Car temperature for a car wash
09-17-14, 02:18 PM
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Car temperature for a car wash
How long does it usually take for your car to cool down before you decide its ok to wash it? How cool does the car have to be? Is there a "heat test" to know when the temp is low enough to safely wash your car? 
For those who go to coin washes- is the car temp not an issue by the time you get to one?
For those who go to coin washes- is the car temp not an issue by the time you get to one?
09-17-14, 02:32 PM
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Hi tiffskiee,
Generally speaking you want the paint to be cool to the touch. Ideally you want to wash your car on a cloudy day so the water doesn't start drying on it too quickly. That's the main reason temperature is important, not so much for the wash itself. I would stay away from coin op washes that use high pressure. They can cause issues, especially with the back up camera. I apply painters tape to the lens of my backup camera before I wash it. If your car has any sensors for parking assist avoid spraying them with high pressure as well. If you absolutely must use one of these coin op washes I would strongly advise you to use low pressure settings only like the pre-wash setting for instance and then bucket wash it once it's got soap on it. Go at a time when the place isn't crowded so bucket washing won't be an issue. I know the rinse setting is only high pressure so spray the car from as far away as possible and completely avoid spraying any areas where paint protection film ("clear bra") has been applied.
Generally speaking you want the paint to be cool to the touch. Ideally you want to wash your car on a cloudy day so the water doesn't start drying on it too quickly. That's the main reason temperature is important, not so much for the wash itself. I would stay away from coin op washes that use high pressure. They can cause issues, especially with the back up camera. I apply painters tape to the lens of my backup camera before I wash it. If your car has any sensors for parking assist avoid spraying them with high pressure as well. If you absolutely must use one of these coin op washes I would strongly advise you to use low pressure settings only like the pre-wash setting for instance and then bucket wash it once it's got soap on it. Go at a time when the place isn't crowded so bucket washing won't be an issue. I know the rinse setting is only high pressure so spray the car from as far away as possible and completely avoid spraying any areas where paint protection film ("clear bra") has been applied.
09-17-14, 03:23 PM
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IS1911, thanks for your input. Is there a specific area on the car that I should feel the paint? Obviously the hood would be hottest, but i'd imagine the whole car wouldnt cool down all at once, at the same time.
drbazing, i'm mainly just talking about maintenance car wash. Every time I refer back to a blog/article on how to wash your car properly, they always state something along the lines of making sure your car is cool first. I keep reading the articles and I get more paranoid each time.
As for coin op washes, I was just curious. I personally wouldnt go to one because i'm not familiar with those & i'd have to go alone at night.
drbazing, i'm mainly just talking about maintenance car wash. Every time I refer back to a blog/article on how to wash your car properly, they always state something along the lines of making sure your car is cool first. I keep reading the articles and I get more paranoid each time.
As for coin op washes, I was just curious. I personally wouldnt go to one because i'm not familiar with those & i'd have to go alone at night.
09-17-14, 03:32 PM
#5
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You're mainly trying to keep the water from evaporating off of it too quickly, leaving water spots. If it's warmer, you'll be spraying it more to keep it wet. I generally worry less about the temperature, and more about washing it out of the direct sunlight.
09-17-14, 03:42 PM
#6
Ah ok. I think the issue is that while your soaping or rinsing the car, the heat will evaporate the water/soap faster than you get to dry the car with a towel. That is an issue, but no idea how dramatic. If you're really paranoid about it, cleaning/washing the car in parts can help.
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09-17-14, 04:41 PM
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IS1911, thanks for your input. Is there a specific area on the car that I should feel the paint? Obviously the hood would be hottest, but i'd imagine the whole car wouldnt cool down all at once, at the same time.
As for coin op washes, I was just curious. I personally wouldnt go to one because i'm not familiar with those & i'd have to go alone at night.
As for coin op washes, I was just curious. I personally wouldnt go to one because i'm not familiar with those & i'd have to go alone at night.
Any of the horizontal surfaces (hood, roof, deck lid (a.k.a. "trunk" as most people call it) will be your best bet and yes, the hood is going to be the warmest if the car has been driven for more than a few minutes. Yes, unfortunately the coin op car washes can be pretty unsafe places. Here on the east coast most of them shut down after sunset.
If you would like to see some great videos o the technical aspects of washing your car and learn about some cool products that are much better than you can get in your local auto parts store check out this website. I'm not affiliated with them in any way, simply a satisfied customer who has been using their products for over a decade now.http://www.griotsgarage.com
09-17-14, 06:16 PM
#10
Make sure that you haven't been driving your car hard before you wash her. If your brakes are hot, you can warp them by spraying them with water.
