1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Nooo! Power wash chips paint off of bumper!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by looper, Sep 1, 2008.

  1. looper

    looper Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2008
    10
    0
    0
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Oh man oh man. Just got the car a little over a week ago, and was giving it a power wash today. I'm swinging the nozzle back and forth over a nasty bit of dirt when WOOSH! A quarter size piece of paint comes flying off of the top of the back bumper.

    Ugg.

    I was stunned. The nozzle tip was about 12" away. I'd washed it once before, and used to power wash my recently sold FJ Cruiser with no problems.

    What are my choices here? Do I have any recourse? I've since read on the forum that the paint is known to be soft. Gonna ring up my dealer tomorrow and see what's doing. Anybody hear of this before?

    If I have to spring for a new bumper (cover?), did I read correctly that it runs just over $200?
     
    #1 looper, Sep 1, 2008
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    18,200
    6,471
    0
    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    That is unfortunate. I think all that is required is to repaint the rear bumper cover, but that could easily cost $300 or so.
     
    #2 Patrick Wong, Sep 1, 2008
  3. BDDave

    BDDave New Member

    Joined:
    May 7, 2008
    76
    5
    0
    Location:
    Iowa
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Why would you use a power washer on a car? Those things are really powerful. A sponge with a pail of soapy water is the best way to wash your car.
     
    #3 BDDave, Sep 1, 2008
  4. rfruth

    rfruth Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2008
    394
    8
    24
    Location:
    Houston, Tx
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Some people power wash their engines, wrecker drivers love this ;)
     
    #4 rfruth, Sep 1, 2008
  5. looper

    looper Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2008
    10
    0
    0
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Cause it was really dirty? :rolleyes:

    Using a power washer on a car is common. Any do-it-yourself car wash has them and thousands in this country use them every day. No doubt many an apartment dwelling Prius owner in any major city uses them. Any regular car wash has powerful jets. etc.

    And, as mentioned, used to power wash my FJ with no problems at all. I'm thinking that the paint is just soft and/or doesn't bond to the plastic very well.

    Just seems wrong.
     
    #5 looper, Sep 1, 2008
  6. mrblaise

    mrblaise Go Lakers!!

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2008
    2,248
    525
    19
    Location:
    Southern California
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I power wash my car all the time and have no problems with it. However, that being said, I think that holding the wand 12" from the car was inviting trouble. There's no need to be that close. In fact I believe that most power washer manufacturers would advise against that practice. If there's a certain speck that you want to hit, run the wand over it and if it's still there, take a lambswool mitt and do it by hand then wash over it again. Also, be careful about what attachment you use. Don't use the same attachment (swirling) you'd use to clean the driveway.
     
    #6 mrblaise, Sep 1, 2008
  7. Ghostrider

    Ghostrider New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 1, 2006
    121
    0
    0
    If it is on the top of the rear bumper you may be able to cover it with a rear bumper guard. I bought one for mine - I think it is from the Corolla but a search will tell you which one. You could prime the spot and then cover it was the plastic guard
     
    #7 Ghostrider, Sep 1, 2008
  8. looper

    looper Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2008
    10
    0
    0
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Yeah, no doubt 12" was too close. But man, it was just for a second!

    Live and learn the hard way, I suppose. I still think that it's crazy that the paint would flake off. If I'd held it there for a minute or longer, that's one thing. That wasn't the case here at all. The nozzle was moving back and forth.

    Gonna talk to my dealer; probably won't get anywhere. It's not like the paint just 'fell off'.

    @ghostrider: I hear what you're saying, but I just don't like guards. Plus, the fact that the flaked area is there is going to bug me to no end until I get it fixed. Like a 300lb gorilla in the room. heh.
     
    #8 looper, Sep 1, 2008
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)