I like to use a Sheepskin wash mitt.

I think I read this tip off from some car detailer's website [not the link above].  I make sure the mitt is very well soaked, and I wash the car in front to back strokes.  Not circles.  Supposedly it reduces the swirlmarks.

Honestly the P5 paintjob IS crappy.  It's very thin and not of high quality [hey, this IS classified as an economy car in World of Wheels].

I dry with a real chamois.  Again not in a circular motion.  I use the chamois to gently try to &quot;scrape&quot; the water off the surface.  Eventually I do wipe the rest of the remaining water.

If someone checks out my paintjob, you'll notice swirlmarks.  That's because someone decided to wash my car without my knowledge using a crappy old synthetic washmitt and in circular motions. So my paintjob was screwed before I could start applying these &quot;techniques&quot;.

http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/baaa.gif

I'm using Zymol's car wash for now.  Seems to work very well except for severe birdcrap on the windshield.

For the tough stuff, I'm using Mother's Clay Bar.  So far so good, but I've only had it for about 2 weeks now.

I'm using Zymol's Cleaner Wax just to try out.  It's been about a month now and I'm pretty happy with  it.  I was tempted to try out Mother's or Meguires 3 step waxing process, but honestly, I don't have 6 hours to do a single car.  I sometimes have to wash 3 cars at a time.

I use Eagle One's A2Z wheel and tire spray on cleaner.  It works great, but not perfectly so some manual cleaning is still needed.  Problem is that there isn't a lot of room b/w the disc's and wheels to work around in.  I haven't tried using a brush yet.

I use Meguire's Endurance Tire Gel [High Gloss].  It last's almost 2 weeks for me.  Use an applicator, not a rag on the stock tires.  That &quot;ribbing&quot; is a biyatch.

For the leather, I use Meguire's Gold Class.  I like to soak a rag and gently wipe the steering wheel, shifter boot and shift knob.  I leave it wet so that it can soak in.

TIP:
Wash the car in the shade, not under a tree.  Sometimes in the garage.  NEVER in direct sunlight.

There's most of it.  I'm no expert on this stuff and I'm not endorsing using any of these products.

I'M LOOKING FOR : Stoner's Invisible Glass Cleaner  If anyone knows who carries this, LMK.

[Gen1GT]

If anyone wants a run-down on how to properly use a self-wash bay(I'll bet you think you're doing it right, but you're not)...let me know.

I've had people complain about their car being dirty, when THEY washed it in self-wash...frikkin hilarious. That's like complaining Broil King that you burned your steak on their BBQ

[MS MSP]

Holy fizzz.....

You bumped a 2 year old thread.

[dead_cactus]

If anyone wants a run-down on how to properly use a self-wash bay(I'll bet you think you're doing it right, but you're not)...let me know.

Im interested, I usually do it by hand at home but the odd time I use the self wash bays. would you be able to do a write up?

[Scooter]

yeah, I'd like to see one too Josh. I'm one of those guys that "thinks he's doing it right", but I would love to hear some tips on how to do it even better.

[tiwing]

for me the self wash booths are to get the big dirt off. I spend the whole time on high pressure rinse to remove the salt, sand, dirt, grass, bugs, loose trim, rust. In winter I leave it at that. In summer then I go home to wash it by hand.

[red-i]

you can get stoners at any canadian tire. it's in an aerosol can.

I think i'm gonna try out meguiers NXT wax this year.

[dead_cactus]

you can get stoners at any canadian tire. it's in an aerosol can.

I think i'm gonna try out meguiers NXT wax this year.

Stoners works awesome, thats what I use. I got it a CT. I think I have even seen it before at Costco.

I also and planning on trying out NXT wax this season. I looked for it numerous times last year but it was always sold out. I heard it works awesome.

I currently have been using Megs Gold Class and it works great.

[sstuart]

you can get stoners at any canadian tire. it's in an aerosol can.

I think i'm gonna try out meguiers NXT wax this year.

Yep, I use the stuff too. You get it at CT and Costco. When I bought it a Costco last year it was somewhere around $10 for 4 cans!! way cheaper than CT.

[sstuart]

I think we need a section for general car care.

Stuff like:
-washing and waxing
-tire and brake cleaning
-opinions for products
-detailing
-dealing with scratches, stonechips, swirlmarks...
-stuff for interiors/exteriors/leather/vinyl.....

