Yes I've had that problem. Basically I pull on the handle just barely enough to get the stream going, but not a full blast. It's hard but with a little practice you can get a less powerful stream coming out. Then I aim along the side of the bucket so that the water swirls around rather than bouncing straight up, and I alternate from side to side to prevent the swirling water from going over the edge as it fills. Then once there is a few inches of standing water I will put the nozzle under the water surface and go full blast to fill it up the rest of the way.

Also, it's pretty much unavoidable that you will get splashed a little bit in this process so I usually wear gym shorts and a t-shirt, or something I don't mind getting wet/soapy. You could do it sans splashes if you went really slow, but I always get impatient because time is running out on the sprayer.

Nissan does not at all forbid you from using a car wash. In section 7-2 of the owner's manual they recommend to be careful of soap that some might use. They can be slightly acidic to clean the paint.
The NISMO is stated as to NOT use a car wash as the rear spoiler will be damaged.
Ive had zero issues in winter when I must use one given the temps I deal with here in Germany.
I also use a very nice and expensive wash mit and never a car wash brush wand.

Filled up on gas today at lunch and went ahead and purchased a car wash with it cause the Z is pretty dirty. It just started pouring at the office, so I'm glad I didn't use it yet :icon17:

I will run it through the automatic wash prior to hand washing it at home, which hopefully I can find time to do this weekend :tup:

I take my R32 daily driver through the car wash, that's about it.
The Z gets the hand job. Wait, what?:icon14:

Nothing wrong with that :nutswinger:

My car is a little on the dirty side right now, I haven't washed it since I bought it a little over a month ago because of all the rain lately (and trying to figure out what direction I wanted to go with polish/wax). I just purchased a bunch of Zaino and other car care items so I'm not sure if I should run the car through a brushless before I start the Zaino process to knock of the heavy stuff or just be really careful at home. Any suggestions?

Also, a lot of the stuff I've read say to wash in the shade. I can do it in the garage but I'm a little worried about all the water. Should I wash in the garage, rinse in the drive and dry in the garage? I bought a leaf blower to help dry the car.

I've never hand washed a new vehicle before and only older vehicles a handful of times, and very poorly I'm sure...lol.

Sorry for the noob questions but I've been searching and reading a lot and am in information overload...lol. Not to mention the fact that I'm worried I'm going to screw something up due to my inexperience!

:)

Zeeder welcome aboard. Dont over think this. If the weather is good, a thorough hand wash is what your super Z needs. Best of luck with the detailing. Its a car. Wash it, polish, wax but mostly enjoy it!! :driving:

Junkman has some great videos and instructions in the detailing section if you haven't already checked them out. I don't have personal experience with Zaino, but I have heard only good things. The products I use are Meguiar's Clay Bar Kit, Adam's Brilliant Glaze, and Meguiar's Ultimate Paste Wax. I don't use anything special for regular car wash soap, though - I am nearly finished with a large bottle of RainX brand soap that I've had since before the Z.

Washing in the sun isn't too bad unless the car is extremely dirty and it takes a long time to wash (I do it in the Texas summer sun without too much trouble). Just don't let the soap stand in the sun too long before washing it off, and be sure to give it a good, thorough rinse just prior to pulling it into the shade for drying. The touchless car wash IMO can be a useful initial clean before you hand wash. I typically wash the Z in the driveway, first wheels then the car, before pulling it into the garage for drying and any additional steps like clay, glaze, wax, etc... (I don't do those last steps every wash). I also do all of my interior detailing in the garage as well.

I'm only saying this because you called yourself a noob, but lastly, don't ever use circular motions when washing the Z. Always move the mitt lightly over the paint in a straight line (shouldn't have to put any pressure - I use a bug sponge for anything that doesn't wipe off easily). Also, be sure your mitt is clean every swipe because a dirty mitt is a quick way to scratch up your paint. Using circular motions and a dirty wash mitt is the most common cause of paint swirls :ugh2:

I understand and know what the manual says about washing the car. I also know what the Nissan Motor Co. told me. I even re-iterated the question to make sure they understood how funny they sounded by telling me that. I don't agree with what they told me, it is just what they told me though.

No...

Never would do it I rather pay 20 to 30 dollars more to get bit hand wash

Thanks guys, I've decided to wait until the Zaino is delivered! I took it out in the rain today to knock a bit of dirt off of it lol.

:tup:

Bored at work?