So thats at least two cases were a domestic pressure washer has damaged car paint work. This doesn't sit well against "urban myth" and "completely impossible". Never trust a salesman, especially one who calls you "mate" rather than sir.
;-)
I've only used one of those DIY car washes which includes a pressure washer, and quite honestly I can't see the point in them. They simply don't clean the car. A good soaking with an ordinary hose followed by bucket and sponge then rinse with hose then chamois dry.
The hose soaking is a problem, all taps here are tank fed so have begger all pressure, getting a decent amount of water across a car is difficult. Then Disco's are a bit big, the spongeing will mean getting right up close to the wet car and thus soaked down the front. I just want to remove most of the mud and salt not get a showroom shine.
Make that three. I've had paint come off (one of my previous) Range Rovers. And they take the lettering off, too.
That's 'cos you've never tried to get 20 kilos of dried mud out of the wheel well of your Land Rover...
depends on the washer. None I have used in England have been very effective, you need to use a brush to clear the dirt and grime, and I would agree a bucket and sponge will do better. However the DIY car washes I have used in France etc are rather different. Hot water with detergent at notably higher pressure. Removes a year's accumulated London grime in 10 minutes. And cheap too, about 3 euro.
Where talking home pressure washers here, not garage forcourt equipment.
-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite
Machine mart do one. incidently the connections are standard you know.
click on washer accesories
We don't tend to get much mud in Balham - the street sweepers remove it. ;-)
What he said. Despite having been given the same advice by a Karcher service technician, I replaced a trusty old Karcher which was beyond repair with a newer but larger model (K3.99 I think) which has some key parts made from plastics. It's been nothing like as durable, but fortunately Karcher's after-sales people have been very obliging about sending me multiple replacement parts. Unfortunately the Karcher models with metal construction are all rather more expensive than I can justify.
I could send you some?
I didn't, noted. Though I don't need any now. B-)
Garage forecourt machines hot or cold rely on a built in ion exchange water softener. With perfectly soft water the detergent (a traffic film remover) works to remove road film almost on contact.
In hard water areas the dilution of the TFR detergent needs to be much, much stronger to work properly and that eats into the profit per wash.
Hot water always works better than cold, but they cost money to run.
Maybe France has softer water, but more likely they simply run the machine properly. Most garages over here don't bother replacing the salt frequently, so the machines give inconsistent results. Often you will find the manager has turned the detergent mix down to make an extra few bob.
You also often find that the detergent dilution is left on the same setting summer & winter, whereas it should be increased in cold weather - and vehicles get dirtier in winter anyway.
Forecourt machine don't have 'pencil' jets, so no possibility of paint removal :-)
Dave
No way should you use a pressure washer on car bodywork if you give damn. They do not remove the road grime only the loose surface muck an can only jetwash the grit into the paintwork and damage it. Get some decent car shampoo such as Autoglym and give it a good was and shampoo. Then apply the polish and surface gloss. Next time you wash the car a quick rinse with a hose will take th surface muck off and then a a sponge with water and shampoo will floa off all the other dirt. The squeegee off the water. Whats left will b taken off by a decent leather and it will take half hour. Get the protection on first then every subsequent wash is a doddle a the dirt just floats off the existing polish. If you are a lazy sod then use a jet wash but it aint getting i clean!!
For cleaning the wheel arches and underside then fine go ahead. I bet if you check most wheel arch lips there will be hard mu encrusted round the inside edge and that is where the corrosion starts It needs a hose and brush every month.You cannot get a pressure washe lance up inside the wheel arch???!!
-- freddyuk
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