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Are undercarriage washes "safe"?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by eseerc, Oct 4, 2013.

  1. eseerc

    eseerc Junior Member

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    With winter on its way, is an undercarriage wash (from an automatic brush-less car wash) "safe" for a Prius to help get the road salt out from underneath the vehicle? With all of the added electrical components, I am hesitant to have this done. I've gotten mixed feedback from people I have asked, so I thought I would ask here :) Thanks!
     
    #1 eseerc, Oct 4, 2013
  2. spiderman

    spiderman wretched

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    with the undercovers it doesn't appear necessary.
     
    #2 spiderman, Oct 4, 2013
  3. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    It depends on what they wash your undercarriage WITH.
    Some robo-wash-o-ramas recycle their water, which is OK as long as they have a battle plan to deal with the salt and other FOD that they washed off of the Jeep in front of you......and as long as they STICK to that plan.
    Otherwise?
    Who knows?
    That rocker panel wash may include a free saline injection! :)

    I hand wash, or sometimes in extremis, I'll use a touch-less booth, but only on their basic setting and at an establishment that I've vetted.

    Good Luck!
     
    #3 ETC(SS), Oct 4, 2013
  4. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    The automatic brushless car wash that I go through every now and then has undercarriage wash that just appears to spray water. I have never had any issue with it.
     
    #4 jdcollins5, Oct 4, 2013
  5. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    What would be the difference between the car wash and driving the car in a rainstorm? Undercarriage gets cleaned, or at least washed, in both cases.
     
    #5 RRxing, Oct 4, 2013
  6. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    As a lifelong Vermonter lots of experience here. Do not wash the underside of your car in the winter. It will just force all the salt into the crevices and water activates salt and corrosion. At the end of the winter hose it out good but to constantly wash it during winter will result in alot of undercarriage rust.

    Best way to do it and I do this with all my cars is if you change your own oil and have the car up on stands or lift spray grease on as much of the underside of the car as possible. Don't go crazy just any bolt head or connector you see and the front & back suspension. or anything already rusted. Use this product which is excellent & made exactly for this purpose and does not smell:

    Corrosion Stop

    Found only at Home Depot.
     
    #6 edthefox5, Oct 4, 2013
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