So I recently went to a new car wash in a near-by town (Jackson,WI). As I was going through I saw a sign on the saying for one monthly fee, you can wash your car as often as possible. I have a the black base model so keeping it clean is a necessity. I figure, I wash it every Friday at $10 per wash so about $40 a month. The deal was for $38.00 a month = unlimited washes. DEAL!

Now my question is, at what point do you consider it washing it too often? I know that the more I wash it, the shorter the wax will stay. So, If I start washing it a lot more often then I'm going to have to wax it more. I don't see that as a bad thing, because A) She will look absolutely beautiful ALL the time, and B) I love waxing her because I love the intimate moment we have

Thoughts?

 

Well, you can wash it too often if you are using too harsh of a soap.

I rinse mine with warm water and a cloth EVERYTIME I drive her - just the nose, mirrors and windshield trim - this is to get the bug guts off before they dry on.

I think wash it by hand about every week - depending on how much I drive it. I don't use car washes, they tend to get the top wet (and I don't like it getting wet OR getting direct sunlight any more often than nessesary) and I don't trust car wash soaps.

 

Being you have a coupe, I don't think you can wash it "too often" as long as you don't mind waxing more often. If you had a roadster I'd have a different opinion as I think too much washing with soap on the fabric top might not be a good thing.

Hey, Jackson is just up the road from me (I'm in Germantown right now where I work, and I live in Beaver Dam). I drove the Crossfire to work today since the weather is gorgeous!

 

Yeah If I had the Roadster or didn't drive the coupe on a daily basis I'd probably shy away from it.

Well hey, it you see a blacked out Coupe with Batman emblems feel free to stop me and say hi. That is, IF you can stop me

 

I understand wanting to keep your Xfire clean. Consider using a detailing spray from time to time instead of always soaking it at a carwash. They work really well and many brands to choose from.

 

I think you can wash a car too often and cause long term damage. Years ago the shop where I was, did all the mechanical work for a rich business man, Carl Linder. Most all his cars, limos, etc, were kept in his downtown parking garage, climate controlled. He had several Stutz Blackhawks and Bearcats that were only a few years old at the time. They were built on a Pontiac Bonniville chassis. At 5 years old, they looked 20 with the rust.

Most of his cars only lasted about 5 years before they needed extensive rust repair body work. I learned from the parking garage attendant that anytime any of the cars are driven and returned, they are washed, dried, and parked for next time out.

It took a heavy toll on all his cars. His Limos took it the worst.

Personally, I use detail spray between washes. I try never to wash the car and just put it away. Many car-soaps today actually help maintain the shine and wax protection already on the paint. A car wash may be different, they are only concerned about immediate results.

James

 

Walter's, from one base coupe owner to another, I applaud your desire to keep a clean ride, but first and foremost, I would not let my baby be subjected to an autowash of any sort, maybe a touchless if I am in a bind. And for the record, mine is a DD, not a garage queen.

Everytime they wash the car at the carwash, the amount of spiderwebs and swirl marks in your paint increase due to the amount of debris in the brushes, and the brushes themselves are often very harsh at those speeds. Next time it is a sunny day, look at the paint in the right direction and I bet it will shock you, the amount of imperfections.

I would consider the health of your paint before I would worry about it having some dirt on it. Auto washes destroy finishes - plain and simple. I would hand wash with microfiber and wax when necessary (a few times a year).

Just my 0.02

 

Listen to him, Walter! His is the prettiest base coupe... well, prettiest Crossfire you will ever see.

Can't believe he drives it every day - I wouldn't.

 

My first XF was Black/silver and due to living two miles from the Atlantic Ocean, I hand washed it with Chamois' and micro-fibered it dry EARLY every Sat. a.m. Waxed it once a month. No rust, no pitting, nothing but smooth blinding metallic surfaces day after day. Did a light once over on the interior each week as well. Wonderful...
(No so obsessive with current XF probably due to color (metallic graphite) and new locale).

