Tried drying with leaf blower - Page 2 - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Mr_Draco · 10-25-2010, 10:32 PM

Another thing to take into consideration is the condition of your water. If you have hard water or a lot of heavy minerals in the water, you'll almost always have water spots even after following the recommendations here.

Something you could look into is a dual filter system to soften the water and remove minerals.

d69chris · 10-25-2010, 10:44 PM

I would guess it's hard water spots.

Soap will not matter, it's in the water.

superstockcam · 10-25-2010, 11:03 PM

Just ordered this last week,

http://www.classiccruiser.com/product.asp?item=298988

I can think of many more uses than just drying the car, and now my leaf blower can go back to what it is designed for!

using a 5 micron filter on your water line will help reduce minerals that spot also. If I wash my car at Tahoe "where the water comes out of the spout 97% clean" I can let it air dry, when I wash in Reno it's crusty before I can get it off...

CamaroDreams07 · 10-25-2010, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ron10

little bit of advice,wash your wheels and tires first.that way you don't have water drying on your car.

This. The leafblower didnt leave water spots. It's what you did before that.

hrpiii · 10-26-2010, 06:20 AM

it also depends on your rims whether you are washing first or last. I have flat black rims, and if you wash them first ..you will have hard water spots on them by the time you finish drying the car. I have to wash the rims last, and immediatly dry.

Gramps · 10-26-2010, 07:10 AM

It sounds like the paint isn't in pristine condition. If it was, the water would literally fall off the paint with little effort.

For me...that's when I know I have the paint just right...by the way the wash/dry step goes. Washing/drying is actually a great indicator of the condition of your paint.

Here's another way to find out how good of condition your paint is....after a rain...get in your car, and get up to about 60 mph....the hood of your car should be bone dry in about 30 seconds.

redirish · 10-26-2010, 04:44 PM

A lot of good input from everyone. My water is very hard were I live. I actually have a water softener but it is not working. I guess I better get off my but and fix it. Wait until the wife finds out I am fixing it for my car LOL

My paint is not in pristine shape. I need to polish and wax it before the cold water hits. I'm sure after that the water will blow right off

homerlex · 10-26-2010, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redirish

A lot of good input from everyone. My water is very hard were I live. I actually have a water softener but it is not working. I guess I better get off my but and fix it. Wait until the wife finds out I am fixing it for my car LOL

You will likely have spotting even with the water that has been softened through your system since the it still contains "dissolved solids" (you can test with a TDS meter).

What you really need is a deionizer.

lets_go_bills · 10-26-2010, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jus1dab

What kind of detail spray do you guys use.

Z6. It's amazing!

Russell James · 10-27-2010, 02:09 PM

I've found if you get the blower too close it can splatter little water spots everywhere. I try to get most of the water to pool off. Then holding the blower back far enough to just push the last bit of water off. If you have good wax on it, and are using good soap, it should flow and blow off pretty easy. I don't try to get everything with the blower, just most of it, then get the last water drops with a soft cotton towel.

Maybe your using the blower too much and too close. Try holding the blower back a bit and not try to blast everything. Finish with a towel and some detail spray on areas that get a bit spotted.

2010 2-Tone · 10-27-2010, 02:22 PM

With a good wax on your car, a blower will work perfectly if the surface is not hot no matter how hard the water is.

jbp-ohio · 10-27-2010, 07:28 PM

Don't 'dry' the car with the leaf blower. The blower is only to get the water out of the crevices to dry with a towel.

I dry with an ''Absorber'', then blow the water out of all of the crevices with the blower and dry up the droplets with the Absorber..........

CamaroDreams07 · 10-27-2010, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbp-ohio

Don't 'dry' the car with the leaf blower. The blower is only to get the water out of the crevices to dry with a towel.

I dry with an ''Absorber'', then blow the water out of all of the crevices with the blower and dry up the droplets with the Absorber..........

No. The leaf blower should be used to get the car 90% dry and then get whats left with a genuine chamois (not Absorber or Shamwow) or a good MF waffle weave towel. The less you touch your paint, the less scratches you incur. So obviously the more you do with the leaf blower, the better off you are. This is a simple concept, I dont understand how much confusion there seems to be on it.

