people on Zaino forum told me LG contains abrasives. I checked at PepBoys: can says "no abrasives". However, I'm a little bit concerned regarding LG instruction to leave car to bake on the sun after application... does it mean I can never ever remove the stuff once it's applied (just in case if a better product comes on market)...
Ok I did some searching and detail shops using Zaino, it also recommends that it be left in the sun to allow the polymer to cure. I have been using LG for about 5 yrs, been using it on the Forester for two yrs. There is no problem to remove it, isopropel(spelling)alcohol will remove the wax. In fact this weekend I attached the fender flares from Qsubaru and the prep tissue contained alcohol and it removed the wax to allow the tape to adhere. the polymer in the wax helps to protect the paint from the elements. Even Meguires has polymer in the wax. LG goes on easy and best of all it comes of with no hard buffing. The only trick with LG is to put on a second coat especially since it would be the first time. I usually put on two coats spring and fall.
I just tried Zaino on my OB 2 weeks ago, and it looks great. The inital process takes some time, but it is worth it. The car comes out nice and smooth and shiny. Washing it after the 1st time is a breeze.
It's true! At work I sometimes drive a new Ford aerostar van...what an odor! New smell but acrid and throat irritating with a lingering after-burn. Last week I rented a 200 mile old Chrysler Sebring...same general stink as the Ford, but a bit more "peppery" smelling. Our 6 month old OB w/6500 miles... fragrance still as new and clean-smelling as the day we took delivery. No eye-burning here I can tell you.
I picked up my 01 Prez RS on Tues. Now with 140 miles, there's a burning oil smell. I keep looking but see no leaks. Going on rack tomorrow to look closer. Must keep SR open and fan going to keep from getting sick. Any ideas on how long this lasts?
Mine is barely noticeable now after 3 months. The first few weeks is horrific. Once, it smelled like burning resistors (I'm an enginerd and know what that smells like) and thought my dash shorted out - had to check all electronics when I got home - kind of like the smell of a new computer monitor only much stronger.
I've been using 3M Liquid Wax. Seems to really last. It's a bit tough to go on, but comes off easily with little dust. Also stain is minimal on black mouldings (I have a Forester L with fender flares).
Side Note: I drove thru some really heavy rain today (the first big rainstorm since I've had my subie) with no detectable hydro-planing. Also appreciated the ground-clearance as a few roads were flooded with 3-4 inches of water. Can't wait for some snow. This is the first time in many years that I'm looking forward to it.
we never had a smell like the one you are describing, juice. Perhaps it had all burned off by that time. The dealer had sprayed some fruity smelling stuff on the tires however. Maybe that was intended as a deodorant.
The *interior* fumes are what I refer to above. The new Sebring I mentioned seemed really bad and the Aerostar (after 4k miles) still stinks to high heaven. Not to mention the black haze its windows pickup. Our OB has just never offended like that. It makes me wonder if there aren't a number of glues, foams and plastics out there that might be more toxic than others. Can you remember any manufacturer who has tried a "no fumes interior" marketing approach?
my new Forester did not have any yucky smell... just a bit of new car fragrance, quite pleasant actually.
However, I heavily treated it with Scotchguard once I've received it from the dealer, and then let it air out for a couple of days... maybe that has neutralized the original smell.
Last weekend, my old Loyale got a royal treatment: it was washed (w/Dawn, it's supposed to cut through grease and old wax layer), clayed and waxed. It was first time I clayed the car, and I'd say it's a must! The surface is sooo smooth now, and wax looks so much better.
I understand now that w/o claying, waxing would be more like grinding and old dirt into the finish. Recommend claying at least once per year.
BTW, do you know that I discovered after I washed and clayed the car? My old clunker (8+ yrs, never ever garaged) still has a pretty good acrylic clear coat underneath! No deterioration, no oxidation, it's shiny and clear as new! Don't know if it means high quality paint job by Subaru or that stuff (AutoFom) I was putting on for years really protected the paint.
Finally, big thanks to KenS for recommending a water blade. It makes drying a breeze.
I heard Dawn was too harsh for regular washing, but since you wanted to strip the grease and older coats of wax, that was appropriate.
I've heard wonders about that clay. Anyone have a URL handy? Is it actually a soft, moldable bar, like play-doh, that you roll over the surface?
I use the water blade for the windows. They get cleaned with the rest of the car, and the blade doesn't leave any streaks.