 

Well here's my $.02 worth .... I've owned my black XF since Jan 2010, and only had it washed twice in a TOUCHLESS car wash. Geez .... don't use a wash with the whirling brushes. I too, don't trust the soaps in the automatics, and I do hand washes now whenever the car gets real dirty. (not often). In between, I use a good detail spray and a couple of "good" micro towels. Soak any "bug thingys" with the detaller and wipe off. HAVE FUN!!

 

Had mine since '07....saw a toughless twice...I hand wash, towel dry, clay bar once a year, polish, and mine is NOT a daily driver...it is a psychiatric relief system....lol

 

Mine will never see the inside of a retail car wash. They only get hand washed. As Doc said, it's a "psychiatric relief system". My attention to detail makes them go faster too.

 

Mine honestly depends on the dirtiness.

If we've had a few days of heavy rain, where the car gets all blacked up from the asphalt/road grime, then I break out the bucket.

I've cheated and used the auto wash a handful of times since ownership. I avoid it at all costs though. If I must, it's touchless only (for rinsing salt in the winter).

If the weather stays in a dry pattern, I mostly hit the few dirty spots with Meguiar's quick detailer. Much faster than a full blown washing process. But, I use discernment. If I have to use half a bottle to get the car presentable, it would've been best to simply use the standard wash.

As far as soaps go, get the good stuff from Meguiar's. The soap is yellow; retail is around $10. It's carnuba-based so it'll leave a wonderful shine.

 

I definitely would not wash it often, or at all, at one of those automated washes with the brushes, especially not a black car. The original paint on these cars isn't all that good. It's not bad, but it could be a lot better.

The good news is, repainting a car is not terribly difficult. Time consuming, but not difficult.

I'm thinking I'd like a much better, deeper black on mine. I'm thinking I'd do two coats of a really nice clear, then a couple of coats of a scratch resistant clear over that. That would help avoid all the swirl marks and scratches you always see in a black (or other dark colored) car.

 

At Nissan, we use a "self-healing" paint on all of our new Infiniti vehicles.

One of our directors has a black G37... he's no slob, but he's certainly not meticulous. Yet, his car has just as few swirl marks as mine does, with monthly waxing.

When this Alabaster bites the dust, I'll end up going with a deep, rich pearl.

Haven't decided if I'm using Cadillac's factory pearl or not, but it certainly looks like you can reach into it. Gorgeous color.

Alas, I have to stay with a wite base. No other color seems to mate as well to the cedar interior, although I'll have a few members disagree.

If my interior was simply the slate color, I'd paint it Beryllium (Saleen's orange used on the S7)

 

Thank you, Mark . Had a DD when I got her and it didn't move in 3 months, so I sold it. Although, I think in the next 6 months to a year I may pick up an AWD Audi to drive everyday so the 'impossible to keep clean' beauty can rest in the new garage I built

 

thanks for the input guys. FYI, I would NEVER take her through a brush wash, I use the touchless and seems to work fairly well without too much swirling. I'll have to look into the detail wash many of you have talked about. sounds like it might be the best way to go and then occasionally take her through the touchless. As always, Thank you once again Forum members. You keep me sane

 

No problem. The bill is in the mail...

 

Comes to about $0.02 then right? Shouldn't break the bank

 

To get back to your original question - once a week (as long as its above freezing) mine gets washed. I use Meguiars Gold Car Shampoo. I've tried a bunch of car wash products and that one seems to have the best suds. After washing and drying with a blower/100%cotton towels I use a detail spray. All detail sprays have wax in them. Once a month it gets polished and once or twice a year its gets clay. As long as you keep the car waxed/polished I don't think you have to worry about washing it too much. I know my neighbors think I'm crazy but I also have a 5-6 year old car that looks better than when I drove it off the dealer's lot new.
And no I will never use car wash.

I'll do the edit down here. My good friend Mike from Orange has let me know that not all detail sprays have wax/polish in them. I thought I read here they all had some in them. So my bad. None the less it's better to use than not to! Thanks Mike!