dark inspire

how many of u guyz go to your local car wash n get ur car washed as opposed to washing it urself? holla
opinions on both appreciated
dark dj

Satman

I have a membership at a hand wash service.. I get unlimted washes and two wax/details per year. I have a 02 TL-S. It still looks like it rolled off the showroom floor!!

It also keeps me from buying a new car everytime I goto the dealer for maintenence!

Its expensive but its well worth it!!!

BurnsLPhiE

How expensive is expensive? Did you just look them up in a phone book? Ive been looking for something good in the ann arbor michigan area for the longest time...no one seems to know though....

Got_3.2?

iTrader: (2)

i just do it myself every week durig the spring and summer.

Satman

I pay $400 for the year. I get unlimted washes monday through Friday + 1 wax detail (I think I said 2 waxes in my last post).

I guess that's not too expensive if you figure you wash your car only once a week that breaks down to only 7.50 wash..

I think I've gotten a good deal because I've been with them for a few years now. I started out at about 550/year..

The Acclude

Wash it my self, once a week.

dark inspire

oh nice, gotta get me some of those rims...if only money grew on trees

TeknoKing

I wash my car at least once in two weeks in the hands only car wash.

I wax and buff my car myself (triple coating) every 2 months. I have a 2000 TL, still mirrors beautifully, and streak free paint. =]

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

Touchless car washes use harsh chemicals to get the **** off.
Automatic car washes leave swirl marks on the paint.
Hand-wash place just doesn't cut it.


That's why I'm out there in 35-degree weather with frozen hands, washing my car. I just don't trust anyone.

Satman

you need to find another hand car wash place.

After my guys are done washing they drying it with diapers. They take out an air compressor to blow out any remaining water in the mirrors, door handles, and around the front grill. A full interior cloth wipe down is in order everytime is also very nice. Windows shine from top to botton as well..

It truley comes out looking new everytime I get it washed

dark inspire

lookz like we should have a shine contest on dis forum...

SK2003TypeS

I aim to wash every week. Sometimes every two, depending on conditions.

This helps out in the winter. Or you can just us a rubber glove for washing dishes and use what ever mitt you're already using.
http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog....1001&SKU=10259

Also used Protect All's Quick & Easy Wash for the first time last night. Was able to do it inside the garage. No hose needed. Just 1 gallon of water, 1 oz of QEW, a chenille mitt and a terry towel to dry. Was looking into QEW for a few months before actually buying it. I see it as a big help during the winter.

seahawk

Gettin too cold to stick your hand into a bucket of water
but want ta get that salt film off the car. Was lookin at one
of those power wash units in the Sears catalogue , says it's
for home ,car, boat, etc., 1600 psi variable pressure for light
and heavy use. Lookin for something ta get most of the crap
off without gettin hands in cold water.
Any body here ever use one of these things and is it any good
or just a waste of money.

dark inspire

hey, seahawk, we got one of those high-pressure washers, its perfect for like the sidewalk, some parts of the house, but mainly like the ground. both my dad and myself figured that its too powerful for the car. we tried it once, but it didnt seem right seein that it could take the paint off the house if u concentrated it in one spot for too long, so yeah i would suggest usin it on da car but thas jus from my experience..

dark dj

Got_3.2?

iTrader: (2)

get a low power pressure washer.

nym31mp

my car gets washed by a car wash 1-2 times a week my family has been goin 2 this same place for 20 yrs so i pay 5.00 each time and that includes full wash hot wax and silicone on the tires every so often like once a mounth i do it myself for a real good cleanin but not that it is winter in nj u wont see me cleain my car till may peace

`ill*tl

Figured my car would be safe if I ran it through the washer of my dealership but boy, was I wrong. The f***er that drove my car through the wash was obviously in a rush of some sort and ended up scratching my front left wheel. Couple scratches, barely noticeable...but noticeable to me.

If you don't want to find any scratches or marks on your car, wash your car yourself.

groebuck1

Car washes are terrible with the exception of the deal Satman got ! (I'm impressed, diapers and they blow out the car? - schweet).

You can search on my handle for the proper way to wash a car - and even most hand wash places I see don't do it right. I cringe when I pass a carwash where there are three guys drying away, wiping in a frenzy all over the car..

For you cold winter folks - the best defense is a good offense - in the early fall - get you car a good detail either by you or a pro. Then ride the winter out - those quarter eating power wash places are good to hose down the car (use rinse only) to get the salt and snow chunks off.

sc354

I got one of those 1600 PSI pressure washers, but I simply turn the pressure down to minimum. It's not that hard on the paint since it's only like 900 PSI. The only places I used the 1600 PSI on the car is the rims (to get all brake dust off), tires, and the inside wheel wells (so much **** gets stuck on those f*ckers). Other than that, my baby gets washed by me in the summer, and I bring it weekly to a hand wash place to get her all cleaned up. They basically do an outside wash and dry, clean door jams, tire dressing, trunk lid, inside trunk also, and polish the rims for 10 bux. I usually give them like 5 bux extra for a layer of wax.

I think it's a good deal.

dlpickering

The problem with the "hand-wash" places is, they wash your hood with the same washmitt they just used to wash the break dust off the wheels of the van before you. Same with the towels or chamois. If you have a dark colour, you will see fine scratches.

The chemicals in the popular "touchless" washes will beat the heck out of your wax. I ran my wife's 97 EL though the touchless last winter (about 5 or 6 times) and by spring, my sponge would hardly glide across the finish. Took me about 3 coats of wax to bring it back to normal.

