OKLACOP

I have hard water where I'm currently living and water spots have always been a prooblem, even when I hand dry I later find a few drops that I missed. Has anyone ever tried any thing like this??????? Check it out and give me your thoughts. I'm seriously considering one of these.
http://www.wolfgangcarcare.com/waterfilter.html

adrenalin

It is a pretty good idea for those of us with dark coloured cars. The price isn't bad either. I had priced out a similar unit at a local hardware store but autogeek has the best price. I haven't purchased one though.

Glenn

sears has them for 40 bucks + the cost of the filter. I'm sure home depot and menards have them also. Do you use wax as you dry or a quick detailer after you wash? I have a whole house watersoftner and astill get spots from time to time. After I wash and dry I usally go for a ride and then hit the spots with quick detailer.
let us know how that thing works out if you get one.

Ministang

We have really hard well water here as well. I did have a plumber add a 2nd outside spigot that ran off the water softener (the original one didn't), and that helped a little bit, but I still got water spots. I tried the "Mr Clean" system available for $20-30 locally, and it worked, but was a PITA to use and leaked. I also tried the inline filter from Griot's Garage, and it worked well, but it leaked at the quick-release connections, and the crystals inside were supposed to change colors when it was time to replace the $100 filter, and they changed colors after my 2nd or 3rd wash! I plan to eventually go with a filter system like the one linked to in the original post, hopefully next year.

OKLACOP

Sorry for the typo on my post......should be filter, not filet.....anyway you all got he idea, I too tried the Mr. Clean thing and it works well for one wash, but leaks like crazy. I got more water on me than on the car. We are currently building a house (the reason I'm stangless) and I'm looking at water softners, which is why I started thinking about this inline filter. We will be on city water, but it's a rural area and I know the water is going to suck. I'm going to pull the trigger on one, but I won't have any results until the house is done. I guess I'll try it out on my Explorer and Taurus. I was hoping someone already had one of these, or something like it.

Ministang

You can look for some first hand reports from people who have similar filters over at http://www.autopia.org/forum/ that's where I first heard about filtration systems like this.

Scothew

Gotcha covered

Glenn

if your having a house built get the whole house water softner right away. You won't be sorry. They are around 400 bucks with no filters to have to change.

OKLACOP

We are going to do that, but my parents have one and still have water spots on cars.........that's why I was thinking about this deal..........thought it might filter out that last bit of sediment, minerals, etc......

Glenn

do your parents have an automatic unit or can they adjust it? On mine I have to set the hardness level. Also mine is an on demand unit I think thats what they call it any way. So it recharges when it thinks it needs to recharge. Sometimes it will go to long before a recharge and I will get some spots. If I know I am going to wash the next day I will make it recharge the night before.

Clark Kent

I guess im lucky here in the west coast of Canada. We some of the softest water in the world. I live in Vancouver and the water rating for hardness is < 3 mg/L

Deric

When I lived in Southern Oklahoma I had soft water and didn't even know about water softeners. The town I live in now (in Minnesota) has horrible hard water. I've been looking for a solution especially since my car is black. Thanks for the links I have to come up with some solution.

cntchds

I hate the hard water here in California. I have a white car, and still I have huge water spots on my car if I ever forget to park my car far away when the sprinklers go off. I have had one heck of a time trying to get it off my windows too.

Does anyone have any helpful hints on getting rid of hardwater spots? I have tried vinegar/water, but it didn't work out too well, but I don't want to use anything that might actually hurt the paint.

Thanks for the idea of the inline filter.

David Young

I have pretty hard water where i live in Tennessee. The filter might be worth a try. I tried the Mr. Clean Autodry system. It worked but ate all the wax off of my car. I returned it and got my money back.

I wash my car at sun-set and towel dry it as soon as i finish washing. I don't have any trouble with water spots washing my car this way.

cntchds

I usually wash early morning, and I always have water spots. I wash, dry, claybar, wash, dry, wax. So I thought all of that would make sure all chances of water spots was gone, but still there. I'm gonna have to try this.

cdynaco

Shortly after getting my Bullitt, I came home late and the front was full of bugs. Thinking I was doing a great thing, I hosed off the bugs and went to bed. Wow! What a lesson! (First new car in 12 years so I forgot all the tricks and didn't realize my well water was so full of minerals since only a trace shows up on the faucets, etc.)
The huge water spots from hell would not come out. Took it back to the Dealer and they did an 'acid wash' to remove them, detailed the whole car, and re-applied their polymer protectant N/C.
So now I wash in the shade, section at a time with constant rinsing over the entire car, and then the race is on! Dry immediately with a chamois and have not had any more spots. Entire wash takes an hour.

TDS

We fabbed one up here, out of HomeDepot/Lowes parts, and it works as good as the flow through one at the shop.
I will try to post pics and detailed construction instructions.

TDS

2k7gtcs

We've got hard water too. And of course 7 is black.

The best I've come up with is always wash and dry in the shade on a cool car. Not one that's been in the sun for even a few minutes.

So after washing the car and rinsing with a spray I will take the water hose with the faucet on max and no attachment on the hose and pour water all over the car. The idea is to get the water to do the work for you and the water will slide off the car in sheets, something water drops will never do. I promise you it will remove lot of the water, if your car is well waxed. The surface tension or whatever from the water will keep it together and gravity will do the rest.

After that I get out the leaf blower. Yeah. The leaf blower and I blow it in all the nooks and crannies to get the water out. I do the Bullitt grill, inside the mirrors, inside all the scoops, the wheels, under the mirror, license plate area, under the headlights and taillights. This removes alot of the water that ends up as spots later when you're driving down the road or if it's just sitting in the garage.

Finally towel dry. Quickly. I've used a chamois in the past, but have fallen in love with these microfiber quilted towels that you get online from the auto detail places. They just suck up water. Hit the flat, large surfaces first and then work your way down the car, finishing on the rocker panels.

This works great for me. It's a little ****, but it keeps the car spotless.

JedCranium

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cntchds

Impatiently awaiting the update.

I would love to do one on-the-cheap rather than dumping 100 bucks for the one Wolfgang sells.