Purple Haze

Hi, I just got back from a very frustrating drive. There was freshly paved tar on the road I was driving on. I'd like to soap and rinse the car off right away but I'm wondering about putting cold water on the hot engine and brake rotors. Will the cold wash harm the heated up parts? Should I wait a while before washing my car?

JSWhaler

I would advise you not to put cold water on your engine if it's still hot. As for washing the car go ahead you won't hurt anything. For the brake rotos, do them last. By the time you're ready to wash them they should be pretty cool. Remember if you car is still pretty warm you will have a higher chance of water spots forming.

diabolus2k

Wait about 30 minutes before washing your car. Putting cold water on hot brakes could harm the rotors...

wanabe

i always put the car in the garage to cool first...
but the main reason i am posting is to see what you plan to do the get the tar off-
be very careful about scrubbing tar. it can cause scratches or swirls cause it can contain abrasives. take your time with it, and depending on how bad it is you might need a tar remover product. if you need suggestions for products, let us know.

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purple haze- i just noticed that you are the only post on this thread without a w&w badge! if you need one as badly as i think you do, pm me and it will be!

JSWhaler

clay can be very useful to remove tar

GPWonTan

That begs the question:

What happens on a summer day during a spirited drive and there's a thunderstorm all of a sudden. Rain/water will be splashing and your wheels could go through puddles that will splash cold water onto the not brakes/rotors for sure....

wanabe

good point...

have you ever driven our cars in the rain? very very hard to drive at any speed other than slow when the street is wet (at least in the ap1 versions)- when it rains i take a different car if i have to go any distance.

when it rains, the undercarriage is not soaked- it gets wet a bit more gradually and has some chance to cool usually. if the wheels get wet while you are moving, the water does not have a chance to sit on the rotors (it is spun out of them).

but again, i do respect your point- i am no engineer!

diabolus2k

I hadn't thought about that either... but still, I wouldn't want to damage my rotors in any way so I'm happy sticking with my 30-minute waiting period

GPWonTan

Drive my S in the rain? Nope. Not yet.... and hopefully it'll NEVER see the rain. I do know the car's not good in the rain. I was more concerned about damaging my brakes if rain hits all of a sudden ...
I realize if you are moving fast the wheels will prevent rain drops from getting in but what if you are pulling to a stop sign or stoplight that also happen to have a puddle .... all hypothetical of course but i sure hope our cars aren't THAT fragile.

but I guess thats even more reason not to take the S out when it's raining