Grey and Black ash from California wildfires on car

[tiredguy]

Hello

Parts of California have really bad air quality due to the current wild fires.

My car was covered in a black grey ash dust.

I took the garden hose and rinsed the car off. 6 hours later is was covered again.

Should I hose it off everyday or just wait a few days or longer and then wash it once the air quality improves?

 

[Revving2Redline]

I thought it was a good fertilizer?As long as you have it sealed i wouldn't worry till it clears up.Washing is just gonna create tack and attract more ash.

 

[PimTac]

“I thought it was a good fertilizer?”


He is not growing anything on his car.

If the ash fall is that bad you might want to cover your cowl intakes while it’s parked.

 

[JimPghPA]

Sounds like a good time to pre-buy some engine and cabin air filters if you live in the affected area. I'll bet the demand will deplete the supply very soon even for online stores like rock-auto. If you live in that area it may be wise to order some now. Also be sure you have a couple of rolls of paper towels to clean the filter inlet and housing well before installing the new filters. Like using up quite a few wet paper towels to do an initial cleaning and a couple to dry it with.

I once saw conditions where the accumulation in the air filter housing was sooooo bad in only a couple of hours of driving that the first cleaning was scooping out the air cleaner by hand.

 

[JeffKeryk]

We are all breathing that ash. Coughing and burning eyes is the new normal.
I am washing the cars every couple days.

 

[wpod]

It is like smoking a few Blunts per day.

 

[bruce381]

I rinse truck every morning on way to work yeah today was bad felt in my chest.

 

[The Critic]

You do realize that rinsing the vehicle and not drying will result in awful water spots, right?

And rinsing and drying without washing with soap will result in marring during the drying process. Just leave the car alone until you are ready to do a full wash.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Yep. Check your air filter this fall. Mine was coated with ash a few years ago during a particularly bad fire season up here.

 

[bdcardinal]

If anything if you have access to compressed air, blow it off occasionally. Also get ready to replace cabin and air filters in a month or so. I am already trying to figure out how much to stock at work for the impending influx.

 

[HowAboutThis]

Yeah, in the same boat. I'm waiting till air clears out for a spray down and wash and TW coat. Drove today for a few miles, HVAC off and on recirc, etc. Will check my engine & cabin air filter once rainy season hits, maybe replace if it looks nasty (haven't driven much). Air quality index 500+ for 6 days, over 600 for a couple days even. Supposed to be the same through Monday or maybe longer. Pretty minor problem (ash on car) given what some of my friends any family are dealing with