What's the coldest you've washed your car?

Gadgetech

I didn't see a thread like this in here so I'm posting one up. What's the coldest temperature you've washed your car in?

We are driving down the road a bit for Thanksgiving dinner in the wife's car and I can't stand for it to be dirty when I drive it. I'm waiting for it to hit just above freezing before I get started b/c I don't want pipe freezing issues (can't even believe I'm saying this in SC in November).

This will likely be the coldest I've washed a car before. I think I've washed my motorcycle in 36 degree weather once.

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Upstate Z Club

DEpointfive0

26-28, I don't remember why I did, but I remember there being ice on some parts of the car

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BuckeyeZ

When I had our last house built, I had them put a drain in the garage floor and a sink with a hot water tap in the garage. I could wash my car all winter long.

Now they changed the building codes and you can't have a drain in your garage. I guess people were dumping all kinds of illegal crap down their garage drains.

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H2O_Doc

Just wash it is methanol or sea water and you won't have to worry about the temperature (unless it gets really cold). If it does get super cold, you can wash your car with liquid ammonia or mercury (those have super low freezing temperatures).

Oh, and to answer your question, maybe 30° F or so.

2xtreme1

Umm probably like in the low 50's or something. It was raining, but I was washing the car inside the garage. lol

40 to 332

I've sprayed down my vehicles many times in below freezing temperatures … especially after highway driving after salt, sand and gravel have been heaped on the roads.

Tempestz

Washed mine yesterday here in Nor Cal in 19 degree weather, i was in direct sunlight, and had driven the car about 20 miles prior. so the car was warm, the sun kept everything from freezing, except my hands and feet. turned out well. only did it cuz there was a fundraiser event the next day I was going to.

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kenchan

33-34F if sunny. if cloudy or in the shade, 34-35F. otherwise i tend to slip on ice.

i wear rubber gloves though which is required...

Lunar-Eclipse

The coldest... about 58°. I actually had to wear long pants and shoes. Damn bitter cold Florida winters.

zefaulter

between 10f-20f... soap and foam freezes on the car before you can rinse it off. you don't get a chance to dry the car because the water will freeze on the paint. as you can imagine, results are not great but gets the salt/dirt off.

frost

I washed it at about 3 degrees. This was a touchless wash in a heated bay.

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370z OG

zefaulter

I thought this was hand wash only... Sitting in the car while the washing is happening doesn't count frost!

ElVee

I typically try to not wash my cars below freezing. Since this is my first season with a car worth babying, I was way late in giving the Z a 'final' wash before winter. I typically don't otherwise wash below freezing just because, well, water freezes.

I would think about it, though, it I really needed to get the salt and dirt off, and I drove over to a heated touchless wash on a sunny day or day when I can park the car back in the garage again.

I never really thought about just spraying the car down manually without soap. Makes sense, really.

Some of my aversion is because my DD/previous car was not garaged.

6MT

I hate it when you wash and then the dew point happens. You just can't dry the damn car!

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Andrew

2009 370Z Sport/Touring 6MT sold
2013 Honda Civic Si coupe D/D

frost

I used the bay this weekend and by the time I got back home, my doors and froze closed

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370z OG