Car Wash hints & Tips

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

Just wondered, what tips do you all have for washing your Prado - especially after Mud or Salty Sand etc. Now with water restrictions it's a bit harder. Ideally we'd all have a full hoist and Staun Massojets I guess - and endless water!
I'm having issues knowing what to do to get into the chassis etc.
What soaps do you use, pressure cleaners? Do you avoid pressure cleaning certain areas in order to avoid damage to some parts?

I'll start off with one I used last night. If using the DIY brush type car wash, wear shorts and get your rubber car mats out to kneel on, lay under car etc to get in under everything. Don't be afraid to get soaked. Also, a couple of car ramps are worth throwing in. And (unlike me last night) wash it in the day when you can actually see where the mud is. :roll:

[McBAIN Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close McBAIN]

Re: Car Wash hints & Tips

like you mate i get the ramps out when it's really dirty. put on some old stuff and climb in under there.

we've got 30 minutes a week with the hose under new relaxed restrictions so i find that with one of those multi spout hose heads i can get in there and flush most of it away on "shower" and blast the rest on "jet".... shower seams to work best though, just the volume of water i think!


i used to use a pressure cleaner but found i ended up with all sorts of creaks and croaks when the water got in to places it shouldn't due to the pressure.

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

Re: Car Wash hints & Tips

Spray on CT18, 30 minutes before heading to the carwash to hose it off (for ultimate effectiveness, leave the CT18 on overnight before hosing off).

[GXL05 Member Find all posts View Profile Close GXL05]

Re: Car Wash hints & Tips

hi all,
this is what i do.

ct18 spray under the car leave overnight then rinse off..
i wash the car every week.
once a month i put a half cup of turps in the bucket and wash the car.this leaves a thin film over the whole car the only downside it smells a little for a day or so.
every 6 months i polish the car. alway apply the polish with a damp cloth using circular motion working the polish until it
looks like it is buffed, a bit of hard work.
when you buff the car always use an up and down motion never circular this way you do not get those ugly swirl marks.this is important if your prado is black or any of the dark colors.
use tyre shine on tyres black surounds mud flaps and under the guards. i even use it in the engine bay (plastic parts)
Your prado will look better than new.
yes id do spend time cleaning it......and getting it dirty again......that is the fun bit.....

[jcas24 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close jcas24]

Re: Car Wash hints & Tips

When I get home from the beach I park the Prado on the lawn and put the sprinker on underneath it,washing away the salt water and watering the lawn as well. No water restrictions here.

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

Re: Car Wash hints & Tips

When I get home from the beach I park the Prado on the lawn and put the sprinker on underneath it,washing away the salt water and watering the lawn as well. No water restrictions here.

Me too no water restrictions here either...

[IRON-PAWW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close IRON-PAWW]

Re: Car Wash hints & Tips

Guys just curious. I've never heard of this CT18 stuff and just did a little reading on it. Seems a lot of boating products and then there's the "4x4 action wash" which I assume is what you're all using. What's so good about it? Just curious because I also need to get underneath my rig and put in a good cleaning session.

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

Re: Car Wash hints & Tips

i get me gerni out and give the old girl a good rinse underneath, it only uses 6 litre/min and does a top job, then. its back to old technology and get the bucket and sponge, also to i add a little cap of kero into the bucket to help bring back a nice shine and to help get the road grime off, and to get tar spots off you can use eucalyptus oil on a rag or better still wax and grease remover. cheers samo

[Simmo67 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Simmo67]

Re: Car Wash hints & Tips

We have pretty serious water restrictions here in Orange so I spend $6.00 at Aquarius Car Wash whenever I come back from a trip, but still vacuum at home.

I used to do car detailing, and know the "basics" of how to keep a car looking good, but until these water restrictions are lifted I have given up worrying about how she looks so much.

Besides, I purchased a 4WD to use and accessorise - rather than get too anul about polishing and waxing and stuff like that. Having said that, I use and recommend "Meguiars" products cause you might as well use the good stuff

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

Re: Car Wash hints & Tips

Go to carwash, hand over 45 bucks, pick up car a few hours later looking like brand new.
With water restrictions this is the easy way to get the car cleaned and they do a great job.

For everything else their is mastercard!!!!

[McBAIN Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close McBAIN]

Re: Car Wash hints & Tips

Go to carwash, hand over 45 bucks, pick up car a few hours later looking like brand new.
With water restrictions this is the easy way to get the car cleaned and they do a great job.

For everything else their is mastercard!!!!

i do that one every now and then too, doesn't help if the car is too dirty or there's a lot of mud but the carpark i use for work has a guy in there every wednesday and for $50 they do inside and out. it's a lot of coin if you do it regularly but gives it that extra bit of attention when ya just can't be arsed doing it yaself!

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

Re: Car Wash hints & Tips

Go to carwash, hand over 45 bucks, pick up car a few hours later looking like brand new.
With water restrictions this is the easy way to get the car cleaned and they do a great job.

For everything else their is mastercard!!!!

Ddid that after a very VERY muddy Flinders trip, met the wife at the car wash during the day, had a coffee and a chat, watched the car go through the wash bay twice, great job. They even went to the trouble of taking the head light protectors off and cleaning underneath. Inside and out.


Only issue i suppose is they didnt do underneath, other than that, $50 well spent.

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

Re: Car Wash hints & Tips

I like my car wash :lol: :lol: :lol:

.... and if the car is really dirty you can always chuck a bottle of suds in a little upstream ....



Cheers
Chippy

[LenGXV6 Member Find all posts View Profile Close LenGXV6]

Re: Car Wash hints & Tips

I just use the cheap water blaster thingy from bunnings my wife brought me. Do the Prado once a month if its just road use, and every time I come back from camping or playing.
Getting one of those Staun water blaster things from 4wd Action, so when it arrives will have to have a look how well that goes.

[Russ WA Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Russ WA]

Re: Car Wash hints & Tips

I use Shell Dobatex Gold which is similar to CT-18 but won't corrode the aluminum.
You water it down 9 part to one.Spray it on with a weed sprayer and wait 5 minuites,use a pressure cleaner to clean it off.No need to rub the car except with a chammy or maybe some spray on wax.
Repco sell these great pressure cleaners for $150.(Lavor Pressure Washer )Great for cleaning the car.150 bar.

Russ