Need Your Opinion and Advice- Touchless Car Washing/Drying

[davelong9050]

HI Guys,

My first post and I could use some guidance.

I will be getting a new Audi S7 mid January. The front of the car including full fenders and hood will be covered in Xpel. The car will also be Opti-Coated. I am looking to keep the paint in the best possible condition and thought a touchless washing/ drying process is a good place to start.

I own a power washer and just installed a water distiller (which makes 10 gallons in 24 hours).

This is what I am thinking. Am I on the right track?

1) Use the "suction attachment and soap tip" to draw soap into the power wash system and apply it to the car (under very low pressure). The only purpose for the soap is to loosen the dirt.
2) Use the broadest spray tip on the power washer and rinse the soap off the car keeping enough distance to not negatively impact the paint but enough pressure to remove the soap and dirt.
3) Spray the car down with a final rinse of distilled water (via my new water distiller). I have attached a 3GPM pump and separate hose. At this point I can either pull the car in the garage as I am done OR
4) Blow the car off my Stihl power leaf blower.

Any residual water left on the car will not leave spots because distilled water does not contain trace elements and minerals.

Questions:
1) Does this process seam reasonable? I have the equipment and it seams logical but I have not tried it yet.
2) Any other suggestions?
3) What soap do I use?

Any opinions and advice is appreciated.

Thanks for your help.

[dcjredline]

It depends on the level of dirt the car has on it. For very light dirt this will probably be a good system. For any heavier dirt/contaminants I would think you will have to go to a more traditional type wash, 2 bucket, Waterless, Rinseless.

[David Fermani]

You`ll never get the car clean enough with this method to get the car totally clean. A powerwasher is a great way to remove the topical dirt off the surface, but it won`t get it totally clean. You`ll need to implement some sort of friction to do so.

Or....just take it to a touchless wash and you`ll be good to go most times.

[pwaug]

"4) Blow the car off my Stihl power leaf blower."

Is this a gas powered leaf blower? If so, I wonder is there any chance of it blowing oil etc on the paint??

[Accumulator]

davelong9050- Welcome to Autopia!

I use the powerwasher/touchless method for quickie jobs on some of our vehicles, especially during the winter. Some sorta-random thoughts follow:

-As David Fermani said, you won`t get things *truly* clean without mechanical agitation and the results will become incrementally less satisfactory each time you do it. Better than some other approaches though, just plan on doing a true/thorough wash now and then

-Opticoat sheds dirt well, but even with it (as opposed to a conventional wax) this will drop off as you continue to do the touchless washes

-I dunno how well the siphon-feed approach will work for you, might want to look into a "foam cannon" attachment for the pressure washer. The foamy shampoo should provide a longer dwell-time

-But, IME even with soap there`s only so much that you can do without the touching; I`d go around the car with a Boar`s Hair Brush ("BHB" from Universal Brush)/foamgun combo after pressurewashing and then rinse *that* off with the spot-free water (that`s what works best for me). Still not a real wash, but it`s all about trade-offs and this doesn`t take long

-The gentle agitation porovided by a good BHB, used in conjunction with sudsy output from a Gilmour foamgun, makes a world of difference and should not mar the paint if you do it properly. Much better IME than a truly touchless job

-I`d be all about a shampoo that doesn`t strip your LSP (Last Step Product, i.e., wax/sealant/coating)and that cleans/rinses well and I would *not* go with something cheap like Meguiar`s Gold Class (wouldn`t go with a pricey boutique shampoo either)

-Huh, distilled water maker instead of just a deionizer, huh? Interesting..

-If you want to blow the car dry with a leafblower I`d outfit said blower with an AirWand (and use an electric blower; I never run my Stihls around the vehicles let alone in the shop). I do love the AirWand

-Even with an AirWand on the blower you`ll probably need to use a compressor/etc. to get residual water out of the nooks and crannies. Be sure those are fully rinsed with your spot-free water

-You`ll still have to come up with a way to do the undercarriage. I might just rinse it off thoroughly (with an undercar wand and/or the pressure washer) a few times, but I wouldn`t go too long without getting under there and doing it properly

[LT1xL82]

... Some sorta-random thoughts follow:...

Some pretty good information in these "...random thoughts..."!

[MarcusYang]

Hello
You should use the suction attachment and soap tip and the power wash system only if you have great expertise using it. The best way to protect your car will be to take it a good car groomer in your area and enjoy wallet-friendly services that provide long-lasting effects.

Thanks
Marcus Yang

[nothingface5384]

I wouldnt worry too much about the washing as long a its lathered well.
Just do a touchless dry

[nothingface5384]

I`d do gyeon bath+ wash
Blow dry
Then work kamikaze over coat in
If you do it by machine it does have a filling/glass effect

[Yvan Lacroix]

If your car is protected with Opti-Coat Pro, the best wash you can give it is with Optimum No Rinse. It`s by far the safest wash method regardless of if the car is coated or not. Pre rinse any heavy dirt off with your PW then wash it with ONR, dry and enjoy. Your Opti-Coat Pro installer will give you a complimentary wash 1 week after the coating is installed, this is for a few reasons, the first is as a final quality control check , second is to teach the car owner proper and safe wash techniques. Make your Opti-Coat Pro installer aware that you would like to participate in this after care wash, and they will be glad to have you there to help and learn how to care for you paint.

[Accumulator]

If your car is protected with Opti-Coat Pro, the best wash you can give it is with Optimum No Rinse. It`s by far the safest wash method regardless of if the car is coated or not..

Eh, I don`t find the ONR (or other rinseless) to be the "safest wash method".

..I wouldnt worry too much about the washing as long a its lathered well.
Just do a touchless dry

Eh, IMO if the car`s truly clean (and your drying media are OK) you don`t need to use a touchless drying method.

I bet the above makes me look all contentious, but that`s not how I`m really viewing those two points- Nothing wrong with rinseless washes, nothing wrong with touchless drying...nothing, that is, in-and-of the techniques themselves. Just not always the most appropriate approaches IME.