If you had it detailed, that probably included a hand polish and/or wax....that recent application is probly why the touch wash seemed to leave no swirls, but any touch wash is scary to me. There is one near here that uses thin strips of soft foam that don't seem like they would be able to hold particles of dirt from previous cars (they have sample strips you can feel), so that is the one "touch" wash I will risk in a pinch.

 

My 04 XJ8 has never been to a car wash. I have always washed it with a soft bristle brush by hand or use the power washer to get the salt off.
The paint shows as it did when new.

 

I don't know of any wax that can stop a machine wash from swirling the paint. I will have another look in the sunlight tomorrow. (If it's sunny.)

Yeah, machine washes are kinda a last resort, but I live in an urban area, and unless I pay for an expensive hand wash, it's kinda out of the question. Plus I can only afford a handwash maybe twice a month, and two weeks is too long for me to go without a carwash on a black car, even though it stored in covered parking overnight.

 

Ok, i'm not sure if I mentioned this before but there is a vibration between 50 and 60 mph that I want to fix. I am getting the tires balanced now and then we can see if that fixes anything!

 

Yep, you will love it!

I had trouble easing my 2007 from a stop, It just would leap off the line. Lots of neat features on these cars, try and find them all!

Good luck,

Don

 

OK, now the vibration seems to be gone, but the "throbbing/whirring" sound that accompanied it still seems to be there although not as bad. I am pretty sure this means that it IS a tire issue, as the wheel balance does seem to have had an impact. However, I think the noise is at a point where I can live with it until I really need new tires.

 

Does the radio work? lol

 

Yes!