tsxcurity

I live just north of Boston and I walked outside this morning and felt like someone stabbed me in the heart when I saw my poor TSX looking like absolute SH*T from all the snow, ice, slush, sand and dirt that's absolutely covering it. I've wanted to wash it or take it to a car wash for daaaays now but it's too cold! The temp reads below 30F almost every day and I'm afraid to wash it in sub-freezing temperatures. Not only that, but I dont know if a car wash will even do anything with all that crap covering it.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels overwhelming guilt when he sees his car in such a condition. If anyone has advice or suggestions for keeping your TSX looking MINT in the winter, please post here and save my sanity!

LuvMyTSX

Take it to a car wash. I do it during the winter. However, if there's still snow piled up on the roads, it's just going to get back on the car anyway.

TacoBellSauce

just got the maxima washed after 2 months
looked like it just came back from iraq
take it to a good car wash where they fully dry the car
id also take it on a sunny day so no icicles form on the car

slickrab

i just wear my snowboarding gloves and over them rubber/latex gloves. My hose is also connected to the water heater so it lets out warm water. It kinda feels nice. I just layer up and not try to get wet. I washed my car in around mid 25degree weather.

xenonhid

Your bucket with car wash soap can have warm water to help. Besides that the hose is gonna be cold so man up!

DLTSX6MT

Touchless car wash. Some of the new ones work pretty well.

LukeaTron

Every other week or so I try to hit one of those self wash car washes with the high pressure sprayers. All I do is give it a good rinsing. There's no point in spending much time scrubbing away since it'll be covered again in 15 minutes. I just like to get the salt out of the nooks and crannies periodically. It only takes $1.25 in quarters and 3 minutes of my time.

xenonhid

I used those until I got my TEIN Coilovers, after the drop, your car won't make it past the railings on the touchless car washes.

warriorxc

Get a garage with a drain. That's what I have up here in the REAL cold... I would worry less about whether it is going to get dirty again, just wash it once a week or more if you want to keep the paint. ALl the salt and grime that is in that snow will ruin your paint. Not to mention all the pollutants that lay in the snow when it is too cold for them to raise up in the ozone...

WlcTL

get some no rinse wash!

Trip

Some of the newer ones even have high powered blow dryers on them which are ideal for helping to remove water so it doesn't freeze. My vote is for a touchless wash with dryer. The car will get dirty again but the dirt and salt isn't sitting on the car for months. Regular washings are important to maintaining the finish.

acutsx

Yes, I agree. You need to keep the salt and dirt off the car. In Perry Hall, Maryland, Local "BP" gas station has a touchless "basic" wash for $2.99 on Tuesdays!!

Power1Pete

Luke, what part of the country you can rinse your car for only $1.25?

ruffellprefley

notice he said "3 minutes of his time." it's at one of those "splash-n-dasy" type places where you put your quarters in and the hoses start pumping. i would imagine it's about that price everywhere. if you the math it works out to $25 an hour... not that you'd ever take that long at one of those places.

Power1Pete

Almost anywhere in the Tri-state area, The minimum self wash purchase is around $3.50. Putting just a few quarters in simply won't work.

LuvMyTSX

I might take mine to the car wash Monday afternoon after I get out of work. We're supposed to have a couple of days of no rain/sleet/snow, so maybe I'll get to enjoy a clean car for a bit. Lord knows it's filthy right now. The birds keep crapping on it at work....every day I come home and clean it off with quick detailer, but the rest of the car is super dirty.

Power1Pete

My car is so dirty that I can't find it after the car wash cleaned it.

club_euro2

Does the Paint Sealent protect from Bird Crap damaging the paint?
thanks,
umair

LuvMyTSX

Do you mean wax? If so, yes....bird crap and sun. But I still don't let it just sit on my car, even though it has a few layers of Zaino from its last detail in the fall.

adc

Only in America could someone get stressed out over something like this.

LuvMyTSX

My baby's clean for now.....she went through the car wash yesterday.

Mokos23

Man, I don't think I will take the TSX to Acura for free car washes. I parked my car out in the sunshine today and I saw countless fine scratches that can be buffed out I think. But, I noticed at the Acura dealer they use brushes and not touchfree car wash

Also, we all know that the TSX paint sucks and I found 3 big rock chips on the left driver side door on the car, so I had to use my touch up paint to conseal it.

Man, when I trade in this car, I know there will be a lot of carbon gray dots on it due to me touching it up.

timd38

Car and Truck Boutique Novi MI, mini-detail, $24.95.

evenq

I use a rinseless wash called QEW with little to no marring with the correct techniques.

LuvMyTSX

^^ That's impressive.

HondaAcura83

I never wanted to use a machine wash on my TSX.... but it was too cold and I took it to a Laser Touch Free Wash (one of the new ones)... did a great job.

I also tried to wash my car by hand in the 30's-40's... bad idea for the most part

xjohnkdoex

iTrader: (2)

i'm surprised this hasn't been moved to the off topic section yet.

i prepped my car right before the temps dipped. thorough wash, some claying, and sealed it with a few layers of UPP.

when the weather was a little warmer about a week ago, i used some optimum No Rinse No Wash for a quick washing after all the salt/snow/dirt from the past few weeks, and used some optimum wax (liquid spray).

if you have a driveway or heated garage, that's ideal. if you do side street parking or whatever, NRNW is a good option. you just need some of that, a paint bucket from home depot, and a mitt.

worse comes to worse, you can go to the car wash. it'll clean your car, but also increase the swirl marks and spiderwebs, so it's kind of a cost/benefit situation. you can try those self-car washes and see if they have a bay for you to use too.

GLowrdr

There is a Mister Carwash by my place, and they have an unlimited car wash deal for $20 (I think - direct withdraw, so I never really see it)

This is one of those full service car washes where they get in your car and drive it through while wiping you windows and vacuuming it for you.

The only difference is that for the unlimited, you drive it yourself, and you don't get them to vacuum and wipe down. Oh well - Istill have access to the vacuums and they have one hell of a blower at the end, so the only problem I ever run into is the gas cap holder thingy freezes and doesn't want to let the cap turn. Gotta fill up before the wash.

xjohnkdoex

iTrader: (2)

be careful with those full-service details. if you have tints, you're not supposed to use any sort of window cleaner that has ammonia in it.

i went to a place like that early on (before tints) and my car actually seemed more dirty after they went inside than before. random dirt scuffs on the upholstry, streaky cleaner on the windows and dash. those rags touch hundreds of cars a day. all they do is spread more dirt around.

pinoy_tsx

I agree!

jlukja

Good discussion, but all the non-TSX owners are missing out because this thread in "hidden" in TSX Forum instead of in Wash & Wax where it belongs.

If you want to continue this discussion then start a new thread in Wash & Wax. but, search first as I would think the topic has been covered before.

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