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Problem with coin-op washes in winter = frozen windows!
Does anyone have this problem?
Wash road salt and grime from car at a coin-op place. Dry with towel and drive away. Next morning, hear loud-ish "whooshing" noise because the window(s) will no longer roll down! On the convertable especially, the little "auto up and down" the window does when you open the door is the only thing that makes a good door seal, and if it's frozen then the window literally gaps about 1/4" at the upper corner when closing the door.
It must be freezing because if I blast the heat for like 20 minutes the door will eventually thaw and the window will pop open when I use the switch.
I've had half a dozen cars that I washed at a coin-op place in the dead of winter and I've NEVER had my window freeze shut like this. It's weird how some things (namely almost anything involving the windows or glass) on the MINI seem to be mis-matched to the rest of the car... It's the only element of the entire vehicle that consistently aggravates me. Given the quality of the rest of the car, when this happens or when I read about people's door speakers blowing out or corroding because water drips through the window seal, I feel a strange sadness...
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~Matt Cook | Dublin, Ohio | '92 Classic Mini Sprite: "Fiona" + Purple Haze 2005 MCS Cabrio: "Dawn". See old MODs from "Nano" HERE - post #166 - many with How-to links!
well, dont wash your car in the dead of winter then...
__________________ I say, boy, you dont seem to be apprehendin' the general gist of what I'm tryin' to convey here. Maybe you oughta take a second, let your head catch up to your tongue before it gets all sunburnt. That was a joke, son, I say - a joke! Nice boy, but he's about as sharp as a sack o' wet mice.
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~Matt Cook | Dublin, Ohio | '92 Classic Mini Sprite: "Fiona" + Purple Haze 2005 MCS Cabrio: "Dawn". See old MODs from "Nano" HERE - post #166 - many with How-to links!
There really isn't much you can do. I have the same prob - not with the MINI but my father's Ford Excursion. Once it warms up inside, it will begin to thaw. Something else, be sure to get every last drop of water. An air compressor with the right nozzle would help too.
I figured drying the windows would suffice, but alas, no. Wonder why the MINI is so sensitive in this way? I had a beater Ford with cracked rubber seals that never froze, so why the MINI? It's... weird.
Anyway, just wanted people to know in case they were considering washing their car in a coin-op place in the cold weather. Next time, I'll use a strip of painter's tape along the bottom edge of the window until I for sure dry every last shred of water, I guess.
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~Matt Cook | Dublin, Ohio | '92 Classic Mini Sprite: "Fiona" + Purple Haze 2005 MCS Cabrio: "Dawn". See old MODs from "Nano" HERE - post #166 - many with How-to links!
The easiest way to combat this problem is waiting to wash the car until it peaks over 40 degrees. That should take care of any kind of freezing problems you may have. Trust me, I have had some good experience in this since its my 6th winter in the colorado mountains. It's all about timing.
Matt - I have washed mine quite a few times this winter when it has been below 32, 20, 0 -13 deg F . I do try to avoid getting the windows wet by keeping my spray below the belt-line. Then after I'm done I make sure to dry the glass, roll the window all the way down, then back up and dry it again. I do this a couple of times until it comes back up relatively dry.
I have not yet had my windows freeze after a wash.
The one time I washed the top, windows and below the belt-line I did notice that the top was a continued source of dripping water. Even after I dried the windows they kept getting wet because of the top dripping on them. After I dried the top, re-dried the windows, did my up and down thing a couple of times and dried around the rubber seals - no problems with freezing (except my hands, legs, face and ears).
Thank goodness someone posted this! I had the same thing happen to mine back when all this cold weather began (seems it's been this way always...).
It sounded like the door wasn't shut completely, but there's a light to warn of that and it wasn't lit. It finally went all the way up sort-of by itself, so I haven't thought about it much since. But it has been at the back of my mind kind of nagging at me.
I guess I'll just have to balance the risk of it happening again against the nearly overwhelming need to get the salt and crud off. Life is a series of choices and now I have 2 more...
__________________ Boldly marching back through time...
Hey Matt, I too have had the same problem, and I too refuse to leave my MINI dirty just because it's too cold to wash. That said the issue with the windows freezing sure is an annoying design flaw. The older 3 series bimmers did the same thing so me thinks it is just a BMW issue.
I too will use the touchless auto washes to get a quick clean and remove the salt, followed up with a hand drying. But then when I get my MINI back in the garage I will leave the windows down about half way, just so if they do freeze, it is pretty easy to free them up. So far it is the only thing I have found that works.
hummm.. i wonder why kenchan does not wash his car in the dead winter...
you won't believe how much water goes inside the door panel when
you wash your car. that water will eventually freeze possibly causing
mech failure inside the door.
Also the seal can break where the glass meets the seal.