Blah, blah, blah.

How about a "Car Products Section" that we can share experiences with products that work well and why we use them. I agree the "how to clean your car" thing has been done to death, but it would be nice to have one spot to read about something new to try or who has used various products and their opinion of them.

[CrazyCaker]

A lot of the products on the market are over rated... and over priced. I notice little to no difference from one product to another, but hey if you've got cash to blow on cleaning supplies go ahead and blow your brains out. :rolleyes:

*putting flame suit on*

[sstuart]

A lot of the products on the market are over rated... and over priced. I notice little to no difference from one product to another, but hey if you've got cash to blow on cleaning supplies go ahead and blow your brains out. :rolleyes:

*putting flame suit on*

I wasn't just thinking car washing products. For example, a friend of mine use a 3M rust product on the wheel wells of his Civic (we all know how bad Civic wheel wells are) and he said the rust never came back. Now he can't find the product. Another example, how many posts do we have discussing motor oil? Why not just have a place we can scan? kinda like Myk's maintenance thread. Just a thought. Maybe worth just creating a sticky thread.

[red-i]

sigh..if only this forum had a search button.....

[Gen1GT]

Using a self-wash bay. I'll tell you how to do it two ways. The right way, then the fast way.

The Right Way. Start by putting in at least $5 or more to start. If you normally use $6 to wash your whole car, put in $6 to start, that way you don't have to run back to the machine to when it starts beeping/flashing, scrounge in your pocket to find more change and waste your time. It works like a parking meter, not a vending machine. The more money you put in, the longer you get. It will not give you change.

Put the selector on Tire Cleaner and wait for the tire cleaner to start firing out. Do not start spraying until you can see that it is tire cleaner coming out, because any water sprayed first on the wheels/car will dilute the soap and lessen its effect. In the winter, most car washes continually purge the lines with warm water to prevent hoses and lines from freezing(called the weep system). So when the pump starts pumping, there is 20-30 feet worth of hose that has water in it, that has to be purged out before you actually see any soap. Or if you were on High Pressure Soap, and turned it to Spot Free Rinse, that same 30 feet of Soap has to be purged from the line before you will see pure water again.

Anyways, start with Tire Cleaner, as the wheels are usually the most soiled part of a car at any given time. Give the wheels a serious soaking, making sure to spray behind the spokes if at all possible, and making sure to spray upwards from below so that the part of the wheel you can't see gets soaked too. Also use the Tire Cleaner in the wheel wells, one again, spraying upwards to soak everywhere.

Now turn the selector to Pre-Soak(leave the tire cleaner on the wheels for now), and soak down the entire car thoroughly, making sure to get the lower lip of the front and rear bumpers, and the rocker panels. Using the pre-soak helps lift away dirt and road film, making the next steps easier.

I'm going to explain how to do this in both brushed and touchless manners.

With Brush. Now turn the selector to High Pressure Soap. Start from the top, and in slow, controlled side-to-side strokes, start spraying the car. Keep the tip within 1-2 inches if you can, as the closer you go, the more effective pressure you have. Rinse the entire car, top to bottom, making sure to remove ALL sand, mud, and other loose particulates. If there are any particles left on the paint, they will act like sandpaper when you start brushing. This is where you spray the wheels and wheel wells. Make sure to spray close to the wheels, getting every angle and side, and if possible behind the spokes too. Don't forget to spray the tires too, in a radial motion that follows the tire. Before you put the selector on Foaming Brush, spray the foaming brush end with the High Pressure Soap to remove any particles that may be trapped in it(the guy before you may have had mud on his car).

Put the selector on Foaming Brush, and start from the top. Be thorough and use at least one forward and one backward stroke on each spot on the car. Use firm pressure, but don't try to remove the paint or anything. Don't forget the windows, side mirrors, muffler tips, in and around spoilers and wings, and rocker panels.

Touchless Method. Put the selector on High Pressure Soap, and in the same controlled back and forth manner with the tip within 1-2 inches of the paint, start rinsing from top to bottom. The key here is to spray the car as though you were a blind person spray painting, having to make sure to cover every inch. Because of the nature of the spray pattern, and how close you have to hold it to remove dirt/film, any parts you miss will be visible afterward. Any touchless carwash has a hard time removing road film(oily dirt, cause by driving in rain, which kicks up all the crap that drips and falls off cars), and chances are you won't get your car fully clean, but being thorough is the key here. Make sure to use the top leading edge(the top and bottom of the spray pattern where pressure is the strongest) to spray inside trim cracks and crevases to remove trapped dirt. Spray wheels and wheel wells as described in brush method.

