touchless wash question
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 5,894
Likes: 1
From: Farmingdale NY
St. Jude Donor '06
I use my hose here on Long Island in NY all year round. I have a whole system in place for cold weather washes and it works great. The only time I don't wash the car is if there is lots of sbow or ice on the ground, then again, I don't drive it in those conditions either.
Car Washes around here recycle their water, and I don't even want to begin to think about what their towels have been through.
Car Washes around here recycle their water, and I don't even want to begin to think about what their towels have been through.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,974
Likes: 148
From: Magnolia Texas
Only issues I have with these car washes (and I have installed several different types) are the chemicals and more importantly the recycle systems for the water. To save costs and meet environmental guidelines, most recycle the water and while they have filters and grease traps, many dealers do not maintain their systems and after a while, you can get some pretty nasty water used. If you use them, do so sparingly and keep a good coat of wax on the car - goes for any car not just the Vette. jmho 
Racer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 435
Likes: 4
If the idle is changing when the spray in in the front, it is probably sucking a little water.
ALSO, heed WHT's advice. HF (hydrofluoric acid) used in laser washes is dangerous and destructive even in very dilute concentrations. I use HF to dissolve rocks and minerals. Ever wonder why some 3 year old cars look brand new and others look faded and worn? Even one laser wash will bloch unprotected surfaces.
ALSO, heed WHT's advice. HF (hydrofluoric acid) used in laser washes is dangerous and destructive even in very dilute concentrations. I use HF to dissolve rocks and minerals. Ever wonder why some 3 year old cars look brand new and others look faded and worn? Even one laser wash will bloch unprotected surfaces.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 13,007
Likes: 0
From: Happiness is Busch in Victory Lane!
St. Jude Donor '09 & '12, '14
If the idle is changing when the spray in in the front, it is probably sucking a little water.
ALSO, heed WHT's advice. HF (hydrofluoric acid) used in laser washes is dangerous and destructive even in very dilute concentrations. I use HF to dissolve rocks and minerals. Ever wonder why some 3 year old cars look brand new and others look faded and worn? Even one laser wash will bloch unprotected surfaces.
ALSO, heed WHT's advice. HF (hydrofluoric acid) used in laser washes is dangerous and destructive even in very dilute concentrations. I use HF to dissolve rocks and minerals. Ever wonder why some 3 year old cars look brand new and others look faded and worn? Even one laser wash will bloch unprotected surfaces.
I Can't take it anymore...
Imagine the hordes of minivan soccer mom's pissed off because of blotched paint. Based on what your saying the Laser wash touchfree car wash would be sued and out of business.
I actually have first hand knowledge of these places and the only thing we need to be careful of is ensuring you get all the soap off as its higher PH soap to aid in removal of dirt. It will not harm a properly waxed car in the concentrations that these washes use. We use chemicals everyday in our lives that would kill us in high concentrations but the question being raised is will these touchfree washes harm the Corvette paint.
I say it harms just as much as the soap you put on in your driveway. If you fail to wax your car and wash it properly - your car will reflect that in numerous years due to numerous factors (not touch free washes) These include Enviornmental factors such as Sun.
Bottom line - wash and wax your car regularly (even touch free wash) and it will shine beautifully in years to come.
Last edited by Daytona Bob; Sep 1, 2008 at 01:59 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
I Can't take it anymore...
Imagine the hordes of minivan soccer mom's pissed off because of blotched paint. Based on what your saying the Laser wash touchfree car wash would be sued and out of business.
I actually have first hand knowledge of these places and the only thing we need to be careful of is ensuring you get all the soap off as its higher PH then standard soap to aid in removal of dirt. It will not harm a properly waxed car.
These people saying there's acid in it are way off!! Acid would lower the PH. If you like I can test the actual soap to find out its PH.
As said above, if it were the norm, for those who don't trade their car every year, there would be a lot of severely degraded paint, plastic, etc. on the cars. Such is not the case.
Is it the best method to clean your car? Maybe not. But leave salt, acid rain, dust from quarries on your car, and see how long the finish/paint or anything else for that matter lasts.
Some owners do more damage with the "chemicals" they use, bought from a store, than most car washes will ever do. Think about it.
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Racer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 435
Likes: 4
Not all acids react the same. Put a piece of glass or quartz in HCl for years and nothing will happen. Put it in the same pH HF and it will be gone in minutes.
Do a search and find the story about the girl who had some fingers and part of her hand amputated after working with HF in a car wash. There was a thread about it on CF.
Anyway the OP was asking really about water ingestion.
