I just bought a mint used 2010 Highlander (the one I asked about two days ago). I wemt ahead and got the spark plugs replaced just to be proactive. Thanks Scotty and Kerem for feedback to help. I intend to keep it as long as possible. I live in New England so winters have a lot of salt. I joined Scrubadub, a car wash membership, so I can get frequent washes in the winter mostly to keep the underneath rinsed. Is there any downside to getting washed several times per week? I think they use Simonze car wax in the option I bought. Maybe a crazy questions but want to see if anyone has insights or experience to share with downsides of taking it through and how much is optimal to keep the salt from wearing away at the paint amd rusting underside.
Thank you and Merry Christmas!
I applaud you for taking the conscious effort to fight the battle. I live in Minnesota and understand the fight against winter salt. It may not be worth it to do rust proofing on an 11 year old vehicle. Wash often in the winter. Every wash helps.
@mark-snodgrass
Worth or not, it depends what car do you have and how long do you plan to have it. It is not only the salt, even sand pieces can create rust spots
Better take a hose and wash underbody. Better option is rust protection of it.
Thanks makes sense. What rust protection do you suggest? Ive never done that and am not familiar. Any ideas welcome and appreciated.
First make sure there is no any sign of rust or corrosion. If you see any, remove it somit will not spread.
Then you apply a primer color for metal or a rust converter. I use the last one.
Then you apply corrosion protection based either on bitumen or oil (Krown oil for example). If you make it well, bitumen lasts longer. Oil has to be reapplied every two years. Then you just monitor in what shape it is and reapply it if needed and, if you want, you can wash it as a preventive maintenance (bitumen, not oil).
Good luck!
Really gret. Thank you.
You are welcome.
Meh...I'm not really as picky as a lot of guys. I like to keep my cars clean and I also use a membership to a good wash to take my daily drivers through. I just wash them whenever they are dirty. I'm also not out every day measuring the paint thickness with a tool or going over the car with a fine tooth comb looking for scratches. It's my daily. This is Texas. Rocks are going to do more damage than any dirty car wash brush might.
Typical Texas mentallty Lmao.
Fair enough I do get that.. Its really the rust I.m after and my understanding is the salt can be extra corrosive. Thanks for filling me in.
I've used Krown on my vehicles for many years, (Canada) and never had any evidence of rust. Krown warranty is only good if you do it on a brand new car and redo it every year. I've used it on brand new vehicles but I only do it every second year so I don't get the warranty but I'm not concerned. I only wash my car (on the rinse cycle) (never use a car wash with anything that touches your car) when it's dirty because rust starts from the inside so washing doesn't do much to prevent rust. I don't wax my vehicles (vehicles are clear coated these days) but I have had them buffed after a few years of ownership. If you google Krown you will see that even if your vehicle has started to rust a bit, Krown will stop it from getting worse. The "dripless" types of oil undercoating don't work as well because the oil needs to flow inside the car body as air moves through the body while you drive. Flowing types of oil will migrate into the seems and "pinch" welds of the body which is what you want.
The bitumen types like Z-Bart will do a great job on coating frame and is an excellent sound deadener but when used inside the body panels it tends to separate from the body and trap moisture and salt.
What ever you decide to use, remember a little rust proofing is better than none.
Good luck. 🙂
" rust starts from the inside so washing doesn't do much to prevent rust. "
My experience has been the same. Modern paints are quite good. (usually).
I agree with the above comment.
Going to car wash leads to scratch your paint. Wash it yourself and in the case of winter time, Just rinse it with water. Do the same for underneath the car. It is a relatively new Toyota and you do not need to worry about the corrosion.
Ah, … car-washing, in winter! My recent response: … snip and repost part:
"Well, … since it’s winter, don’t wash your car - just rinse it through with clean water whenever temperature goes (well) above freezing. Don’t use car washes - they recycle water and so the water is always salty. During warmer months, just rinse it, … than wash it, next, using wash and wax liquid - I use Simonize brand, but I’m sure there are others. But primarily, don’t fuss about clean car!
Once a year, however, I suggest using Nu Finish car polish. Other than that, … just keep up with maintenance. Primarily, change fluids much more often than what Toyota call for, …”
… it works for me, and I keep my cars for years and years!
F.S.
Wow totally counter intuitive! thanks for the insight on this. Much appreciated.
