DIY underbody flush

[MilwaukeeStubble]

My new building has underground parking and a hose that I can use to wash my car.  It's worked great in the summer but with all the salt on the roads up here during winter I want to find a way that I can spray the salt off the bottom of my car.

It's a Honda Civic with some plastic panels on the bottom for aerodynamics so there's not a ton of room under the car.  I'm also not sure how much of it I need to rinse off regularly (since the plastic wont exactly rust).

I'm thinking that one of those reciprocating lawn sprinklers might work.  What do you think?  Is there a better option? Or should I just bite the bullet and get the $5 car wash every couple of weeks?

[solon]

I've always used those enemas from Walgreens. They're cheap and get the job done.

[Thegoblinchief]

Do underbody flushes actually help? Genuinely curious what others will say.

Is the parking heated or unheated? With heated parking salt will be a lot more chemically active, so frequent washing will be somewhat more important.

[dragoncar]

I'd just rig up something with a broom and some string.  Add a couple wheels if you are getting fancy.  Just aim the nozzle up and move the broom around under the car.  Don't need much clearance for that.

That or ask the apartment management to spring for something like this:




http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/outdoor-grounds-maintenance/pressure-washers/electric/underbody-lance-for-ar112-ar388-units

[lthenderson]

For what its worth, I still drive a 98 Honda Civic and have never sprayed the underbody except in the spring after all the salt and crud are gone from the streets for the season. I haven't had any rust issues.

[Fishindude]

We run a fleet of Ford pickups and usually run them about ten years and 250,000 miles before we unload them.
Most of them still look pretty good and are in good mechanical shape at that point, but on multiple occasions the frames have been badly rusted.
That road salt on the underbody definitely takes a toll on a vehicle.

[Jeddy]

Growing up we never sprayed the underbody of our vehicles and every vehicle in the household made it over 250,000 miles and were at least 10 years old.

If you really want to, would a lower profiled sprinkler work? Attach it to the hose and just slide it under the vehicle - let it run back and forth for a little bit and then move it forward until you've rinsed the whole car

[MilwaukeeStubble]

Thanks everyone!

It sounds like the concerns are real, but maybe somewhat overblown so I'll try some of the ideas here and not worry about going through a real car wash.

GoblinChief, I don't know if it's heated directly but it's underground and attached to the building so it won't get too cold in there regardless...

I'll try to remember to write back here on what worked.

[Chranstronaut]

Detroit checking in and hoping for tips.  I'm currently in the $5/mo car wash club because fuck using my outdoor hose when it's -10F.

The only thing I've heard is to NEVER use a pressure washer - it can damage or loosen hoses/wires under your car.

[zolotiyeruki]

Could you take a piece of PVC pipe, drill some holes, add a hose fitting, and end up with your own underbody flush thing that you can simply drive over?

[Gibbelstein]

One more data point: Having started driving in the midwest and parking 100% in the street in the winter, I haven't had a problem either and I keep my cars for several years. 

However, I recently read about this product called Fluid Film that I would at least consider if it was still a concern.  I moved to a snow/salt free environment so I never tested it, but it might be worth considering if you want to feel like you have some added insurance. I read about it on Jalopnik: http://jalopnik.com/does-fluid-film-count-as-a-hack-or-does-it-qualify-as-1686992860

And apparently it is just lanolin oil, so it isn't (too?) environmentally harsh. http://www.fluid-film.com/environment/

Something that they mention in that comment thread that I hadn't thought of was that it protects more than just the frame/body, but also fasteners, bushings, hoses, etc.  It could have made my life a bit easier if not EVERY parking break adjuster I ever dealt with was frozen solid with rust...

[Reddleman]

Strangely enough, I used something similar on my Jeep a few years ago- just slightly diluted linseed oil.  Masked off exhaust and anything that would not be a good idea to get oiled and spray/foam brushed it on.  It dries/cures so that it remains flexible, repels water, and doesn't wash away. 

Good thing I wore old clothes and a mask- it did drip.  And the car smelled kind of like a lumberyard for about a month.   But I've had a 90s Jeep Cherokee in upstate NY (lots o salt) for 7 years now and no noticeable rusting.  This is a minor miracle. 

[TheThirstyStag]

I am very happy with the under spray attachment I bought for my pressure washer.  It's basically a wheeled attachment with 4 vertical jets that accomplish what an under spray at a car wash accomplishes.

Look into that.

[Vanguards and Lentils]

I was excited because I thought this was going to be a discussion about bidets...

[big_owl]

I'd just go through the drive-in car wash.  It's like $8 and I go through it maybe twice a year.   I used to do it all myself in my driveway but it would take ten times as long as the auto car wash and all the soap/dirt/oil/grime just runs off my driveway and into the woods in my backyard.  Probably not very environmentally friendly.  At least the drive-thru wash goes into the sewage treatment system. 

My car is now 13 years old and shows no signs of rust anywhere despite having to deal with salt and snow every winter.  I think the modern rust-proofing and use of new materials is about 20x better than it was back in the day.