Washing the 2010 Prius

No, it's perfectly fine to drive it right after a car wash. Otherwise, nobody would be able to drive our cars in the rain.

 

You can drive them through a car wash too. :madgrin:

 

Been there done that, and maybe again today.

 

even in the South Florida tropical storms...

 

Wow! The way I've been washing ours is compliments of another post on here (thanks whoever you were...:rockon. Washing by hand and then using a leaf blower to dry it off. That works so cool! It's a tad on the noisy side but man, does it work well. No streaking, water marks, smudges etc. and it gets the water out of the little places that would be tough to reach with a rag or at least that you might forget. ...I knew I'd find a use for that leaf blower some day.

 

A weed blower? As in a leaf blower and such? I washed my car and squeegeed the windows but, I left the body to "air dry". I have Blizzard Pearl so the water marks are pretty hard to see but, I'd like to totally eliminate them if possible without taking a rag and drying it that way. Recommendations?

 

Yup a leaf/weed blower works great. Start at the top and work down.
Will even blow out the hatch/door areas.

 

What? Electric cars can get wet? Do you mean to tell me I've been walking everywhere all these years for nothing?!

 

Awesome, thanks for the info! It's going to look weird when they neighbors watch me dry the car with a leaf blower though.. haha :rockon:

 

I know it rains outside all the time but your questions was not off the wall. Years ago I had a jeep cherokee 4wd when I lived in MN. Whenever I took it to the CW, later, if I rolled down the windows and then I put them back up, they were covered with water. It was less so from rain due to angles and force. Either way, I was waiting for the car to rust from the inside out We don't have a touchless CW within 15 miles of me here, so I just received a jug of Optimum No Rise Wash & Shine, based on several older threads about the best way to wash the car when no touchless option is available and/or the local water is extra challenging for spots, etc. Not many sellers so Amazon won for best price.

 

Get a 220 mph electric leaf blower. Anything weaker than that won't be effective in getting the water off and you might have to do the rest with a towel.

 

One caution is that you should never immerse your Prius in water........

 

I thought I was the only weirdo, I use a red max leaf blower. On an aside, I sometimes like to use a synthetic chamoise and had a concern about the nano bond paint protection. Does anyone know if a synthetic chamoise can damage the paint protection film?

 

Off-topic:

It's quite frustrating to think everything is perfect and dry, only to start driving and have water flick out of the mirror housing, leading to water spots. Blow drying is wonderful for getting that water out of the mirror housing, gas cap area, and door jambs.

If the wax/sealant on your car is not up to snuff, blow-drying your car will be very difficult. The better the beading, the easier they are to blow off.

 

Consider using a product called Mr. Clean AutoDry Carwash, available at many hardware and auto parts stores. The kit includes a water sprayer that fits on a hose, proprietary soap, and a water filter. The car drips dry after washing without spotting. Saves time, avoids the need for a chamois, and is much quieter than a leaf blower.

 

Do you folks ever clean the engine compartment? I know with non-hybrid cars people like to use 'Simple Green' and then hose it off. Is this out of the question with the Prius?

 

Spraying large amounts of water under the hood with a hose can cause problems. I've personally seen cases where water getting into the ignition system can cause a car unable to start. This last year, I cleaned the engine compartment of my wife's BMW with water and simple green, and the check engine light came on (went out after an hour). Directly spraying a large amount of water on the alternator is not a good idea. Water getting into electrical connectors can cause problems.

Keith

 

Simple green does not mix well with engine parts.

I have sprayed mine with WD40 after the first wash and it looks great. I've used WD40 on my BMW & boat for years. At first I was skeptical about the prius but after some research I felt comfortable about it. I only have had the car for 2 days & 150 miles.