Pressure rinse vs using soap

[avacado11]

I brought a new Outback and the color(blue) picks up dirt/grime more than the gray 330xi I used to have.

I've been going to the self wash almost weekly and it's getting expensive(I'm not at home). $5 a pop since the outback is bigger than my 330. I'm also rushing so fast to beat the timer I've been kniking the paint with the hose.

I don't have a garage currently so it's always parked outside. I don't want anything to get baked into the paint/damage the clear coat so I'm paranoid about keeping it clean.

Would it be smart to just pressure rinse the car down with water every 2 weeks then give it a good hand wash(at home) and wax(mother's carnauba wax) every 6 months or is that just pushing it?. I figure the brushes at the self wash will do more bad than good. Touchless washes don't get grime off. I gotta wax it at some point...

Currently i do a complete wash(rinse, foam brush, rinse, dry) at the self wash station. I use Turtle Wax's dry & wax to give it a quick wax coat while I dry the car. I know the foam brush kills the clear coat. That's why I gotta change my ways lol

 

[Brolly]

I would buy your own mitt for washing the car down for the body only. Next i would buy another mitt a different color if available for the wheels. Go and wash every other week. I keep all my stuff in my car. Now if I see bird stuff or what ever on the car then i go rinse it off untill my next wash. Wax every 6 months with which ever is your favorite one. I splurge and get a new hand pad every time and micro fibers so i dont worry about whats on them from the last time. Now if you have no other choice but to use the brush at the self wash please please rinse out with the degreaser and soap prior to putting on the paint. Splurge on the self wash wax or Rain-X option will help a little in the long run.

Oh on the hose nicks clay bar should bring that out if its a rubber hose.

Look into buying a pop up closed in garage or a car cover a nice one not a wal-mart one.

 

[danez_yoda]

Waterless car wash may be an answer

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=umKZ_l8eOVg

 

[csandste]

I use a mitt and car soap in a bucket, then take it down to the coin op car wash which is a couple of blocks from my home. The basic $2 wash is about right time for rinse and polish. Cheaper than a full car wash and seems to work fine.

 

[69GTX]

You're not in the snow/rust belt that should help. The finish on my car is 15 years old now. All I do are manual monthly car wash rinse wands (soap and then high pressure rinse taking 5 min total). Each quarter or so I do a more thorough manual hand soap and wash down to get off what the car wash rinses don't. Never use the brushes or automatic services at car washes. 2X per year I wax with Carnuba or whatever I have available. Bird poop has to be taken care of the same day or at worst the next day. I use soap and water to remove brake dust off the alloy wheels every 2-3 weeks. A very minimal routine that has kept the finish looking excellent. I also keep the car outside, but parked out of the sun.

While I got lots of organic material on my car from trees and stuff blowing around in spring and fall, I rinse it off with a couple gallons of water 1X or 2X per week. I don't see regular dust baking into the paint. Though I guess I rinse water over my car at least weekly if not a couple times per week. On average, I probably spend 15-20 min per week on keeping the exterior surfaces clean. If I don't see anything accumulating, I don't do anything. Frequent rains help too.

 

[CKN]

The finish on his Outback won't look new at all if he spends any time at all on the Interstate or highways at fast speeds. Check any Subaru forum (Legacy, Outback, etc.) and you will find many complaints about soft paint and the lack of Subaru doing anything about it when you ask.


I know-I own one. And I have never owned a car with such poor paint adhesion on the hood and other parts of the car.


This alone will have me look elsewhere when shopping for a new vehicle next time around.

 

[Lubener]

Originally Posted By: CKN
The finish on his Outback won't look new at all if he spends any time at all on the Interstate or highways at fast speeds. Check any Subaru forum (Legacy, Outback, etc.) and you will find many complaints about soft paint and the lack of Subaru doing anything about it when you ask.


I know-I own one. And I have never owned a car with such poor paint adhesion on the hood and other parts of the car.


This alone will have me look elsewhere when shopping for a new vehicle next time around.


The sun will destroy the finish faster than anything. You are doing an ok job, a lot of people don't bother. Many times the rinse alone doesn't get the film off so hand washing is needed.

I know a few people with 4-5 year old Legacys that are kept outdoors and look like the day they rolled off the assembly line. The Subaru is one of the best cars out there.

 

[gizzsdad]

It's interesting that you ask this, as for the past few years I've found that the HP rinse actually cleans a little better than the HP soap. It has to be dependent on the equipment and chemicals used at each facility. The soap they use at my car wash is so weak, I don't use it unless I've got a bunch of bugs, as the bug carcasses seem to soak up the soap a little and make them come off easier on the second pass and/or by scrubbing with a mitt.

