I would like to applaud Toyota for their half azz design team who put this thing together "meaning exterior body panels" and was like yeah that perfect, I would like to kick them in the face

I have never taken any vehicle I owned in/to a Car Wash but I think the 2003 4Runner is the straw that broke my back

So far I have wash this thing twice once in 30 degree weather and then we got 6 inches of snow and the second time today, I have never seen a vehicle that collected so much dirt, the running boards look as if they took them off the sequoia and bolted them on, I can't even fit my hand or fingers between the Running Boards and the truck so their is dirt that just sits in their that is so hard to get to, their is also a gap where gravel and dirt sits don't know why that is their.

The other part that bugs the hell out of me is the rear doors hold dirt, it is as if the water washes over the truck through the doors and the dirt just collects their, I have to open the rear doors and hose out the truck, mind you this is a 40+k truck and the only other truck I've seen where you can hose the inside out is a wrangler and those are made that way, I really dislike hosing the rear doors out cause of the leather and carpet.

The last thing with washing this truck is the body panels are so perfect but then the very end has a small space where the dirt collects and I can't get it out.

I think Im gonna pass on the Zaino and just spend 7 bucks when ever it needs it and get the "Works" at the Car Wash, that and my rotator cuff hurts when I wash it

I would just like to add the 2003 ES300 is a breeze to wash after the 4Runner, maybe I'll pick up a new GS4 when they come out or a 350Z or Maxima

How bad could the car wash be I've seen everything from Corvettes, Suburbans and H2 to Porsches and Ferraris goin through all the time.

 

your insane if you bring the car to the car wash. I dont even need to explain why you just are, if i didnt give a ˟˟˟˟ about my car or its condition i would bring it to a car wash. I dont know why you have so much trouble but my black one isnt nearly as hard to get clean as you describe. Chris

 

I was taking mine to the carwash during the winter up at school...had no choice really. I have been washing it when i go home lately, by hand. I honestly have to say this is much easier to wash than my explorer, especially the silver color. Even if the water dries, doesn't leave any water spots. I have not had any trouble getting area's of the car, however I do know what you mean about the rear hatch, and also the rear doors collect alot of dirt on the edges, but its not that big of a deal to clean off. I'm used to washing suv's, between my old explorer, my dads explorer, and his H2, and now this, the 4runner is by far the easiest to wash. I'm glad its not black too, because my explorer was black and it was such a pain in the ass to wash and have look nice. Washing an SUV can be a big pain, but im used to it. My moms G35 is so much easier...but i still love my 4 Runner. Hoping to get a 350z roadster within the next year maybe...

 

No problems washing mine and it stays pretty clean (love bug season here, some I'm washing more often.) It takes me about 10min to wash it, longer to dry. I don't see THAT much dirt in the door sils, though the rear can get kind of dirty.
I have a wool mit and I just go like hell, doing each panel, the front window and hood twice.... Then I pull i into the garage and dry.

 

It depends on if your talking about the local automatic car wash at the gas station. Or these places that charge you 15-40 dollars to wash your car. A) the gas station car wash will scratch the shiat out of your truck, and it will look like you have nothing but swirls from the platic brissles banging against it. B) you spend $20 buck or so on the middle of the line car wash, and have it come out half a$$, and you have to complain to the manager to run it through again, because you just paid him $20 bucks. Then it will be a average wash job at best, but you're so tired of waiting you just except it. I personally would hand wash it unless you're in a hurry, and then sub-par $20 car wash will suffice for the time being, until you can give it an adequate wash.

 

how are you gonna compare a 4runner to a Z or an ES300 in terms of wash area. hell yeah you gotta put more hip into the runner, asses & elbows!!

as far as car washes go, i wouldnt givem the time of day, but why not since it pains ya so much to wash it yourself. my brother washes his rig in his garage during the winter. sorry bastard!

 

never like washing the suv anyway, heck we get so much rain here, all I do is park it outside and let mother nature does her job.Had mine for a month now,I think I washed it twice after going out into the woods, just too much mud sticking to the doors and my wife hates that.

 

What so noone likes the Car Wash Im still undecided on taking it to the Car Wash

 

edge you should be shot and tortured if you bring you new 4runner to the car wash

 

EDGE,

I would highly recommend going to a detail shop and let them wash it. I actually like washing mine myself, because I think I do a better job, but I travel a lot so I use a shop here and they charge me 35 - 40 bucks to hand wash the truck. For $75 they do a kick ass detailing job...uhggg which I have to let them do again before I trade 4Runenr But never take it through a car wash.

My mother did that for me once thinking she was doing me a favor..... of course you can not yell (well sometimes maybe) at your mother, but I was pissed because of the swirle marks. Luckily I got them all out, but DUDE.......DON'T DO IT!!! Even my sister doesn't take her black Sequioa through the car wash.

Scott

 

stop bitching!

 

The touchless car washes are fine right?

 

touchless is fine. doesn't get it 100% clean, but as long as it's not muddy or anything before, they'll do a fine job. You guys need to chill out.

 

Try the Mr. Clean auto dry car wash. I picked it up a couple weeks ago after being skeptical(sp) about it. It's amazing! No spots at all, not even on the chrome (I really thought there would be something there, but there wasn't!) Best investment I ever made (well not really but you get the picture). Plus if you have a good sponge/mitt, the soap lasts forever.

 

Me Too.... I take mine to a car wash all the time.
We have an Octopus Car wash chain here in Albuquerque which is brushless.
I just get the basic wash which is $6.99. That's cheap considering they vacuum the inside and clean the floormats as well. I then wipe it down with Zainos Gloss Enhancer when I get home.

My Zainos has held up for over a year now with about 2 trips to the car wash a month.

 

my '03 has never even seen a car wash ... it would cry and probably try to aim itself into a tree!

mine shows dirt a lot, but I have no trouble getting it off. I wash mine every weekend, even if that means pulling out the step ladder! I'm using Griot's products, and they work very well. Everything looks great afterwards. Usually I wash and then dry it and then polish and wax it -- that helps to keep it clean for longer ... even though I usually do end up washing it every weekend.

I would never take it to a car wash ... I've grown up seeing how the car wash people mistreat cars (my mom has always had a suburban or something that she doesn't care too much about ... ) ...

anyway ... my new saying on yotatech is: IF I CAN DO IT, ANYONE CAN!

 

4route,

Do you polish every week? It's a simple matter of just rubbing on and rubbing off before it dries right?
I don't polish so I don't know

EDIT:
If I have to wash I do it at the touchless places.. but it's a temporary fix at best.

 

Yeah ... you rub it on, let it glaze, then rub it off ... doing small sections of the truck at a time.

the touchless places aren't half as bad as the "full-service" ones ...

 

Doesn't polish take off paint?

 

My dealer has a big machine that coats my 4runner every 6 months it seals the paint and dirt has a hard time sticking to the 4runner. I also use the touchless car wash and it looks perfect. I use to have a Dodge 1 ton dually 4x4 extended cab. Try washing a waxing one of those sometime