StandardShift.com

Hello fellow North-Easterners.

Being from New Jersey, I see my fair share of snowfall throughout the winter months, this year being no exception. I recently purhased an 05 RSX Type-S and had the pleasure of having to drive in a snowstorm the very day I took delivery. What excitment and fun that was, let me tell you.

How do you guys find your MT's handle in the snowy conditions? I went from an AT Pickup with 4x4, so I daresay the FWD is a bit differnt for me. How do you guys handle in the inclimate weather?

Also.. with the over-use of calcium-chloride and other road-salt products (If you live in Jersey or New York, you know what I'm talkin' about..) how do you keep up with the maintanance of your undercarraige and the like? How's the rust situation kept in queue?

Cheers!

Hey! I am from NYC so I do know what you mean. I've seen some car wash places where you can steam clean the underside of your car. What the do it raise the car on a lift, then the pressure steam clean it. That seems like a option to really get the salt out for the underside.

Great choice on the car by the way!

Also, in most automatic car wash places the machines will just spray the steam under your car without lifting your car up .

Good to know, however I'm not one to goto a carwash unless it's brushless, and even then I'm skeptic. I do enough damage washing my car on my own, you know?

Do you have any suggestions regarding a diys undercarraige cleaning? Also, while we're discussing that.. Under the hood?

Cheers!

Oh I only use the brushless (it is called the "no-touch" ) automatic car wash and it had been working just fine for my car, including the undercarriage cleaning . I tried the brush one also on my dad's car and it seemed ok.

There is only 1 brushless automatic car wash place in where I live for the past 20 years I think , and to my disappointment, the newer automatic car wash places in here all use the brushes (and there is no brushless option) . Not until last month I finally found an automatic wash place who has BOTH brush and brushless together (awesome ). That was the first time I saw the 2 in 1 because it just looks like a regular automatic brush wash from the outside. I will definitely try the brushless option for my next car wash over there .

After all, I still don't know why the brushless automatic car wash is never popular here and in some other cities that are close to where I live. Is it the same in where u guys live

That's me as well. Where I live, there aren't many car-washes period.. and there aren't any automated ones either! There are two local washes that unfortunately use brushes, so those are out for me.

None-the-less, I do enjoy washing my vehicle by hand. It lets me clean *everything* I want, and I know it's clean. Unfortunately, I've been experimenting with those Armour-All Wipes? Yeah - I threw them out. I think it did more damage than good on my poor surfaces. Not to mention the Armour-All Leather Spray.. Stuff. I've never had leather interior, so I was going on a whim and tried something new. I think I'll be looking for something else, next time I'm at the shop.

Any suggestions on that? Funny how this thread went from Snow to Cleaning

Cheers!

I just recently bought a 4X2 Ranger and live up in massachusetts. i know im going to have fun driving this winter. i think im going to put a couple hundred pounds of weight in the back and put on some snow, or studded tires.
I would be careful about using Automatic car washers in the winter, especially with the brushes. The water on the brushes freeze and turn to ice and when they hit your car they scratch the paint and may even crack your windshield.
as for the Road salt theres little you can do. you might try hosing the underside down once a week to wash the salt off.

Call me old fashond, but i wash my own car...... I like the fact i can dry it quick enough so that i can get all the water off before it spots! I thought the water in sacramento was bad, this crap they call water on the coast is like pouring rocks!

Oh yeah, getting all the spots off is key...even if no one else can see them, you always know they are there .