Just washed Sandy myself, this weekend. Looks good as new. I use a chamois for the roof, since there are rails on mine (S+ doesn't have these), and the blade doesn't fit. The blade dries most of the surfaces, with the chamois to follow up it works perfectly.
Kate, I have used the Consumer Reports recipe of water and small quantities of vinegar, ammonia, lemon juice. I found that, even using a 100% cotton tee-shirt, the mixture leaves streaks that aren't noticeable until it rains (high humidity + dirt particles = condensation). After several years of this on my 93 Civic I re-read the (1993 I think) CR article; KMart window cleaner with ammonia received high marks. Unfortunately, 7 years after the evaluation, I (surprise!) couldn't find it so I bought the non ammonia version. CR also rated all types of cleansers this year but I haven't read it; the 93 article rates solely window products.
I tried KMart sans ammonia a few weeks ago; no condensation after a rain. Since then, I've had a little condensation but it's much better than before. I think a lot of the condensation problem I have is due to the elevated pollution in DC (now 2nd worst traffic, behind Los Angeles, in US).
I used Mothers Clay Magic bar bought at PepBoys (also available at Kragen). I've heard many people really like the Eraser clay bar, bought from www.eraser.com.
You don't really roll it. You spray the surface ca. 2x2" with the detailer spray (usually supplied with the bar), then apply light pressure and glide the bar back and forth. If the surface is contaminated, you'll hear light whispering sound, meaning dirt is being picked up. When you don't hear sound, and the bar glides really smoothly, you can wipe off the detailer spray, and move to another section. Between the sections, you stretch the bar and re-fold it, so the the clean bar surface is exposed.
Be really careful not to drop the bar. Once dropped to the ground, it becomes so dirty you will damage your finish right away. Bar is not cheap ($16-19), so hold tight on to it.
I still say a good squeegee or the car blade wins here. No streaks at all if you're good. Guess you could clean with the CR brew, then remove with the blade.
The clay bar sounds very interesting. My Soob's finish is quite clean, but our older cars may need that kind of TLC.
Having a black 2001 Forester S+, I'm inclined to somehow negate the raised, white "Yokohama Geolander ..." emblazoned across all four tires (I think all black tires with the gold-toned wheels would look especially good). I've gone to Pep Boys and a few other auto parts shops in an attempt to get some black treatment/dye or similar substance to block out the white letters but I have been unsuccessful. I'm not thrilled with the notion of removing the tires from the wheels in order to have the all black face outward. Any ideas where I can get a dye/treatment or, at least, a brand name? Thanks.
My hunch is you will eventually need to remount the tires with the black side facing out (keeping the direction of the tire the same). It is hard to get anything to stick to the rubber given the harsh environment it has to live in. That is especially true with raised letters that are the first to be rubbed and bumped.
How about some fine sandpaper? Won't work if the raised letters have the color injection molded. I.e., if letters are white rubber instead of black rubber with ink deposited on the surface, sandpaper won't work. Also, the sandpaper will lightly scuff the letters, a look you might not like.
My lease on '98 outback is ending and I'm turning car into dealership. Does anyone have any comments or experiences relating to prepping car for lease termination?
Steven: normally, any petroleum-based solvent would dissolve the white letters if they're dyed, but they can also damage the rubber sidewalls on the tire if left exposed.
Try a touch of diesel fuel (it's safer than paint thinner or gasoline because it's less flammable) on a *very* small portion to see what effect it has, and make sure to wash the area thoroughly afterwards.
Glick: the catch with any lease is the return fee, which averages over $400. This is to pay for removing door dings, scratches, and any other damage beyond normal wear and tear.
So it depends on the condition of your car. If it's virtually perfect, just wash it.
If it's laden with tiny door dings, you may want to consider a paintless dent removal shop, which will likely charge you less than the dealer would.
Steven: You will have to dismount your tires & turn them around. You can try & get used to the look. I tried for about a month, then had them turned. After you've done this you'll be happy with the new look.
I just got my Forester S+ silverthorne color with grey interior. I chose the cloth seats so that I could get the side air bags. It seemed like a reasonable trade off- safety for "luxury". Since i often sip coffee etc during my drives i was thinking of using Sotchgard. I was wondering if there were any suggestions /caveats re: the use of these protector agents on the seats. Thanx for your advice. Doc.
Doc: you may find it hard to find. I think it was recalled because the stuff lingered forever, and they weren't sure what kind of effects it would have on people's health.
