[PM_]

Have you realise the car's idle fluctuates quite a bit everytime when you're near the end of the wash?

Any reasons for it to happen? It didn't happen to my previous cars...

Would it hurt?

[CanberraCooperS]

Are you talking about the Automated washer??? or hand washing under the bonnet.
I have never had this problem, and i wash under the bonnet of my car once a month at least.
Mind you I always rinse the engine with the Pollish... as it leaves all the Hoses and rocker cover etc nice and black!!!

[PM_]

Quote: Originally Posted by CanberraCooperS

Are you talking about the Automated washer???

Yes - those ones with no brushes - just spraying liquids onto your car... The idling starts to fluctuate around the time when they say "Your car is soaking", just wondering if it'll hurt the car in the process

[minigolf]

Try turning the car off while the wash is in progress.

[n00b]

A bit of water wouldn't hurt (hell, they even have things such as Aquamist spraying fine water mists into the engine!) but if your engine swallowed 500ml of water at once, that's a completely different story your engine would hydrolock (sp?) and kiss your engine goodbye.

[CanberraCooperS]

hmmm only way your going to get that much water in is to Imerse in a BIG PUDDLE or squirt it into the intake itself.

as far as I have seen its very simple to get the standard Ignition leads to Arch out.. they are not well insulated (typical factory 6mm leads) I found many little Arch burns on the outside where a spark had jumped from one lead to another... New Turner Motorsport 8mm leads made a huge change.. throttle response.. startup.. water on the engine etc all good.

[new skool]

Why would you leave your car running while washing it?

[Todd!]

Quote: Originally Posted by new skool

Why would you leave your car running while washing it?

For a fast getaway my friend means he can get to 'Lamb on Chapel' way faster!!

[kenhenry]

Quote: Originally Posted by new skool

Why would you leave your car running while washing it?

For us older folk who remember older distributors (60's, 70s and early 80s), you always left the engine running while going through an automated carwash (brushless or otherwise) and always gave the outside of the dizzy a spray with WD40 first. Otherwise, more often than not, you'd be pushing tha car out of the carwash because it wouldn't start.

If you decided to do under the bonnet at home. You made sure the engine was cold and coverered the distributor completely with a plastic bag. The gap between the cap and the body was so thin that the capilliary action would draw water straight in, bye, bye ignition until it dried out.

Some habits die hard, and even though I only use a brushless car wash after a long bug-splattered trip (when I am going to re-wax the car any way), I still always let the engine run.

The classic MINIs (at least the early ones) didn't even like heavy rain. A pair of small rubber gloves were always left in the car, with a very small hole cut in each finger tip. This allowed you to push the 4 plug leads and the coil lead through the holes and the wrist of the glove over the dizzy's body - a good temporary measure for heavy rains and deep puddles.

[minigolf]

Quote: Originally Posted by kenhenry

...The classic MINIs (at least the early ones) didn't even like heavy rain...

Hmm, a small handicap for an English designed car.