Onr

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Onr

Neither do I, the car stay's dirty till a day comes along where it's warm enough to wash. But no I'd never use or recommend to use an automated car wash. Maybe I've got the wrong end of the stick, but I thought the site was about detailing???????

We are definitely about detailing, but also about the overall preservation of the vehicle. In some parts of the US the roads are heavily salted during the winter, and that salt needs to be removed as soon as practically possible due to it being extremely corrosive. No wax or sealant is going to stand up to it so expecting such a coating to "protect" the finish is a pipe dream. Add to that the fact that in some of these areas the temperature can stay below freezing for weeks at a time, the owner is left with a tough decision - let the salt sit there and start working away at things, or wash the vehicle using whatever means possible. Even if that means marring the paint to some degree. It really comes down to the lesser of two evils, and quite frankly it's easier to correct the damage caused by the car wash than that created by the salt.

My sister, who lives in Michigan with our mother, apologizes to me during the winter for taking their cars though the car wash. Incidentally, as I type this they are getting dumped on and expecting 15" or more snow overnight, with temperatures well below freezing forecast for the foreseeable future. But she has a D/A and knows how to use it, so come spring I have every confidence she'll have the cars looking right again.

[roushstage2]

Re: Onr

Maybe I've got the wrong end of the stick, but I thought the site was about detailing???????

...and when does the detailing process not include how-to wash/washing a car? Perhaps the OP doesn't like waiting until a warm day to keep his or her car clean, like you? Perhaps they don't want to leave road salt on the car to literally eat it up, if they have salt or the anti-icing spray they use now too. You do not have to respond, or read anything, if you don't like it. You've already said you don't know why you are responding, so don't.

[Blazebro]

Re: Onr

Not everyone has the luxury of having an enclosed wash environment to use in below freezing weather, and they have to make do. That does not mean they don't deserve some help simply because you don't approve of their methods.

Neither do I, the car stay's dirty till a day comes along where it's warm enough to wash. But no I'd never use or recommend to use an automated car wash. Maybe I've got the wrong end of the stick, but I thought the site was about detailing???????

[gto_don]

Re: Onr

Originally Posted by Blazebro
Why I'm replying to a thread started by someone who takes their car to a car wash is the real question to be answered.

We're really hoping that comment is tongue in cheek. Not everyone has the luxury of having an enclosed wash environment to use in below freezing weather, and they have to make do. That does not mean they don't deserve some help simply because you don't approve of their methods.[/QUOTE]

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Onr

I can't imagine that pre-spraying the car with ONR would help. If you have a garage, you might consider washing the car with ONR immediately after you have taken the car through the car wash. If that is not a possibility ... well, one can only do what one can do. Spring is only a couple of months away now.

Pre spraying a car with ONR won't help one bit. Pre spraying the car with a citrus degreaser will.

ONR is a specialist product to be used in a particular way. When it's used in the way it's supposed to it's a world leader (effectively wash one panel at a time and dry immediately).

If the problem, as the OP mentioned, is that the automatic car wash is missing parts of his vehicle, then the above statements are dead on - spraying anything on the car first is not going to suddenly cause the automatic equipment to start contacting those particular areas of the car. Al's suggestion to take the car home after the automatic wash and use ONR as designed as a follow up is great advice. In fact, if you can skip the automatic equipment all together and just go to a coin operated self wash first and then ONR at home you go a long way towards avoiding the introduction of swirls in the paint.

Why I'm replying to a thread started by someone who takes their car to a car wash is the real question to be answered.

We're really hoping that comment is tongue in cheek. Not everyone has the luxury of having an enclosed wash environment to use in below freezing weather, and they have to make do. That does not mean they don't deserve some help simply because you don't approve of their methods.

[Shawn T.]

Re: Onr

The worst is Spring. You get done putting a nice coat of wax on the black car and then an hour later it is covered in pollen.

[roushstage2]

Re: Onr

When a black car gets dirty, it looks really dirty.

Drove mine on wet roads the other day...it looks SOOOO bad. Ugh.

[akimel]

Re: Onr

Why I'm replying to a thread started by someone who takes their car to a car wash is the real question to be answered.

Well, I guess I also should confess to having taken our CR-V to the local coin-op just a few days ago. I don't like standing outside in the cold for any length of time to give my car an ONR rinse. It's just too darn cold--at least for me (and I'm not presently enduring sub-zero temps either). When I lived in New Jersey I also took our cars to the local tunnel car wash joints. Winter forces one to make unhappy choices.

Yesterday we had a real nice day here in Southern Virginia, so I gave my S2K an ONR wash. So far this winter I have avoided the coin-op altogether for my Luthien, but I was darn near close to the point of breaking down. When a black car gets dirty, it looks really dirty.

[CAShine]

Re: Onr

I had to google ONR to figure out what was being talked about. And I just figured out what "IMO" stands for thanks to Mark Kleis putting it into real context where I finally get it. Learn something new every day.

I completely understand the perils of cold weather on a passion for a clean car. I live in New Jersey and we have gotten unusual amounts of snow and cold temps. It is hard seeing my car with salt all over and the thought of it eating at my wax job and in due time my paint. I was fortunate enough to have a day where it was just warm enough so that the water wouldn't freeze. I sprayed the car down with APC and then let it sit for a few minutes. Cranked on the power washer and sprayed the car down. Then I washed with Ultimate Wash & Wax. This is my "detail" in cold weather. Quick and easy.
So I would suggest a self-service car wash over a drive through. You can control the quality of the work, might just have to pop-in more quarters though.

And @Blazbro, no one is better than anyone else here. We are a community of caring and we should want to help anyone no matter what the level of knowledge or preference is.

[Blazebro]

Re: Onr

Pre spraying a car with ONR won't help one bit. Pre spraying the car with a citrus degreaser will.

ONR is a specialist product to be used in a particular way. When it's used in the way it's supposed to it's a world leader (effectively wash one panel at a time and dry immediately).

Why I'm replying to a thread started by someone who takes their car to a car wash is the real question to be answered.

[akimel]

Re: Onr

I can't imagine that pre-spraying the car with ONR would help. If you have a garage, you might consider washing the car with ONR immediately after you have taken the car through the car wash. If that is not a possibility ... well, one can only do what one can do. Spring is only a couple of months away now.

[prbrianpr]

Re: Onr

I dont know (here the temps never get cold) but there can exist a wayto clean the car in that temps.

[mis3]

Re: Onr

Certain parts of the car are not cleaned.

I usually go the car washes with the gas stations. While to quickly spray before the wash is doable, I don't really want to use UQD in the streets.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Onr

Pre-soaking the car in ONR or a similar wash solution immediately before entering the car wash would in theory help to pre-loosen contaminants, but the difference it would make would be pretty negligible IMO.

What issues are you having to cause you to say the results are less than 100% Water spots? Not removing dirt, streaks - what exactly?

It might be more effective to use a quick detailer spray and do touch-ups after the wash, depending on the issues you are experiencing.

[mis3]

Re: Onr

Both touch and touchess.
My car is silver so the swirl marks do not show as much.

I don't really have much chance. I can't wash my car in sub-zero temerature.