If you are as particular as I am, the ONLY solution is the coin wash where you do it yourself.

Incidentally, I wash my black TLS at least once, if not twice per week. Weather permitting, I throw a quick coat of Mother's Carnauba on it at least once a week. Only takes me about 45 minutes to do a complete wax job, top to bottom.

dark inspire

what type of solution or soap do you guyz use to wash the car?
i got some turtle wax stuff, i dont know what is the best stuff to use or whether the chemicals are too harsh. also, do u guys use a mitt or a towel or a sponge? what is optimal?

dlpickering

Meguire's Soap.
Sponge - and ALWAYS a different sponge or mitt for the wheels and lower body.
Synthetic chamois.

SK2003TypeS

I use Meg's Gold Class, Mothers Cali Gold or Z7 as car shampoos. Mitts for washing. Brush for wheels. WW, MF and cotten towels for drying.

`ill*tl

I believe I use Mother's Gold Cleaner's Wax or something (Too lazy to go check in my garage.) What does "Cleaner's Wax" actually mean? :o

SK2003TypeS

"Cleaner Wax" in general is a pre-wax product used to help clean and polish the surface prior to waxing. Depending on the product, it will remove slight imperfections, water spots, oxidation,etc.

Vicman17

Where do you take your baby for a hand wash, Jeff? Interested.

john32

every two weeks a good friend washes for $7.50

Z Factor

I bet they don't use Zaino at those prices

groebuck1

Hey SK - I thought that a cleaner wax was not used as a prep but an all in one - cleaner and wax. From what I understand it has more emzymes in it to dissolve old wax on the car, as the product dries is leaves it's layer. That's why you can't layer with a cleaner wax as it will only remove the previous layer.

groebuck1

I posted this on another thread but here you go -

#1 is you need to get the car clean and free of waxes, fillers and such. Two options here. You can use plain old Dawn (the light blue variety) about two tablespoons to 3-4 gallons of water, or use a car wash soap (not one that is a wash and wax variety - off the shelf Meguiars Gold Class or Mothers is good) and use more then the recommened amount (if it says 2 tbls use 3-4). Use two buckets, one filled with the soap, one with clean water, and use a wash mit (sheep or cheneille - I can't spell that and a separate cloth for the wheels. Start with the wheels using the cloth, wash one then drop the cloth in the clean water, rinse the wheel and wring out the cloth soap it up and on to the next wheel. Use the same method for the car. Using the mit, wash the roof, drop the mit in the clean water bucket, rinse..then soap it up again - hood, trunk, then the sides (front, doors, back). Rinse the mit good between side panels as the lower panels tend to get the dirtiest. The two bucket method insures that your wash mit/cloth is clean and dirt free - if you use one bucket your depositing the dirt you just washed off the car into the soap and risk putting on the swirl marks you want to get rid of.
When you wash the car, wash it in the direction the air would flow over the car..so for the hood, from front to back in straight lines..never wash in a circular motion again to avoid swirls.
For the final rinse, take whatever nozel you have on the hose off, and run a slow steady stream over the car, starting with the roof, then hood, trunk and sides. This will sheet most of the water off the car and makes drying that much easier

Drying your car - here is where it is important. Bath towels can scratch your paint! Some folks use a leaf blower and blow the water off the car, I would imagine that is pretty darn fast. I don't have one so I use the Absorber (you can get them everywhere). It rocks for drying, laid flat on the surface and pull across (in the same direction you washed). Some folks don't recommend this way because if there is any dirt left on the car, you can potentially be dragging it across your paint and scratching it..but I have yet to have that happen (becuase I wash good ).

dark inspire

good stuff, thankz for the advice on car washin method

The Acclude

California Water Blade + Absorber = best drying method , EVER

SK2003TypeS

groebuck1,
you are correct in that the cleaner/wax products are usually a "1 step" solution. I'm trying to figure out what I was getting at, but I forgot. Maybe I was thinking "paint cleaner" like PPCL or something.
I guess I was making a general statement. I think we agree that each product out there will do slightly different things even though they are labeled the same. Yes, if you were to layer that type of cleaner/wax on top of itself, it would break down the existing layer.

......nobody drys with water ? I take off the nozzle from the hose, low volume, low pressure, free flowing water. Start at the top of the hood, panel, etc. Let the water sheet off. Takes 80-90% of the water off, then dry the rest with a MF WW towel or whatever your preference. If you have a good coat of wax, sealant or in groebuck1's case PUPP, this technique works very well.

sonnytris

Gunn Acura in san antonio has been doing great work on my 03 T.L. Whenever I purchased it they promised(salesman) a free car wash/detail with every oil change.........Today I went in for the required oil change and surprized by the added charge or offer to wash/vacum the car for $10.95.
I guess the economy is bad enought that the dealers are cutting out the bennies. Will check with the Lexus dealer to see if they have cut out any perks.
The working guys at Gunn Acura are great and its not their fault that upper management in their wisdom to save 15 minutes labor/cost for a young kid with no training to wash the car.
To save a few pennies they will lose customers that will go elsewhere for a cheaper oil change .
I know that the 10 bucks will not have a great effect on my budget but , why are they changing original perks to old customers???It should only be to the new customers????????
I only hand wash the TL , no high pressure stuff.
How often should I wax the car?
thanks
Sonny in San Antonio, Texas

groebuck1

Not sure about San Antone weather - I detail my car once a month - here in North Carolina. But I like it to bling bling