What's your car wash system?? Anyone overwhelmed?

[clemsondds]

Originally Posted by Innovade

I have 3 foam cannons set up before starting the wash. One for wheels, pre-wash and the contact wash.

1) Spray wheels with P&S Brake Buster in foam cannon, clean with wheel brush
2) Rinse wheels
3) Pre-wash with Bilt Hamber Touch-Less from foam cannon
4) Rinse
5) Contact wash with Koch-Chemie GSF from foam cannon
6) Rinse with DI water
7) Dry with electric leaf blower
8) Use drying towel for any leftover water

That's cool thanks! Got a few questions for you.
1. Do you use a bucket at all? Or do you find it's not necessary since the BH touchless gets a lot of the dirt away?
2. do you go through all these products quite a bit? I know they aren't cheap. I'm not sure what the dilution factor is.
3. Why do you dry with blower and towel? I'm not saying you shouldn't...but just curious why those with DI water, dry at all since there's shouldn't be any spots formed.

Thanks!

[Innovade]

Originally Posted by clemsondds

That's cool thanks! Got a few questions for you.
1. Do you use a bucket at all? Or do you find it's not necessary since the BH touchless gets a lot of the dirt away?
2. do you go through all these products quite a bit? I know they aren't cheap. I'm not sure what the dilution factor is.
3. Why do you dry with blower and towel? I'm not saying you shouldn't...but just curious why those with DI water, dry at all since there's shouldn't be any spots formed.

Thanks!

1) I still use a single bucket with a bunch of microfiber towels during the contact wash. I like this method since each panel gets a fresh microfiber and doesn't introduce any dirt or grime into the paint.

2) I use about 100-200 ML of touchless per wash depending on how dirty the car is and about 20-40 ML of GSF. Touchless definitely uses alot more product, but I think the new formulation cuts that in half. I bought 5L last year and I'm still working my way through it. You'll need to calculate how much your dilution ratio is based on your pressure washer and foam cannon.

3) I have just let the car air dry before, but using the blower and wiping off the excess water is just faster than letting it dry. Usually after washing, I like pulling into the garage immediately so there's no chance of a bird pooping on it or anything like that. The DI setup really helps if I missed any water after pulling into the garage though. Before I would sometimes have streaks of water down the car if I missed any, but this solved that issue.

[clemsondds]

Originally Posted by Innovade

1) I still use a single bucket with a bunch of microfiber towels during the contact wash. I like this method since each panel gets a fresh microfiber and doesn't introduce any dirt or grime into the paint.

2) I use about 100-200 ML of touchless per wash depending on how dirty the car is and about 20-40 ML of GSF. Touchless definitely uses alot more product, but I think the new formulation cuts that in half. I bought 5L last year and I'm still working my way through it. You'll need to calculate how much your dilution ratio is based on your pressure washer and foam cannon.

3) I have just let the car air dry before, but using the blower and wiping off the excess water is just faster than letting it dry. Usually after washing, I like pulling into the garage immediately so there's no chance of a bird pooping on it or anything like that. The DI setup really helps if I missed any water after pulling into the garage though. Before I would sometimes have streaks of water down the car if I missed any, but this solved that issue.

Thank you! Anyone else use a system like this? I would like to get to where it's touchless...but just not sure we are there yet...still seems to need agitation. But this higher alkaline prewash/decontam solutions, really have me thinking that it might be possible. Anyone else have any good results with these?

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by clemsondds

Thank you! Anyone else use a system like this? I would like to get to where it's touchless...but just not sure we are there yet...still seems to need agitation. But this higher alkaline prewash/decontam solutions, really have me thinking that it might be possible. Anyone else have any good results with these?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UjD73oFlH20

They don't really get the car clean.

[wingflex]

Great tips from everyone here.
For those who cannot wash their vehicles where they reside , like my situation.
This is what i have come up with. I love washing my cars. It’s just a different feel to walk up to a nice clean car.

