Advice on my new(used) LW 4000 chemicals

[soonermajic]

I am brand new to the car Wash business. I am selling my D&S 5000, & buying a nice used Laser 4000. D&S worked great, no issues, but there are MANY Duallys in my town, hence the need to switch.
have NO CLUE, what chemicals/Soaps to use in my new Laser. It has3x foam, Virtual treddle, LaserMind, Hamilton Goldline. Owner told me it can do quite a bit.
What should I use for :
1. HP soap
2. Wax/drying agent
3. Triple Foam
4. Pre-Soak
anything else ?

 

[MEP001]

Most touch-free units don't use soap on the high-pressure pass at all.

 

[rph9168]

There are some machines that can use detergent on high pressure but not many. It is really a waste of chemical but I have seen it done.

 

[soonermajic]

Could some Laser 4000 guys, or guys w/ the experience, tell me about your top 2 wash packages, & their chemical application process (including the names of the chemicals)?

 

[Waxman]

top pkg on my inverted L

1. presoak 1 ( kr powdered super kleen powder mixed w/simoniz foam additive) 10 sec. dwell
2. presoak 2. same soap. 10 sec dwell
3. hp rinse
4. kr lo ph pink foam polish, fruit stripe gum scent
5. hp rinse
6. med pressure kr sealer w/teflon, pina colada scent
7. spot free rinse
8. blowdry

next to top pkg:

same as top but remove foam polish and the hp rinse that follows it

 

[soonermajic]

Washman, why do you not have 3x foam? That is my #2 reason for switching to this Laser. #1 is ability to do duallys, & close #3 is dryers. I currently don't have dryers, ability to do 3x foam or duallys.

 

[Waxman]

my machine (side trac 700) didn't have a triple foam option and i never added it. i like the pink foam just fine, it has an awesome show.

 

[washnshine]

I am brand new to the car Wash business. I am selling my D&S 5000, & buying a nice used Laser 4000. D&S worked great, no issues, but there are MANY Duallys in my town, hence the need to switch.
have NO CLUE, what chemicals/Soaps to use in my new Laser. It has3x foam, Virtual treddle, LaserMind, Hamilton Goldline. Owner told me it can do quite a bit.
What should I use for :
1. HP soap
2. Wax/drying agent
3. Triple Foam
4. Pre-Soak
anything else ?

If the D&S is turning out a clean car, can you use the chemicals you currently have?

 

[MDrost1]

This is my $10.00 wash. $9.00 the same without foaming wax.


WASH 1

Undercarriage Spray ON
Soap Type: High Press Rinse
Dryer ON
Bug Prep ON
Rear Bug Pass OFF

Cycle 1 Disabled
Cycle 2 Low Press Soap 2 Speed-7
Cycle 3 Low Press Soap Speed-7
Cycle 4 Soaking
Cycle 5 High Press Rinse Speed-4
Cycle 6 Foaming Wax Speed-7
Cycle 7 HP Polysealant Speed-9
Cycle 8 Spot Free Rinse Speed-7
Cycle 9 Disabled

 

[MEP001]

There are some machines that can use detergent on high pressure but not many. It is really a waste of chemical but I have seen it done.

Someone from D&S told me the 5000 only has soap on the HP pass for show.

 

[soonermajic]

Someone from D&S told me the 5000 only has soap on the HP pass for show.

I think that's correct.
here's what I'm looking for:
1. Pre-soak (what actual soap do you use)
2. drying agent (what wax/drying agent do you use)
3. 3x foam (which foam, & are there 3 different buckets you have to draw from)
4. HP Soap (or whichever soap you use for lp/hp)

 

[getnbusy]

MDrost1

You've got cycle 1 diasbled. Is that correct ?? why do you do that and what does that allow to accomplish ? Im curious, i dont know.
thanks
Bob

 

[MDrost1]

Bob,

I have no idea why it is disabled. That is the way it was when I bought the place. They used to have a 3x foam... Maybe that is it? I'll do some digging. Thanks for the insight. All works well. No need to wake a sleeping giant : ).

 

[getnbusy]

lol . heard that !

 

[bighead]

Poor sooner... its almost like everyone is purposefully ignoring your question... so I'll give it a shot. And its not because of any duck guilt from when you guys came over here and lost in the last couple of minutes...

Generic response: "what cleans in my area may not clean in your area. Call your local soap reps and have them come out and see what they can do."

If you were able to clean with your D&S, I would just keep it the same ratio/two step for the laserwash and start from there. (drop the HP soap though)

Chemicals aren't really specific to machines. Two step order and chemical concentration probably stick with geographical areas. Thus if it worked in your area in teh past it'll probably keep working, and whatever the local soap guys are doing is probably roughly the same as one another.

 

[koliver]

Typically most will leave Cycle 1 disabled if they want to make any changes in the programming. It makes it easier to add a cycle somewhere in between without having to reprogram the whole wash package as there is no "insert" function on the LW4000.

 

[MDrost1]

I was just going to write that : ). I just learned this as well. Seems very logical.

 

[soonermajic]

So what's a typical lp soap you guys use on your Laser's?
What does anyone on here prefer for their 3x foam?
Does anbody use Rain X as a drying agent?

 

[PEI]

For my top wash I typically run:

Undercarriage ON
Soap Type: HP Drying Agent
Dryer ON
Bug Prep ON
Rear Bug Pass ON

Cycle 1: Low Pressure Soap - Speed 5
Cycle 2: Soaking
Cycle 3: Low Pressure Soap 2 - Speed 7
Cycle 4: Soaking
Cycle 5: High Pressure Rinse - Speed 0 - Water Saver Off
Cycle 6: Foaming Wax - Speed 7
Cycle 7: High Pressure Rinse - Speed 9 - Water Saver On
Cycle 8: HP Polysealant - Speed 9 - Water Saver On
Cycle 9: Spot Free Rinse - Speed 7

I use CSI's Ultra Flex chemicals. Depending on the location what I use changes. I use UF-030 as the base for all of my soap passes. I use different surfactant blends with the UF-030 based on what works on that areas soils and oils.

I use the UF-311 lineup for my foaming wax or 3x Foam. If you want three colors in the bay, you have to have at least 3 containers in your equipment room. Either a base and 3 colors, a tinted base and 2 colors, or 3 tinted bases.

I use UF-441 for my Polysealant pass.

I use UF-500 for the HP Drying Agent. (This is my Wheel Cleaner)

At my locations where they get a lot of snow, I cut out the first soaking pass move cycle 1 down to cycle 2 and leave cycle 1 disabled. Then when these locations get snow we can program in a High Pressure Rinse at Speed 9 to blow snow off the cars before we wash. It can also be used in really high temperature areas to cool the cars surface before you apply soap.