Date:         Sun, 28 Jan 2007 13:26:44 -0800
Reply-To:     Evan Mac Donald <macdonald1987@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Evan Mac Donald <macdonald1987@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Automatic car washes in winter?
In-Reply-To:  <7.0.1.0.0.20070128044815.022671f8@ipa.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

I have lived in Michigan and Maine all my life. So, yes, I have some experience with these type of washes. Any cable on the underside of your vehicle that has a compromised seal is going to be an issue. There is not a really effective way to get rid of the salt, but something like this will get rid of the worst of the "overburden" of collected dreck on the bottom of your vehicle. In general, I try never to wash my car in cold weather when it will be parked immediately after - that is, I wash it BEFORE taking it out for an hour (or so) trip to someplace. Everything that gets warm will dry, mostly, and the worst of the items that can freeze up don't. Of course, the trip usually dirties up the truck again, but it was clean for a while! Another factor would be how cold you expect the next half-day to be. If it is going to be below about 20°F, DON'T! Nothing will thaw well enough at that level of temperature. Not doors, locks, cables, etc. If the van weill be sitting for a
 while, a sunny day, even when it is cold, will make a lot of difference.

  There was an argument made several years ago about garaging your car in cold weather. It was about whether the car should be parked in the cold, or brought into a heated garage, to unthaw.
  The side for cold argued that the snow-and-ice-and-salt in the undersides did not melt, and therefore did not quicken the rusting process. Lessen the exposure by lowering the chemical activity, I suppose.
  The side for warm argued that the faster you get that ice-and-snow-and-salt off of your car, the better off you were. Lessen the exposure by lessening the exposure.

  I never heard if there was a final answer to this. There may not be. Individual conditions may make more difference. Just another factor to consider.

Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET> wrote:
  Anyone have experience with these Northern automatic car washes that
advertise"undercarriage wash" in addition to the other whistles and
bells offered? Are they effective in getting the salt out of the
wheel wells and other areas? Will the water tend to freeze up brake
cables etc or do the air blasts dished out at the end sufficient to
dry that stuff? What is the lowest temp you'd recommend having this done?

Well. the stupid questions are the ones that never get asked.

Thanks

DM&FS


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Evan Mac Donald

(present)
1984 Wolfburg (Wolfie)
1985 GL 7 Pass. (Butternut)
1991 Carat Weekender (the Fridge)
1972 Chevy P/U (Sarah Beth II)
1993 Bonneville (the Ghost)
1994 Subaru Legacy wagon (the hearse)
(past)
1976 type 2 (Marigold)
1970 type 2 (the blue bomb)
1968 Chevy P/U (Sarah Beth)
1977 Honda wagon (the Italian special)
1978 Honda wagon (the FIRST)
1978 Honda wagon (the SECOND)
1977 Honda Civic (the roller skate)
1976 type 1 (the bug)