NOT TO BE A SNOB, but my little Smart has never even seen water! I dust it daily with a "California Car Duster", and if there are still dirty areas, I use 'Maguaires Quick-Shine' and a micro-fiber towel. I use a "bench brush" to brush the top. The windows are then treated with Rain-X. Does anyone know if the top can be Scotch-Guarded?
Oy... coming from someone with about 4 years of detailing experience professionally - that's begging for swirl marks over time. Quick-Detailer and Quick-Wax are awesome products, but they are just that, made for a touch-up.
If you're really into the shine and keeping it that way, pick up a boar's hair brush from Griot's Garage (Car Care, Detail Supplies, Garage Organization, Car Accessories - Griot's Garage 800-345-5789) and use that to wash with... and mix your soap to be ridiculously strong (about 8 oz for a 5 gallon bucket - will help float the impurities away). Micro-fobers are good for drying as long as they are tagless and you keep them clean - it will just take you longer than a good chamois.
About 2 or 3 years down the road, this will make a real difference.
I wondered that too when I saw he lives in the desert.
This weekend I had been debating what to do regarding the car wash, since the pollen has been bad lately, which really shows up on a black vehicle. Then yesterday I found out I won a Wash and Wax Bucket at Advanced Auto with all the necessary items to hand-wash the car.
Of course, late in the afternoon we had a 5-minute downpour which got rid of the pollen, so I didn't have to wash it. The shape of the car made it all rinse off very easily in the rain.
I've been afraid of automatic car washes since . . .
I've been afraid of automatic car washes since a friend of mine took his new VW diesel through one. The car in front of him apparently had a CB antenna stuck to the trunk that got ripped off by the large overhead brush and stuck in it. When it did my buddy's new VW it pounded dents up and down his hood, roof, and trunk and busted his windshield. He screamed loud enough so that the machine got stopped, but by then the damage was done. Of course, the car wash guy just pointed to the sign that said "not responsible for damage" and my buddy was out some big bucks to repair it all.
[quote=SubSlr88;91904]I've been afraid of automatic car washes since a friend of mine took his new VW diesel through one. The car in front of him apparently had a CB antenna stuck to the trunk that got ripped off by the large overhead brush and stuck in it.
Similar story, friend, new car (less than two weeks old). Pick-up truck with jumper cables went in ahead of her, came out minus the cables. She went in like a lamb to the slaughter.
Thankfully there are automated car washes which only use water jets for cleaning and air for drying. Now if they start calibrating the sensors for micro-cars we will have a safe alternative to hand washing.
Not that I'm complaining, the smart is ridiculously easy to wash, but I tend to get lazy when the weather is bad and it's not good to let contaminants stay on the paint too long.
Local pro car wash here said "No, not even close", and the auto washes like at gas stations? "No" as well.
Every Friday I take a handful of quarters and after work stop at the manual. Takes 10 minutes... actually kind of a nice way to wind down the week and I get it cleaner than any car wash could. I care, they tend not to.
I've been afraid of automatic car washes since a friend of mine took his new VW diesel through one. The car in front of him apparently had a CB antenna stuck to the trunk that got ripped off by the large overhead brush and stuck in it.
Similar story, friend, new car (less than two weeks old). Pick-up truck with jumper cables went in ahead of her, came out minus the cables. She went in like a lamb to the slaughter.
\
I would have then driven the VW through their offices, break room, bathrooms and vending machine area.
Gotta get back on that Paxil I guess.
I have a "touchless" carwash near home. I always zoom over the under body wash part because I am afraid what the high jet pressure is doing under my smart....
I have not been under my smart car yet and wondered if it could do any real damage under there? The jets are extremely high pressured in the one near where I live.
I can tell you, it does an excellent job on my smart. My only oddity with my smart is I noticed that the entire back end of the smart get's extra dirty in a hurry. All it takes is a wet day and the back looks really bad. I can see I am going to spend a lot of money at the car wash... LOL
Any advice or warnings about the under body spray???
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