Hey do you guys take your X to the drive-thru car wash?

Or do you go to a spray yourself carwash?

Or do you wash at home?


If you have a lift can you go through a drive through car-wash?

Just wondering what you guys do.....

1. Remove safari rack
2. Remove factory anntenae
3. Remove XM antennae
4. Fold mirrors in
5. Ck sunroof
6. Drive thru express wash only $6
7. Pull onto street with soapy tires, and remember, Ah limited slip
then I give it the gas and see how long I can go down the street at a 45 degree angle, then it runs out of soap and sorta whip lashes, and turns over all my junk in the back.......Thats how I wash mine anyways!!!!

If you consult your manual, you will see that the above method is exactly what is reccommended by Nissan.

1. Remove safari rack
2. Remove factory anntenae
3. Remove XM antennae
4. Fold mirrors in
5. Ck sunroof
6. Drive thru express wash only $6
7. Pull onto street with soapy tires, and remember, Ah limited slip
then I give it the gas and see how long I can go down the street at a 45 degree angle, then it runs out of soap and sorta whip lashes, and turns over all my junk in the back.......Thats how I wash mine anyways!!!!
I 'd like to a vid of this method.:wink-big:


I wash my X at home. I am very strict about who can wash my X. So I do it, by hand.

Spray gun with zep car wash concentrate, wash clothes and my kids.

Spray gun with zep car wash concentrate, wash clothes and my kids.

Just line e'm up every saturday, huh

Did the same this morning with the Kido's. Good clean fun!:)

Dawn Dish detergant/Rain X wash. ( soft on my caloused hands) :biggrin:
Back to Black for plastic mold & trim
Wet & Black for tires
Rain X for the window treatment.
Mothers Gold for the wax.

Then getter dirty again.

My X's exacting care regimen requires that:

1. The vehical be thoroughly rinsed with a specially selected combination of the finest migratory guano, imported Ohio River Valley Acid Rain, and a marinade of colorful tannic acid laden foliage.

2. Perfectly ripened acorns, lovingly dropped from magnificent old growth oaks, are used to gently dislodge the mounds of fine migratory guano and colorful tannic acid laden foliage not lifted by the pitter patter of specially prepared and imported Ohio River Valley Acid Rain.

3. Once lovingly pampered by the above beauty treatment, the clay and rich top soil, combined with the finest acidic Pine Barens detritus slurry, is provided for repeated luxurious dipping until the X is fully relaxed and ready for its coniferous rub down.

4. After a vigorous rub down with a variety of exclusive indigenous conifer branches that work the luxurious mixture of lovingly applied beauty treatments deep into the iron underlying the surface paint of the X's pampered skin, the X is allowed to luxuriate in a shower of ultraviolet radiation provided by a nearby star...this cosmic cosmetic treatment gently bakes the applied beauty treatment deep into the pores of the X, and helps to provide deep, luxurious oxidation.

5. This profoundly pampered X is then allowed to rest and relax until the next treatment regimen is commenced.

:D

I think the question was "How do you WASH your X?" NOT "How do you DIRTY your X?" ;)

I realized the dirt hides the scratches so I try not to wash it if I can help it.

I realized the dirt hides the scratches so I try not to wash it if I can help it.



YOU don't wash your X ...... Eh, well I can't say that...you spent an hour on the inside of your door once..... Otherwise... I wash it...

To be fair...he DOES say he tries not to wash it.

:D

BTW - Does his wife know about you?

wash by hand, about every thursday afternoon, if its dirty.

To be fair...he DOES say he tries not to wash it.

:D

BTW - Does his wife know about you?


Wow, its only taken me two months to notice this!!!

He's been checking out that russian bride thread....Jason couldnt actually find someone sensless enough to actually marry him.... So, no need to concern of hm having one!!! :i-love-you-big:

HAHA... nice.

