:?: :roll: Ok I know this is a stupid question but let me set the scene. I got my E last Friday. It snow it 8 inches that night. Roads were bad(man was it fun) but the salt and sand was extremely heavy now I have a horribly dirty E and I want it washed (yeah it's the new car bug but hey) So is High Pressure washing ok? Will it remove the dealer wax Job? and is it ok for the engine wheel wells and every nook and crany of the car. thanks for the help I Appreciate it

[quote:ac59c6f3ba=" "]:?: :roll: Ok I know this is a stupid question but let me set the scene. I got my E last Friday. It snow it 8 inches that night. Roads were bad(man was it fun) but the salt and sand was extremely heavy now I have a horribly dirty E and I want it washed (yeah it's the new car bug but hey) So is High Pressure washing ok? Will it remove the dealer wax Job? and is it ok for the engine wheel wells and every nook and crany of the car. thanks for the help I Appreciate it[/quote:ac59c6f3ba]


the general rule to high pressure washing is you don't want to use more pressure on the car as you would on your own arm at the same distance.

I would be careful with the pressure washer. Use a regular hose.

what about the car washes? are those considered high pressuer

[quote:8378ec973e=" "]what about the car washes? are those considered high pressuer[/quote:8378ec973e]

I'm curious on opinions on this question too..Brushless washes use pretty
strong jets..

Z

You don't need to worry about the pressure used at touchless carwashes. You do have make sure you choose the one WITHOUT wax (which will make a mess of your panels). Even a lot of the cheap ones have wax, so it pays to check before you pay. I'm lucky that there's one only a block from my place, but even so, mine's been washed all of two times in three months! Woo hoo!

I go to the local high pressure do-it-yoself car wash, and have not had problems with it. Except drying! Seems like I need to get the leaf blower out and make sure the nooks and crannies get THOROUGHLY dry!!

Ger

Just spent 3 days driving in freezing rain/snow and had about a 1/2 inch coating of the nastiest combination of stuff I've seen in years.

I found a high pressure manual wash near my home and used on the exterior and wheel wells twice.....works great! No problems at all for me. Nice thing about this wash is that it uses warm water and has a wash brush in addition to the sprayer. The wash brush dispenses warm soapy water and works great to the lower panels, wheels, tires. After soaping, just spray it clean. I don't use the brush on the painted surfaces though, grit in the brush could scratch.
I would be careful using the HIGH pressure spray on the engine however. Not saying it wouldn't work well....but I'm just leery of forcing water into electrical connections and such. The wash I use has a reduced pressure spray for the engine compartment.

HTH,

Mark in VA

My GF takes her Beetle to a do-it-yourself carwash. She uses the high-pressure wash, foam brush, rinse, and wax spray...

Would all this work for my E when I get it? Is that wax spray a problem for the panels? I've seen alot of posts about hand-waxing, but not sure how this compares to the wax spray thing.

To be honest, I've driven a Jeep CJ for the last 15 years- and mud and dirt were it's badges of honor.... so I have little experience trying to keep a new car clean. Any help would be hot. Thanks.

There's been alot of comments/suggestions about this....so....I try to stay away from any types of wax on the panels. I am going to try the 303 Protectant though. I have a feeling that once the panels are treated with the 303, any excess wax that could get on the panels should be somewhat easier to remove.

I miss my CJ-5 sometimes YodaMac.....I know what you mean about the "badge of honor"! The only thing I don't miss is freezing my butt off in the winter with that soft-top! :)

HTH,

Mark in VA

[quote:a5e85ea325=" "]Just spent 3 days driving in freezing rain/snow and had about a 1/2 inch coating of the nastiest combination of stuff I've seen in years.

I found a high pressure manual wash near my home and used on the exterior and wheel wells twice.....works great! No problems at all for me. Nice thing about this wash is that it uses warm water and has a wash brush in addition to the sprayer. The wash brush dispenses warm soapy water and works great to the lower panels, wheels, tires. After soaping, just spray it clean. I don't use the brush on the painted surfaces though, grit in the brush could scratch.
I would be careful using the HIGH pressure spray on the engine however. Not saying it wouldn't work well....but I'm just leery of forcing water into electrical connections and such. The wash I use has a reduced pressure spray for the engine compartment.

HTH,

Mark in VA[/quote:a5e85ea325]

Personally I stay away from the wash brushes at car washes and only stick with the High Pressure Sprayer. One reason is the brush will leave marks in your clear coat if you press too hard. Also you never know what the persons before you used the brushes for. They could have been removing engine oil out of the inside of the engine compartment.....(who knows).

For whatever it's worth, I've driven my Element through a regular (read: not touchless) carwash a few times since I bought it in August. I've always gotten the 'Deluxe' wash, which includes a spray-wax and towel dry at the end, and I haven't noticed any discoloration or residue on the plastic panels.

Thanks for the post Stick...

I would like to do the same but was concerned about the optional wax that they spray on the entire car. I was even concerned about any wax residue in the spray lines if I didn't select the wax.....I guess It may not be a prob afterall! I may give it a try next time.

Mark in VA

I used one of the self wash places with their fairly high pressure sprayers
and i got my E nice and clean..I also avoided the brush thing..I wasnt gonna use that beat up bristley thing and risk any scratches..
I just gave it a good soaking in soap and the warm rinse water..No wax..
I had water spots but it was cold and i really just wanted to get the salt and dirt off..In the summer i'll probably stick to that method, except i'd dry it so it didnt spot up.

Z

I visited some detailing sites, and they all poo-pooed high-pressure washing. They basically said that what you are doing is blasting the dirt and dust into your finish and/or scratching your surface as you blast dirt and dust off! NOT GOOD!

There are a lot of people out here who have their own personal favorite products, so read their opinions, see what you like, and pick what's best for you!

My pressure washer has adjustable spray pressure. Everything from a fine mist to tight stream with full pressure. My pressure washer also has a shampoo resevoir which applies a water/detergent mix in a soft wade dispersal spray. I first wet my car with a wide dispersal spray. I then spray the detergent/water mix and then I wash the car with a soft sponge/chamois. Spray is never enough to remove all surface dirt. Elbow grease washing contact with a soft rag/sponge/chamois is neccessary with the foam on the car for best results. The car is then again rinsed and either dried or Eagle One is now applied.