How to remove red dirt from hidden underside corners

[SlowRide]

Dad has never been a car guy, or mechanically minded. As a present to himself (and Mum) he's bought a 2010 Hilux so they can go touring when they retire in the coming months. Knowing he's automotively challenged I offered to help him look for a vehicle, but being a little stubborn (and proud) he didn't take me up on it.

Maybe a little foolishly, Dad bought the car unseen from Vicco trying to avoid buying a mine-site vehicle. He got his Victorian-based brother (not a car guy either) to give it a once over and a seal of approval, and he gave the nod straight away.

As a FIFO worker myself, the second I saw it I knew it was a mine vehicle, and one look underneath reveals the iron rich dirt is caked on thick and strong in every hidden corner. And the books show it was sold new in Karratha, and had only been in Victoria for a month or two. Double whammy. This discovery has left Dad very dejected. Rather than point out the error of his ways, I want to move forward and find a solution.


What is the best method to remove this dirt from all the hidden underside corners? All I can think of is to sit it on a sprinkler for a day or two and hopefully all the caking will erode off. But is there a better way?

[Brett1066]

High pressure hose like a Karcher or similar for places you can get to or aren't worried about water getting into. The red dirt is not easy to remove though, my car lived in the Pilbara most of its life, and whilst it has been in Perth the last four years or so, I am still pulling red dirt out of it on a regular basis. :eek:

[RHS58]

Just because it's a mine vehicle doesn't mean it's a dud.
Why not move on and use the vehicle for it's intended purpose, and cover that red dirt with his own layer of red (or brown or yellow or black or....) dirt.
My old Prado was full of the red stuff from our trips - no matter how many times you wash it, the red stuff just keeps coming out.
Enjoy.

[stuee]

Kenco Shift-IT. I found out about this when I used to browse outerlimits.

Basically you wet down the area to be cleaned, get a spray bottle and squirt on the kenco Shift-It straight, leave to sit for 10-20 minutes without letting the surface dry, apply more shift-it to keep looking wet if required, then hose off.

If its really stubborn dirt then use a stiff bristled brush or sponge to give the area a good scrub before hosing off. This is usually required for dirt that's been on for years, or baked on in the engine bay.

I believe the Shift-It is biodegradable and okay to use over your lawn, I have and not had any problems.

I put my dad onto this for his ex-mines prado and its come up a treat. it works great on the red stains etc, but if its literally caked on a few cm's thick then the best bet is to pressure blast it first.

[SlowRide]

Just because it's a mine vehicle doesn't mean it's a dud.

Service history is a given for a mine-site vehicle, but condition all depends on the trade/service it's accommodating. Explorational drilling = no thanks. Safety department commuter = yes please. Of course, there are 100 shades of grey in between these extremes - I can only hope it was a soft department vehicle than a frontline path-beater.

Regardless, the ore-rich dirt is an inch thick in places underside and needs to be addressed. I'll give that Kenco Shift-it stuff a try.

[joel0407]

CT18 Truck wash or Koala Care Super Wash. I think they both might be the same stuff but the CT18 is sold by Chemtech at a higher price due the recognized name.

1/2 fill a spray bottle then top it up with the detergent. Wet the surface then spray it on like there's no tomorrow. Leave it a few minutes (maybe 5, but don't let it dry) then hose it off. Use a soft half brush for the hard to budge stuff but a little water pressure will have the same effect.

Search some of my recent posts of pictures of my Disco. I currently live in the NT. In the wet I'll bog it to the door sills and I just did the Gibb River Rd about a month ago. I'm getting pretty experienced in vehicle cleaning and then the regreasing that's required after spreading all that detergent around.

FYI both of those detergents will strip polish of your car within a couple of washes. I only use it on the topside the last wash before I polish it.

Happy Days.