Postscript: … above I wrote: … "just rinse it through with a clean water whenever temperature goes (well) above freezing.” Well above a freezing point, … this is important! This area has to drain and dry out! When you wash a car in a warm carwash, goodly amount of water will end up streaking into nooks and crannies of a body. You drive out into freezing cold outside right after and all that water will freeze and expand, forcing sheet metal apart (think, as an example, of bottom of the door - bottom joint of a door frame and an outer skin). Expanding ice forces two metal sheets apart, damages silently paint/sealer/spot welded combination of the joint, creates a perfect place for corrosion to begin and continue unabated from that point on. Fwiw, …
Awesome love the detail thank you for following up and sharing these sharp insights!
Waxing for protection is grossly understated here... glad to see it mentioned at least. As for me... Texas mentality too but the environment dictates care required ; )
If you have a membership go ahead and use it their are microscopic downsides but if you want a clean car go ahead. I would also look up videos on youtube about it like I know ChrisFix has good videos on washing your car and scratches etc.
Cool thank you for the inout and resources. I am mainly concerned about salt and rust underneath.
@kerem-umut-kerem I would not trust ChrisFix when it comes to serious repairs.
luckily this is washing , not serious repair. His detailing vids are actually not bad.
Read Scotty's comment on youtube. I used to be his fan too until I saw one of Scotty's videos about mistakes of this guy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAnzvQhkeHk
so now you're not a fan because of one video?
@mountainmanjoe
That is the video I found. I remember in a live talk about 2 years ago Scotty said we should not trust this guy. And I unsubscribed. I found his channel a little bit before encountered Scotty's.
My computer repairman tells me not to go the guy down the road too.
Chris Fix sort of pushes things too hard but he is an ultra diy guy we are not replacing a transmission we are washing a car.
@g-t
@mountain-man-joe
I would not recommend replacing your transmission using a 5 minute chris fix video. But some of his videos are very basic like his car washing videos watch it for yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFXfSBR5Q9w
I see what you mean about him though I can see why you would unsubscribe loL
@mountainmanjoe Scotty does not repair my car.
There are a lot of DIY guys on Youtube. Everyone takes their advices on its own responsibility. And if someone with no car knowledge follows someone who is not competent enough...
Anyway I found one of Chris' videos useless in my case of rust repair 2 years ago.
so watching one video made you decide that every minute of every other video was incompetent, and untrustworthy, and that he doesn't know how to lets say, clean a seat. Sounds logical .
I do not say he is not totally incompetent. I just would not follow his advices on serious repairs. For easy maintenance like car washing, seat cleaning etc. I personally do not need to watch his or anyone else's videos.
ok well this question is about washing.
Yes this is specifically about washing a car the person who asked the question might find it helpful that is the situation we are at.
yes this is all tremendously insightful and helpful to the issues I had in mind when I aksed. Thank you!
@chrissty Sorry I went a bit off topic there.
I find worrying about cosmetic wear on a twelve year old car a waste of time. If the 2010 car of any brand was in pristine condition I can see worrying about it but most likely the vehicle is already used and any sealer will simply cover the rust, not remove or protect it. The wash club is for their benefit and profit more than your own. Use it to keep car looking nice but do not expect it to be real protection for a 10 year old used car.
Appreciate the input and perspective. Can you put that in context of protecting the underneath from rust and corrossion over a long term? I am in New England and winters are sandy and salty I primarily want to insure against that.
If there is no rust or corrosion and you protect it well, then you do not have to worry about that because salt won't access metal.
If rust is already there and you do not remove it, it will spread even faster if salt encounters it. In this case rust protection will not stop it but will decelerate its spreading.
Thanks again GT I am already in action pursuing the goods you gave me on that topic. Sounds like the key.
I'm not a fanatic about paint. I like the carwashes with the scrubby brushes, because they do a better job, and I've never had an issue. The touchless ones are waste of time. They leave a film of dirt so what's the point.
GT Thats awesome thanks for pointing that out. Didnt realize Scotty took Qs from this forum live on the videos. I’ll look for a under wash only until Im in a place where I have a hose and I can wash my own - great idea.
@chrissty
good idea!
"Can you put that in context of protecting the underneath from rust and corossion over a long term?" ............ I said: " any sealer will simply cover the rust, not remove or protect it". That is answering you about bottom protection, long term. You can only slow rust, as GT said, now because age has started what you wanted to stop. Your using the car wash machine to rinse the bottom is a good thing so that money is not wasted. Even if the car wash doesn't filter their water they will be adding fresh water to old salt water and you will get salt washed from the car, some if not all.