When the bugs get to me, I take my car to the local car wash. They do a great job. I also splurge for the $1.50 tire armor-all treatment. My car looks brand new when they are done.

Today just like every other car wash experience, I exited quickly going across traffic turning to the left...never a problem...until today...my whole rear end slid out at least 2 feet (or more) as I was turning until I got control of the car. It fealt slick like It was riding on ice. No warning lights or indicators and luckily no accident.

My lesson of the day...watch out when armor-all is first applied.

 

That's funny, the same thing happened to me this morning in the G37! I washed it up yesterday and was overly liberal with the Armor All. It was cold here this morning, 48 degrees at 8am, was making a left hander and hit the gas a little, and WOOP!! Completely unintentional. The nanny electronics reeled things in abruptly, but I was only running 3K rpm, and of course I'm RWD so all the more easy, but that Armor All is like putting ice on your tires!! Glad you had no other drama, nor did I. Was kind of fun though!!

 

What do you think happened....did the armorall get puddled and coat your tread? If you were braking during the left turn and they managed to get the armorall on one of the rear brake discs I suppose that could also pitch the tail to the side.

Next time I guess you could spin a few doughnuts in the parking lot to wipe the car's feet before heading out on the road.

 

I was never able to fishtail my RL, I had Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, and they hooked up very well. For me, I think a combination of cold tires, cold pavement, RWD, and the fact that I really was quite liberal with the Armor All, I think it spilled through the tread at the sidewalls. I usually wipe off excess but didn't this time, they were especially shiny, showroom looking.

But I do like your suggestion of the doughnuts in the parking lot. The RL might have a hard time with those though, the G with the VDC turned off... not a problem!

 

Fixed it for ya!

 

Thanks, but I was referring to my G37, so RWD was correct....

 

Laws of physics will not be overcome by electronics. Whether a supreme AWD sports car like a 911TT or a humble RL electronics will only do so much. I have spun my supercharged GS as well as my SC even with skid control on in the wet. I put a Porsche right into a mountain at only 20mph as I hit a mudslide. It's all physics.

 

Another reason I don't use Armor-All on tires.....potential safety hazard in the wrong hands. The car wash didn't do THAT good a job if they didn't take the excess off the tire tread before you left. If automated, the system needs adjusted. Very sloppy of them, if you ask me. You could have been seriously hurt. You should say something to the wash owner.

 

I don't think it's the Armor-All that was applied on that particular visit. Rather, I believe it's just puddling of residual soap, wax and Armor-all that puddles up at the car wash exit. The reason I say this is that one car wash I go to makes you exit the vehicle at the start and pick it up after it goes thru the wash. One of the times I got back into my car and started to drive away, my shoe slipped off the brake pedal before I got onto the main street, and it wasn't just because my shoe was wet. The sole had gotten really slick from the puddles! Fortunately I was traveling fast so it was easy to recover.