With either method, turn the selector to High Pressure Rinse, and rinse from top to bottom. Make sure to spray the soap out of cracks and crevases, wheel wells and all the areas in and around the rims.

Turn the selector to Spot Free Rinse(spot free rinse is just 100% pure water, which will evaporate spotlessly because there are no minerals or chemicals that form as spots when the water evaporates). Thoroughly rinse from top to bottom. Spot Free is low pressure, so you have to take your time, and make sure to rinse away all 'city water' that was used to during High Pressure Rinse.

If you have a lot of bugs on your windshield, bumper and mirror surrounds, and they have a Bug Cleaner option, soak it on the areas covered in bugs before anything else, then when you're using the High Pressure Soap, use the top or bottom leading edge of the spray pattern right up close to the bug guts. The same method can be used for birdshit, as the Bug Cleaner detergent is designed to break down organic compounds. Sometimes it may take a while for the bugs or birdshit to fly off, but this is the best method. Attempting to brush them off will just scratch your paint.

Most spray-on waxes are just what are called 'cold waxes.' They're mostly just anti-surfactants that raise the surface tension of water, which makes huge water droplets, giving the impression of a coat of wax. Nothing beats regular hand waxes. Period.

Quick Method. This is best done with a friend, and if done right, you should be able to clean your car with the minimum start $$. Turn the selector to High Pressure Soap, and stand at the bumper in front of the driver side. Have your friend(or if you're alone, yourself obviously) drop the money in, and start spraying clockwise around the car, quickly rinsing off as much dirt as possible, as quickly as possible. When you're around at the driver side of the car, your friend will have the foaming brush ready to go, starting at the passenger side. When you have finished spraying up to the front driver's fender, reach over and select Foaming Brush, and your friend can get started right away. Work the foaming brush around the car, being as thorough as possible in a minimal amount of time. When he gets to the driver's front fender, turn on High Pressure Rinse, and start rinsing the roof, working your way counter-clockwise around the car. There will be enough soap in the brush for your friend to finish brushing the hood and front bumper while you start rinsing the rest of the car. Thoroughly rinse the car, and if you have enough time left over, use the rest of the time to spray the Spot Free Rinse.

Done!

Important! Never brush your car without first having rinsed it! All dirt on the car will act as sandpaper, and you will scratch your paint. Loose dirt must be washed off first.

[dead_cactus]

great advice, thanks for the write up.

[rdmello]

I recommend not using the soap brush. Just spray the soap on as a pre-soak and then rinse off. Think about how hard those bristles are, how much dirt is accumulated on them, and how much dirt there is on your car. Then think about how you're rubbing that dirt against your car.

If you're going to use the brush, make sure you spray it off with the rinse or pre-soak before you use it. Just to get the dirt from the past person off the brush.

[red-i]

If you're going to use the brush, make sure you spray it off with the rinse or pre-soak before you use it. Just to get the dirt from the past person off the brush.

that's a good idea

[Gen1GT]

I recommend not using the soap brush. Just spray the soap on as a pre-soak and then rinse off. Think about how hard those bristles are, how much dirt is accumulated on them, and how much dirt there is on your car. Then think about how you're rubbing that dirt against your car.

If you're going to use the brush, make sure you spray it off with the rinse or pre-soak before you use it. Just to get the dirt from the past person off the brush.

LOL, did you even read what I wrote?

[Junior]

That method (the long way with most money) is the way I ALWAYS hand wash my car, takes a FN long time, but does make the car look shiny-er than the showroom buff. Ask anyone that's seen my whip after a wash. it Stays shiney for 3 weeks.

Good advice Josh, I alwasy shake my head in disgust when I see someone with a nice ride pull up and drop in $3 minimum and try to clean their entire van in one pass with no pre-soak and just trying to rub the shit outta the dirt in 3 minutes. Then be pissed off, when they realize the car is still dirty. Blaming the coin-op attentand for having "crappy equipment".

