[danielt]

Anyone tried the Coles Express Car Washes? These are the variables, don't know if it a good idea or not. Apparently auto car wash technology has improved:



* Foam - this is applied before your car is washed, to soak up the dirt and make it easier to remove.
* Shampoo - applied during the first brush cycle, shampoo acts as a strong detergent to remove even the most stubborn dirt.
* Hot Wax - this helps to prevent dirt clinging to your car's surface, revitalising your car's paint job.
* Cold Wax - sprayed on before drying, Cold Wax helps to hasten the drying process by making water flow off the car easily.
* Wheel Wash - using a precision laser-guided system, each of your wheels are located and given a thorough cleaning.
* Dry - powerful dryers remove the excess water.

[SMOKE EM IF U GOT EM!!]

sounds alot more thorough than we have.....is it brushless?

[1q2w3e4r]

Yeah you want touchless as well, some of the places in Sydney are starting to get into it big time. One of the BMW dealerships has a no touch wash system which obviously greatly reduces your risk of swirl marks. I'd go for one of those types of car washes, especially if you have a darker coloured car.

[BMW //MPOWER]

The only car washes you should ever take your car too are the (laser sensor) brushless ones=No Scratches! Personally i go to the Carlovers on the pacific highway in Chatswood (yes near Westfield). I'm sure there are some in other suburbs.

[1q2w3e4r]

Yeah the Star wash franchise does the same thing. Alto @ Pennant Hills have one as well and will wash your car for free.

[VGR00]

The only car wash I trust is me with a high pressure hose, a bucket of suds and good old fashioned wipe down.

Sorry ... auto car washes are not me. I generally get up at 6.30am on Saturaday or Sundays to do wask mine.

[astra]

i'm with you on that vgr

[Chris.G]

Good fashioned cleaning for me as well!

[1q2w3e4r]

Originally Posted by vgr02

The only car wash I trust is me with a high pressure hose, a bucket of suds and good old fashioned wipe down.

Sorry ... auto car washes are not me. I generally get up at 6.30am on Saturaday or Sundays to do wask mine.

Bit hard when your in Sydney on Stage 3 water restrictions and about to go to Stage 4. Water is about to get a lot more expensive after this election.

Astra, unless your on bored water or have huge retention tanks, I take it your just running the hose. Each to their own, not really cool IMO.

[VGR00]

Brisbane is on Level 4 and about to go on Level 5 water restriction. You don't have to use a lot of water to wash a car. I never - ever let a hose run free and the high pressure cleaner uses a lot less water than just a hose. I somethines run the high pressure cleaner from a bucket but obiously a lot less pressure.

If councils or pollititions were doing there jobs, the water issue would have been addressed 10 years ago. Brisbane only started water restrictions less than 2 years ago. So here we are today having to pay more for water for less and they are going to control us in the process by telling us what we can do or not. Give me a break !!!. Anyway, I'm about to install a water tank and I'll wash the car from that supply in future.

[picus]

Rinseless washes guys; Optimum No Rinse and Quick and Easy Wash. Two gallons will do an SUV. I promise you'll like them.

[astra]

Originally Posted by 1q2w3e4r

Bit hard when your in Sydney on Stage 3 water restrictions and about to go to Stage 4. Water is about to get a lot more expensive after this election.

Astra, unless your on bored water or have huge retention tanks, I take it your just running the hose. Each to their own, not really cool IMO.

i am on tank water, but i use the dam water (which comes from a bore)

[funky_chilli]

Originally Posted by vgr02

The only car wash I trust is me with a high pressure hose, a bucket of suds and good old fashioned wipe down.

Sorry ... auto car washes are not me. I generally get up at 6.30am on Saturaday or Sundays to do wask mine.

i agree with that - in fact i just came back from washing my car...
we're on stage 3 here too and they're talking abt stage 4
but afaik we can still use pressure hoses to wash our cars....
it's ok it doesn't take a lot of water to wash a MINI

[astra]

i dont use much either... i only wash my roof once a month

[danielt]

Found a coles express Touchless Car Wash and tried it. Was $9.50 inc. wax and drying.

Seemed to do a pretty good job, except the wheels still need a bit of scrubbing.

The brake dust pre-carwash seemed to be like a "paste" rather than a "dust", and moreso in the front compared to the rears.

Some of those cafe carwashes do a pretty good job for around $25...better to pay the extra $15 and get a proper job done.

The "free" Alto car wash is decidely average. The wheels have never come out very clean and they don't do a great job of the interior (quick vacuum through it).

[astra]

oh, JameB... i just realised you are new

welcome

[davecat]

Stage 0 in Newcastle i.e. use as much water washing your cars as you like!

[NickG]

Originally Posted by BMW //MPOWER

The only car washes you should ever take your car too are the (laser sensor) brushless ones=No Scratches! Personally i go to the Carlovers on the pacific highway in Chatswood (yes near Westfield). I'm sure there are some in other suburbs.

I know the Carlovers well - just down the road from my office. Although I've used this high pressure "laser" wash quite a few times in the past, I'm not sure it's much of an improvement on the dreaded rotating brushes. Why? The water pressure is so high that I reckon any decent protective car wax you've applied will be stripped bare in a few washes. And if the first light rinse doesn't remove most of the abrasive dirt, it gets pounded along the surface at the first high pressure pass.

At the moment, we save the high pressure washes for my wife's ancient Saab, while I wash the 335i at home ( under Sydney restrictions) with a watering can and bucket. However this ain't working too well either. As you all know, Bimmers spew out spectacularly copious quantities of brake dust. When I wash mine, our light coloured driveway gets thoroughly stained with black brake grit - which in Sydney we are not allowed to hose off.

So I suspect the answer is to go to a car wash where you can operate the soap wands etc, select a cycle where there is no high pressure spraying, and maybe even bring your own sponges, instead of relying on the gritty brushes usuallly found at these places....

However you do it, it seems washing the car under water restrictions these days is a friggin' pain!

[VGR00]

I suppose thats the whole purpose of introducing water restrictions and regulations. If they make it hard to wash your car, then people will just give up and not wash the car therby using less water.
I washed mine today at home and some people that live around the corner from me were giving me an evil look as they walked past.

When you think about it, Car Lovers claim they recycle something like 70% of water used. That means that 30% of the water is fresh. Looking at how some people wash their cars at Carlovers, I think that I probably use less than 30% of what they use making me the efficient one. Do you think my logic will stand up in court !!!!

I've "hand" washed my cars for more than 10 years with a bucket and sponge and nothing beats elbow grease (well, some things do, but you pay!)

I typically use about 4 buckets of water per car wash which I think is pretty reasonable!

[astra]

you mean 4 buckets worth from the hose? or 4 buckets for the soap??