Tom Torbjornsen
04/19/2011
March is a big month for car wash joints. Drivers
in parts of the country are anxious to get the winter salt off
their vehicles. March also means mud as frozen unpaved roads defrost. But a
trip to the neighborhood car wash also presents car owners with choices: the
basic wash; the better wash with "a special paint sealer" or
some-such thing; and finally the pristine treatment with "rust
inhibitor". Which do you choose? Do these extra offerings have any
validity? Let´s look at it:
I built my own car wash menu based on typical offerings at the local car wash
to illustrate what you are typically offered at such an establishment. But keep
in mind that each place seems to have their own nomenclature for the stuff they
are offering to spray on your car. At one place I visited, you have the
"express wash with triple foam" deal for $6. For $9 you can have your
wheels cleaned. And for "The Works," you´d pay $12, which includes
everything in the $9 deal plus a "body shield" product along with a
5-day guarantee. Let´s look at each area in detail.
The Basic Wash
This basic treatment usually involves just what it says, a wash (with
"triple foam" may I add) and rinse. The car wash first pressure
washes the exterior of dirt, grime, mud; salt, etc. Then, when the vehicle goes
into the spray and wash tunnel, a "ph neutral" washing solution is
sprayed onto the vehicle exterior that promises not to etch into the clear coat
finish of the vehicle. Next, the whole car is wiped down with either non-abrasive
brushes or cloth strips.
Sometimes a basic wash involves an "undercarriage wash" as well. This
is a great idea because it will hopefully flush out the salt that has gotten
into the undercarriage cracks and crevices over the long winter season. Now, as
far as I´m concerned, this is all I need at a car wash. When I am offered more
than this, I decline for reasons that follow.
Wheel Cleaning
Usually, when one goes to the car wash, the place offers a step up from the
basic wash that includes wheel cleaning. Car wheels get dirty as a result of
super-heated semi-metallic brake
dust that comes off the brake pads as they squeeze the brake rotors. This
metallic dust impregnates the wheel´s clear-coat finish permanently staining
the wheel. No exterior car wash/water-solution will clean it.
There is a product on the market called
Wheel Shield that repels 60% of all brake dust and offers protection from
corrosive road clearing chemicals like liquid sodium, magnesium chloride and
rock salt. But to clean the wheel after it´s been contaminated with this nasty
stuff? Nope. The only way to restore the finish to original condition is to
have the wheel sand blasted, painted and clear coated again. Then, you can
apply Wheel Shield on a regular basis.
This kind of trouble and expense is usually reserved for luxury cars, and not Ford Focuses and
Toyota
Corollas. The other option for some added protection and cosmetic good
looks is Armor All. But again, this has to be worked onto the tire by hand.
Clear Coat Protector
In addition to wheel cleaning, consumers are also often offered "a clear
coat protector." Clear coat protector products protect the clear &
base color coat from the UV rays of the sun, moisture and oxidation; all
elements that fade the paint. A sealer applied by rubbing it on the vehicle´s
finish will always give you better protection than a product that´s sprayed on
at a car wash.
Car wash waxes give a nice temporary shine, but don´t provide much ongoing
protection. How could they given the price point? A typical professional paint
sealant application costs anywhere from $100 - $200
because it´s labor intensive along with the cost of the actual product this
versus $2 or $3 at the car wash. Call me a skeptic, but I´d rather save my money
for a nice big Chunky chocolate bar .
If you want this treatment, either pay the right price at a detailing shop or
buy the product and apply some elbow grease yourself on a clear, bright
Saturday morning; or, make it the afternoon, and put the ballgame on the radio.
By the way, a glass of lemonade or beer afterward is an almost mandatory
reward.
Rust Protection
Rust protection is a touchy subject, because so many companies have fallen by
the wayside from fraud over the years. Presently, I know of only two companies
that offer genuine rust protection, and they do not offer their services
through the car wash network of the US.
In order for rust protection to be effective, someone has to open up body
panels, door panels, get under the hood and into trunk areas, and finally
inside the boxed areas of the vehicle frame or uni-body construction. True rust
protection costs on average $100 - $250 per vehicle depending on whether it´s a
car, truck or SUV.
The extra few dollars the car wash wants is for spraying a solution on the
vehicle´s exterior that washes off in short order after a rainstorm doesn´t
accomplish anything. I´d save my money for another Chunky! or a fancy cup of
coffee.
Finally... Car Wash Heaven?
Finally, the ultimate in car wash menus--a 5-day guarantee! What? A Five-day
guarantee? Guarantee of what? That you´ll need all these services again in five
days? That´s usually what such a guarantee means. This alone is evidence that
all you got was a $6 wash two times with a few extra chemicals thrown in to
make you feel better.
Bottom Line:
By all means, get a weekly basic wash and help a local business. I´d even
recommend buying the coupon book that can save you money as you go back again
and again. But I should also say that I know a few people who lovingly wash
their own cars, and wouldn´t set foot or tire near an automatic car wash. And
they believe all those tender hand washes best preserves the paint in their
"baby" over the years.
However, we don´t all have that kind of time, or interest. As for these extras
offered by the neighborhood car wash? Skip them, and put the money in the piggy
bank. Do, however, spend the appropriate amount of money to have a few of these
things, like wheel cleaning and clear-coat protection, and rust-proofing (if
you are inclined), done at a proper detailing or body shop using the proper
products and application methods.
´Til next time...Keep Rollin´
AOL AUTOS
