mirror issues

[MarauderMarc]

Since I have had my car, I wash it at least twice a week. Sometimes by hand, and sometimes I take it in if its too hot. Anyways my issue is this...Everytime my car gets cleaned and I drive it away, water from the mirrors comes out and sprays each side of my car and I always have to re clean each side. :mad2: Its really quite frustrating, especially when you just spent 20.00 on a wash. Anybody else have these issues? Any suggestions?

[txkent]

Ever try using a yard blower to get the residual water out of the nooks & crannies? My neighbors already think I'm a big dork - and I use it sometimes after I wash.

[BruteForce]

Ever try using a yard blower to get the residual water out of the nooks & crannies? My neighbors already think I'm a big dork - and I use it sometimes after I wash.

What ^^ he ^^ said. I use one on the whole car with minor drying touchups with a terry towel. Eliminates water spots altogether.

[the_pack_rat]

Not much you can do about it ... any rear view mirror with a design where water can "pool", will do this. Even if the mirrors were designed with small drainage holes in the bottom ... there would always be just enough water left behind that will "spritz" out as soon as you accelerate.

The only way to try & cut down on this, if you have access to any of these, would be :

Compressed air
Shop vac(use reverse flow)
Leaf blower

Course' if you were only out to wash the exterior of the car & had nothing else on your agenda such as :

The need to use an air compressor to top off your tires or something else - an interior vacuum or cleaning up around your yard ...

IMHO, you would be spend more time fiddling around with any of the (3) above ... then it would take to just wipe the offending water spots off the car the next time you park it.

I probably spend a minimum of $75 a month at the car wash. Washing cars at home here most of the time, always turns into a major PITA time consuming project.

1) Unreal 75ft of hose from the side of the house & yank it around to the driveway.

2) NO water softener + hot Florida temps &/or sun = water spots galore. The water dries too damn fast - now I'm not just doing a dry job, I have to contend with stubborn water spots.

Taking the above (2) things into account, plus the almost daily rains here in Florida summers ...

I'd rather just run the car thru the touchless deluxe wash & blow dry($8.00). Yea NO car ever comes out 100 % dry in one of these things far from it, but drying off the lil' bit of remaining water goes way quicker than a full soaked dry. And if that remaining water DOES dry or I don't have time to dry it off ... I don't have to worry about it harming the paint like the at home water would do, if the spots are left there too long. The spot free rinse really works pretty well where I usually go ... whatever few un-attended streaks or spots left behind, come right off & leave no nasty suprises behind. In fact I have even manually washed cars by hand(my bucket/sponge) in the bays there & finished them off w/a spot free rinse w/o hand drying ... & they looked pretty good.

Course' it doesn't hurt to find a nice open stretch of road after you leave the car wash to get up to some decent speed ... so the water blows/rolls right off.

Back in NJ years ago ... I had a "triple digit" method of drying w/it's own dedicated stretch of highway ... that worked REAL well.

:P

[younga1]

Must be a TX thing to use the yard blower to dry cars!!! I do the same thing:)

Perhaps we look like dorks:rolleyes: but it works.

Ever try using a yard blower to get the residual water out of the nooks & crannies? My neighbors already think I'm a big dork - and I use it sometimes after I wash.

[Agent M79]

Ashamed as I am to bring this up ... Clickity (http://www.mercurymarauder.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5888&p=77013)

[BruteForce]

Ashamed as I am to bring this up ... Clickity (http://www.mercurymarauder.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5888&p=77013)

With new neighbors moving in across the street, we begin again the process of them adjusting to "that guy who blow dries his car". Just finished a 2 day deep clean & detail (exterior only) and can just imagine what they're saying from behind those curtains... "Didn't he just wax that thing yesterday... twice? Now what's he putting on with that buffer? Look! Look! He's waxing his !#%&* rims!" :D

[DEFYANT]

I dry the car as best I can, then open and close the hood/trunk/ doors to get the drips out. Then wipe the last drops away.

As for the mirrors, I take piece of paper towel and wedge it into the space under the mirror. That catches most of the water in there.

Finally, I try not to drive it right after washing.

[Fourth Horseman]

I dry the car as best I can, then open and close the hood/trunk/ doors to get the drips out. Then wipe the last drops away.

As for the mirrors, I take piece of paper towel and wedge it into the space under the mirror. That catches most of the water in there.

Finally, I try not to drive it right after washing.

^^ This is exactly what I do.

[SergntMac]

I don't get this, but I admit I usually don't get things here.

I use a leaf blower to dry my MM, it does a fantastic job of working water out of the dozen locations it hides, that leave displeasing streaks and watermarks. They are quite prominent on black, and ultimately looks shoddy. Body side mouldings, mirrors, trunk lid and channels, and under the hood. Two years ago I spent 40 bucks on an electric leaf blower, and I have saved at least half an hour in dry time everytime I wash my MM since then.

What...What's the problem here?

[PJR]

With new neighbors moving in across the street, we begin again the process of them adjusting to "that guy who blow dries his car". Just finished a 2 day deep clean & detail (exterior only) and can just imagine what they're saying from behind those curtains... "Didn't he just wax that thing yesterday... twice? Now what's he putting on with that buffer? Look! Look! He's waxing his !#%&* rims!" :DMy neighbor thinks I'm not all there as well. I think the thing that made her laugh the most was when I cleaned and painted the brake calipers.

[MarauderMarc]

I dry the car as best I can, then open and close the hood/trunk/ doors to get the drips out. Then wipe the last drops away.

As for the mirrors, I take piece of paper towel and wedge it into the space under the mirror. That catches most of the water in there.

Finally, I try not to drive it right after washing.

I dry my mirrors when I clean it myself, but its when I take it somewhere that there is a problem. I end up stopping twice to polish me windows and doors.....is sucks. I guess Ill have to learn how to tell them about drying my mirrors in espanol....(not being racist, but that is all that work at the carwases down here) and see if that does the trick...until then, ill just keep a few towels in my trunk. Note to self....buy a leaf blower

[RCSignals]

Ever try using a yard blower to get the residual water out of the nooks & crannies? My neighbors already think I'm a big dork - and I use it sometimes after I wash.

So you don't just use it on the car?

[martyo]

- and I use it sometimes after I wash.

So does your wife point the leaf blower at you after you shower? :confused:

[fastblackmerc]

So does your wife point the leaf blower at you after you shower? :confused:
I park my car so the back end is pointed down the slope of my driveway. The mirrors and the area around the rear deck lid drain nicely!

[BruteForce]

I park my car so the back end is pointed down the slope of my driveway. The mirrors and the area around the rear deck lid drain nicely!

Hmmmm..... gravity. Novel concept. I'll give that a try next time. :P

[MM2004]

After a wash, I drive the Beast around the block making hard turns to help sling the water out of the mirrors.

One home, I dry the rest by hand.

Can't afford gas for the leaf blower. :(

Mike.