Is it safe for roadstesr to go thru a car wash??

[Jmanscotch]

The concern comes for those who live in snowy areas and need the underbody wash to rid it of salt and also face the brutal winter weather in outdoor wash bays.

I just got a hardtop, problem solved.

[puciorek]

Originally Posted by Jmanscotch

The concern comes for those who live in snowy areas and need the underbody wash to rid it of salt and also face the brutal winter weather in outdoor wash bays.

I just got a hardtop, problem solved.

perhaps a stupid question, but for those of us who do not have any mechanical lifts - how do you perform the "underbody wash"?
any particular way of doing it?
they really put a lot of salt where we live and usually there is plenty of it in the early morn'g when I drive to work....

[Jmanscotch]

^ When I had the soft top, I just followed the edge of the bumpers/skirts and blasted water into what I preceived as crevices in the panels. It's not a thorough process, but better than nothing. The underbody spray (pipe laid across floor of wash, you drive across it) isn't a perfect fix either, just easier in freezing weather and reaches more central areas than a manual attempt.

What helps aid the corrosion is the salt, not the water alone, so blasting any trapped salt out the best you can is...well, the best you can do.

Not sure, but it's likely somewhere, someone has an instructional on how to thoroughly clean the under carriage after winter use. Should really consist of washing clean and making sure to void all corners/catches of debris and salt. Doing it on jack stands would be a pain...

[tekmoe]

Poor roadster. I can hear it crying. :'(

[wdupdog]

So I guess you could use a flat lawn sprinkler n just pull the hose down length of car or an oscillator type if the clearance was sufficient. Probably more trouble than it's worth

[Aries326]

I've put mine through one of those laser car washes a few times. I don't think it will hurt it at all and it didn't bleach my top.

[rsutoratosu]

a few areas near me has 24/7 self wash.. after like 9pm, there's no one there to supervise.. you can take your time washing the car with your own equipment

[acpro999]

I know from reading these forums that some of you drive your Z4's through the winter. But for the life of me I can't imagine driving mine through salt, sand, snow, and slush and putting a nice glaze of winter road crap all over my Z and not to mention the rocks of salt kicked up from traffic ahead. No mine is safely tucked away in her garage till April give or take depending on the weather.
As far as washing hand wash only!

[gigtime]

Originally Posted by JeffchaPz

__________________________________________________ ___________
Ahhhh good info. well... I'll be driving a dirty car for sure.

Thanks.

Jeff, you can get a hand wash at a number of places in town. H2O over on S Lamar or Arbor Car Wash on Jollyville on the North side. I've never had a problem with my top being bleached or damaged but a Z4 has so little ground clearance that the bumper scraping against the rail can be a problem in some washes.

[JeffchaPz]

Gigtime... thanks for the info.

It's def... getting warmer now so I'll probably do it my self as soon as I get a chance.

[gigtime]

Originally Posted by JeffchaPz

Gigtime... thanks for the info.

It's def... getting warmer now so I'll probably do it my self as soon as I get a chance.

It's been nice lately. I'm just hoping we don't have another summer like last year.

[dlstrafuss]

I wouldn't run my Z4 thru. A hot bucket of soapy water and hand wash always alerts me to problem areas on the body or a easy visual inspection of everything. Cold water soak, clean with hot soapy water, & cold rinse works best anytime its +32F, then chamios afterward.