How do I wash my new Roadster 1.5?

Don't force water or point water down the two side vents behind the doors, don't force water into the front two fans, don't force water into the rear blower motor, and also don't force water into the charge port door when open.

Wash by hand using straight strokes, not circles. Rinse cloth frequently in clean water and change when dirty. Use an electric leaf blower to dry starting from the high points and working the water down the car with gravity.

xytor said:

That makes sense, thanks!
BTW, do you guys think that I could leave it parked backwards on a steep driveway? I don't feel as confident in the hand brake as I would if it had a real parking brake...

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It has a parking claw in the rear diff, no worries about it rolling away when the key is turned off. You'll hear the claw engage as the Roadster moves forward. It has a clunk sound.

It is a "real" parking brake. Old school

Don't take it to an automatic car wash! A pressure washer can be used as long as you follow Wiztecy's places of not to force water - this'll make it easier to get rid of all the bugs, mud, etc.
Then I'd do a two bucket wash - How To: 2 Bucket Car Wash Method - Chemical Guys Detailing Car Care - YouTube

Here's another good set of instruction videos. Long, but they cover everything you need to know on how to avoid micro scratches in the finish.

Junkmans 2-Bucket Wash Technique - Part 1 - YouTube

xytor said:

It would move backwards if the brake failed, and hit the house. Is it still safe?

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The parking claw prevents the car from moving forward or backward. Yes its safe, hence why it was put in since an EV motor provides no resistance when off.

xytor said:

It would move backwards if the brake failed, and hit the house. Is it still safe?

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For steep angles, I wouldn't exclusively trust the park lock on the borgwarner edrive transmission, as all the force is around here.


I would use the emergency brake handle in tandem.

spaceballs said:

For steep angles, I wouldn't exclusively trust the park lock on the borgwarner edrive transmission, as all the force is around here.


I would use the emergency brake handle in tandem.

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No doubt, its lots of stress for the claw to handle alone when on an incline. But be aware how hot your rear rotors are, pulling the hand brake when they're hot have been known to warp them.

I use a "waterless" car wash and "fast wax" with a stack of clean microfiber cloths in the trunk at all times. A clean, freshly waxed car will give you a little extra range.

I use the same wash technique as @supersnoop.

However, I have not observed the range increase from a fresh waxing ;-)

ecarfan said:

I use the same wash technique as @supersnoop.

However, I have not observed the range increase from a fresh waxing ;-)

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ecarfan is just being all sciencey on you @supersnoop. He knows in his heart that his car drives better and is more nimble when freshly washed.


I do my own variant of the 2 bucket method. I've got a stack of microfibers for washing the car. Toss about 10 or 12 of them into the wash bucket with the wash water. Each cloth gets pulled out of the bucket, used to wash one section of the car, and then goes into the discard pile (a second bucket). Somewhere between 8 and 12 cloths to wash the whole car. When done, the used microfibers go into the washing machine and washed for the next time around. There is no "rinse frequently and switch when towels get dirty" If I needed 20, then that's what would go into the wash bucket.

One thing I've found with the Roadsters is that the paint is much easier to correct than my BMW. I was able to use some very light products and non-aggressive pads to get out most of the scratches and swirls. They really clean up well!

Of course, it could be that my Roadster has 12K miles and my BMW has 100K miles.