I got my forester S+ at the last week of September and got a can of scotchgard from my local autoparts store. I had to ask where it was on the shelf but they had it. I believe that a can cost around $5.00 (not real sure), I picked a nice day so I could leave the windows/skyroof open and followed the directions on the can.
I have not had a chance to see if it works, I.E. no spills yet. But with two kids I am sure it will be worth it.
Hi all, Well I heard from dealer today. My 5spd Wintergreen OB Lmtd will be in my grubby hands this Tuesday.
Can anyone provide some feedback about keeping the interior clean? I have a 4 1/2 yr old wonderful boy and his 90 lbs golden retriever.
We leased a '98 outback and loved it so much that we're purchasing ths '01 Lmtd. We almost didn't get the Lmtd because of the leather seats (the kid & dog), but we just had to get the dual moon roofs. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
mrglick- Personally, I think that leather seats are actually easier to keep clean. You can easily wipe up spills/drool and brush off crumbs/dog hairs. If it does get dirty, a standard leather cleaner should clean it no problem. My only concern would be the dog's claws. If he stays in the cargo area then there's no problem there either. However, if you let him roam the car, you'll want to make sure you keep his nails trimmed.
Yep, they're easier to care for. Just use a damp cloth whenever they get dirty. A Swiffer cloth may help pick up dog hair, too.
Though I've found the cloth Subaru uses pretty stain resistant, dog hair is a pain to remove. I use tape. Yes, tape, the sticky side grabs hair very well.
I don't want to start a big forum on waxes (I know there is a maintenance topic on Edmund's) but somebody here mentioned a Consumer Report article stating that Prestone Bullet Wax was rated highly. I've since read the article (May 2000) and seem to feel that either Prestone or Nufinish would be OK. Nufinish, however, is not rated as highly for a black vehicle because of scratching and hazing.
Has anyone used Bullet Wax on a black or dark vehicle? We live in a very rainy city and are seldom subject to snow and salt. I know all those Zaino lovers will be suggesting that product, but I doubt that its available here. Any first-hand info would be appreciated.
Al, as I stated above, I'm using 3M Liquid Wax. I think it was also rated highly by Consumer Reports in the same issue. It goes on a bit tough (does not spread that easily), but comes off easy after dry. It also seems to last a long time. My car is silver, so I don't know how it would work on a dark color, but there are no abrasives it it and it does not leave a "film" that would show up on a dark car.
You are right. Tony, about 3M being in the article, but durability is only "fair", although cleanability and lack of scratching is "excellent". I would not mind waxing a small Forester more often, but we also own a GMC extended cab pickup, so durability is important since vehicle waxing is not my favourite sport.
Tony, the waxes listed as "excellent" under the durability column were Prestone Bullet Wax (liquid), Armor All Car Wax (liquid), Turtle Wax Emerald Series (liquid). Rated "very good" were Nu Finish (both liquid and paste), Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell (liquid).
The top rated wax was Zymol at $16 for 16 0z. But its durability was only "good". It was rated for its shine, lack of scratching and ease of use.
Your 3M wax is the best for cleaning ability but durability is only fair. As it turns out I can't find Prestone, so until I make a stateside trip I'll try Nu Finish Paste, #3 rated. I'll avoid the other durable waxes (Armor All and Turtle Wax) because they are prone to scratch and haze--not good for our black Forester.
Some high-priced waxes such as Mother's and Megular's were not well rated at all. Perhaps you don't always get what you pay for, unless its Zymol which I've never heard of before.
I'm very happy with the Nu Finnish on my gold forester. I also used it on my '94 Golf and received complements on the paint condition when I took it for detailing prior to sale. I had not even waxed it once in the last 2 years.
I've used off-the-shelf Zymol for my black Forester S and I found it to be quite good. It seemed to fill in fine scratches and left the paint with a nice glossy shine. The only drawback was that it didn't last very long. I noticed the fine scratches would resurface after 2-3 washes. So far, it's been the best all-in-one product I've tried. I recently bought the 3M cleaner/wax so I'll let you know how that is when I try it.
I've also used the more expensive products like Meguiars. I think Meguiars works great when your vehicle's finish is in pretty poor condition. I don't think an all-in-one product would be able to do quite the same. Since it takes time to do the whole process, I usually only do it 1-2x a year and use the all-in-ones the rest of the time.
