I am so paranoid when I drive my new TL. I have to check for vibrations, rattles, clunks, Turanzas, memory loss (which I personally suffer from), flat spots, loss of radio stations, trunk tray mounting, etc. I am not sure whether to Zaino or not to Zaino. My pen still writes, but it is only 12 days old (I think it is a 2004 model). I guess I will have to learn how to deal with these everyday pressures.

But the one question that is surfacing foremost in my paranoia is the dreaded car wash. I now have 12 days worth of dirt piling up and the time is growing near. Before becoming a member of this forum, I would have just gone to the car wash. A 100% brush car wash. I never was concerned before about cold water or hot water or a few swirl marks (I have a light color SSM). The only concern I have now (from a few posts I read) has to do with tire profile. I have the stock wheels and tires and don't expect to be changing anything. Do I really have to worry about damaging/scraping the wheels as the car goes through the wash or is my paranoia taking over? During this time of year in New Jersey, we do not have too many options to clean our cars. So, my question to all you 2004 TLers, is have you gone through an automatic car wash and have you experienced any damage to the wheels or otherwise?

Thanks for the input.......maybe one day my hands will stop shaking!

 

You are TOOOOO FUNNNYYYY ,I love it ..and can relate!

 

Washing your car? That's crazy! I now have over a month worth of dirt on my TL and I'm just waiting for the next snow/rain to wash it off. Californians are the crazy people who invented car washing, but I don't subscribe to their shalow beliefs!

 

time to get your meds bumped up

 

I'm trying to ignore comments like the one above mine...not easy to do. Anyway, the rails at the car washes have not scraped my wheels at all, and I think you'll be OK. Its driving into curbs while parallel parking that you've got to be really careful about.

 

IMO, I guess the light color should get less swirl effects in your paint.

I do car wash four times already, which pulls your left front wheel forward and has four ppl hand-wash my car, also I haven't seen any scratch or damage into my rims yet. That shop does have the low rails and rubber-like cushions aside the rail.

I dare not go to "brush" wash after knowing my TL has some thin paint finish.

 

The car washes have not done anything to my wheels either....in fact, I used to have an '01 CL-S which was notorious for wheels that suck out w/ no tire protection and never got them scratched by the rails...now the valets, they know how to scratch a wheel

 

Thanks everyone who answered.....anyone else can please just keep chiming in. Looks like a car wash is safe...whew!

Acuraddict.....now I have to worry about curbs too......darn you!

 

Matt, you're too funny.

I'm so paranoid about the paint that I freak when the wife is carrying heavy objects into the house--my car is closer to the house door, and with the old TL (BLACK) she put a box on the hood once....aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh. Luckily, she didn't scratch it, but now she knows to just call me to help.

By the way, I hand wash in the depths of winter because I can't stand the thought of running the car through a machine. Paint has to get its dose of Z7!

You're not alone.

 

wow. you guys really trip out over this car don't you? i mean i love my car as much as the next guy, but damn! it's just a car and frankly don't really like worrying about getting a scratch or 2 on it. i dunno, just me. material things ain't that big a deal to me i guess.

 

The rails at the laser2000 carwash scraped my left-front wheel. So from now on, I drive closer to the middle, it's better to bump the wheel from the inside than the outside.
Using this technique I never had a problem after that.

Need to keep the car clean, so it will not get your black pants dirty when you get in/out

 

How dare any of you.. Taking your TL's to a car wash.... Hand wash only with 100% terry cotton towels..

No car washes, no hand washing mitts and no pressure washers = no scratches....

 

I much rather hand wash my car using a car wash brush on a long handle. A car wash brush doesn't grab and hold onto dirt because you are constantly rinsing it off in the bucket. However, car wash mitts or terry cloth does catch alot of dirt and sand and no matter how much or long you rinse it off, it will still have dirt and sand in it. Thats my opinion and I'm sticking to it!

I buy my brush at Napa Auto Parts. If anyone has a suggestion for a better brush then Napa, please let us know.

 

Does anyone know if washing your car with hard water is bad? My parents' home is located in an area with really bad hard water and I just realized that since it's the only location I can Zaino (if I decide to do that), I want to make sure the water would be safe.

 

:lol1: :lol2: :lol1:

 

The kids of today (I kind of sound like my dad) don't have any sense of ownership, or what things are worth when things are bought for them without having to earn it.

Welcome to the disposable society, no reason to keep anything in good shape.

 

The last car I had through a car wash was my 75 Pinto. I'd never put my TL through a mechanical wash - only hand washing by me personally. The main problem with hard water is spotting but as long as you don't let it dry on the car it shouldn't be a problem plus what choice do you have short of using distilled water? I usually use a selfdrying carwash such a Meguire's Gold Class or better yet Blue Coral (but that is getting harder to get). If you have to drive the car in the Winter slop, the important thing is to get the salt off about once a week - if you let it on too long it leaves deposits that are hard to get off without using solvent or a clay bar. That doesn't mean detailing it in 10 degree weather - just washing the salt off. Really, the best solution is just not driving it in the Winter if you have an alternative. It's surprising how long you can go without paint damage if you don't drive it when there are cinders and salt on the road.

 

Obviously adam209 does not have the cult-like mentality like the rest of us!

So far one damaged wheel reported and everyone else was fine! I do not think anyone should be allowed to use the "Pinto" word on this forum.

 

no, i'm just not caught up in material things.

 

There are plenty of hand car washes in Jersey, well Northern anyway. Try ansd find a soft brush wash if that is all you have around you.

 

This has to go into the "insane" category. IT'S A CAR, not a newborn baby!

 

Oh, you barbarians! When I get my TL it will only be bathed in the mothers milk of French Moutain Goats! Rinsed only with Evian! Driven only when there is no gravel on the road!

I will always wear a biological weapons protection suit, lest I touch the leather with skin oil! And the horror of actually sneezing, nay, coughing in the vehicle! I'm faint from terror.

And finally, my car will receive a Scandanavian Tire Massage once a month, only with bees honey from brazil! Not to mention the psychiatrist for the nav system, to make sure it never has any self doubt about roads that were not digitized! Its not your fault, Navvy, its the Honda people!

Yep, I've lost it.

 

I have a request of Acura.. The TL should self wash ...

 

Lore,

Hard water is not bad, however, if you let it dry without drying properly, it will leave water marks on the car. Use leaf blow dryer and then the 100%cotton towel to dry it off clean. Also, if you are zainoing for the first time, it will be good to clay bar it with Z7+Water as lubricator. Clay baring will remove the remaining water spots.

 

I just got back from the dealer after he put on my new license plates. Now the car looks complete! He said there will be no damage from car washes and recommended brushless only. I inquired about the top secret self washing option and he said the self-washing option will be Bluetooth enabled and available to be encoded into the memory settings for driver 2 only. He said the MID will ask for hot or cold water and hard or soft water also. I was a little disappointed because Acura will not be giving us a choice of the type of wash liquid. I think I heard him say that liquid Tide with bleach will be the detergent of choice. If I hear anything more I will be sure to post it here.



Just a small piece of advice from an old timer........lighten up. Life is too short to take everything seriously.