It snowed yesterday and its about a hi of 15F today in chi-town.
My MCS is filthy dirty with roadsalt.

In the past ive been reluctant to wash my cars when below 25F
to prolong my rubber/plastic components...but people say its still
better to wash off the roadsalt.

Which do you do?

Wait until it gets to high 20F's while the car sits corroding by road salt...
- or -

Wash it in 15F weather and watch your plastic/rubber parts wear and
detrioriate faster but maintain the panels from rusting... ?


_________________
03MCS IB/Blk: 123, Aerokit, R90 17x7, Anthr + Leather, TK5 16x7, 6CDMP3, etc.




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no karwash

 

15F

 

yeh, i don't have a heated garage...but do have IR heaters and a space
heater. maybe i should just clean off the panels and then later take her in
through a touchless to get the undercarriage...?

 

82F??! it's 4F right now..

 

Well the dirt is bad, go touchless. Think about all of the other people who are going thru with nasty dirty cars. All of the stuff in a normal carwash is getting stuck in the brushes/etc. Some of the better touchlesses have good drier systems, if your snappy about it, a quick towel-dry will keep your car pretty unfrozen!

Carsicles are bad! I've been stuck in a frozen car in Houghton, MI. Tho only for about 20 minutes.

 

I take mine to a do-it-your self wash to get salt etc out form under as much as possible during the winter irrespective of temprature.

Heated garages are what kills cars - if it stays frozen the salt isn't hurting but let it warm up every night and guess what - the satly slush gets going. if you can't wash it leave it frozen.

 

>>15F

That IS however the perfect weather for VODKA!!!

Just ordered an S!!!

 

>>Heated garages are what kills cars - if it stays frozen the salt isn't hurting but let it warm up every night and guess what - the satly slush gets going. if you can't wash it leave it frozen.

gordon, thanks for that tip. I too have to agree as i have salt dust inside
my fenderwells on my weekendcar which I only drive when dry outside and
there is zero corrosion on the panels, arms, etc. im gonna just wait.

 

>>I take mine to a do-it-your self wash to get salt etc out form under as much as possible during the winter irrespective of temprature.
>>
>>Heated garages are what kills cars - if it stays frozen the salt isn't hurting but let it warm up every night and guess what - the satly slush gets going. if you can't wash it leave it frozen.

Now that's a terrific piece of advice about not initiating the (more corrosive) freeze-thaw cycle. Never thought of it but it makes sense.

I guess I just got lucky, my cars 'stay frozen' by default, due to living in Chicago w/o heated garage...

Chicago MINI Phreaks, CHECK IN on your family and friends during this bitter cold!
Tatt

 

>>15F

You SOB! It's only 50 up here in Tallahassee!

Oh, and I'd wait for a warm(er) day to wash it. (I'm a displaced Yankee.)

 

The weather around here has been in the 20's of late, but my PS/B MC was so grungy I couldn't stand it, so I got a bucket of warm soapy water and went over the whole car but didn't rinse it. Then I went immediately to a pressure wash place and went over it again really well, using only the rinse and the spot free rinse settings. The back is already getting funky again, of course, but it was well worth the effort to retain any sense of self respect!!

 

fms- i know exactly what you mean! i think im just going to clean off the body
until it gets warmer towards the end of the week.

 

Never let anything touch it but 100% cotton, hand wash always. to tell the truth even a dirty mini looks better than just about anything else on the road.

my wife thinks me insane, cause I wash in temp's around 40 or so, its cold but I like a clean car. under 40 and I wash, pull it in side for the drying and touch up.

wax only in 70 or above, use zano only.

if you dont have time, hose it off to get some of the grime off, keeps the build up down, but the butt will always get dirty quickely, just the mini way

just my .02
Kent

 

Go to a touchless, which is the only acceptable kind of car wash for a MINI. That's what I do.

 

darxar- 40F is warm for us chi-town boys. I wash my car on the
driveway in 32F just as long as it doesn't freeze and i slip and fall. hehehe.

 

I've posted this b4... so here it is again :smile:
It works for me..no matter how cold it gets
=========================================


<< Great question
I live in NY..on LI
During the spring , summer & fall..... I can honestly say I hand wash my MCS nearly eveyday.... as long as it's not raining. I wax it nearly as often

During the winter months (where we are now)... I have this strange hand/brush washing technique ..that occurs I'd say conservatively... 3 times per week
I fill up buckets of lukewarm water/lite soap mixture...and wash the car with an extremely soft brush.
I use the same bucket/brush approach...... to rinse.
I finish with a chamois wearing rubber insulated gloves.
I am afraid to count how many times I actually fill up that bucket o water

Now everyone repeat after me....OBSESSED...rofl.
I absolutely can not stand looking at a dirty car...
It just makes me... cringe!!!! >>

Peace,
D

 

d- your brush will freeze within a minute in our weather....

 

I had to power wash off the salt and dirt today. I then noticed that the water (which must have had anitfreeze in it because it was blue) was freezing to the car as I was power washing it. Turns out it was -15 F. It ws friggin cold but the mini took it like a champ. Does real well on snow too!

 

If you have a garage to park it in overnight, I would take it to a self serve place and just spray it off. If you then have to park it outside, it might freeze open or shut. The garage would be above freezing and allow it to dry over night. That is what I have done in the past.

 

>>darxar- 40F is warm for us chi-town boys. I wash my car on the
>>driveway in 32F just as long as it doesn't freeze and i slip and fall. hehehe.

That's a good point, safety for the washer person first. No sense slipping or getting frostbite in the process of a wash.
Touchless sounds like a good option and the minute it warms a bit then think "WASH ME".

Today is a clear cool high of 78. No chance for snow today. So much for a white christmas.

Waves on the north shore are pounding and 10 feet today. Small craft advisory is out. Careful-surfers, don't break your neck in that surf. 20 to 30 ft surf is unsurfable except by the pros and big wave experts. You'll need jet skis to take you out to where it's breaking and even the jetskis get mangled by the waves. It's risky business.

 

>>It snowed yesterday and its about a hi of 15F today in chi-town.
>>My MCS is filthy dirty with roadsalt.
>>
>>In the past ive been reluctant to wash my cars when below 25F
>>to prolong my rubber/plastic components...but people say its still
>>better to wash off the roadsalt.
>>
>>Which do you do?
>>
>>Wait until it gets to high 20F's while the car sits corroding by road salt...
>> - or -
>>
>>Wash it in 15F weather and watch your plastic/rubber parts wear and
>>detrioriate faster but maintain the panels from rusting... ?
>>
I live in Northwest Indiana and here is my rule of thumb for winter washing. Never wash a vehicle if it is below 20 deg F, unless you can leave it in a heated garage for at least 48 hours to completely dry out. If it is cold and everthing works ( locks etc ) don't mess with it. Salt won't cause you a problem at 15 deg and dry like it is today.
Neal Bardens
>>
>>_________________
>>03MCS IB/Blk: 123, Aerokit, R90 17x7, Anthr + Leather, TK5 16x7, 6CDMP3, etc.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>><a href="http://hometown.aol.com/teined/index.html">more info</a>

 

thanks for the tip, neal!

 

Went through the automatic (brushless) car wash two days ago because I got stuck behind a plow/salt truck on the way to a doctor's appointment. Car stayed clean for all of five minutes after leaving the car wash.

 

sorry to go a little off subject, but why don't you wax in below 70 degree weather? Im a newbie at the car care stuff