Can I Trust The Drive-thru Car Wash?

[H8R Proof]

Have had workers here all day doing some house repairs and couldn't make it to the car wash before they closed.

Do I dare run the car through the 24 hour place or would that just be asking for trouble?

Car was clean, but now has mud spots on it from aforementioned workers <_<

[bartkat]

Touchlless car was is ok, but I would never go though one with brushes or those felt flapper things.

[SW03ES]

NO, never drive a dark colored car through anything with brushes or cloth that touch the car. It does scratch regardless of what they say, on a light car you wont notice, on a dark one you will.

I use a good touchless laserwash at a local gas station when I can't wash it well. Nothing but water.

[anewname]

Yeah, on my black BMW that I took through a carwash that wasn't touchless I ended up with long scratch lines up the hood from those roller-dryer things. If I wasn't about to get it painted I would have been very angry.

[bbsal]

dame thats bad.even most nontouchless car washes dont use them kind of dryers anymore.i would of went nuts on them.i wouldnt recommend them kind of car washes to anyone with a dark car that has good paint because it just kills the clear coat.

[Ralow]

I have a black GS3 and I've been going to an automated tunnel for a while now...and I have had no problems. I even get compliments on the glossy shine and people are always asking what wax I use. Maybe its that Triple shine poly wax they claim to use....either way, I have had no problems.

The place I go to has those soft cloth flaps but they get all sorts of Benz's, BMWs, and Lexus through there everyday. I wouldn't trust any of the other ones though but that's only cuz I don't see those nice cars going through there like this one.

[SW03ES]

Just because you see nice cars going through those places doesn't mean that they're safe on the finish. Most people who drive nice cars don't care about them. I'd bet you any amount of money that if I looked at your car, I could find:

1. Swirling from the cloth flaps. The worst part about these are that they're usually filthy. Most carwashes clean them once a week, so all the dirt from all the other cars is being drug around your finish.

2. Swirling from the soap. The soap these places use is actually a powder, so that means its not 100% dissolved, and part of what the filthy cloths are dragging around is still very abrasive powder.

3. Swirling from dirty water. The water is recycled, ever wonder why carwashes can continue to operate during water restrictions? Because they reuse the same water over and over again. Meaning that the car is being blasted with water that has particulates of dirt in it, almost like sandblasting pitting the paint.

4. Removal of all wax and stripping of oils from the finish by very harsh chemicals. Thats how carwashes clean, the chemicals literally eat the dirt. It also eats any wax on the surface, and no the wax they spray doesn't stay on, it rinses off, waste of money.

5. Swirling from when the rag boys dry the car. They literally use polyester shop rags that get used on everything, dropped on the ground etc. The car also isnt 100% clean when it comes out, and they rub around any remaining dirt.

6. Rim damage from rotating tire brushes and the rails the car rolls on. These brushes have to clean the tires of trucks, SUVs, and cars so they have to be able to scrub the tall tires, so something like a Lexus with lower profile tires, so the spinning brushes scrape the hell out of the rims. Not so noticeable on yours because your rims are painted, but the machined and chrome wheels get beyond destroyed. Yours do too you just can't see it.

Not to mention the fact that some guy has to drive my Lexus onto, and off of the conveyor, and I've seen cars bump each other before. Their owners don't care.

Now that may be good enough for your Lexus, but not for mine especially when the detailer down the road only charges $5 more to do a quality, handwash with a sheepskin mitt and dry with microfiber towels.

Give your car to me, pull it into my garage with my florescent shop lights and you'll be shocked by how terrible it looks. Dont trust what other people say, people are stupid. Any car thats clean will get oohhs and ahhs because their cars are filthy and haven't been washed in months or years.

DONT take your car to an automatic car wash if you really care about its appearance. Pay the little extra to let a pro wash it, or learn how to wash it properly yourself and save a ton of money. There is a very specific way to wash a car without damaging the finish and preserving the wax layer, carwash bays don't do it. A touchfree wash is okay, better than a bay because there's no cloth, but still uses dirty water and powdered soap.

[H8R Proof]

SW03ES: I found your post to be pricelessly informative. You're obsessive. I totally dig that. :)

You've hit the nail on the head on some very good points IMO, and as I read through them I thought, "That makes total sense".

I'm throwing all my car wash coupons away.

Time for a new beginning ;)

[SW03ES]

Atta girl! ;)

[H8R Proof]

Atta girl! ;)

I bought a lamb's wool wash mitt tonight. :D

And two buckets: "One for rinsing and one for soaping" Hmm...who said that? LOL

Just couldn't figure out which actual car wash soap to get...(before I order online next month)....Meguiar's?

Guess I should do a search

[SW03ES]

Car wash soap really isn't that important, Meguiars Gold Class is a good one. Pretty much all are good.

[Ralow]

Damn, you sure put me in my place! Just kidding...but really what you said makes a lot of sense so I think from now on I'll just get it hand washed at a proffesional detailer...that is after I get these freaking door dings out of my car.

I have one question though...will buffing it get out any of the "streaks and swirls" you talk about or are they there for good?

[SW03ES]

Atta boy! ;)

Oh sure, the car wash wont do anything to the car that you can't correct, save the rim damage if there is any. Depending on the severity of the damage, a orbital buffer with some SMR or at the worst some DACP will take them out. Find a GOOD professional detailer and have them look over the car and see what they'd charge you to go over it with a buffer and those products, usually a flat fee per hour.

Or if you'd like pick up a Porter Cable orbital polisher, some pads from www.properautocare.com and some materials and do it yourself.

[ticman]

SW03es (STeve),

Gee do you have a strong opinion on the car wash subject???? LOL

Makes sense and I too will throw my carwash coupons away. I will have to search for a detailing shop for future winter washes.

I find washing the car to be relaxing time for me and I get to admire my handiwork too.

Mike

[SW03ES]

LOL, better watch out or I'll tell you how I really feel about car washes ;)

[jeremyp]

A lot of good points mentioned here. I just want to make one more. The ONLY car washes I use are the self serve types which I bring my own bucket, soap, wash mit and chamois to. I like the high pressure water and shade. I can go in on a slow day (weekdays usually, don't try this on a Saturday or you might get some people a little *BLEEP*ed off!, lol) and take my time washing it and waxing different sections of the car each time I go (2 or 3 panels).

My $.02

JP

[H8R Proof]

LOL, better watch out or I'll tell you how I really feel about car washes ;)

:o You mean you haven't already?!

C'mon what did you leave out? (You've come this far, don't hold back now- you've already converted a few of us!)

;)

[SW03ES]

Naa, I already told you everything. ;)

Jeremy, I do that too, just DONT USE THE SPRAY SOAP THROUGH THE PRESSURE WASHER! Its the same powder soap they use in the wash tunnel. Bring your own soap.

The bays are great too because you dont make a mess at your house.