Hi everyone, first post from wet behind the ears newby.  Yesterday I decided to wash the inderneath of my Octavia.  I had been thinking of doing this since the roads had been salted in the run up to Christmas.  Well I had the idea of attaching my cheap garden sprinkler to the hosepipe kept straight by attaching the hose to a 3' garden cane using pieces of ducktape.  It worked a treat.  I moved the contraption around under my car for about an hour and at the end I was very pleased with the results.  Cost me nothing and got the job done.  Does anyone else here bother doing this?

Welcome.

 

Before and after winter usually, and when then going to lube (silicon spray or waxoyl), grease and do servicing & maintenance, 

not when overnight temps are going to go to below freezing like the -8*oC now and the -4*oC or so during the day.

Well yesterday was cold but dry, the sun was up and a breeze blowing.  Later I drove the car for a twenty minute drive to ensure it had a good chance to dry out.  But you are right, must be careful not to freeze up the works with ice in winter!

Good.

If it continues dry best give the underside some protection now as roads will continue to be salted for a few months and you might have lost some protection you had on the underside with a layer and some sodium from the road salting and now bare metal and unprotected areas will just corrode more. 

 

When i clean under a car it goes in a heated workshop or paint shop for hours to dry it fully before lubing.

(I miss the old days where painting on Burst Engine oil was acceptable.... Much Cheapness.)

Edited 8 January, 20188 yr by AwaoffSki

I wash my undercarriage every morning. 

 

(Can’t say I’ve ever done any more than blast the hose under once a month during my normal wash routine). 

yep, but I use the karcher chassis cleaner

you can also spray cleaning fluid and wax solutions as well as blasting off the dirt and salt.

25 minutes ago, Gumby said:

yep, but I use the karcher chassis cleaner

you can also spray cleaning fluid and wax solutions as well as blasting off the dirt and salt.

I thought about getting the Karcher attachment as I have an older model K5 model.  Using the Karcher would probably do the job much quicker than my method which relies on gradually softening and loosening the salt and road dirt.  Also you are able to add wax prottection which I'm not.

£ 1 per function at 'Self Washes' and for £3 you can maybe have a Hot Soapy spray and rinse and give the wax a miss on the exhaust.

Maybe even the detergents unless you know they are not Sodium based ie Salt. 

Just be aware of how there are some sealants and protective coatings on vehicles, and some very bare metals and alloys.

Exhaust hangers and the likes.

 

Nice to apply rust inhibitors on the underside where corrosion is seen when cleaned, even to paint afterwards, or use clear Rust Inhibitors / waxes.

Just nothing that Voids a Corrosion / Panel perforation warranty. ie No Underseal.