I’m always worried about my doors/locks getting frozen shut. Are there good wash methods/practices/precautions to abide by when washing your car in the winter? Silicone lube on door seals? If not washing at home, what is the best type of car wash to go to when the weather is below zero? Full service? Touchless? DIY pay by the minute types? If any of you have a tried and true method of car washing when the weather is single digits or below I’d love to hear about it. Are there any really good DIY car wash bays in the East side area? (Cottage Grove, Woodbury, Oakdale, Maplewood) maybe even with heated water just as a place to go for a regular spray down?
These guys look promising, it’s a DIY car wash with heated bays. It also only costs $1. https://www.cornergiantwash.net/car-wash/
Also thinking of buying a cheap 12v air compressor to keep in the car so I can blow out the locks (and any other areas).
I always go through a touchless gas station car wash a few days after a large weather system passes through; these have the underbody sprayers that can remove a good portion of the caked on salt throughout the undercarriage. Otherwise I go to a spray location (I'm on the East side, sorry can't make any recommendations) when I start seeing more build up than paint, only when it's in the twenties or warmer. I bring a rag to wipe my door seals; I don't have an issue with locks above 20F.
I go to a coin-op and bring ramps. I back the rear tires up onto the ramps so I can really spray the underside, especially the rockers and rear suspension. And I don't spray above the door handles to avoid water getting to the lock/latch mechanism either through the handle, or dripping into the door from the window weatherstrip. If the car is really filthy and I want to wash the top half, I use the soap brush, and then rinse by spraying the windows at an up-and-back angle so most of the water drains down along the pillars instead of into the doors. I also go on the coldest days that I can, as the roads are drier.
My issue is washing when it’s colder than that. Like how it’s been the past week. Car is caked up. How do you wash when it’s like zero degrees though?
Just leave all the salt on the car all winter and don't let it ever warm up. I feel like a heated garage is the worst for rust because the warmth increases the oxidation chemical reaction.
I don’t know, even when it’s freezing cold out and th sun shines on it in a parking lot the car starts dripping.
Coin-op and mf towels. Frame is eastwood coated inside and out, but I still prefer to wash it manually vs leaving it to a drive-through sprayer. I have a little radiator in the garage that keeps it about 20F above ambient and doesn't kill my electric bill. On days like we've had this past week I'll hit the driver's door lock with a heat gun just in case.
In the fall I personally went out of my way to clean and seal the door jams with a few coats of liquid (not spray) synthetic (not natural) wax/sealant. This really only helps water run out of the jams, and makes drying with a mf much easier. I applied the same process on the body paint but I felt it was important to get the spots where water can hide. Something I did last year but forgot this year was to use a vinyl/rubber moisturizer spray on the door seals to help keep them from drying out. I have no idea if this helps though. Point is I feel the door jams deserve just as much attention as the rest of the body. As for winter washes. I park under a ramp at work during the winter so my car doesn't see too much sunlight. I usually rinse the majority of the salt off with just water, focusing on the wheel wells and rockers. My buddy let's me use his heated garage in his town home/complex so I usually hang out while it air drys. If it is hazy from salt still, I'll consider running to a self serve for soap, and lightly drag two larger mf towels front to back to dry. If I'm lazy I just leave it until spring where I can hand wash it. Not sure how right this is to do so any input is appreciated.
I got a (nearly) rust free bugeye this year and got a coating of FLUID FILM sprayed on the car to keep the rust away. I daily drive it so it will see winter/salt usage and I wanted to keep it as clean as possible. I park outside almost year round. This stuff is supposed to be applied once per year in the fall to protect against rust. Check it out.
This is true, chemical reactions are slowed by colder temperatures, so a warm garage is actually bad for rust prevention. I have actually considered parking my wife's Outback outside with an array of plug-in engine warmers (my winter beater isn't worth saving...) instead of the garage for just this reason.
