Car Wash - What temperature do you stop washing your truck?

[Crazy8]

I hate to say it, but the end of summer is upon us. My buddy told me I shouldn't wash my truck when it dips below 40 at night. He said it damages the paint. Not sure how true this is so I had to ask. If you live where is snows, when do you stop washing it or do you stop at all?

 

[tibadoe]

I stop washing my truck when the weather turns to cold and there is a chance the water/soap will freeze. All I need is a day above freezing for a few hours and I'm good to go. Been doing it this way for many years without paint damage.

 

[tbplus10]

Not sure where your buddy got his info.
In reality almost everything damages the finish, but leaving salt, road grime, and other debris on the finish to scratch and gouge is much more damaging than freezing cold soapy water.
When temps are below freezing its more a comfort and convenience issue with washing, you dont want to spray the vehicle down and have water freeze on door seals or start making ice deposits.
When I was stationed inGermany they had car wash's with huge blow driers that dried the top and bottom of a vehicle, during cold snaps many drivers would wash their vehicles just to knock off the ice deposits underneath. you can collect a couple hundred extra lbs of ice under the fenders and chassis.

 

[toyotafan]

I helped someone wash his mid-70's Bronco back about 20+ years ago when it was 35 degrees outside. It was March and he was having a bout of cabin fever and just had to get the top off his Bronco and wash the whole thing off.

It was really cold and this guy was crazy now that I think about it. Maybe the 2nd smartest person I've ever met in my life (that's a big statement actually) and he ended up robbing a bank as a Senior in High School and after getting caught still graduated with honors (straight a student, never cracked a book and still graduated at the top of his class).

Anyhow, that's a bit of a long way to say that you can wash your truck anything you have liquid water on it, lol.

 

[awonderingdawn]

Here in Alaska we have a lot of indoor car washes that you drive your car through multiple different areas. At the end there's a really high-powered drying process, so your car leaves the area almost entirely dry. I'm not sure if this style of car wash is related to our cold weather, but I know that almost all outdoor carwash areas close down for the winter (probably because it's more expensive to keep the pumps running during that time than the profit they bring in). Either way, the indoor washes are really popular here and most people will wash their cars a few times during the winter (even when it gets well below 0 F). I, personally, don't really get my 4Runner that dirty in the winter, so I don't worry about it. But in the spring when it begins to get really muddy as the snow melts, I'll wash my vehicle pretty often, even if it is below freezing outside. I guess I've never had an issue with the paint being damaged from a few frozen droplets before.

 

[Huck Norris]

Didn't know that about Alaska, I guess you either have to wait 6 months for everything to thaw out or take the whole car wash process indoor in a sealed and warmed environment.

 

[toyotafan]

Ok, we're in luck (those of us who don't live in Alaska) because someone recorded themselves going through a car wash in Alaska.

 

[awonderingdawn]

Ok, we're in luck (those of us who don't live in Alaska) because someone recorded themselves going through a car wash in Alaska.

Awesome! The one I go to is actually even longer- and there are people running the machines to ensure everything works correctly in the cold weather. I recognize the area this car wash is in, but I've never gone through it myself.

 

[awonderingdawn]

Didn't know that about Alaska, I guess you either have to wait 6 months for everything to thaw out or take the whole car wash process indoor in a sealed and warmed environment.

Very true. Our first official 'freeze' is due in the end of September, and after that all pump and outdoor car washes will be shut down and drained- or else the pipes will freeze and burst.

 

[toyotasrule]

Don't have to worry about that much down here, even though we'll see our share of cold days, never typically frozen over much.