Mine's new so I m doing it by hand... I work from the top down, only in the shade, with a quality washing solution, rinse it before and after. Dry with a chamois. Wax it 4x a year is my plan.

mines also new so the first time i did it by hand, but that was away at school and a huge pain in the ass so i take it through the car wash now. they have a car wash by my school where you can take it through and pull around afterward and vaccum it, dry it off, etc.

i dont really have time to hand wash it all the time, but if your gonna take it through a car wash remember to pull in the side mirrors and make sure if you have a lift kit that it will clear the wash. if your not sure i would probably just wash it by hand.

I take it to the do-it-yourself wash bays and spend about $5 or $6 just hi-pressure rinsing the undercarriage, wheelwells, back of the rims/tires and engine compartment if I bomb a few mudholes. Then I do a full handwash top to bottom front to back. If I've been through the woods and gotten the pine tree pinstriping, I will do a buffing with a light compound and then a wax job. Back to Black the bumpers, trim and fairing.
All in all... about 7 1/2 hours for the full treatment (not counting interior). Of course this is only done every 3 to 4 months. Just blast it with a hi-pressure washer on a weekly basis the rest of the time.

1. hand keys to husband
2. tell him to was the x

to be fair, hes the one that normally covers it in mud! lol i make him wash my car too though :) one day i came home and he had washed all the vehicles, he's such a good husband! btw, all 3 of our vehicles are black and are a pita to keep clean but man do they look good when they are!

he takes them all down to the car wash center thing at our apt complex and hand washes them w/the high pressure sprayer thing they have there.

i havent washed mine in god knows how long .....
i agree with muzikman it hides the scratches well.... and being that my X got keyed right after i got it ...... well you know the rest.....

i bought a white one specifically so i did not have to wash as much. i cant even remember the last time i washed it.

either at home or if im lazy i go to the carwash that is handwash only...

i just let mother nature do its course..... LOL

Mines new and Midnight Blue so it shows the dirt. I was washing it once a week but already it's down to about every two weeks. I'm too tight to pay someone else for a half***** job.

The one time I took mine through the car wash I forgot to take off the little cargo basket on top. It turns out that it retains a lot of liquid until you hit the brakes... Yeah, I won't do that again.

I hand wash mine with car wash soap.
Next I use spray wax on it while its wet, then buff to a shine.
I usually regular wax every 3 months, with Meguirs.
The mud and rain zip right off of my truck is so smooth.
Mine is white also, so It stays looking clean longer....
But I pretty much wash mine weekly.
Back to Black for plastic mold & trim is the absolute bomb!
I live where it is really hot in FL, and the outside trim can get to
looking dry and scary looking if I do not use this.
I tell you what though, if your outside trim already looks dry and scary, this stuff will bring it back from the dead (use alot).
I use Tire wet for finishing the tires off.
Last time I took it to car wash when they ran it through there, my lic. plate blub holder flew off. They didn't seem too concerned, but I ranted and raved until someone when in the car wash and found it and put it back on.....I won't do that again.
:lutscher-big:

I can't take mine to the drive thru car wash because of the snorkel

I swipe a credit card and do my thing. Water, soapy brush, water, drive, stop, tire foam on the Herculiner, and I am done.

if you dont keep up on protectants for your paint then dont run through an auto wash, even if its soft brush. You WILL get fine hairline scratches all through out your paint in a swirl pattern. I work for a company called expresso car wash...but i detail for them. Ive had to buff a lot of cars out for them because of scratches caused by the wash...rocks, pieces of moldings from other cars,etc. It only takes something very small to get stuck in the spin brushes to destroy the side of your car. Wax every month if you go to an auto wash to keep the fine swirl scratches off

meh, i almost never wash my xterra when i do, its the plain old drive thru at the gas stations, remove the basket, roll thru, replace basket, done
bout every 3-6months

I will take my to the wash rack for high pressure water-n-soap just before working on it. Otherwise, there is no time to wash it. If I do have time to wash a vehicle, it is the Galaxy Black Armada we own that gets the attention or the sportbike in the garage. God made rain to wash your 4x4.