Stex · 10-28-2010, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FASST 1

I never have a problem using the leaf blower. I never try to totally dry the car with the leaf blower. I use it to dry the wheels (last), blow water out of areas that you can't dry with a towel, and get the majority of water off flat surfaces. This can be done pretty fast. Then I spray with detail spray and wipe off what is left with an Adams microfiber towel. A good coat of wax is a must to reduce the water tension and make it easier to blow off the water.

+1

10-25-2010, 10:44 PM	#16
d69chris Florida C5 Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS Vortech L99 IOM Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Tequesta, FL Posts: 2,608 View My Garage	I would guess it's hard water spots. Soap will not matter, it's in the water. __________________ Ordered 11/08/08....Del. 08/05/2009 Loving every minute of it! Don't hate me because i'm Pretty....

10-25-2010, 11:03 PM	#17
superstockcam Member Drives: 2010 ABM 2SS/RS LS3 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Where you vacation...Tahoe Posts: 928	Just ordered this last week, http://www.classiccruiser.com/product.asp?item=298988 I can think of many more uses than just drying the car, and now my leaf blower can go back to what it is designed for! using a 5 micron filter on your water line will help reduce minerals that spot also. If I wash my car at Tahoe "where the water comes out of the spout 97% clean" I can let it air dry, when I wash in Reno it's crusty before I can get it off... Attached Images __________________ .

10-26-2010, 07:10 AM	#20
Gramps Drives: 2011 1LT/RJT/Auto/ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Western NY Posts: 104	It sounds like the paint isn't in pristine condition. If it was, the water would literally fall off the paint with little effort. For me...that's when I know I have the paint just right...by the way the wash/dry step goes. Washing/drying is actually a great indicator of the condition of your paint. Here's another way to find out how good of condition your paint is....after a rain...get in your car, and get up to about 60 mph....the hood of your car should be bone dry in about 30 seconds. __________________

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10-25-2010, 10:32 PM	#15
Mr_Draco Drives: 2SS/RS Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 7,415	Another thing to take into consideration is the condition of your water. If you have hard water or a lot of heavy minerals in the water, you'll almost always have water spots even after following the recommendations here. Something you could look into is a dual filter system to soften the water and remove minerals.

10-26-2010, 06:20 AM	#19
hrpiii AKA "Beefcake" Drives: 2023 ZL1 Sharkskin Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Indy Posts: 8,579	it also depends on your rims whether you are washing first or last. I have flat black rims, and if you wash them first ..you will have hard water spots on them by the time you finish drying the car. I have to wash the rims last, and immediatly dry.

10-26-2010, 04:44 PM	#21
redirish Drives: 10' IOM 2SS/RS/M6 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,354 View My Garage	A lot of good input from everyone. My water is very hard were I live. I actually have a water softener but it is not working. I guess I better get off my but and fix it. Wait until the wife finds out I am fixing it for my car LOL My paint is not in pristine shape. I need to polish and wax it before the cold water hits. I'm sure after that the water will blow right off

10-27-2010, 02:09 PM	#24
Russell James Drives: '15 SS 1LE, '69 Z28 drag car Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Mich Posts: 4,482	I've found if you get the blower too close it can splatter little water spots everywhere. I try to get most of the water to pool off. Then holding the blower back far enough to just push the last bit of water off. If you have good wax on it, and are using good soap, it should flow and blow off pretty easy. I don't try to get everything with the blower, just most of it, then get the last water drops with a soft cotton towel. Maybe your using the blower too much and too close. Try holding the blower back a bit and not try to blast everything. Finish with a towel and some detail spray on areas that get a bit spotted.

10-27-2010, 02:22 PM	#25
2010 2-Tone Drives: 2010 RY 2SS with Custom Stripes Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Jennings, La. Posts: 2,220 View My Garage	With a good wax on your car, a blower will work perfectly if the surface is not hot no matter how hard the water is.

10-27-2010, 07:28 PM	#26
jbp-ohio Drives: '11 IBM 1LT Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 53	Don't 'dry' the car with the leaf blower. The blower is only to get the water out of the crevices to dry with a towel. I dry with an ''Absorber'', then blow the water out of all of the crevices with the blower and dry up the droplets with the Absorber..........