I utilize a 24 hour self car wash place since we’re not allowed to wash cars where I reside ( ecological preserve , hence no chemicals can be dumped into the ground)

1. Iron and fallout remover sprayed onto the wheels ( regular spray cannon from home depot)

2. While that sits and does its thing I prep the buckets ( 3 in total)

3. The wheel and tire bucket gets the Gtechniq ceramic g wash to add some slickness and hydrophobic properties to the wheels.

4. Spray on the gyeon tire cleaner and agitate.
Clean the spokes etc using a flat Wooly and detail brush.

Once completed, pressure wash the wheels along with the car top to bottom.

5. I have the Ik e foam pro 12. 1:40 dilution. Gtecniq citrus foam.
First spray and let it sit. Pressure wash to remove the media.

6. Second foam spray ( one fill will last two full sprays)

7. Once that sits for a bit, wash buckets used ( 2)
The usual 2 bucket method. ( gtechniq ceramic G wash as the washing aid)

8. Once done with that spray it down and use the facilities blower ( it’s actually nice)

9. Clean the wheels ( becaue brake dust lol) ( dry and dressing etc) chemical guys tire shine

10 dry off the car gyeon micro fiber towel

11. Every 4 washes or so I do a Gtechniq ceramic sealant just to protect it better.

Clean the glass and done.

I have to do this late at night since the place prohibits bucket washing when people are waiting.

car has full front + rocker panels + luggage strip PPF

Full exterior ceramic coat.

hope this helps. I generally take around 2 hours to wash it. but I also take my time with things. I could probably get it done quicker but I’m generally not in a hurry when I wash my cars

25 G80 M3 MT
22 Audi eTron Sportback.

[clemsondds]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UjD73oFlH20

They don't really get the car clean.

In that video...he seemed pretty happy. And I am not looking for perfection...95% clean would do it. I hadn't heard of that brand but I'll check it out. I'm sure I'll still do some form of contact...but just looking at options. thanks

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by clemsondds

In that video...he seemed pretty happy. And I am not looking for perfection...95% clean would do it. I hadn't heard of that brand but I'll check it out. I'm sure I'll still do some form of contact...but just looking at options. thanks

He's a generally upbeat dude, lol. His reviews are funny to watch because he'll review a pressure washer that's not meeting any specs they claim and be like "0.9 GPM, well, that's a bit less than it's claiming it should be doing, so that's a bummer, but it's still useful, let's see if we can fix that with a new orifice".

But yeah, I think it all depends on what you're going for and what you want out of it. Just like a drive through touch less wash, there's only so much you can do without agitation of containments.

[tracer bullet]

On the touchless idea, this channel has had a few things lately (and I like his stuff overall):

[MaxVO2]

Originally Posted by ultrared93

Which pads are you using? How do they compare with stock in regards to feel and braking effort?

****Pic of what I installed is below. I replaced both front and rear pads. It came with all new hardware which was very nice. I bought extra caliper pin and spring lube, cleaned everything very meticulously before installing the new pads and hardware with a bit of lube on all pins and contact points with the calipers from the springs, etc.. The pads on both ends seem to retract very well and not add extra friction, nor vibrate to cause the screeching sound I have heard on other cars with stock pads after some time. Seems like a great design.

The feel is virtually identical to the stock pads - I honestly can't tell the difference and the car stops quietly now versus the sometimes ridiculous screeching I would get from the stock pads on a pretty low mileage car (7k miles) and with an almost ridiculous amount of brake dust on the wheels and tires within perhaps 10 miles or less of city driving, which drove me nuts.

Now, the dust is reduced conservatively 90%, car stops *quietly* now, and seems to me to stop at least as well as the stock pads. I'm super happy with the pads and how clean my wheels stay now. Even the wheel weights have stayed clean whereas before they were covered in dirty brake dust very very quickly. I like driving clean cars and the stock brake pads I guess are organic pads as they were on my Benz which I also swapped out for low dust pads.

Very pleased with it all.