A MOTORING expert has urged drivers to take an easy step to ensure their vehicle isn’t being “destroyed” after each wash.
Mechanic Scotty Kilmer, who has been in the motor trade for more than half a century, took to his popular YouTube channel to explain what you needed to do.
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He said: “Here’s something you probably don’t know. Your paint seems hard but actually it’s flexible.
“If it dries out and isn’t flexible anymore it cracks and is destroyed.”
He added though: “But if you wax your car like I did, it keeps the paint supple so it’s flexible and it won’t crack.
“Now, I use this [holding up a can of Nu Finish] and technically it’s not even a wax, it’s a polish, but it works the same way.
“Now, this says once a year but I don’t believe that. It’s a good idea to do it once every three months, four times a year.
“So what do you want to do? Pay three grand for a factory repaint or 10 bucks for some wax and a little bit of your time.”
The short, online clip comes after earlier this year Scotty warned drivers not to make use of a common cleaning method.
While washing the bodywork is fine, many drivers might be tempted to try and get the engine bay gleaming too.
Engines will naturally accumulate dirt and debris over time and can end up looking quite scruffy.
A commonly recommended fix for this is to get in there with a pressure washer and blast off some of the stubborn stains.
However, Scotty explained that this could actually be disastrous for your car, especially newer models.
Electrical issues in modern cars can be hard to diagnose but devastating to their performance.
You could end up having “one heck of a time” working out the problem and then be forced to shell out hundreds in repairs.
Thankfully, Scotty also shared what you can do if you’ve already made the major error and catch it before it’s too late.
He explained: “Let’s say you didn’t see this video or you didn’t listen to me.
“What you want to do is get a hairdryer and unplug all the electrical connections.
“Dry them with a hairdryer…and often the problem will go away if you get to where the moisture is.”
Meanwhile, in May this year AA spokesperson Jack Cousens told motorists that paying for extra washes will pay off with better results despite entering the same machine.
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- 1. Steel Wool for Glass Cleaning & Metal Polishing
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- 4. Use a Lint Roller for Pet Hair
- 6. Portable Vacuum Cleaner
- 7. Clean Headlights with Toothpaste
- 8. Black Tea for Odour Absorption
- 9. Clean Wheels and Rims with Dish Soap and Water
- 10. Use a Steam Cleaner for Deep Cleaning
- 11. Apply Rain-X to Windshield and Windows
- 12. Use a Car Cover to Protect Your Vehicle
- 13. Clean Windows with Vinegar and Newspaper
He revealed that some functions are basic, simply jetting water and brushing over the glass and bodywork.
But other machines can use wax, have a particular focus on wheels, or dry it once the cycle is completed.
Mr Cousens said: “Each customer enters a code which tells the machine what cycle to run.
“The supermarket near me has a machine car wash with four options for drivers.
“The ‘cheap and cheerful’ water and brushes only, all the way up to the full ‘bells and whistles’ option with wax, brushes for the wheels, cleaning underneath the car and drying it too.”
The AA expert stressed that once an option is selected, motorists are usually given a code to pop into a keypad as they drive into the machine.
And once they pop the code into the keypad, all that’s left to do is turn the engine off and wait until the car wash finishes its work.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
However, Cousens revealed that visiting a hand car wash could mean motorists are more likely to enjoy a “deeper, more thorough clean”.
He added: “Besides the obvious difference between machines and humans, other differences include the speed of doing the job, what bits of the car they clean and the cost.”
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