Okay to use brushless car was to rinse off winter grime?

[jmhumr]

Here`s the deal: I live in an apartment, so I religiously use ONR to wash my new car. However, the recent winter weather has left too much sand/salt/grime on my car for ONR to handle. I`m thinking about running it through a brushless gas station car wash to rinse off the worst part, and then give it my typical ONR wash at home. Is this a bad idea? Will the soaps that brushless car washes use strip my recently Zaino`ed finish? Will the high pressure water cause the sand to scratch my finish?



If you have any alternative ideas, let me know. Unfortunately I have no access to a hose/water to rinse it the right way. Damn Arlington, VA!



Thanks.

[gmblack3]

As you know, might not be the best choice but better then doing nothing.



Maybe you could just use a high pressure wand at on of the coin-op places and not get to close to the paint?

[jmhumr]

Hmm, that`s not a bad idea. Unfortunately we don`t have any coin operated places around here where I can pay like $1.50 just for the rinse cycle, else I`d use it all the time. The best I`ve got is a coin-operated wand-wash station at the gas stations, which charge like $7 for the full-cycle (although you can use the rinse cycle the whole time). Paying $7 for a wand rinse is steep, but it might be my safest option.

[Bigpoppa3346]

I just use the coin-op washes around my place, which are a real life saver in harsh Buffalo NY winters. They are just like $3.00 for 2 minutes of high-pressure water and 1 minute of soap, so it sounds like you are paying a ton where you are. If it were me, I would just go to the coin-op.

[Dan]

How about picking up a 2 gallon garden sprayer? I use one to pre-treat areas with QEW and to spray off the grime in the wheel wells.

[imported_paradigm]

the touchless wash may "weaken" the LSP due to harsher detergents used...but i don`t think it will degrade it very much. it is far better to get the salt off of the paint and under side of the vehicle. worst case is you would have to add another layer of zaino a few months earlier than normal maybe?



.02

[paul34]

I (personally) don`t think its much of a problem, unless you`re overpaying, in which case, the biggest problem is to your wallet.



But yea, just keep in mind that your LSP will most likely be weakened by the detergents in the tunnel wash.



But, if you`re planning on refreshing your LSP with your routine like you want to do, I really don`t see a problem.

[David Fermani]

Will the high pressure water cause the sand to scratch my finish?







No it will not not. Wash away as much as you want.

[imported_agentf1]

Definitely rinse at coin wash and then QEW or ONR.

[imported_Lightman]

I recently tried just what you were suggesting jmhumr, although with the touchless drive through wash, not the coin operated do it yourself wash (same location, different bay). I can definitely tell you that the sealant I had on there for 2 months (which was still beading very tightly beforehand) has been severely compromised by the two times I used that touchless wash. The soaps are so harsh since there`s nothing touching your paint. Friday when I did my second run thru that wash (first was a week or so ago) I took the car home and did a proper wash in the garage..the lsp was still there beading loosely in some places but was sheeting in others. Therefore, I`d recommend avoiding the touchless wash, and if you must, use the high pressure coin op wand on water/rinse only, that way the harsh soaps won`t ruin your lsp.



I just finished buffing off the second coat of sealant a few minutes ago..she`s ready to go again!

[Accumulator]

..I can definitely tell you that the sealant I had on there for 2 months (which was still beading very tightly beforehand) has been severely compromised by the two times I used that touchless wash. The soaps are so harsh since there`s nothing touching your paint.. Therefore, I`d recommend avoiding the touchless wash..



And OTOH Accumulatorette runs her A8 through a touchless in TN when she`s traveling and it doesn`t compromise her LSP at all :nixweiss IMO it depends on the particular touchless, no way to know what`ll happen (Re LSP stripping) until/unless you try it. You pay your money and you take your chances ;)

[velobard]

And OTOH Accumulatorette runs her A8 through a touchless in TN when she`s traveling and it doesn`t compromise her LSP at all :nixweiss IMO it depends on the particular touchless, no way to know what`ll happen (Re LSP stripping) until/unless you try it. You pay your money and you take your chances ;)

Just out of curiousity what`s your usual LSP for winter use, at least on that car?

[silvergray]

I think this has been covered hundreds of times.

[imported_Lightman]

Accumulator is correct - depends on each wash location, the chemicals they use and how much, and the water they use. Most of them recycle water, which in the winter here means they`re spraying some pretty salty stuff. I used a touchless in FL over the holidays on a different vehicle and the lsp wasn`t noticeably affected.

[Accumulator]

Just out of curiousity what`s your usual LSP for winter use, at least on [your wife`s A8]?



On her car I stick with #16...I used to switch to 476S but she actually noticed the difference and didn`t like it (busted :o ). On the S8, not that I drive it much in the winter, I stick with UPP for the slickness; the MPV stays with many layers of KSG; and the beater-Blazer has 476S (except for some areas I did with 845). The others stay in the garage.



In other words, I don`t switch to "winter LSPs" any more, I just don`t drive the good cars much (or at all) in the winter. Guess I switch vehicles instead of LSPs.