Car Wash

Ant555

boliston wrote: »

Life is too short to faff about washing a car

This time of year its a regular trip top the hand car wash - at £3 a go its an easy decision. Although I think its just about to go up to £4 - rip off Britain at work!!! :rotfl:

In the summer mine is definitely washed on the drive - takes me ages as i'm normally chatting to the neighbours that we don't see much of during the winter apart from the odd hello when scurrying in the dark/rain from car to house.

In answer to the OP - I wouldn;t use an automated wash but with so many roadside car washes it might be easy for you to find one close by home/work/supermarket that you could visit during a trip out.

JP08

Stoke wrote: »

So change the oil. The paintwork isn't going to keep you running is it?

Well, technically, yes. It's the one thing between your car and the atmosphere - and eventually terminal corrosion come MoT time.

And no, this isn't a nitpicking point. Handwashing your car is probably the only time you inspect every panel of the vehicle (obsessive compulsives excluded). And notice the rust bubbles etc.

takman

Stoke wrote: »

No need to spend your life in front of the idiot box. The UK has plenty of things you can do without sitting in front of the TV watching mindless dross on ITV.

Exactly but almost everyone watches TV so instead of being infront of the TV for an hour they might aswell be out washing and hoovering their car.

Stoke

JP08 wrote: »

Well, technically, yes. It's the one thing between your car and the atmosphere - and eventually terminal corrosion come MoT time.

And no, this isn't a nitpicking point. Handwashing your car is probably the only time you inspect every panel of the vehicle (obsessive compulsives excluded). And notice the rust bubbles etc.

That's a funny post dude. Most modern cars are properly galvanized to prevent rust and while yeah, you are nitpicking and I can see your point, going to a car wash will not introduce an onslaught of rust, you realize that?

Car_54

Ant555 wrote: »

This time of year its a regular trip top the hand car wash - at £3 a go its an easy decision. Although I think its just about to go up to £4 - rip off Britain at work!!! :rotfl:

In the summer mine is definitely washed on the drive - takes me ages as i'm normally chatting to the neighbours that we don't see much of during the winter apart from the odd hello when scurrying in the dark/rain from car to house.

In answer to the OP - I wouldn;t use an automated wash but with so many roadside car washes it might be easy for you to find one close by home/work/supermarket that you could visit during a trip out.

Where do you live - they start at about £6 around here!

I've been using automatic washes for about 40 years - no damage so far except one aerial, my own stupid fault.

neilmcl

Car_54 wrote: »

Where do you live - they start at about £6 around here!

I've been using automatic washes for about 40 years - no damage so far except one aerial, my own stupid fault.

Then you don't pay much attention (or couldn't care less) about your paintwork

Stoke

neilmcl wrote: »

Then you don't pay much attention (or couldn't care less) about your paintwork

Either or, it's his choice

JP08

Stoke wrote: »

That's a funny post dude. Most modern cars are properly galvanized to prevent rust and while yeah, you are nitpicking and I can see your point, going to a car wash will not introduce an onslaught of rust, you realize that?

Glad you liked the post ...

Re "properly galvanized" ... You reckon ?

Autocar 2016:
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/rusty-cars-why-theyre-not-thing-past

Particularly liked these bits ...
Motor engineer James Carswell of Scotia Vehicle Inspections, based in Greenock, claims to have seen plenty of rusty cars in 56 years of poking around the things. One of his standout memories, however, is not of corroded Crestas or rusty Rovers from way back, but flaky Focuses from just four years ago and, more recently, dodgy Dacia Dusters. “Around four years ago, Ford commissioned about 20 vehicle inspectors, including me, to check certain Focus estates for tailgate rust,” he says. “During the 18 months I was employed by Ford, I checked 10 to 15 cars a day for two weeks every month. Approximately 10% of the cars I checked had signs of rust. Ford was very good about it and did a thorough repair, or replaced the tailgate.”
A Ford spokesman confirmed Carswell’s story: “We ‘recalled’ Focuses with rust perforation under their 12-year warranty. It was at the tailgate. Something inside the panel was rubbing the body down to the bare metal. It was about three to four years ago and the cars were coming towards the end of their warranty, so they’re old now.”


And


Dr Martin Strangwood, senior lecturer at the School of Metallurgy and Materials, University of Birmingham, says applying a good anti-corrosion coating to a car is vital for a long, rust-free life. He says: “It’s crucial the correct layer of anti-corrosion coating is applied. Occasionally, its protection is used up too soon; perhaps where the metal component is concealed behind a plastic cover and is permanently damp. Also, it’s still difficult to put a thick layer of coating on complex shapes.”
However, for all the car industry’s huge strides in anti-corrosion protection, Strangwood says there’s still one chink in its armour. “Galvanised steel offers only sacrificial protection. The zinc element of it will corrode in preference to the steel. That’s fine because the zinc is not structural – the steel is. However, it does mean the coating has a finite lifetime. To extend it, in winter, people should wash the road salt off their cars.”

Strider590

EssexExile wrote: »

There are plenty of long established hand car washes around here. They all speak in strange tongues but I have no reason to believe they are illegal immigrants & they do a stirling job.

Do you work for the BBC? :rotfl:

Stoke

JP08 wrote: »

Glad you liked the post ...

Re "properly galvanized" ... You reckon ?

Autocar 2016:
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/rusty-cars-why-theyre-not-thing-past

Particularly liked these bits ...
Motor engineer James Carswell of Scotia Vehicle Inspections, based in Greenock, claims to have seen plenty of rusty cars in 56 years of poking around the things. One of his standout memories, however, is not of corroded Crestas or rusty Rovers from way back, but flaky Focuses from just four years ago and, more recently, dodgy Dacia Dusters. “Around four years ago, Ford commissioned about 20 vehicle inspectors, including me, to check certain Focus estates for tailgate rust,” he says. “During the 18 months I was employed by Ford, I checked 10 to 15 cars a day for two weeks every month. Approximately 10% of the cars I checked had signs of rust. Ford was very good about it and did a thorough repair, or replaced the tailgate.”
A Ford spokesman confirmed Carswell’s story: “We ‘recalled’ Focuses with rust perforation under their 12-year warranty. It was at the tailgate. Something inside the panel was rubbing the body down to the bare metal. It was about three to four years ago and the cars were coming towards the end of their warranty, so they’re old now.”


And


Dr Martin Strangwood, senior lecturer at the School of Metallurgy and Materials, University of Birmingham, says applying a good anti-corrosion coating to a car is vital for a long, rust-free life. He says: “It’s crucial the correct layer of anti-corrosion coating is applied. Occasionally, its protection is used up too soon; perhaps where the metal component is concealed behind a plastic cover and is permanently damp. Also, it’s still difficult to put a thick layer of coating on complex shapes.”
However, for all the car industry’s huge strides in anti-corrosion protection, Strangwood says there’s still one chink in its armour. “Galvanised steel offers only sacrificial protection. The zinc element of it will corrode in preference to the steel. That’s fine because the zinc is not structural – the steel is. However, it does mean the coating has a finite lifetime. To extend it, in winter, people should wash the road salt off their cars.”

Hence I don't buy a Dacia.... and I'm wary of Ford.