Washing with Diesel?

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Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.

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Washing with Diesel?


I get car detailing questions from people via e-mail all the time.


If I can answer without investing a lot of time I will. If I need to write a book to answer all the questions I'll ask the person to join the forum where I prefer to answer questions. The reasons why are,

A: Writing out a detailed answer with step-by-step directions takes time.
B: Writing out a detailed answer where I do the research to locate articles already written to share in the answer takes time.
C: Writing out detailed answers where I include before, during and after pictures takes time.
D: The forum interface works MUCH better for sharing all of the above, especially links and pictures as you can run into all sorts of problems trying to send this type of information in a "reply" inside an e-mail.
E: Typing for one set of eyeballs is not a good use or leverage of typing time.
F: Typeing for one set of eyeballs does not allow many of our knowedgable forum members to also chime in with their ideas, feedback and suggestions.


This is why sometimes you'll see me bring questions sent to me via e-mail directly to the forum. I'll post the person's questions to the forum and then send them the link where they can read the answers. It's a much better use of the company's time.


That leads me to where I'm at now... I recently received a question about coatings. This then turned into the person sharing me the "process" others have taught this person.

In reading the below, I'm aghast at what others have been teaching this guy... I've made the standout recommendations in bold.


Thank you sir for the answer.

I will tell you what I learn from few detailers here. They taught me

Wash the car properly (diesel wash )

Then dry it properly

After that apply iron remover , wash it off again then dry it properly

After that apply mini SSP clay towel with clay lube wipe it off .

After that new car solvant again wipe it off.

Dry sanding with flex da polisher(1000&1500 no. Paper )

Then wet sanded it with 2000&3000no paper.

Then compound it with heavy cut compound 300/400 (menzerna)

Finish it off with super finish 3800

Then apply new car solvant after that finally ceramic sealant with applicator and do a heat gun .

Leave it for 24 hours .


Please tell me my process is right or am I doing some mistake.
Click to expand...




Um... I would stop taking direction from whoever is giving you the above instruction as they are not only improper procedures to perform to already THIN factory clearcoat paint but they will lead to you paying for a new paint job. Especially the part about dry sanding with the FLEX DA Polisher. I have to wonder if they actually mean to dry sand with the FLEX 3401 because this would not be called SANDING it would be called GRINDING.


:dunno:
 
I hate washing with diesel. Prefer gasoline...Once the surface is wet with gas, it makes it easy to spot the defects with my lighter...
 
Jet fuel works too in a pinch if you have some laying around...

Seriously though, I'm trying to imagine when the dry sanding would ever be a good idea. Wouldn't that generate a lot of heat which would destroy the backing plate? Catastrophic paint damage is a given in this case, so I'm just thinking about other things that would go wrong.
 
It turns out, there's a layer of metallic paint beneath every factory paint job. Just keep applying wax every week, otherwise it turns orange.
 
Diesel is old school, I love nitro methane. I also like to use it on my interior
 
Comment regarding washing with diesel:

It appears to me that some areas of the
World are, what I'll refer to as, being lax
in the oversight/regulation of potential
human and environmental hazards.


That often means having to work
with what's been made available.
(The jury is still out on this being
deemed as being more "affordable"
in the long run, IMO.)



Bob
 
In addition to the bad directions it sounds like this guy is talking about doing this to his NEW car
 
Pleasant day folks. I am new to the forum and well detailing in general. In my country they do use "pitch oil" another by product of natural gas production, which is similar to diesel. The reason they do "pitch oil" washes is that it dissolves the road grime and road tar that sticks to paint finishes and wheels. It strips all waxes and leave a very "clean" surface. Being educated by this forum and the internet i have discovered alternative ways to remove road tar and grime other than the traditional use of "pitch oil" / Diesel which is relatively cheap here. I am from Trinidad and Tobago btw and keep up the good job Mike.
 