The pre-soak they use is VERY strong and I avoid it pretty much, as it seems to be very hard on even the best sealants. I do find that if I go through the self serve and use the HP rinse before going through the no-touch automatic - the results are much better than driving through the no-touch alone.

 

[Rolla07]

Meh, I doubt anything is sticking to the clear coat in winter. I would use the touchless car wash every month or two. I have had no issues with them, while they dont clean perfectly they are decent and you can bring some waterless car wash and microfibers and give the car a quick wipedown afterwards to make it perfect. Or use the manual wash to rinse thoroughly and wash with ur own supplies using waterless wash.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: Lubener
Originally Posted By: CKN
The finish on his Outback won't look new at all if he spends any time at all on the Interstate or highways at fast speeds. Check any Subaru forum (Legacy, Outback, etc.) and you will find many complaints about soft paint and the lack of Subaru doing anything about it when you ask.


I know-I own one. And I have never owned a car with such poor paint adhesion on the hood and other parts of the car.


This alone will have me look elsewhere when shopping for a new vehicle next time around.


The sun will destroy the finish faster than anything. You are doing an ok job, a lot of people don't bother. Many times the rinse alone doesn't get the film off so hand washing is needed.

I know a few people with 4-5 year old Legacys that are kept outdoors and look like the day they rolled off the assembly line. The Subaru is one of the best cars out there.


NOT THE PAINT-
http://www.subarubrzforum.com/9-subaru-b...nt-quality.html

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f88/2011-paint-fail-100025/

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: CKN
The finish on his Outback won't look new at all if he spends any time at all on the Interstate or highways at fast speeds. Check any Subaru forum (Legacy, Outback, etc.) and you will find many complaints about soft paint and the lack of Subaru doing anything about it when you ask.

I know-I own one. And I have never owned a car with such poor paint adhesion on the hood and other parts of the car.


Stop tailgating dump trucks and other large vehicles. This will help curtail all the small gravel and other debris from being kicked up and on to the front end of the car. It's not the car that has the problem but the driver.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Originally Posted By: CKN
The finish on his Outback won't look new at all if he spends any time at all on the Interstate or highways at fast speeds. Check any Subaru forum (Legacy, Outback, etc.) and you will find many complaints about soft paint and the lack of Subaru doing anything about it when you ask.

I know-I own one. And I have never owned a car with such poor paint adhesion on the hood and other parts of the car.


Stop tailgating dump trucks and other large vehicles. This will help curtail all the small gravel and other debris from being kicked up and on to the front end of the car. It's not the car that has the problem but the driver.



Yea-that must be the problem....tail gating.......

 

[Lubener]

Originally Posted By: CKN
Originally Posted By: Lubener
Originally Posted By: CKN
The finish on his Outback won't look new at all if he spends any time at all on the Interstate or highways at fast speeds. Check any Subaru forum (Legacy, Outback, etc.) and you will find many complaints about soft paint and the lack of Subaru doing anything about it when you ask.


I know-I own one. And I have never owned a car with such poor paint adhesion on the hood and other parts of the car.


This alone will have me look elsewhere when shopping for a new vehicle next time around.


The sun will destroy the finish faster than anything. You are doing an ok job, a lot of people don't bother. Many times the rinse alone doesn't get the film off so hand washing is needed.

I know a few people with 4-5 year old Legacys that are kept outdoors and look like the day they rolled off the assembly line. The Subaru is one of the best cars out there.


NOT THE PAINT-
http://www.subarubrzforum.com/9-subaru-b...nt-quality.html

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f88/2011-paint-fail-100025/


Opinions from another forum do not mean much to me as actually seeing several in like new condition after being exposed to the elements all the time.

 

[avacado11]

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Originally Posted By: CKN
The finish on his Outback won't look new at all if he spends any time at all on the Interstate or highways at fast speeds. Check any Subaru forum (Legacy, Outback, etc.) and you will find many complaints about soft paint and the lack of Subaru doing anything about it when you ask.

I know-I own one. And I have never owned a car with such poor paint adhesion on the hood and other parts of the car.


Stop tailgating dump trucks and other large vehicles. This will help curtail all the small gravel and other debris from being kicked up and on to the front end of the car. It's not the car that has the problem but the driver.


Very true. My 330's front end was shot because the previous tailgates a lot. Headlights had no gloss left in them along with the front bumper(clear coat felt rough). I removed the front plate and you could clearly tell where it used to sit as it was the only glossy part of the front end.

My 04 Outback with 250k highway miles had some chips in the paint but faired a lot better than my 330. It was also 2 years older and 150k less miles.