Getting a used Enyaq soon and very excited after years of older petrol cars, I did not bother with washing much.

Wondering if I should be jet washing underneath every two weeks to get all the salt and winter muck off to prevent rust? Is it safe to jet wash the under carriage with one of those sprinklers on wheels attached to a powerwasher? In the manual it says do not direct jet at "Space under the front flap" does that mean under the front bumper? Or does it mean lifting the bonnet and jet washing in there?

What is everyone else cleaning routine in the winter?

Location location location. Where are you, and are your roads salted for many weeks over the winter? If the weather is staying cold with winter temps do not be spraying any more watter about underneath. Let the grime layer with salt in it having slush and ice fall off under the car. If the weather is warm enough then do rinse underneath. But not an power spraying or getting water into connectors. Not that there should be an issue. Old days i had Burst Oil painted under my cars. I no longer have cars that need that. A clean underneath in the spring will do. PS, for Skoda Corrosion Warranty which Skoda UK / VW UK often will say there is no Record of a Body Inspection, even though the T&C,s do not say required annually, bi-annually or periodic & they know Dealers do not all do them. BE SURE AT A SERVICE THEY DO THE BODY / UNDERBODY INSPECTION, and put on the system. It used to be on each Major Service Page of a Service Book. Their Service websites says Bodywork Inspection.

Edited 6 January6 Jan by Evolution13

Don't know about the Enyaq but I have an underbody attachment for my jetwash that I've used on our previous Octavia and current Kodiaq for years. I'll certainly be continuing with that every now and then when I get time to wash it now last years hosepipe ban has been lifted.

Edited 6 January6 Jan by skomaz

3 minutes ago, Evolution13 said:

Location location location. Where are you, and are your roads salted for many weeks over the winter? If the weather is staying cold with winter temps do not be spraying any more watter about underneath. Let the grime layer with salt in it having slush and ice fall off under the car. If the weather is warm enough then do rinse underneath. But not an power spraying or getting water into connectors. Not that there should be an issue. Old days i had Burst Oil painted under my cars. I no longer have cars that need that. A clean underneath in the spring will do.

Based in Sheffield so we do get salted roads over the winter

What do you personally do in the winter for your cleaning routine?

I am hoping to keep this car a lot of years

I was a car sprayer, i had access to facilities, ramps & washers. My keepers were looked after. Silicone spray, wax / Waxoyl etc. Leased cars i could not care about. The body without damage is seldom the issue now. It is the little bolts / fitting of dissimilar metals manufacturers use. VW group famous for guff cheap parts... Poorly coated.

Have an old Octavia that underneath is not too bad its a 58 plate. what killed it was subframes etc plus salt and grit seeping in behind plastic liners in wheel arches allowing rust to come through wings and ends of sills. When I did timing belt took about half a bucketfull of dirt from behind. Same on passenger side. With salt on the roads its a losing battle plus once the rust starts thats it.

Alasdair