I guess I should've tried Mother's. I bought a Meguiar's clay bar to try removing paint overspray. Didn't work at all. The hood looked just like the magazine ad that shows a hood with 1/2 Mother's and half brand X. Tried using more detalier spray and it didn't help. The overspray has been there for a few months now. Any suggestions? Dennis
Hello folks: Just catching up on our topics, been away for a month or so:) I have been washing my 01 Forester by hand since I picked it up in early sept. I did the Zainos treatment within a week of ownership and I couldn't be more pleased! My routine now is to hit it with Blue Coral self-washing liquid, it is the one which attaches to the hose: Rinse: Foam: Wait 2 mins: rinse. Because of the teflon-like Zaino, this wash method works quite well, though not as good as when I actually put my hands on the car to wash it. When I do, I literally hand wash the car. I find that I can feel any grit under my fingers and I am very gentle as I wash. I finish with the Cali water blade and an artificial chamois. I am tempted to use (as suggested here months ago) a leaf blower, but I am worried that it may fire small bits of debris as it dries. My $0.02:)
I live in an apartment. They don't allow us to wash our car in the parking lot, because the stuff washes down into the storm drain, which in turn washes down into the retention pond in the middle of the complex and kills the fish (this is part of this city's anti-flash-flood strategy, all new commercial buildings and apartment complexes must have a retention pond or depression of some sort to handle storm water runoff).
So how do you apartment dwellers handle washing your car? I tried three different car wash places, none of them did a good job. There's a couple of "self-washing" places, but they use harsh soaps under high pressure, guaranteed to strip off all wax and force grit into your clearcoat. I've tried finding co-workers who have driveways I can borrow (grin), but hey, my co-workers are programmers, most of them live in apartments too (let's face it, us computer geeks aren't much into that whole "house in the suburbs and do lawn work and home repair on the weekends" trip). Any other solutions that anybody can think of to my dillema?
Note that I didn't care that the car wash places did a lousy job on my Ford Aspire -- it was an Aspire, after all, $9,000 worth of "it aspires to be a real car". But a $25,000 Subaru Forester is a different ball of wax altogether.
Depending on how far you are from the "self washer" place: 1) Fill up a bucket with warm water and auto cleaner. 2) Place the bucket in a larger container (to catch any spills) in the back of your Forester. 3)Drive slowly to the nearest "self washing" place and just use the rinse cycle.
I have a large 5 gallon collapsible water tank as part of my camping gear (this is Arizona, if you aren't carrying water with you, you ain't campin' :-). I can fill it with warm water, and fill the bucket/mix my auto cleaner at the self-washing place. I just gotta see whether it can be advanced to rinse cycle without going through the wash cycle first :-(.
I have used Zaino only once so far and it came out nice! I used it on the entire car, and nothing was stained. It does make the car nice and smooth. I just hope it warms up enough in the NYC area so that I can give it one more coat before the winter really sets in.
Hi Juice thats an occupational hazard up here in the great white north. I generally spray WD40 liberally into the locks on a regular basis all through winter and never have a problem.My last couple of cars though I have had keyless remote added with the alarm systems way to go no more messing around with keys and no worrys about frozen locks.As far as washing if it is mild and not too far below freezing I take two 5gallon pails of lukewarm water and wash and dry one panel at atime not ideal but at least you get the worst of the crap off just be careful tokeep your wash cloth well rinsed. Cheers Pat.
Comments
I just tried Zaino on my OB 2 weeks ago, and it looks great. The inital process takes some time, but it is worth it. The car comes out nice and smooth and shiny. Washing it after the 1st time is a breeze.
Our 6 month old OB w/6500 miles... fragrance still as new and clean-smelling as the day we took delivery. No eye-burning here I can tell you.
There. An un-biased opinion, out in the open.
Happy breathing!
Chris
Most people find the smell nasty, like chemical coating slowly burning off. I couldn't wait until my Forester was broken in.
Someone guessed it was the undercoating spray applied at the factory burning off the exhaust.
-juice
4bangN
We couldn't agree on whether it was a chemical coating burning off all the interior plastics, or the undercoating overspray on the exhaust system.
Either way, it's nauseating (to me) and went away in a couple of months.
I didn't have a moonroof but I had one installed! That wasn't the only reason, though.
-juice
I've been using 3M Liquid Wax. Seems to really last. It's a bit tough to go on, but comes off easily with little dust. Also stain is minimal on black mouldings (I have a Forester L with fender flares).