Diesel fuel is not the answer. Many years ago there was a rinseless wash that was a cup of kerosene to a bucket of water . At the time you washed the paint with this solution and dried it with a towel. It left a shine, helped to prevent rust at the mouldings , and kept the road film from collecting on the paint. Back then it was good on the single stage lacquer and enamel.
 
badang868 said:
Pleasant day folks. I am new to the forum and well detailing in general. In my country they do use "pitch oil" another by product of natural gas production, which is similar to diesel. The reason they do "pitch oil" washes is that it dissolves the road grime and road tar that sticks to paint finishes and wheels. It strips all waxes and leave a very "clean" surface. Being educated by this forum and the internet i have discovered alternative ways to remove road tar and grime other than the traditional use of "pitch oil" / Diesel which is relatively cheap here. I am from Trinidad and Tobago btw and keep up the good job Mike.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean brother, however we have progressed in terms of technology wrt HSE etc, where using an uncontrolled fuel isnt the answer for cleaning a piece of machinery with fuel in it as well... we call that degreasers in the industry... ring me up, we can have a chat... :)
 
Are these petroleum washes more harmful for the paint and/or the environment than using a product like Stoners Tarminator?

I don't really consider kerosene or diesel a strong or hot solvent.
 
Mantilgh said:
Are these petroleum washes more harmful
for the paint and/or the environment than
using a product like Stoners Tarminator?

I don't really consider kerosene or
diesel a strong or hot solvent.
Click to expand...

Tarminator has some kerosene, and other
quite flammable ingredients, in it. (You be
the judge.)

IMG_25671.JPG



Bob
 
Mantilgh said:
Are these petroleum washes more harmful for the paint and/or the environment than using a product like Stoners Tarminator?

I don't really consider kerosene or diesel a strong or hot solvent.
Click to expand...


I used to be a Roughneck. No lie.

I worked on an oil drilling rig out of Oregon back in the 1980's when they were drilling for natural gas.


We washed the drilling rig with diesel. Cleaned off the mud, left all the pipes, machinery, threads on pipes clean and shiny. Made future washing faster and easier.

For anyone that has not worked on an oil drilling rig you use a lot of mud. It's a special mud that is used as a lubricant. It's pumped down the drill pipes to lubricate the bits. When I started out I was the new guy and as such I was the mud mixer. Also the guy that washed everything.


:)
 
Mike Phillips said:
I used to be a Roughneck. No lie.

I worked on an oil drilling rig out of Oregon back in the 1980's when they were drilling for natural gas.


We washed the drilling rig with diesel. Cleaned off the mud, left all the pipes, machinery, threads on pipes clean and shiny. Made future washing faster and easier.

For anyone that has not worked on an oil drilling rig you use a lot of mud. It's a special mud that is used as a lubricant. It's pumped down the drill pipes to lubricate the bits. When I started out I was the new guy and as such I was the mud mixer. Also the guy that washed everything.


:)
Click to expand...

Thirty years later, you are still mixing and washing. LOL!:props:
 
Kerosene washes were not too far from the mainstream many years ago. I'm 63 and although I never used kerosene to wash my car(s), my dad did.

If I lived in a "brutal winter" area, I might consider doing kerosene/diesel washes during the winter months as the "oily" film left behind is probably a pretty good corrosion inhibitor.
 
I've used diesel to wipe down some really greased up tools like you get when doing engine work and similar. Quite frankly, it stinks and just doesn't even work that well. If your going to go that route, just pick up a case of Brake Kleen and use it to give your car a waterless wash. In fact, when I was wrenching for a living, we used to use Brake Kleen to clean greasy finger prints, air hose marks, and oil drips on customers car's paint all the time. Actually, it never caused a problem.

But the thing is, you never know 100%. If your using some diesel to wipe down your wrenches or tools and it leaves a stain, most people that actually USE their tools really aren't going to care. If your on this forum and you do this to your car and it messes with your paint, I can't imagine feeling like a bigger idiot.
 
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