Thank you for posting this info.
Funny thing happened at the car wash...
- Thread starter lcat63
- Start date
Yup…there’s always a degree of risk…but they put a TON of salt on the roads here, and we’ll frequently have spells where it’s well below freezing for extended periods, and there’s no way I can hand wash at those times (I’m in a townhouse community, and my neighbors would not appreciate it even if I was willing to).
I’ve used this one particular car wash before…I trust it as much as one can trust a car wash, and as I said before, I’m only using it when I feel it’s absolutely necessary.
I’m always checking the forecast and seeing if I’ll get a good day to handwash before driving over there, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do…more power to if you have a warm water hookup and drainage that allows for winter washings…I don’t
^^ This. In the winter here, the amount of salt on the roads means it has to get washed off somehow. Here in NW PA there are no shortage of old touchless carwashes with lower than ideal pressure too
I am curious. I bought an electric, 2000 psi pressure washer from Costco, mainly because it included a foam canon. Ido not hold the nozzle close to the painted surfaces, only using it to rinse the foam soap off after I use a soft brush on it. Do you think that is okay?
While the paint and clear coat layers on modern cars are disappointingly thin, it will hold up to the psi from the electric pressure washer even if up close and using low angle to pinpoint heads.
Touchless car washes use a high alkali chemical as the initial rinse to soften dirt and eventually dull the clear coat at a minimum. Some detailing places will also claim it actually erodes the clear coat over time. They will still rather you use a touch less system to a brushed.
In any case, in 10 years if you still plan on keeping the LC, a paint correction by reputable autobody will make your car look great again at a reasonable cost
I am not sure what a paint correction is. Is that just buffing (compounding) the paint out?
Basically. They remove surface contaminants, apply different compounds, buff etc.
You could easily do it yourself, but to get the optimum results is very time consuming especially on a vehicle the size of the LC.
I think it's unlikely you have anywhere near 2000 psi out of the nozzle (and, as long as you don't hold the nozzle close to the paint, I'm sure everything will be fine!) The ideal psi (at the gun/nozzle) is under 1000 psi. You can lower the psi at the gun by changing the orifice size on the nozzle. So, if you are concerned at all about the psi, just get a nozzle with a larger orifice to reduce the pressure. Here is a link to a nozzle size calculator. The most definitive testing of pressure washers for car washing was done by Matt Moreman (Obsessed Garage). If you look at the spreadsheet he developed, it has recommended orifice sizes for a ton of different pressure washers.
Yes. First thing I did when I got my LC was to do a paint correction - you'd be surprised at how imperfect the paint is from the factory. Here's a pic showing my larger orbital polisher that I used on my LC.
Here are two pics of the reflection of my LC (reflecting in the paint of the RDX) after the paint corrrection.
Miss Daisy’s entire hood, and some other areas, has some kind of clear plastic covering. PPF I think it is called. Should that be included in the ‘paint correction’?
Do you give lessons?
Do you give lessons?
Typically I’m opposed to car washes because of the micro-scratches in the paint, but my Land Cruiser is pushing through tree branches and bouncing on rocks and logs multiple times a week.
Mine is purchased for actual off-roading (as in, leaving roads entirely), so my use case may be different than most.
Mine is purchased for actual off-roading (as in, leaving roads entirely), so my use case may be different than most.
PPF does not get polished. Most PPF has self-healing properties that will remove minor scratches (sit the car in the sun on a hot day and magic happens!)
Lots of great YouTube guys who you can watch to learn how to do a proper paint correction (Kevin Brown/Buff Daddy, AMMO NYC/Larry Kosilla, and Matt Moreman/Obsessed Garage are three I watched a lot when I was first learning to do paint correction.) The initial investment in equipment (two polishers, pads, and buffing compounds) is pretty steep. I'm a huge fan of my FLEX polishers, but several great cordless polishers are available (and yes, you would want cordless!)
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Some pressure washers are actually designed specifically for car washing…but even if just using a standard pressure washer, just be sure to use the widest nozzle if there’s a choice
Huh…well, I wonder why they provided a Tank Average setting that displays your mpg for a given tank full and then automatically resets when you refill.Agreed -resetting the trip is a pain.................. I have decided it is bc they don't REALLY want you to calculate the mpg!
It’s somewhere in the manual, probably before the section on how to wash a truck for the OCD afflicted.
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