I have to believe this is true too. I had a Mazda for about 5 years and it was parked outside nearly the whole time. I did keep it clean with do-it-yourself washes regularly year round, but didn't do ANY fancy waxes. I was in the Mazdaspeed Protégé club during that time with a bunch of other owners of the exact same car (only built in 2003, so ALL the cars were the same age). Now Mazdas have HORRIFIC rust problems, but my car remained mostly rust free while other in the group with fancy heated garages did have rust problems.
I go to that wash. Doesn't seem to be real busy so you can take your time and even dry it off which is a bonus. I will bring a creeper along so I can get underneath good. I bring a bucket and wash mitt with some meguiars soap and then some spray wax as you dry spray wax and a microfiber for drying. I park outside and I don't have any problems with anything freezing up but I dry the inside of the door/jam area. I always wash mine when it's really cold it's the only time it stays clean for any length of time. I work with a guy that has a late 90's dodge pick up with no rust his moto is you have to clean the underside better that the top. seems to be working for him.
re: diy fluidfilm, I'd recommend the liquid spray-on type over the aerosol cans if you have the means to lay it. Way thicker. It's a good topcoat to something like eastwood rust encapsulator.
Anyone have experience with that teflon-based stuff? Where they throw mud on the car and it slides off? My buddy did his truck and says it works well, but I'm curious if this type of product makes any claims to rust prevention. I'd be curious if it does well to keep the salt off.
I've never had a car with power locks freeze the mechanism...it has always been the lock cylinder that freezes (resulting in broken key if you aren't careful). I used this on my wife's Escape. Won't be able to give a review for another 10 years as to its effectiveness - stay tuned: https://www.kbs-coatings.com/Cavity-Coater.html
I used amsoil heavy duty metal protector on the 4Runner but it’s to soon to tell. I wash often and it seems to stay.
I've only known one, my wife had an '04 Kia Spectra when we met, and the cylinder never froze (you could turn the key in the "lock" direction, but not "unlock), but something in the door would freeze up. You could even unlock the passenger side with the key, but you couldn't even unlock the driver's door from the inside until things warmed up. We tried many things, but they were all a temporary fix. Then someone smashed out that window, and when I had the door apart, I greased every moving part I could find for the lock, and it was never an issue again as long as we had it (one more winter...). But I've been paranoid about it ever since. Our '04 Outback has never given us issues in that department...but I don't want to chance it. I only wash it to get the salt off the rust-prone parts (rear quarters, rear suspension/cradle, rockers), so it's not hard to keep the water off the locking mechanism.
Similar routine here except add steps where I bring individual panels inside to disassemble, clean, and vinyl wrap.
Furnishings look too good to be a bachelor. Hmmmmmmm. You need to take the wrapping off the stripper pole and move the love seat for performing room.
This is the result of telling past girlfriend(s) "I don't have decorations bc I don't care. Do whatever you want." Fool me once moment... one of them took that as a green light to grab my cc and spend $thatcouldhavebeenacar on couches. Stripper pole and livingroom strip club conversion would not have made up for that... probably.
That cavity coater looks interesting. I've thought about pulling the fender liners and POR15 painting the fenders on the inside to prevent the eventual rust, but I'm wondering if this stuff would be easier to apply and work just as well.
I use this stuff. Very effective thanks to the hose/nozzle. Messy, but effective. Much more permanent than cavity coater/fluid film (although you can use both). Cost friendly as well: https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-internal-frame-coating-14oz-aerosol.html 2 cans were enough for my 4runner An additional 2 aerosol cans of this stuff was plenty for the exposed parts and wheel wells: https://search.eastwood.com/search?w=rust encapsulator Alternatively, 1 can of regular rust encapsulator on the pinch welds, subframe, control arms, etc... then a separate can of the rubberized version in the wheel wells an inner fender lips would be more than plenty imo. Much easier (and cheaper) to use than por-15 ime.
I used Fluid Film of the door interiors of the Infiniti this fall. I sprayed it through the drain holes rather than removing door panels. It is thicker than Cavity Coater. The Cavity Coater is messier to apply than the Fluid Film as it is water thin and runs everywhere.
Door interiors is a great idea. I generally keep my cars for a long time so I'm looking to do what I reasonably can to head off rust while the car is still new and rust-free.
