news:c1def8e2-0b7d-47bd...@wm7g2000pbc.googlegroups.com...
I have never washed my cars on principle, it is wet enough in the UK to do
it for you on a regular basis, I am not "car proud", and consider car
washing a vanity and a complete waste of resources.
However, I had parked it under a tree over the course of a few months, and
it developed a horrid sticky coating of sap, particularly on the roof. Also
the rubber window seals started growing a fine crop of moss.
I took it to a hand car wash, which I considered to be the least objectional
form of car washing rather than doing it myself ( I am lazy, and the illegal
immigrants could probably do with the job if the truth be known).
However, all they did was use a Mickey Mouse pressure washer which did not
shift any of the sap. Or the moss.
I figured an auto car wash would probably do a better job, but actually it
didn't, and it ripped off my aerial out of spite instead.
It wasn't the roller brush that did the damage though. After all that rolly
soapy rinsey stuff, the machine decided to dry the car with an air blowy
thing, that comprised of a square section beam the width of the car that was
passed from the back to the front, directing a blast of air vertically
downwards. Now, these machines have sensors to detect where the various
parts of the car are, so it can avoid any contact, but it didn't detect the
aerial, and the square drying thingy was forced underneath it. I heard a
weird kind of Boing, and saw the aerial flying through the air to land some
20 metres from the car.
Good job it didn't perforate somebody's skull I reckon, these machines are
dangerous.
Gareth.