limey940

So, i gave my car a clean this weekend.
In the past i have used my leaf blower to dry out the weels and brakes. I found that this reduces or eliminates any water seepage during the drive i take right after washing the car. I drive the car right after washing as i guess the high humidity down here in SC causes the rotors to get a light coat of rust. Going for a drive cleans that off before it has a chance to set in.
Anyway, i digress, this weekend i used the leaf blower to dry the car. it worked great, was able to get the water out of all the nooks and crannies, no water spots at all.
Is there a downside or any risk associated with dring your car in this way?

thanks

david

points

I used to wash and dry that way till the CR Spotless came into my cars life. Total different ballgame washing now. I dont dry. I wash and either drive away or put it into garage. Zero spots....I would not have believed it till I saw it with my own eyes on my buddies car. It actualy performs as advertised.

wross996tt

Biggest risk is if there is dirt or particles in the air..then you are essentially sand blasting your car...otherwise, many do this. Check out autopia.org for detailing questions.

Deanski

As long as the area is still wet and you are careful in not letting it sweep the gound, this is a perfectly fine way to dry a finish. I add a fiberglass matt to the intake to keep any debris from entering.

Most people make the mistake of using an air compressor, which is a bad thing due to lack of water, dryer, and fine partical filters in the system prior to the nozzle. All too often people will end up with oil from the compressor or worse. You need a high quality dryer and partical filter on ANY compressor which is aimed at a finish.

MF waffel weave towels also work well as long as they are very clean.

I still use leaf blowers to dry a finish. Works very well and very effective in getting water out of small places.

Regards,
Deanski

gota911

I use my leaf blower to dry the car but I changed the sequence process about a year ago. I used to wash, rinse, blow dry, then dry with micro fiber towels and I would still get some spots on the car.

The new process contains the same steps but I do the car in sections as follows:
1. Top, windows, side mirrors and rear deck lid - wash, rinse, blow dry and dry with micro fiber towels.
2. Hood and both front fenders - wash, rinse, blow dry, dry with micro fiber towels.
3. Left (or right) side and rear bumper - wash, rinse, blow dry, dry with micro fiber towels.
4. Opposite side - wash, rinse, blow dry, dry with micro fiber towels.
5. Tires/wheels - wash, rinse, blow dry, dry with micro fiber towels.

Because I am drying the current section before the water has a chance to evaporate, I am getting virtually no water spots. This process has added about 5 to 7 minutes to the whole process, but well worth the small investment in tile to avoid the water spots.

Give that a try and see what you think about the results.

jnx

I use micro fiber towels to dry the car and the use my compressor to blow the rotors and areas that hold water, ie lights, door handles, mirrors, etc. Never any oil problems (or worse?) associated in the 20+ years of doing it this way.

GR997S

I use a Metro Air Force Blaster Motorcycle Dryer. It has a washable foam filter and a 4 horsepower motor. Works great and is made for this purpose....GR

dstrimbu

I cut a 3M high efficiency air filter to cover the intake on the cheap Toro blower that I use for the cars... it cuts the airflow a bit, but it keeps the crap out.

Also, keep the floor wet in the wash bay and you'll be fine regarding particle pick-up...

Just MHO.

-d

Soulteacher

Thanks for posting this. I was actually wondering about the CR after seeing an ad for it. I will now buy it. I like the idea of not drying the car (one touch less that can screw up the coat).

cmoss

hmmm, what is this CR Spotless of which you speak?

skittlz74

yes please inform!

redduck996

I did a google search, looks pretty good, how many washes can you get out of 300 gallons? The filters seem pretty expensive if 300 gallons can only do about 6-7 washes.

Deanski

There's always QEW and ONR. Both work very very well.


http://www.protectall.com/qelg.htm

http://www.optimumcarcare.com/norinse.html

CR Spotless systems:

http://crspotless.com/

Deanski

tdub

If your car isn't very dirty try Optimum No Rinse.

You can wash your car in the garage.

I don't wash my car any other way now unless its really dirty which it never is.

No marring on my black twin turbo.

tw

points

I bought the 400.00 unit from moe mistry who I discovered on the concours forum. I have probably 20 washes and my meter that measures ppm hardness has not budged a bit...still at zero. Maybe Delray beach water doesnt have a lot of dissolved minerals but that said I used to dry immediately or spots would be all over my windows and paint. Im serious when I tell you even my mirrors have no spots. The system is incredible. Im totally satisfied and would reccomend it highly. It is for people like me who are obsessed with having a pristine car.I wash and wax every week and pay the detailer to do my interior. Even the wheels after I park it have little puddles in them that take about a day to dry and no residue at all. I attached it to my outside wall right above the faucet and ran the hose to the front where I wash.