I washed my truck the other day when it warmed up and got the mud and salt and whatever else was on there off...then it dropped below freezing that night and my doors were frozen shut!
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PW/B #11 2006 PW/B MC Premium, Cold Weather, Sport, Anth., arm rest, bra, toughguard, clearbra, and window tint, Union Jack Mirror Covers
My '97 328is coupe, '03 MCS and my current '06 MCS have not (AMAZINGLY) had cold weather/frozen seals issues resulting from my weekly coin-op "de-salting" washes. Your problem makes sense. My not having the problem is what I would consider the anomaly!
Do 'verts have the same seals as coups? Again, I am amazed that I do not (yet) have frozen door/windshield seal issues.
I garage my MCS both at home and work. If that weren't the case, I would never wash in freezing weather. I did that too many times during my youth, before I had a garage... It's a dreadful phone call to your boss as you try to explain why your car looks great, but you can't seem to get inside it to drive to work and finish the project that's on deadline this morning. On my older cars, not only would the seals freeze the door shut, but the locks would be seized, too.
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2006 Bayerische Racing Green/Black JCW MCs,
1969 Chili Red/Old English White Morris Mini Pick-up MMC #514
Last edited by dimini; 02-07-2007 at 02:22 PM.
Reason: forgot to add a thought
Glad to hear that someone escaped the issue. I'll wager the painter's tape thing will work great, but avoiding spraying the windows is certainly an option.
__________________
~Matt Cook | Dublin, Ohio | '92 Classic Mini Sprite: "Fiona" + Purple Haze 2005 MCS Cabrio: "Dawn". See old MODs from "Nano" HERE - post #166 - many with How-to links!
I have been washing cars and trucks in the dead of winter for 35 years. Coming from Winnipeg, Canada, weeks of -20F are not unheard of. Now the wand washes are enclosed, but general rule is don't wash below -25F, unless you spend a long time drying.
Try this, wash as per normal, dry the car, then spray some WD-40 on a rag, roll down the windows, and wipe the seal with the WD. It will help force out any left over water. As kenchan said, lots of water gets down in the door, so keep rolling the window up and down till hardly any water shows on the glass, and keep wiping down as you go.
If you only have outdoor wand washes, like here in St. Louis, move fast
I remember a long time ago, while statione at Loring AFB in northern Maine it would get chilly in the Winter. Everyone generally waited until the rare 33-degree day, then formed a huge line at the car wash. One lady couldn't wait...
So I'm at the grocery store loading up the back of the truck, and keep hearing "thump thump thump" from the station wagon parked a few feet away. Eventually I looked over and see the lady trapped inside. She wants me to pull on the door handle as hard as I can while she kicks from the inside. Apparently she got her car all shiny clean in 10-degree weather, hopped in without drying, drive to the store, and was frozen into her car.
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Foamy, the funnest little car in Gainesville since Dec '06
I never have had this happen with the MINI, but in 1986 when I was in high school, I drove my dads old 1976 Honda Civic. I washed it and later than night, went out to a party with my girlfriend. When we left we could not get teh doors open. We tried and tried, but they were stuck shut.
I remebered the hatchback and we got in that way and climbed up to the front and all was great... until we got to her house and still could not get out of the car, and now the hatch was not an option since it only opened form the outside. We had to kill some time and make some more heat until finally the doors would work.
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~Matt Cook | Dublin, Ohio | '92 Classic Mini Sprite: "Fiona" + Purple Haze 2005 MCS Cabrio: "Dawn". See old MODs from "Nano" HERE - post #166 - many with How-to links!
Matt, did you park inside? When I took my car to the coin op I brought it home, turned the heater on(lights) in the garage and let it sit for 30 min. I then went out and speed shined the car, wiped down the interior and engine bay. Nothing froozen.
It has not left the garage sense....
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03 MSC BRG/W
97 Jeep Wrangler. Sold
I did park inside, but my garage door has so many gaps that even with a (admittedly small) space heater going full blast, I can't get the temp over freezing when it's in the single digits outside...
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~Matt Cook | Dublin, Ohio | '92 Classic Mini Sprite: "Fiona" + Purple Haze 2005 MCS Cabrio: "Dawn". See old MODs from "Nano" HERE - post #166 - many with How-to links!
Given the quality of the rest of the car, when this happens or when I read about people's door speakers blowing out or corroding because water drips through the window seal, I feel a strange sadness...
I say, boy, you dont seem to be apprehendin' the general gist of what I'm tryin' to convey here. Maybe you oughta take a second, let your head catch up to your tongue before it gets all sunburnt. That was a joke, son, I say - a joke! Nice boy, but he's about as sharp as a sack o' wet mice.
Boldly marching back through time...
I'll wager the painter's tape thing will work great, but avoiding spraying the windows is certainly an option.
