Hi all,

I've got a new F-150 and it's covered in road salt and it's just driving me nuts. However today the high is about about zero. Is there any way that I can wash my truck when it's this cold? My thought was that if I drive the truck around for a while and the cab is nice and warm and the hood/engine compartment is nice and warm then when I run it through an automatic car wash it won't be such an abrupt temp change.

Any ideas? I'm know in two days it'll be about 15F or so.

 

Probably not what you wanna hear, but I just gut it out using a healthy dose of Meguiars #20 paint sealant before the snow flies. Ironically the sealant will last longer if ya don't wash. I use a leaf blower normally to dry with, weather permitting. The only other way I can think of is taking it to a detail shop. I presume they would just do a wash Job. My local Saturn dealer will do wash jobs on any vehichle--$29.95.

 

I don't know if the temp change is bad or not. But I am right with you on the road salt. I couldn't stand seeing all that road salt on my Wife's brand new Mustang, so I just had to wash it off. I have sill**** in the back yard that I can switch over to hot water. I rinsed the car off with the hose using hot (120 deg) water. That didn't seem to do the trick, so I went ahead and wiped it all down with a terrycloth car wash pad. To me, the warm water is going to do less damage than the road salt.

Gotta do the truck too. Just haven't had a chance yet. Winter SUCKS!

 

I have been running thru the touchless car wash right before I park it in the garage for the night. Its always dry in the morning.

 

It should be OK to wash at that temp. If you you have auto locks with a key fob you will be able to get into it at least......

the touchless wash would be good because it gets underneath too.....

 

I feel your pain. Living through St.Louis's winter sucks.As long as the sun is out Ill was it when its below freezing. Here they have CQ car wash , were they practitly dry it indoors. Its nice for 12$

 

I use Optimum's No rinse car wash. You can use a bucket of warm water and be done.

 

Salt usually wont do much to a car when its below 20 degrees.


If the hi is only going to be 0 degrees, I wouldnt worry about it.


Just wash it off when the temp goes up.


If you really want to wash it, then go ahead. Just make sure that its warm before you go in.

You probably want to let it run with the heater on hi for about 15 minutes or so when your finished. Other wise you risk freezing your door locks and windows.


I personally wouldnt do it though. You will wash alot of salt off of the body, but you will be washing alot of salty water into the nooks and cranys where it will freeze. When the temp goes up, you will have a corrosive goo eating at your truck. Its better to let the salt sit on the paint untill you can wash it off with out having to worry about it re-freezing to the truck.

 

I feel all of your pain...Texas you have got to love it!!!!

 

best thing for it would be a good coat of wax before winter then just rinse it of every once in a while and try not to scrub of your wax and you should be protected for a couple of months. bu the truth is its gonna be imposible to keep it clean in the winter or atleast it is for me

 

Can you still run through a touchless with a K&N series 77 cold air intake?

 

I have an AF1 and I haven't had any problems. It is nice now that I put my e-fans on though. Now I just turn them off in the car wash.

 

Not really--that's why they put the salt there in the first place. It melts ice. If anything, you'll have water that drips down to the ground. Darn. What a place for it to go...

OR--the water will evaporate leaving a salt residue in a nook/cranny. At least you're no worse than you started--and at least the truck as a whole doesn't look as bad.

 

I build up on wax layers in mid fall so i'm good until March or so, & when I get the chance to I just take a slice of paper towel & wipe my chrome up a bit & the upper body. Not exactly a 100% good looking detail but it works to get of some slight salty spots & dirt spots.

 

You wipe your paint with a paper towel??? Ouch.

The pics show a great looking truck, though. Nice work.