Post off-road cleaning

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

Well after some fun in the dirt and a bit of mud on Saturday it was washing day today. I am fortunate to own a Karcher which is good for getting off mud but am interested to know what others do after a day's off-roading.

1st tip would probably be to use the Karcher before all the mud dries up I'm guessing. It was getting dark and I was tired when we got home on Saturday, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! Besides it impressed my friends the next day LOL.

Also is it safe to Karcher the inside of the engine bay? Any spots to avoid? A fair bit of muddy water splashed up in there and I'd like to wash it off but not drown any electrics in the process.

[raydes Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close raydes]

CT -18 from super cheap or Repco mix with some water spray on with garden sprayer ,wash off with water hose . can be left on over night to soak in if very dirty. Try not to buy the premixed,, more water than CT-18.

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

As above, keep the Karcher away from the engine bay, just use the hose without a nozzle.

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

Ditto... My last Karcher lasted approx 12 years ( 350M) and was a great machine. It recently died and was beyond economical repair so I have replaced it with another which included some handy little extras. My favourite attachment is the flexi tool which allows me to get the Cleaner up into the hard to reach areas that are a bugger to get to with the standard long lances. These are quite expensive on their own ($139) but if you get the chance to try one, I thoroughly recommend them!


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[bigfut Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close bigfut]

Karcher for me too. However I found this karcher adaptor in store a few weeks ago. Fantastic!!!
I have always been paranoid about what mud etc was left under the car, chassis etc. Now I dont have to be, it was amazing what was left under the car when I moved it.

http://www.bunnings.com.au/products_..._P6270397.aspx

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

I use to park mine on the back lawn and put the soaker hose under it for a while to soften every thing up then use some degreaser and garden hose, some times the gernie but depended on what I was using it on. I don't like using the gernie near seals and things as I don't want to push any crap into seals which can be done with a gernie, if it gets at the write angle it can open rubber seals up and wedge the crap into places it wasn't in the first place........As much as I love playing in the mud I must say I refrain myself from it as my mate who owns a touring business always said to me "mud means money" which to me is true as when ever Ive played in it, it has caused an issue one way or the another. I will go through it if need be but I don't go screaming through like I use to just to cover it in mud. ..... Cheers Steve

[CaLLaN 52 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close CaLLaN 52]

CT 18 for me too, soak overnight, then comes up a treat, but i usually go to local car wash & give the underneath a few $ worth & leave all the Mud there, then home & wash it properly

Steve J

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

CT -18 from super cheap or Repco mix with some water spray on with garden sprayer ,wash off with water hose . can be left on over night to soak in if very dirty.

You mean this one :-
http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/onl...pid=2012#Cross

When you say leave it overnight if very dirty do you mean on the engine or the whole car?

I had some Karcher Vehicle Wash that's supposed to go into the dispenser on the Karcher and get sprayed on with the wand. I can't seem to get the dispenser working so just used it in a bucket like normal car wash.

As above, keep the Karcher away from the engine bay, just use the hose without a nozzle.

OK, noted.

Ditto... My last Karcher lasted approx 12 years ( 350M) and was a great machine.

I reckon we've had ours for at least 15 years now, bought it back when I owned an 80 Series Cruiser. Mine's one of the ones with a metal motor and pump, a lot of the newer cheaper ones have too much plastic in them. I've only had to get it repaired once when the foot switch stopped working and they replaced the wand for free (think there must have been a recall or something because it was working at the time). The only problem with it now is the soap dispenser doesn't seem to work.

Karcher for me too. However I found this karcher adaptor in store a few weeks ago. Fantastic!!!

Yes, I've seen those too. Seems a bit exxy but if it works might be worth it.

I use to park mine on the back lawn and put the soaker hose under it for a while to soften every thing up then use some degreaser and garden hose, some times the gernie but depended on what I was using it on.

Trouble is I don't have a back lawn or a front one for that matter.

I will go through it if need be but I don't go screaming through like I use to just to cover it in mud. ..... Cheers Steve

Well I wasn't intending too but somehow we got splashes up over the roof LOL. It was more muddy water than thick mud, went through a few deepish puddles.


Yeah, I've seen those. Seem a bit exxy but if they work might be worth it. I got underneath as much as possible but there's still quite a bit of mud underneath.

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

[IMG][/IMG] Can see the green hose under the old girl...............Cheers Steve

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

CT 18 for me too, soak overnight, then comes up a treat, but i usually go to local car wash & give the underneath a few $ worth & leave all the Mud there, then home & wash it properly

Do you use one of those self-serve wash bays with the high-pressure wands or an auto one? Most of the auto ones seem to ban 4WDs but in any case I wouldn't use one due to the roof racks. I wish we still had the free washes we got as part of the deal with buying the old 95 series, used to just drive down to the dealer and the boys would wash it for me. They discontinued it supposedly due to Melbourne Water restrictions but I think it was more for economic reasons since customers who had it as part of their contract get them still.

Can see the green hose under the old girl...............Cheers Steve

Wow, I had nowhere near that amount of mud LOL.

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

I certainly wouldn't be using an auto one fido even if available. With mud, gritty shit on your nice pearl paintwork would be more like scratch and go..... Cheers Steve

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

With mud, gritty shit on your nice pearl paintwork would be more like scratch and go..... Cheers Steve

Well I do have quite a few new bush pinstripes from Saturday's outing, trying to ignore them LOL.

[Joshy Member Find all posts View Profile Close Joshy]

Agreed with the sprinkler. If you leave it too long and the mud hardens up, put the sprinkler under it for a few hours then I use a right angle attachment for my Gerni that works a treat for getting right in underneath. Also, make sure you hose into the chassis rails to flush them out properly.

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Another vote for CT18, I leave for about an hour and gernie off.

Hutch- Prado 2012 petrol with the TJM Catologue.

[brogers Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close brogers]

I spoke with one of the Chemists from Chemtech a couple of years ago, and he said that CT18 was initially intended to be used by truck drivers, to be applied across the front of their rigs before a long trip, and at the end of the trip, it was to be washed off, and hopefully take all the bugs with it etc....I actually tried this a couple of times....I cleaned the car before a big trip (3,000km over a couple of days), and poored some CT18 onto a clean rag, and gently smeared it across the front bumper before the trip. When we returned I washed it off (it didn't rain during the trip) and it seemed to work quite well. I haven't bothered since to be honest, and now I just use the CT 18 as a normal car wash. Its aussie made, it works well, it has a neutral pH and I like it....another vote for CT18....(and I use it one the boat as well).