Kinda trivial but just want to make sure I don't embarrass myself today!

I just got my Fit and was going to get it washed for the first time.

I know to screw the antenna off, is there anything to put in the hole to keep water out? Would a piece of tape do any good?

I am going to a place that puts the car in neutral and rails guide the car through the wash. Will this scratch the rims and will the device that propels it forward though the wash clear the splitter/bumper?

Thanks,

Schwimm

 

Don't worry about plugging the antenna hole. Just remove the antenna. It doesn't seem to mind. Good catch: car washes can grab the antenna and bend the sheet metal where it's secured.

Anytime you run your car through a car wash there is the risk of scratches. If you obsess about it, find someplace that does brushless washes.

I use the brush kind, but I remove the antenna, and before driving off I'll replace it and inspect for any damage. So far just some minor scratches on the bumper.

 

Thanks Steve! It started to rain so I am holding off today. I think I am going to try a hand wash place close to my house instead of the automated place.

 

Hand wash is always better. But the only way to do it the 100% correct way is to do it yourself...do you have a place you can wash it? We can give some good advice

 

Auto car wash with brushes puts micro scratches all over your paint every time. Over time, the paint looks dull. It is convenient. All depends on how much you like your car.

 

Or you can just get a shark fin antenna and never worry again...

Shark Fin Antenna for Honda FIT FDA41-YR576M | eBay

 

A good hand wash is always far superior to an automated wash. If you can't wash it at home, can you find a place to drive in and wash it yourself. I did that on an assignment where I had an apartment, and always took a bucket with my own soap and mitt, along with a high quality squigee (sp?) and soft towels. Do this, and keep it waxed and your finish will thank you years later.

I have a fleet of trucks at work that we take to a "Brushless" car wash, and the finish still gets scratched badly on most of them sooner or later.

 

True, a "good" anything is always better.

But a bad hand wash can also be worse than a good automated wash, as they're sandpapering your car too.

It all depends how well the car wash place has maintained their equipment and their management.

Brushless is one thing, then there's also touchless/laser car washes which should be the most foolproof.

You will need to shop around and find the couple of car wash places around. Read yelp reviews and just pick what works the best.

 

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I found that the basic wash with the spinning brushes scratched the heck out of the paint, and the brushless ones didn't get that final layer of dirt off.

The big issue I had was that neither one did a very good job with any of the nooks and crannies on the car - under the spoiler, license plate overhang, etc.

I typically take a roll of quarters up to the do-it-yourself wash place with an old T-shirt...spray everything down and soap it up with their equipment, give it a thorough rub-down with the shirt, and rinse with their sprayer. It's a lot more fun and keeps me in touch with the car!

 

Because of my medical conditions, I can not wash my cars anymore...

I have used a variety of car washes, but it also pays to have the car hand washed and detailed at least once a year...

I used to take the antenna off, but have left it on in a variety of car washes with no damage...

 

I agree with you. A hand wash done poorly with old, dirty mitts will scratch your car in short order. What I meant to covey was that it is FAR better to hand wash your car yourself. Short of a professional detail, automated washes will most always damage your paint eventually. It is entirely possible that there are new, more sophisticated automated washing methods that are safe; I just haven't seen them in my neck of the woods yet.

 

Sorry to hear this. Any chance of paying a teen with a very clean car to wash yours? I have some neighbor teens who will do a great job on my car with vacuum for $10. Just a thought....

 

Can't hardly get them to feed the dog and cat...not sure I would trust either washing my car...although the oldest has been driving it with her learners permit...

 

Btrthnezr3, thanks for the help! Yes if you could help me with a list of the products you use that would be great.

I have been gaining some weight recently and this is a small way to get my lazy rear off the couch and get a little exercise.

The airplane I fly we detail using Meguiars, a little of Mother's products and some no name stuff specifically for airplanes. Maybe some of the stuff we use will transfer over to my car.

Schwimm

 

ohw, thanks for the head up! This paint seems SOFT! I recently took off my dealer decal and used some Goo Gone a paper towel and some gentle scraping with finger nail which seemed to scratch the area really good.

I am hoping that it was damage to the wax coat but haven't been able to shine it up with it raining the last few days.

Schwimm

 

That is cool! So do you need to drop the headliner or can this mod be done from the outside?

Schwimm

 

I like this idea, there is a place near me called Hurricane Bay and all there soaps, etc. smell like Pina Colada. It smells so good it ALMOST is fun to DIY.

Schwimm

 

Never use paper towels on a car finish.

I use only microfiber for washing and drying

In addition, I use the double bucket method with a grit guard.

Those are just a few of the things to do in order to avoid swirls.

My car is 2.5 years old and I have almost none.

 

Instead of starting a different thread, thought I would ask here.

Anybody have any tricks from removing the black exhaust soot from the bottom of the exhaust stack?

Thanks,

Schwimm