When I worked at BMW, we had one customer with an M3 who had replaced his brakes multiple times over a 2 year period (not cheap) because he would drive his car hard, and then wash his car.
When I worked at BMW, we had one customer with an M3 who had replaced his brakes multiple times over a 2 year period (not cheap) because he would drive his car hard, and then wash his car.
09-18-14, 06:00 AM
#11
i generally wash my vehicle in the later afternoon to evening, like the last two hours before sunset, but really its for my benefit too not only the car. several folks here provided good input, but really the main thing you should be concerned with is your washing process. it won't matter if you're washing in a hot or cold condition or direct/indirect sunlight, if you're using poor technique. google the two-bucket wash system, view youtube videos, read up in the forums on autopia. the point of this process is to properly wash your car so you don't eff up the paint job (marring, swirls, etc.). my guess now is that if you're asking this question and have already taken keys to the car, you dealer probably already did the first wash and messed up the clear coat a little already. thats why i provided strict instructions not to wash mine when i picked it up. also, between washes, i.e., when your car isn't really dirty, but has specks, lint, dust, etc., then do a in between wash, quick detailer. most people use quick detailers to give it that extra pop after they wash their car, but when i feel lazy and don't want to do a full wash, i just spray down the car with QD and just wipe. i'm not talking about fancy stuff, i use UWW+, CG EcoSmart, and anything else i want to try. they're quick and simple. just make sure you don't get lazy with the wiping and study the types of QDs you have. some, like CG ES contains carnuba wax, so you have to do a small amount of buffing after wiping, but nothing crazy. good luck and have fun with it.
09-18-14, 06:53 AM
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I usually wash my car in the morning on the evening in my garage. I use the gary deans method with ONR. See the YouTube video below.
One bucket with ONR mixed distill water with 5 microfiber wash towels soaking in it. One spray bottle with the same solution. One waffle drying towel. This process is cleaner, faster, and won't damage the paint.
After washing the car i use the left over wash solution for the wheels with the wheel brush and a microfiber towel specifically for my wheels.
One bucket with ONR mixed distill water with 5 microfiber wash towels soaking in it. One spray bottle with the same solution. One waffle drying towel. This process is cleaner, faster, and won't damage the paint.
After washing the car i use the left over wash solution for the wheels with the wheel brush and a microfiber towel specifically for my wheels.
09-18-14, 09:29 AM
#14
When you rinse, remove the nozzle and leave the hose naked, now just run water over the whole car. If your car is protected either by wax, sealant, or coatings the water will "sheet" off and leave you with just a few water spots to remove. A lot easier than drying a whole car full of water beads.
Than simply take your drying towel and "sweep" it across the remaining water beads careful not to put too much pressure on the paint as that will increase changes of swirls/marring.
Than simply take your drying towel and "sweep" it across the remaining water beads careful not to put too much pressure on the paint as that will increase changes of swirls/marring.
09-18-14, 09:55 AM
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I watched that video above and I don't like Gary Dean's method at all. Also, for those of you who may be wondering that is NOT the two bucket method even though he is using two buckets. One of the most important steps in car washing is to first spray down the entire car with a hose. That will break up the loose dirt without touching the surface and causing any scratches or swirls. In addition, the hose will also blast off all the brake dust that accumulates around the pads and within the rim of the wheel. If you live in an area where it snows you will also need to take the hose and spray up into the wheel wells and the underside of the car. Getting fresh water up into these areas will prevent corrosion that comes from winter chemicals such as the brine and salt.
My basic wash method is to spray the entire car for at least 5 minutes to break up as much dirt as possible then wash using the two buck method (one bucket for soap, the other for rinse). I have separate tools for cleaning the wheels which I do last since they are the dirtiest part of the car. When the wash is complete I use a water blade to remove most of the water and then apply a spray wax while I dry using a large waffle weave micro fiber towel. All of my chemicals and tools come from Griot's Garage. I provided the link to his website in my last post.
My basic wash method is to spray the entire car for at least 5 minutes to break up as much dirt as possible then wash using the two buck method (one bucket for soap, the other for rinse). I have separate tools for cleaning the wheels which I do last since they are the dirtiest part of the car. When the wash is complete I use a water blade to remove most of the water and then apply a spray wax while I dry using a large waffle weave micro fiber towel. All of my chemicals and tools come from Griot's Garage. I provided the link to his website in my last post.