Alright so with winter slowly approaching im looking for some info about "maintaining":

1) How often should you wash the car ? Touchless ? or The self car wash with jsut water?

2) LIke many cars, you let them warm before you drive off during winter. Should you warm the 8 the same? If so for about how long? and is this a MUST ?

3) Any other tips on how to prevent rust ?

4) Any special products you guys use to help the 8 get through winter (for anything)? Ex. for your leather during winter ?


THanks in advance for the help

1)......

2) definately warm it up before driving.

3) IDK

4) I live in florida... whats winter lol

Lucky. You guys down there dont know what Canadian winter is. Its hell for the cars up here.

Read this: http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=183544

Oops sorry .. i did search but not far enough i guess. If the mods could remove this thread or lock

At the risk of ruining your thread... Who's that girl in your avatar?

OP if you delete your original post you delete the thread

I'll speak from my semi-hibernation perspective (drive only on sand/salt/snow free winter days):

1) How often should you wash the car ? Touchless ? or The self car wash with just water?

-Touchless is ok, especially as it undersprays any salt/sand - which again I don't accumulate.

2) LIke many cars, you let them warm before you drive off during winter. Should you warm the 8 the same? If so for about how long? and is this a MUST ?

-Minimal warming required prior to takoff, just take it easy until fully [coolant temp] warmed.

3) Any other tips on how to prevent rust ?

-wash often, especially the wheel wheels and as much underneath as you can.

4) Any special products you guys use to help the 8 get through winter (for anything)? Ex. for your leather during winter ?

- not really, just my typical [albeit anal] cleaning. I do of late like Griot's Garage leather cleaner/preservative (prior Meguair's). I use Griot's detailing spray on the paint after every winter run and then put on its clean/dry CaliCover Superweave microfiber cover.

Make sure your tire pressure is upped from Summer (colder air = lower air pressure).

Of course proper coolant/antifreeze mix goes w/o saying, but I'll say it anyway.

edit: I also use a Battery Tender all winter and this year am also adding an ultrasonic rodent deterrent under-hood.

At the risk of ruining your thread... Who's that girl in your avatar?

What he is trying to say or ask is, if that girl in your avatar is you, he would personally like to show and help you. But since he didn't, i'll offer myself hahaha

At the risk of ruining your thread... Who's that girl in your avatar?

Is the lady Misa Campo? :naughty:

What he is trying to say or ask is, if that girl in your avatar is you, he would personally like to show and help you. But since he didn't, i'll offer myself hahaha


LOL, I wasn't even thinking that and now I am too late. :(

From a vehicle degradation perspective a constant very cold climate is actually better then here in southern New England. With our constant cycle of snow/sleet, over salting, sanding and melting there is much more corrosion potential. It's like a continuous salt-spray (wet and dry) all season.

But I wouldn't relish your arctic blast leaving the house either!

Lucky. You guys down there dont know what Canadian winter is. Its hell for the cars up here.

Thanks for the info Huey52. ANd for all you perves, it is misa campo ;)

I need a place to wash the car by hand...indoor/underground...

I will pay for the time and facilities used too...

Any suggestion? Andrew you handwash your car in winter?

Ye i dont understand wat you guys mean by the washing in here . http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=183544 I know they have self wash where you use the hose yourself. But i mean do you do this eveery week in like -30 degree weather?? Wont the water freeze as soon as it hits the car? Shed some light on this please. Also they say touchless washes arent good cause they make water go in cracks and spaces that it wuldnt normally go and it scrubs off wax ?? So only self car washes should be used ??

anyone?

The rear rocker panel on my 2004 are now rusting/rotting away at an alarming rate. The fate of all Mazda.

1-I wash the car when it gets dirty, the wash your own cars have heated water, the drive through touchless are convenient on those crazy cold days.
2-I usually don't run it over 4k when I first leave until it gets warmed.
3-I get my car protected at Oil Gard. The full oil everything deal. I live in Windsor and only salt is used, lots of it.
4-Rubber mats, I am thinking of getting seat covers.

Thanks for the info. Oh and btw i heard on the news that this winter, theyll be using a liquid chemical to melt ice/snow instead of salt. Hopefully this is less harmful than the salt.

I wish I lived anywhere else for that matter. With the salt mines here they use it exclusively.

Sugar would do just as good a job, but salt is far less expensive. Ironic considering the then rare salt was the standard of payment for Roman officers ('salary' comes from 'payment in salt').

^ +1...

My grade 11 chemistry teacher told me the same thing. Anything like sugar for example that would dissolve in the water/snow will change it's melting point.

Salt was just cheaper.

ARE-EX-8,

Use the self-wash car bays. They shoot hot water.

I heard on the radio a couple weeks ago, that ontario will be using a liquid chemical to remove snow/ice this upcoming year. They're trying it out and hopefully this will be less harmful than salt to our cars.

Thanks for the info. Oh and btw i heard on the news that this winter, theyll be using a liquid chemical to melt ice/snow instead of salt. Hopefully this is less harmful than the salt.

Nice!! Go figure the first winter I haven't driven a sports car in lol. It for sure will be less of a mess on any car. Bout time Ontario smartened up.

I use to run mine once a week thru touchless car wash. Do it on a day when the roads are dryer and with the blowers and then drive home, most water will be off. Better than the road crap.

U can also spray it...yuk...best thing...winter beater.

If you're real baller and crazy.... buy the car wash pass from Petro Canada. It's approx $150 for 3 months of car washing. You can use once daily.

Only selected Petro Canada stations have the new touchless AND RAIL-LESS car washes. Those are the ones you want. I know they are located at Hwy 7 and Kennedy in the east end, and Hwy 27 south of Rutherford Rd. in the west end.

I used it last year, and washed the car almost daily after work. It was great!

:suspect: .... man what more info do you want?

sorry for the hassle lmao. but from your other thread, people were saying touchless washes get water into places they shouldnt go and that it removes wax. And you said self washes r better. But now youre saying a pass is good? im confused lmao

I think he is saying, if you were the girl in your avatar, he wouldn't confuse you as much as he has j/k.

I drove through that sprayed crap on the 401 a few times last year on the 401. I remember coming back from Oshawa area towards Mississauga, and was after midnight I believe. My car was white from that shit. The effects might be worse than salt. My car never looked that bad from driving one stretch of highway for about 50 km over just salt, but over that crap, disgusting!!!

liquid stuff is worse than road salt.

If you're real baller and crazy.... buy the car wash pass from Petro Canada. It's approx $150 for 3 months of car washing. You can use once daily.

Only selected Petro Canada stations have the new touchless AND RAIL-LESS car washes. Those are the ones you want. I know they are located at Hwy 7 and Kennedy in the east end, and Hwy 27 south of Rutherford Rd. in the west end.

I used it last year, and washed the car almost daily after work. It was great!
I've been using that Petro Canada Glide system for over two years now, maybe longer. It can't be beat for $1.50/wash +vac+spot lifter. The only neg with it is that I feel it washes off any Krown that is applied to the underside.
BTW, If you have rusting wheelwells, take it to Mazda and they will fix it free of charge...at least, they did to mine.
Railton

^ yea i also read it removes wax on your car (touchless wash). Thats why im not really sure which to use.

Man, why is this thread still going on...... it's quite simple!

Its not LMFAO jkz jkz. I just keep hearing different shit from different people thats why im getting confused.

Its not LMFAO jkz jkz. I just keep hearing different shit from different people thats why im getting confused.
Mine stay's snug and cozzy in the barn till it's nice enough and rain washes all the winter off the road ,, This helps the 8 run great and last a long long time.:ylsuper::grouphug: