Couple questions for my newfound countrymen (Canadians)

[ken_ja]

Are these touchless car washes OK? I know nothing is better than a good old hand wash but I love the conveinience of just driving thorugh when I want a quick clean. And since there's nothing touching the car except water and soap I figure they shouldn't instill any swirls or scratches.

Will the trifoam soap that they dispense strip my coat of Nxt 2.0? Or will an application of UQW replenish anything that's removed?

Also, my plan in the winter is to go through them regularly to remove salt build up on the undercarriage. Is this adequate for rust prevention?

[Tuck91]

Re: Couple questions for my newfound countrymen (Canadians)

Well, Since its not touching you car it needs to use some strong soap to get the car clean, which isnt going to add wax but strip some instead.

[Caress Detailing]

Re: Couple questions for my newfound countrymen (Canadians)

On autopia, some guys go through the touchless washes in winter and don't see any degradation of the wax.

Then again, a lot of them are using a hard wax like Collinite 476S or even Meg's #16. So you might want to look into that.

[the_invisible]

Re: Couple questions for my newfound countrymen (Canadians)

Ken_Ja, I notice that you are in Canada. Whereabout in Canada are you?

Around here in BC, the Shell touchless car wash charges $16 for a wash, but they use a very high quality soap and conditioner to wash the cars. I find that going through these washes in winter is no harm.

I wouldn't use it regularly. I basically only go through these expensive car washes during winter. Blasting off dirt and salt using some sort of strong soap and pressure is better than scrubbing dirt and salt across the surface with a wash mitt.

[ken_ja]

Re: Couple questions for my newfound countrymen (Canadians)

Hey invisible,

I'm in Mississauga, Ontario. I've tested the Sunoco, Esso and the Canadian
Tire Simonize washes and the most thorough seems to be the Esso. All the others just wash the weel wells for the undercarriage, but the esso actually blasts the entire undercarriage. They all average about $10.00 and I can redeem points for the washes.

Do you know what the trifoam treatment is all about?

Any suggestions on care during winter would also be greatly appreciated. I've NEVER even seen snow, much less driven in it or maintained a vehicle in it.

[the_invisible]

Re: Couple questions for my newfound countrymen (Canadians)

Yeah, the trifoam treatment is GREAT. It leaves the car really shiny, and it smells great too. It is essnetially a conditioner, polymer of some sort, that protects the paint. The only drawback is that most of the time, a very light film of dirt still sticks onto the car during the carwash. When Trifoam is applied to the dirty surface of the car, it tends to trap the dirt underneath. I find no issue with that when I get around to washing the car by hand later.

In winter my concern is usually salt corroding the underbody. To prevent that I set up my car sprinkler underneath the car once every two weeks or so to clean the underbody of the vehicle. You will know what to do when winter comes

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Couple questions for my newfound countrymen (Canadians)

Personally, I have never used a touch less wash. I have heard just like Tuck stated the soap is very strong and will remove your wax. I just stay away from them.

Having said that I also understand that you are mainly concerned about rinsing the road salt off your undercarriage. So basically one part is bad harsh soap, but the other is good: washing the undercarriage. So ultimately it is your call. I guess take it to the touchless in the winter and try to get some uqw on it pronto. Some protection has to be better then none during the winter.

[StoneRaizer]

Re: Couple questions for my newfound countrymen (Canadians)

Personally, I have never used a touch less wash. I have heard just like Tuck stated the soap is very strong and will remove your wax. I just stay away from them.

Having said that I also understand that you are mainly concerned about rinsing the road salt off your undercarriage. So basically one part is bad harsh soap, but the other is good: washing the undercarriage. So ultimately it is your call. I guess take it to the touchless in the winter and try to get some uqw on it pronto. Some protection has to be better then none during the winter.

For the winter, wouldn't cleaning off dirt and salt with some UQD every weekend be gentler on the paint than blasting it off with a high pressure car wash? I also haven't seen UQW in any retailer in Canada yet but I know UQD is easy to find. I'm also in a smaller town so in Mississauga (a suburb of Toronto for all you folk that have no clue where Mississauga is ) you might have better luck.

Before the first snow hits it might not be a bad idea to do a full wash/clay/polish/NXT 2.0 routine to prepare it for winter. I would do this no later than mid-November.

[3Fitty]

Re: Couple questions for my newfound countrymen (Canadians)

Hey invisible,

I'm in Mississauga, Ontario. I've tested the Sunoco, Esso and the Canadian
Tire Simonize washes and the most thorough seems to be the Esso. All the others just wash the weel wells for the undercarriage, but the esso actually blasts the entire undercarriage. They all average about $10.00 and I can redeem points for the washes.

Do you know what the trifoam treatment is all about?

Any suggestions on care during winter would also be greatly appreciated. I've NEVER even seen snow, much less driven in it or maintained a vehicle in it.

Ken Ja,

Oh, you're in for a treat. If you've NEVER driven in snow, take it slow at first. I lived in the northeastern USA for the last 12 years, where they got significantly less snow than what I was used to and I think the drivers were not nearly as good in the snow as most in Toronto. Having said that, there are places in Canada that get much more snow then Toronto, but you've been forwarned!!!

As for touchless washes...

I generally stay away, unless the circumstances are exceptional. My winter regimen starts with a "winterizing" wax (last year was 476s, which was abysmal). This year it will be Zaino.

Then, when the car gets gunked up bad (and it will), I go to a self wash and if the weather permits, I bring my own bucket (this year an indoor self wash just opened near my house) and wash it there. At the very least I try to spray the car with the high pressure rinse and leave it at that.

The reality is, the winter is tough on cars, primarily because of the amount of salt on the roads (although Toronto is trying to move away from salt and toward sand). The amount of corrosive materials on the road is just atrocious. You just try and do the best you can.

Good luck.

[ken_ja]

Re: Couple questions for my newfound countrymen (Canadians)

Thanks a million for all the advice guys! Much appreciated! @ 3 fitty: I plan on taking the Jeep to one of these big empty parking lots and practising a little at the first sign of snow, before I take on any major motorways. Can't be much more challenging than rallying on mud? I hope!

[3Fitty]

Re: Couple questions for my newfound countrymen (Canadians)

I don't know what braking is like in the mud but it can be quite harrowing in the snow, although this single biggest worry you'll have about a Canadian winter is black ice.

I was once driving on a stretch of the 401 en route from Ottawa back to Toronto when I hit a patch of black ice on a straight road. Just picked up the car and started to spin it. There was NO saving myself. Luckly I went off into an area with a huge grassy area beyond the shoulder which was flat. Got away pretty clean for something that could have been much worse!!!

You'll learn quick!