car wash in the winter - Toyota Yaris Forums

edisonfire · 12-24-2008, 01:28 PM

for those of you who have had a load of snow dumped on you for the last week, the roads are completely wet and dirty

how are you guys keeping your car clean? sooo much salt on the road

hand wash or car wash?

ChinoCharles · 12-24-2008, 01:29 PM

You don't. Wax the heck out of it in October and wait for it to clear.

SIPNGAS · 12-24-2008, 02:11 PM

Car wash about once a month just to get some of the salt off. But really, it's a losing battle until spring.

thebarber · 12-24-2008, 06:10 PM

find a powerwash and spray the body and undercarriage weekly

make sure you do it at a time of the day that it can drip off in the sun so your doors don't freeze shut (eg, dont do it at 7pm on a night where its going to be -10c)

ChinoCharles · 12-24-2008, 06:44 PM

Quote:

find a powerwash and spray the body and undercarriage weekly

Yeah, that is what you SHOULD do.

Good advice man. Get some jack stands and a power washer.

thebarber · 12-24-2008, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChinoCharles

Yeah, that is what you SHOULD do.

Good advice man. Get some jack stands and a power washer.

well, in the GTA they have power wash places you can go to....too cold to DIY

were you kidding w/ the jackstands?

LtNoogie · 12-24-2008, 07:50 PM

What is GTA? All I could find was Grand Theft Auto.

ChinoCharles · 12-24-2008, 08:10 PM

No... but I'm lowered. I can't really spray underneath without them. Woops.

SIPNGAS · 12-24-2008, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LtNoogie

What is GTA? All I could find was Grand Theft Auto.

I think here it means Greater Toronto Area...

YAR1S · 12-24-2008, 08:35 PM

havnt washed my yaris in a whille .... its tormenting for me... I usually have it washed by hand at least once a week... but now my fingers get frost bite... and I dont rust the car wash places much.... guess I'll have to do the self-wash thing.....ugh.

eTiMaGo · 12-25-2008, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LtNoogie

What is GTA? All I could find was Grand Theft Auto.

You mean you never found the secret carwash minigame??

06vitzRS · 12-25-2008, 12:49 PM

I wash mine at a drive in wand wash before work. I'll bring her inside the shop and up on a hoist so i can wash underneath and let it drip dry for the day. No frozen locks or doors.

koala · 01-17-2009, 10:36 PM

I just take my cars to a wand-wash type place. Never use the foam brush of course. I always go hard with the low pressure pre-soak as it gets most of the dirt off before hitting the paint with the high pressure water.

I also make sure I use the power dryer on anything that I don't want to freeze the second I drive out of the car wash (door handles/windshield washer jets/wiper blades, mirrors, and on my M Coupe I also dry the brakes as they're perforated)

jambo101 · 01-18-2009, 06:34 AM

Car wash in the winter?=Bad idea as it melts the salt thats up in all those little hard to reach places and melted salt starts getting active again causing rust,also water will accumulate within body panels and when it turns to ice it will expand and cause numerous future rattles and squeaks,also if its cold enough when you drive away all your weather stripping around the doors freezes which could be damaged when opening a door,door locks can freeze up basically locking you out of the car,and power windows can freeze putting risk to the little motors if you try to open a frozen window.On top of all that its expensive to get your car washed only to see it looking just as dirty an hour later.Unless you will see several weeks of dry weather i'd wait till spring.

Demon · 01-18-2009, 07:27 AM

every time I wash my car, the next day rains, always...-_-

koala · 01-18-2009, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jambo101

Car wash in the winter?=Bad idea as it melts the salt thats up in all those little hard to reach places and melted salt starts getting active again causing rust,also water will accumulate within body panels and when it turns to ice it will expand and cause numerous future rattles and squeaks,also if its cold enough when you drive away all your weather stripping around the doors freezes which could be damaged when opening a door,door locks can freeze up basically locking you out of the car,and power windows can freeze putting risk to the little motors if you try to open a frozen window.On top of all that its expensive to get your car washed only to see it looking just as dirty an hour later.Unless you will see several weeks of dry weather i'd wait till spring.

That salt on your car is going to corrode things a lot quicker than the water you use to rinse it off with (and when the temps get above freezing I'd rather have very little salt on my car than a lot of it from a lack of regular washing). And all of the concerns with freezing can be easily avoided by drying the car after washing.

Plus at the end of the day it's just a car. They all rust and get old eventually.

why? · 01-18-2009, 07:40 PM

Wash a car? Why? That is what rain is for.

Seriously though, went years without washing any of my cars. Nothing bad ever happened to the paint or finish. And yes, just in case you were wondering, I didn't wax them either, lol.

I think I've washed my Yaris once since I bought it. So for those keeping count, that is 2 years and 7 months, with 1 car wash.

The quality of the stuff used in the factories nowadays makes that type of thing only necessary for show cars.

firemachine69 · 01-18-2009, 07:46 PM

Either a wand wash or a touchless wash. I ain't gonna break my stuff in -28C weather!

