Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2003 1:14 pm
I'm a bus driver & was interested in an archive query from "Liz" about "black tyre stains" on her block paved drive, when washing (especially) the front wheels. I get this (on a larger scale) when washing passenger vehicles, Mini, middi & full size bus/coaches.
It is most likely the accumalted brake dust, especially more noticeable around the front Disk Braked wheels as a black powdery coating. This dust can be harmful when inhaled, so DO NOT blow it, breath it in, or eat it (i.e. snacking without washing hands!) It can actually dye lighter surfaces (including der hands!), particularly if it puddles for any length of time. If it puddles & dries out, then you still have a hazardous powder that can be lifted (as in sweeping) and inhaled. So I prefer to use a proper wash bay, which collects the dirty run off to an appropriate drain & then rinse the surface off on completion.
In the domestic situation, I tend to wash the car where again the run off drain is nearest and then to rinse the surface off after. (In my case a road drain is set at the end of my drive and the run is toward it)
Garages sometimes post notices about an extra fee included in your vehicle servicing for removing brake and clutch lining dust safely under vaccum by properly attired employees.
To prevent oil and other stains, most engines today should be oil tight and leave few if any drips. If frequent topping of a petrol engine is needed and it leaves drips and the underside is thick with oil, you have an oil leak & it needs fixing! (Note: Some diesel engines will consumme up to (say) a litre of oil to 2,500 kms travelled - so make visual engine checks as well before panicking about oil seal replacement).
I recommend the use of an oil tray (that wont blow away!) to protect the drive, if a vehicle is parked frequently, or for lenghty periods, in roughly the same spot - to avoid staining the drive surface (also oil can loosen tarmac). I also recommend extreme caution in adding oil to egines (the stuff has a bad habit of either missing the hole, or the filler hole is damn nye inaccessible!) Once spilt, it goes everywhere you don't wont it to. So take precautions, put something underneath the engine, even newspaper weighted down, and staff old rag all around the filler cap (I always carry some of my own in the car boot for use at work). Finally, don't overfill. If the dipstick, on level ground & after overnighting, shows halfway full, unless you are setting off on a 1,000 plus km journey, you should be OK. Even so, fill half a litre, wait, check, then top a little more, don't just bung it all in. Overfilling engine oil is more likely to force a leak. Regular checking and moderation are best practice.
Finally, back to drives!, I have used White spirit & Swarfega to successfully remove fresh oil stains from concrete slabs, so perhaps it will work on concrete paves - but I suggest trying a little area & letting it dry first.
It is most likely the accumalted brake dust, especially more noticeable around the front Disk Braked wheels as a black powdery coating. This dust can be harmful when inhaled, so DO NOT blow it, breath it in, or eat it (i.e. snacking without washing hands!) It can actually dye lighter surfaces (including der hands!), particularly if it puddles for any length of time. If it puddles & dries out, then you still have a hazardous powder that can be lifted (as in sweeping) and inhaled. So I prefer to use a proper wash bay, which collects the dirty run off to an appropriate drain & then rinse the surface off on completion.
In the domestic situation, I tend to wash the car where again the run off drain is nearest and then to rinse the surface off after. (In my case a road drain is set at the end of my drive and the run is toward it)
Garages sometimes post notices about an extra fee included in your vehicle servicing for removing brake and clutch lining dust safely under vaccum by properly attired employees.
To prevent oil and other stains, most engines today should be oil tight and leave few if any drips. If frequent topping of a petrol engine is needed and it leaves drips and the underside is thick with oil, you have an oil leak & it needs fixing! (Note: Some diesel engines will consumme up to (say) a litre of oil to 2,500 kms travelled - so make visual engine checks as well before panicking about oil seal replacement).
I recommend the use of an oil tray (that wont blow away!) to protect the drive, if a vehicle is parked frequently, or for lenghty periods, in roughly the same spot - to avoid staining the drive surface (also oil can loosen tarmac). I also recommend extreme caution in adding oil to egines (the stuff has a bad habit of either missing the hole, or the filler hole is damn nye inaccessible!) Once spilt, it goes everywhere you don't wont it to. So take precautions, put something underneath the engine, even newspaper weighted down, and staff old rag all around the filler cap (I always carry some of my own in the car boot for use at work). Finally, don't overfill. If the dipstick, on level ground & after overnighting, shows halfway full, unless you are setting off on a 1,000 plus km journey, you should be OK. Even so, fill half a litre, wait, check, then top a little more, don't just bung it all in. Overfilling engine oil is more likely to force a leak. Regular checking and moderation are best practice.
Finally, back to drives!, I have used White spirit & Swarfega to successfully remove fresh oil stains from concrete slabs, so perhaps it will work on concrete paves - but I suggest trying a little area & letting it dry first.