BTW, if you take your time, you should be there for 2 hours minimum, I've spent up to 4 hours cleaning the crap inside and out.

[Scooter]

great write-up Josh. That's exactly how I do it. Only I never thought to spray the soap brush before using it. Good idea.

[MS MSP]

My favourites are the cheap SOB's who start washing their dry car with the foaming brush, without putting any money in.
Then they pay only to rince it off.

Sidebar: I saw a guy a few weeks ago wash his entire Sebring with the squeegee at the gas station.

[Aitch]

Guys, anyone know of a decent coin-op car wash in the east end? Or a rail-less touchless one? I'm going to check out the Esso near my house tonight and see if it's rail-less/touchless, but barring that I need a coin-op to get the car all cleaned up for Saturday.

Maybe a good sticky thread would be some recommended car wash locations?

[Scooter]

Guys, anyone know of a decent coin-op car wash in the east end? Or a rail-less touchless one? I'm going to check out the Esso near my house tonight and see if it's rail-less/touchless, but barring that I need a coin-op to get the car all cleaned up for Saturday.

Maybe a good sticky thread would be some recommended car wash locations?

I used to use the one at Kennedy and Finch (South / West corner). It's a Petro Canada coin-op. And it's been re-built recently (within the past 2 years), so everything is in great shape and it has the newer / better equipment.

[Aitch]

Thanks!

[snafu]

I use to be a Car Detailer @ Mazda dealer, I'll admit, I started off slow/not-so-good. But after 3yrs you learn a lot of tricks, at the end I could take a car off the truck and have it PDI'd (Pre-Delivery Inspection) and detailed and all sticker crap and greasy film on inside of windows:mad: and everything else in 45min max.

Tips/Suggestions:

Always always keep the car running when washing engine bay...especially w/ pressure washer

The pressure washer hose can&will scratch the sh!t out of paint despite it being 'rubber':rolleyes:

Use an air compressor w/ nozzle to go along all the seams of the car to get the water out. For P5's that rear hatch is a DEMON for hiding/holding water:mad:

Degreaser is awesome-for engine bays, tires, rims, salt stains, stains. But be careful, if it gets on paint, sometimes it'll leave behind a very subtle whitish haze that'll eventually come off.

Be careful of tire shine+water+cement floor

Bugs on bumper? Sometimes waxing the area will do the trick

Those single blade 'razors', I think Painters use them, are great for windows, stickers and you can scrape your leather/plastic/rubber interior bits with them to get dirt/grime/sweat out.

After washing & before waxing, start the car, move it and tap the brakes to get any 'hidden' water out.


And everybody has their own work process and techniques especially for waxing...

[dead_cactus]

^^^ great advice.

thanks

[MS MSP]

Guys, anyone know of a decent coin-op car wash in the east end? Or a rail-less touchless one? I'm going to check out the Esso near my house tonight and see if it's rail-less/touchless, but barring that I need a coin-op to get the car all cleaned up for Saturday.

Maybe a good sticky thread would be some recommended car wash locations?

Not quite S-town, but there is a good coin-op on O'Connor just south of Eglinton.

[Gen1GT]

The pressure washer hose can&will scratch the sh!t out of paint despite it being 'rubber':rolleyes:



Maybe you can elaborate on that. I've been in the carwash industry for 7 years, and I'm yet to see a rubber hose scratch a car.

[snafu]

Maybe you can elaborate on that. I've been in the carwash industry for 7 years, and I'm yet to see a rubber hose scratch a car.


Its happened:( to me when using the NON-overhead pressure washers and im trying to get to the other side of the car and those stiff hoses curl and rub the hood/bumper/panel. If it makes a difference, Karcher, but all the floor-electric powered pressure washers seem to have the same stiff rubber hose from handle to unit. It's not hard to believe....hard rubber over steel braided line and friction causes scratches. I don't know why you'd think I'd lie about myself screwing up? Well your 'tone' seemed like that...but it's text and no one can tell.

[Gen1GT]

I can imagine at worst if the steel braiding was exposed, or the rubber would leave a scuff, but I can't imagine rubber scratching paint. There's quite a difference in hardness between rubber and hardneded paint.

Maybe next time my car needs to be painted, I can save money by sanding it down with pencil erasers, rather than the small rocks that are attached to sandpaper.