12-24-2008, 01:28 PM	#1
edisonfire Drives: Yaris Hatchback `08 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Posts: 20	car wash in the winter for those of you who have had a load of snow dumped on you for the last week, the roads are completely wet and dirty how are you guys keeping your car clean? sooo much salt on the road hand wash or car wash?

12-24-2008, 02:11 PM	#3
SIPNGAS I LOVE my Yaris! View User's Garage Drives: 2007 Polar White LB Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Southeast Wisconsin Posts: 5,164	Car wash about once a month just to get some of the salt off. But really, it's a losing battle until spring. __________________ We don't see things as THEY are...we see them as WE are. Lisa aka *SIPNGAS*

12-24-2008, 06:10 PM	#4
thebarber daily driver View User's Garage Drives: the #wrecho Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 5,877	find a powerwash and spray the body and undercarriage weekly make sure you do it at a time of the day that it can drip off in the sun so your doors don't freeze shut (eg, dont do it at 7pm on a night where its going to be -10c) __________________

12-24-2008, 07:50 PM	#7
LtNoogie View User's Garage Drives: '08 Bayou Blue LB AT Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: West Hills, CA Posts: 2,517	What is GTA? All I could find was Grand Theft Auto. __________________ aFe Intake \| Blitz Supercharger \| Megan Header \| TRD Exhaust \| NST Pulley Set TRD Shocks/Struts \| Tanabe NF210 Springs \| TRD Sway Bar \| Motegi TRAKLITE wheels \| Kuhmo Ecsta XS R1 Concepts slotted rotors \| Carbotech 1521 brake pads \| stainless steel brake lines \| Seibon vented carbon fiber hood

12-25-2008, 12:49 PM	#12
06vitzRS View User's Garage Drives: 06 Yaris HB Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Alberta,Canada Posts: 43	I wash mine at a drive in wand wash before work. I'll bring her inside the shop and up on a hoist so i can wash underneath and let it drip dry for the day. No frozen locks or doors. __________________ 4th year apprentice mechanic.

12-24-2008, 01:29 PM	#2
ChinoCharles Banned Drives: LB Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: OH Posts: 7,787	You don't. Wax the heck out of it in October and wait for it to clear.

12-24-2008, 08:10 PM	#8
ChinoCharles Banned Drives: LB Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: OH Posts: 7,787	No... but I'm lowered. I can't really spray underneath without them. Woops.

12-24-2008, 08:35 PM	#10
YAR1S View User's Garage Drives: 07 Yaris 3dr LB (Bayou Blue) Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 2,602	havnt washed my yaris in a whille .... its tormenting for me... I usually have it washed by hand at least once a week... but now my fingers get frost bite... and I dont rust the car wash places much.... guess I'll have to do the self-wash thing.....ugh.

01-17-2009, 10:36 PM	#13
koala Drives: 2008 Yaris Hatch Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Edmonton, AB CA Posts: 15	I just take my cars to a wand-wash type place. Never use the foam brush of course. I always go hard with the low pressure pre-soak as it gets most of the dirt off before hitting the paint with the high pressure water. I also make sure I use the power dryer on anything that I don't want to freeze the second I drive out of the car wash (door handles/windshield washer jets/wiper blades, mirrors, and on my M Coupe I also dry the brakes as they're perforated) __________________ 2006 BMW M Coupe \| Interlagos Blue. (Mine) 2008 Yaris Hatch \| Absolute Red (Hers)

01-18-2009, 06:34 AM	#14
jambo101 Drives: yaris 08 sedan Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Montreal Canada Posts: 1,286	Car wash in the winter?=Bad idea as it melts the salt thats up in all those little hard to reach places and melted salt starts getting active again causing rust,also water will accumulate within body panels and when it turns to ice it will expand and cause numerous future rattles and squeaks,also if its cold enough when you drive away all your weather stripping around the doors freezes which could be damaged when opening a door,door locks can freeze up basically locking you out of the car,and power windows can freeze putting risk to the little motors if you try to open a frozen window.On top of all that its expensive to get your car washed only to see it looking just as dirty an hour later.Unless you will see several weeks of dry weather i'd wait till spring.

01-18-2009, 07:27 AM	#15
Demon View User's Garage Drives: Yaris 1.0 SCP10 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Roma Posts: 61	every time I wash my car, the next day rains, always...-_-

01-18-2009, 07:40 PM	#17
why? Only Happy When it Rains View User's Garage Drives: Yaris LB Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: harnett county NC Posts: 4,097	Wash a car? Why? That is what rain is for. Seriously though, went years without washing any of my cars. Nothing bad ever happened to the paint or finish. And yes, just in case you were wondering, I didn't wax them either, lol. I think I've washed my Yaris once since I bought it. So for those keeping count, that is 2 years and 7 months, with 1 car wash. The quality of the stuff used in the factories nowadays makes that type of thing only necessary for show cars. __________________ Colin Chapman disciple

01-18-2009, 07:46 PM	#18
firemachine69 School'er of hard knocks Drives: Silver Yaris 4dr. HB Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Sudbury, On Posts: 556	Either a wand wash or a touchless wash. I ain't gonna break my stuff in -28C weather!

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