Machine gray - swirl marks?
- Thread starter chris76
- Start date
Well it seems the OP might not want to wash it regularlyI used to religiously cover my car, but unless the paint is perfectly clean, a car cover just adds to paint swirling as it will drag any contaminants on the surface of the car across the paint while the cover is being installed and removed.
The only way to eliminate paint swirling is to minimize the amount of contact with the paint. I foam mine to remove the majority of the surface dirt and add lubrication, use ONR with 2 buckets, and then carefully dry it with multiple waffle weave towels.
I was merely pointing out that a cover is not a viable solution to preventing swirling. My cleaning routine is perhaps a bit extreme (especially having 4 cars), but detailing cars is a pretty serious hobby of mine so I was sharing my method of swirl prevention to the OP along with anyone else who cares.
Wasn't having a go at you.
Just stating an option. Everything will cause swirls on that colour if proper cleansing isn't done on a regular basis. Even someone leaning on it and moving away will create some sort of swirl mark.
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- 2018 CX-5 GT FWD Premium
I have the Machine Gray 2018. The first weekend I washed and waxed her. Then the 3rd weekend I washed and waxed her again. I bought a California Duster and after she cools down I dust her off every day in the garage. Right now she hasn't been washed for a month and looks like she's just been washed.
Before this car I had a Black car and did not want to go through that again. I'm very happy with the way the Machine Gray looks and its much easier to keep clean than Black.
Before this car I had a Black car and did not want to go through that again. I'm very happy with the way the Machine Gray looks and its much easier to keep clean than Black.
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- 2017 CX-5 GT AWD
Personally, I think that is better to use the automated car wash then leaving dirt and crap sit on your paint.
Over here automated car washes are a dying breed. Hand car washes are the norm and if I had to get a car washed, prefer hand car washes as no course brushes used.
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- 2017 CX-5 GT AWD
I think in the colder USA climates they are thriving. There is so much salt on the roads during winter, that unless you want to wait for a day above freezing, your only choice is a drive through. I have 3 (2 opened in the last 6 months), within 8 miles of me.
GJ-Molestor
Banned
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- 2011 BMW 528i, 2015 Mazda 6, 1995 Nissan Maxima Manual
Remember - if there is still salt on the ground, do not wash your car. you may think you are doing your car a favour, but in reality the water causes salt to stick and corrode the underside of your car such as the subframe where rust starts to form in almost every single situation. you are best off leaving the car dirty until there is no more salt on the road.
Interesting
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- 2017 CX-5 GT AWD
In my experience rust is more a product of dirt sitting in an area and acting as way to keep that surface wet - more so then just salt. Salt water alone is not the cause of rust. It is the dirt that traps the water and stays in contact with paint. If an area stays wet it will rust even without salt.
And in many climates the mix other things with the salt and the plows kick up all kinds of stuff. I would rather wash all that stuff off my car. Besides when the snow is melting, we are driving through salt water anyway. Washing it off is not going to make it any worse.
And most of the car washes recycle the water so you're basically giving your car a salt bath.
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- State of Jefferson
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- 2017 CX-5 GT AWD+
This is an interesting question, and both sides make sense. Rust/corrosion is caused by oxidation of the metal-- the contact of the oxygen in the air with the metal. Water accelerates the process, and water with lots of ions [salt water, for one] accelerates it even more.
So the dirt on the car protects it from exposure to additional water and salt, but it also traps the salt in the dirt already next to the metal, and when it gets wet, the result is similar.
Ideally one would do an underbody wash with clean water after every wet drive in the winter, but not many are likely to do that! So what's the best approach?
One thing's for sure: rust never sleeps.
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- State of Jefferson
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- 2017 CX-5 GT AWD+
Wouldn't their filtration system remove this (uhm)
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- 2017 CX-5 GT AWD
I am pretty sure they use only some of the rinse water for washing, but the rinse is clean water.
I have neighbors that have monthly plans at the local car washes, visiting multiple times per week. Maybe not as good as a hand wash, but there cars always look nice.
As for dirt and salt. I dont think dirt protects paint. Any “dirt” left in contact with paint will damage it. If that dirt remains wet without any salt, it will cause rust. Cars from the 70s with more nooks and crannies would have chunks of dirt thrown up into the wheel wells and around the fender lip. The dirt would build up, stay wet and rust. Even in non snow climates.
I think that is why most wheel arches have plastic cladding. No more lip for dirt to collect in to rust.
