bigbadboss101

Ok, I am not talking about Florida winters, but winter where there is snow, ice, and cold. Where do you wash your car, if at all? Where I am at it is still not bad, temperature between 5 and 20 celsius. In the winter it can be down to -30, or up to 10 celsius. Surely one cannot hand wash because of frost bit. Is hot water ok? I am thinking power wash is ok as long as we don't use their soap. I think that stuff will strip off the wax? I have 3 layers of Zaino and would hate to have that come off. Would the hot water do any harm to the wax?

TLinKC

If at all possible I wash by hand but when it is really, really cold and nasty I will take my car to a touchless car wash. GASP :o

What ever you do, don't let the kids drying cars to touch your car!

CarFreak

I either wash it outside when the sun is out or I take it to car washes. I wouldn't wash your car w/hot water. It might crack your windshield w/the cold temp and drastic temp change w/hot water. I haven't experimented w/my car w/car washes. Has anyone taken their TLS in the automated car washes? I'm just worried about my rims getting scratched up on the railings that pull it forward.

yahtzee

I take mine to 2 different car washes here that use the soft cotton chamois brushes. There has been no damage to my wheels and, while I mainly do it by hand, once in a while they are good to get EVERYTHING off . Zaino has held up very well (of course I put on a new coat about every week).....

Road Rage

Do not use hot water - not only could you fracture your glass, but you can put microcracks in the clear coat.

I wash at home, using slightly warm water from a sink in my garage, attached to my garden hose. I wear thick rubber gloves to protect my hands. I wash down to about 40 F, then it is off to the "scratchless" car wash - but their wash is pretty alkaline and will strip the polish, so then I have to polish again.

BB16

I was lookin to move to Indio because of a job offer out here in Cali, and went house shopping with a real estate guy. If you know Indio/Palm Springs area, you know how hot it can get. 120° in the shade. He said he had replaced his windshield on his Suburban 3 times because the water in the CarWash meeting up to his windshield at that temp. Looks like out there you have to wash after the sun goes down only. Never really thought of these problems before. I guess I'd just take mine to a coin op place, bring my own suds.

gohawks63

A touchless when the weather is real bad along with using the high pressure spray to get the salt off.

Did this religously with my previous car ('93 Vigor) and it still had that showroom shine when I traded it in.

I've always used Meguiars and have never seen the wax get stripped off. Still beads. I'm assuming you would have the same results w/ Zaino.

BlackShadow

In my driveway. But if it's really really cold, I just wait until it gets a little warmer. Had a bad experience with car washes, including brushless. From now on, I am the only one that touches my TL.

hooked2TL

I bought these great rubber gloves from home depot. Made from diver suit material, warm and waterproof. Great for winter washing the TL. No car washes for sure...lovingly done by hand, even if the hand is almost frost bitten......I figure in Canada, medical care is free.....but fixing scratches on TL is not.....

You know as they say....."It's better to look good than to feel good"....

Mr Hyde

I have one bucket of luke warm for my car and another with warmer for my freezing cold hands. Although I also have an extremely soft brush that can be used to clean the car when it is really dirty and caked in salt and dirt. When it was really cold I used that on my Accord and will probably do the same for my TL-S

My TL-S will never ever see a car wash for as long as I am alive.

PlanoTLS

Always wash by hand. My 11 year old Honda was never taken to a car wash (with my knowledge). Winters aren't so bad here in Texas, so luke warm water always helped and then I dried the car in the carage. I'd never attempt to wash past freezing though.
Now at my new job, I can wash the car inside all year round. A/C in the summer and heat in the winter. That helps big time, but I know that not everyone has access to these conditions.

Good luck this coming winter!

mackdaddy

Car wash across the street. Touchless drive in when too lazy to power spray (most of the time.) I've been using this place for 7 years, and never had a problem. Towel dried by hand afterwards (by me, of course!) Waxed about once a month in the garage.

I'm getting too old and creaky to wash by hand in the driveway all the time. This used to be the only option, but lately It feels like like I got hit by a truck after all that work! Plus, my water is really hard, and spots like a b!tch. Even using premium car wash soap, it spots really bad, and makes the drying process a real workout.

Jim

Xorg

Wait for a day above freezing, dress warm, and do it in the garage with a hose attached to my kitchen sink or buckets of water and a sprayer. A sunny day helps too.

oracion

I don't want to take the TL to any car wash except the touch-free ones. However I'm not sure where to find one.

bioyuki

In my driveway...I break out in a sweat cause of the woarm weather sometimes too....sorry I just had to

Mr Hyde

Go ahead rub it in, rub it in...........

bioyuki

*RubRubRub*

LoveSick

IF you are afraid of the cold harsh winter and don't want to wash your car when it's freezing, there is always an alternative!

Mothers had introduced its new car wash product that uses no water. Just spray and wipe and that's it!

Check your local Pep Boys for more details!



Brought to you by Pep Boys, basic Car maintenance.

Mr Hyde

I've seen those things, but if my car is covered in roadsalt and sand there is no way Im spraying stuff on my car and then rubbing/wiping that grit into my paint. Ouch!!!!!!! Hurts just thinking about it.

oracion

I don't think those things are good for the paint. Even during everyday driving in the summer, would you just spray something on your car and just wipe it? I doubt any of the TL owners would do that. Unless you don't care about those fine grains of sand sitting on your paint; otherwise you're gonna see scratches everywhere.

The first step to wash a car is to use lots of water to get rid of the dust/sand.

FTM-1

This is what they call spray detialers & everybody makes some type. Zaino is Gloss Ehancer ,Meguairs makes Final Inspection & Quick Detailer. The have some that a more foam type Iam sure mothers is like this because they also make a Show Car Shine detailer spray. I have used the PROLONG WATERLESS WASH & SHINE on my black TL during the winter months. I refuse to take this car to a carwash. I will be going to the type of carwash that you just go into the garage & use the sprayer hose. They also have soap but I would not use it. The prolong product says not to use on heavily soiled car. The product is best used for light & moderate dirt. The lubricating agents encapsulate & lift dirt particles without scrathing the paint. I have used this product for the last 2 winters & have not had any problems. It also works in lower temps were other contain water that will freeze. I also have taken my car to a detailer to be washed during the winter but some charge $40.00 & others $25.00. I got it washed once by ACURA during service in the winter. I am sure the Mothers product is like the Prolong but its for light to Moderate dirt & will leave a protective shine.

gohawks63

I also got a year's worth of free car washes when I bought my car. Even though the dealer is out of the way, it might be worth taking a trip during the dead of winter here in the Chicago area.

ACURA TYPE S CL

i rarelly wash my car in winter,especially in snowing days. if i do. i just go to the touchless,frictionless car wash.for $5 .it will wash,liquid wax,and dry your car to the new paint conditions.in fact. i rarelly hand wash my cls or jeep even it is in summer or spring seasons. i am a lazy man.but i will start hand washing my cls or jeep somewhere at the end of this year.