Side Note: I drove thru some really heavy rain today (the first big rainstorm since I've had my subie) with no detectable hydro-planing. Also appreciated the ground-clearance as a few roads were flooded with 3-4 inches of water. Can't wait for some snow. This is the first time in many years that I'm looking forward to it.
-Tony
The *interior* fumes are what I refer to above. The new Sebring I mentioned seemed really bad and the Aerostar (after 4k miles) still stinks to high heaven. Not to mention the black haze its windows pickup. Our OB has just never offended like that. It makes me wonder if there aren't a number of glues, foams and plastics out there that might be more toxic than others. Can you remember any manufacturer who has tried a "no fumes interior" marketing approach?
Not fuming, just musing.
chris
Deodorant - LOL! It NEEDS it!
-juice
However, I heavily treated it with Scotchguard once I've received it from the dealer, and then let it air out for a couple of days... maybe that has neutralized the original smell.
I understand now that w/o claying, waxing would be more like grinding and old dirt into the finish. Recommend claying at least once per year.
BTW, do you know that I discovered after I washed and clayed the car? My old clunker (8+ yrs, never ever garaged) still has a pretty good acrylic clear coat underneath! No deterioration, no oxidation, it's shiny and clear as new! Don't know if it means high quality paint job by Subaru or that stuff (AutoFom) I was putting on for years really protected the paint.
Finally, big thanks to KenS for recommending a water blade. It makes drying a breeze.
I've heard wonders about that clay. Anyone have a URL handy? Is it actually a soft, moldable bar, like play-doh, that you roll over the surface?
I use the water blade for the windows. They get cleaned with the rest of the car, and the blade doesn't leave any streaks.
Just washed Sandy myself, this weekend. Looks good as new. I use a chamois for the roof, since there are rails on mine (S+ doesn't have these), and the blade doesn't fit. The blade dries most of the surfaces, with the chamois to follow up it works perfectly.
I'll 2nd that thanks to Ken for the suggestion.
-juice
I tried KMart sans ammonia a few weeks ago; no condensation after a rain. Since then, I've had a little condensation but it's much better than before. I think a lot of the condensation problem I have is due to the elevated pollution in DC (now 2nd worst traffic, behind Los Angeles, in US).
..Mike
PS - Thanks for the clay feedback.
..Mike
You don't really roll it. You spray the surface ca. 2x2" with the detailer spray (usually supplied with the bar), then apply light pressure and glide the bar back and forth. If the surface is contaminated, you'll hear light whispering sound, meaning dirt is being picked up. When you don't hear sound, and the bar glides really smoothly, you can wipe off the detailer spray, and move to another section. Between the sections, you stretch the bar and re-fold it, so the the clean bar surface is exposed.
Be really careful not to drop the bar. Once dropped to the ground, it becomes so dirty you will damage your finish right away. Bar is not cheap ($16-19), so hold tight on to it.
I still say a good squeegee or the car blade wins here. No streaks at all if you're good. Guess you could clean with the CR brew, then remove with the blade.
The clay bar sounds very interesting. My Soob's finish is quite clean, but our older cars may need that kind of TLC.
-(lemon?) juice
Especially what Kate said about the noise.
-juice
Bit
Steven
Bit
Ken
..Mike
..Mike
My lease on '98 outback is ending and I'm turning car into dealership. Does anyone have any comments or experiences relating to prepping car for lease termination?
-thanks
Try a touch of diesel fuel (it's safer than paint thinner or gasoline because it's less flammable) on a *very* small portion to see what effect it has, and make sure to wash the area thoroughly afterwards.
Glick: the catch with any lease is the return fee, which averages over $400. This is to pay for removing door dings, scratches, and any other damage beyond normal wear and tear.
So it depends on the condition of your car. If it's virtually perfect, just wash it.
If it's laden with tiny door dings, you may want to consider a paintless dent removal shop, which will likely charge you less than the dealer would.
-juice
Chuck
Thanx for your advice.
Doc.
Too bad, I though it really worked.
-juice
I got my forester S+ at the last week of September and got a can of scotchgard from my local autoparts store. I had to ask where it was on the shelf but they had it. I believe that a can cost around $5.00 (not real sure), I picked a nice day so I could leave the windows/skyroof open and followed the directions on the can.
I have not had a chance to see if it works, I.E. no spills yet. But with two kids I am sure it will be worth it.
Russ
Well I heard from dealer today. My 5spd Wintergreen OB Lmtd will be in my grubby hands this Tuesday.