I think that I wash mine on very rare ocassions. It seems that every time I do, it rains the very next day even thought it is not on the weather report.

Last time I washed my X was late January and that was because I was going on a date.

Car wash at least 4 times a year...but at least once a year I do the following procedure to get that showroom shine and feel. Call it "Wayne's X-cellent Detailing Method" :

1. Get the Meguiar's clay bar kit ($19.99). Get the clay bar out of it.

2. Wash your car normally (I use Zymol car wash but Turtle Wax car wash works well too).

3. Get clean bucket of plain cool water, car wash sponge, clean towel, clay bar, Zymol wax (light blue in color), terry/foam wax applicator, microfiber cloth (from autoparts store).

4. For steps 4-9, DO ONE PANEL AT A TIME: Dip sponge in water, then rub it over panel so water is dripping to floor.

5. Take clay bar and LIGHTLY rub the clay bar over paint using the water as a lubricant (kinda like the clay bar is hydroplaning). DO NOT APPLY PRESSURE! Just let the bar glide back and forth across entire work area several times like the clay is ice skating. The clay will pick up those tiny particles that are bonded to your clear coat. Spend about 6-15 minutes per panel.

6. Dry off panel using towel. Touch the panel. Aside from your existing dings, paint chips (if any), you should NOT feel anything "catch" the palm of your hand. If it still feels like tiny bits of invisible sand stuck to paint, repeat step 5. If you do not detect any surface contaminants, go to step 7.

7. Apply car wax (I use Zymol liquid wax in bottle) to work area with foam/terrycloth applicator.

8. Prior to liquid wax fully drying, buff out with microfiber cloth by hand, getting all areas.(Your arm(s) should be sore after doing the entire Xterra).

9. Touch Xterra's painted surface with palm of hand. It should feel super smooth. If so, move on to the next panel or door.

10. (OPTIONAL) Perform Glide Test on hood. Put a plastic bottle on painted hood near window wipers. If the bottle slides toward your front bumper, you did it correctly.

I guarantee you that if you try my not-so-secret-anymore formula above, you will be impressed with only 1 coat of wax. Additonal coats of wax are recommended for best paint protection.
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As far as the engine and wheels go, at least once a year I take it to self serve car wash:

1. I cover both battery top and air intake with plastic shopping bags

2. High pressure spray the entire engine compartment including the interior hood.

3. High pressure spray each wheel, wheel well and exposed brake calipers and rotors.

4. Drive home.

5. Lift vehicle using floor jack, take one wheel off at a time and scrub out the inside wheel and lug nut recesses.

6. Put wheel back on.

7. Repeat for remaining wheels.

8. (OPTIONAL) ArmorAll or "dress" tires if desired.
:)

in the 2.5 years i've had my truck, it has seen soap+water exactly 3 times, wax only once

it prefers mud

in the 2.5 years i've had my truck, it has seen soap+water exactly 3 times, wax only once

it prefers mud

Most of the mud here is owned by those damned corn farmers!

i slather that bitch in bacon grease and let the neighbor kids lick it off.

i slather that bitch in bacon grease and let the neighbor kids lick it off.

http://bacolicio.us/http://www.clubxterra.org

i slather that bitch in bacon grease and let the neighbor kids lick it off.

HAHAHA :laugh-big:

lol..... i remember that!!


i think bacon grease is my new way of passive agressiveness

http://foodproof.com/photos/view/bacon-cheese-stuffed-pizza-burger-1516

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i bought my homies a deep frier for christmas a few years back.

they wrap pizza rolls in bacon then deep fry them.


amazing

i wait till it rains and thats when my x sees the wash..lol j/k. i rarely wash my x but when i do i just spray and scrub with a soft broom :D wats the point in waxing when itll get dirty anyways