Can anyone provide some feedback about keeping the interior clean? I have a 4 1/2 yr old wonderful boy and his 90 lbs golden retriever.
We leased a '98 outback and loved it so much that we're purchasing ths '01 Lmtd. We almost didn't get the Lmtd because of the leather seats (the kid & dog), but we just had to get the dual moon roofs. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
-Glick
-Frank P.
Though I've found the cloth Subaru uses pretty stain resistant, dog hair is a pain to remove. I use tape. Yes, tape, the sticky side grabs hair very well.
-juice
Has anyone used Bullet Wax on a black or dark vehicle? We live in a very rainy city and are seldom subject to snow and salt. I know all those Zaino lovers will be suggesting that product, but I doubt that its available here. Any first-hand info would be appreciated.
Cheers, Al
-Tony
Cheers, Al
-Tony
The top rated wax was Zymol at $16 for 16 0z. But its durability was only "good". It was rated for its shine, lack of scratching and ease of use.
Your 3M wax is the best for cleaning ability but durability is only fair. As it turns out I can't find Prestone, so until I make a stateside trip I'll try Nu Finish Paste, #3 rated. I'll avoid the other durable waxes (Armor All and Turtle Wax) because they are prone to scratch and haze--not good for our black Forester.
Some high-priced waxes such as Mother's and Megular's were not well rated at all. Perhaps you don't always get what you pay for, unless its Zymol which I've never heard of before.
Cheers, Al
Ross
I've also used the more expensive products like Meguiars. I think Meguiars works great when your vehicle's finish is in pretty poor condition. I don't think an all-in-one product would be able to do quite the same. Since it takes time to do the whole process, I usually only do it 1-2x a year and use the all-in-ones the rest of the time.
Ken
Any suggestions?
Dennis
Just catching up on our topics, been away for a month or so:) I have been washing my 01 Forester by hand since I picked it up in early sept. I did the Zainos treatment within a week of ownership and I couldn't be more pleased! My routine now is to hit it with Blue Coral self-washing liquid, it is the one which attaches to the hose: Rinse: Foam: Wait 2 mins: rinse. Because of the teflon-like Zaino, this wash method works quite well, though not as good as when I actually put my hands on the car to wash it. When I do, I literally hand wash the car. I find that I can feel any grit under my fingers and I am very gentle as I wash. I finish with the Cali water blade and an artificial chamois. I am tempted to use (as suggested here months ago) a leaf blower, but I am worried that it may fire small bits of debris as it dries. My $0.02:)
So how do you apartment dwellers handle washing your car? I tried three different car wash places, none of them did a good job. There's a couple of "self-washing" places, but they use harsh soaps under high pressure, guaranteed to strip off all wax and force grit into your clearcoat. I've tried finding co-workers who have driveways I can borrow (grin), but hey, my co-workers are programmers, most of them live in apartments too (let's face it, us computer geeks aren't much into that whole "house in the suburbs and do lawn work and home repair on the weekends" trip). Any other solutions that anybody can think of to my dillema?
Note that I didn't care that the car wash places did a lousy job on my Ford Aspire -- it was an Aspire, after all, $9,000 worth of "it aspires to be a real car". But a $25,000 Subaru Forester is a different ball of wax altogether.
-E
Eric: at least you don't get a lot of rain/snow in Phoenix. Maybe one of those dusters used every couple of days would help?
The biggest pain with wax is that some of them stain plastic and rubber parts, including Meguiar's. Do Zymol or Zaino do that too?
-juice
1) Fill up a bucket with warm water and auto cleaner.
2) Place the bucket in a larger container (to catch any spills) in the back of your Forester.
3)Drive slowly to the nearest "self washing" place and just use the rinse cycle.
A pain? Yes. But it should work for you.
I have a large 5 gallon collapsible water tank as part of my camping gear (this is Arizona, if you aren't carrying water with you, you ain't campin' :-). I can fill it with warm water, and fill the bucket/mix my auto cleaner at the self-washing place. I just gotta see whether it can be advanced to rinse cycle without going through the wash cycle first :-(.
-E
I have used Zaino only once so far and it came out nice! I used it on the entire car, and nothing was stained. It does make the car nice and smooth. I just hope it warms up enough in the NYC area so that I can give it one more coat before the winter really sets in.
-juice
You guys ever had the locks freeze after a wash?
-juice
Cheers Pat.