Automatic Car Wash

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Snibo

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Page 193 of the Owner's Manual indicates that you can take a Soft-Top through an Automatic Car Wash.

I'd thought that Automatic Car Washes are off limits to me now, although am tempted to take the car through as it's currently covered in salt / grime / etc.

Used a Manual Car Wash, although it's not a patch on the Automatic Car Washes.

Anyone taken their Soft-Top through yet ??
If so, any adverse reports / experiences.

I've seen a Soft-Top BMW go through my local Automatic Car Wash and he didn't seem to experience any issues.

Just a bit nervous - maybe once or twice in the winter would be okay, as opposed to every week.

Thanks.
 
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Bye bye paintwork, hello swirls!
 
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I took mine through one in Germany by mistake.

I'd been told about the place by a work colleague who assured me that, once you'd driven up to the entrance, the attendant would - if asked - jet wash the car by hand then keep the machine turned off and allow you to drive straight through and out. As washing your car by hand is illegal in Germany (laws about chemicals going down drains) this was pretty much my only option to get the grime off my brand new car. I asked the guy, he agreed, jet washed the car.... and turned the machine on. As there was by now a queue of several cars behind me I was between a rock and a hard place and had to go for it.

As it transpired, the car was absolutely fine, but I was cringing the whole way through. Mechanical car washes are awful for your paintwork. Hand washing yourself is the best option (unless you have money to burn on paying a detailer every few weeks), but even one of the local hand car washes you see about the place is a better bet than a drive through. My own personal routine is to call off at the Shell garage round the corner from my house on the way back from any outing in either car, where I brim the tank and buy a 6 minute token for the jetwash.
 
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Relliott6879 said:
As washing your car by hand is illegal in Germany (laws about chemicals going down drains) this was pretty much my only option to get the grime off my brand new car.
Click to expand...

Didn't know that.
How do they enforce that ?!
What else do they do on Sunny Sunday Afternoons.

Relliott6879 said:
As it transpired, the car was absolutely fine, but I was cringing the whole way through.
Click to expand...

Hmmm.......might give it a go then. Really want to wash the salt off.
Weather hasn't been too bad this year here, so Council seem to be throwing lorry loads of salt all over the place.

Relliott6879 said:
.....but even one of the local hand car washes you see about the place is a better bet than a drive through.
Click to expand...

Hmmm.....not a fan of these.
Envisage my car driving off in to the distance with me stood there watching it disappear.


Thanks for the advice, appreciated.
 
I had a situation where the car was filthy but didn't have time to wash properly.
So I treated with Citrus prewash, waited ten minutes and jet-washed. That's all.
It did have some drying marks, but better than the filth and took less than 30 minutes all in.
And quicker than going down the car wash (and queuing)!!!
 
RichardT said:
.....and took less than 30 minutes all in.
Click to expand...

30 MINUTES !!
I can just about spare 5 minutes, which is why the Automatic Car Wash is / was such a GodSend.
And only £7 for the Extreme Works Foam Wash, Tyre Clean, Wax and Blow Dry.
 
Snibo said:
Didn't know that.
How do they enforce that ?!
Click to expand...


Vigorously! Other 'fun' laws include the prohibition of either mowing one's lawn or hanging one's laundry out on a Sunday...


Snibo said:
Hmmm.....not a fan of these.
Envisage my car driving off in to the distance with me stood there watching it disappear.
Click to expand...


I always stay sat in the car whilst they're washing it, so this situation never arises.


Snibo said:
Thanks for the advice, appreciated.
Click to expand...


You're welcome.
 
Snibo said:
30 MINUTES !!
I can just about spare 5 minutes, which is why the Automatic Car Wash is / was such a GodSend.
And only £7 for the Extreme Works Foam Wash, Tyre Clean, Wax and Blow Dry.
Click to expand...

Years ago someone told me - "You can always find time to do what you want to do". When you think about it it is true.
But I do appreciate some folks are very busy. But then I have read some on this forum taking 7 hours to clean their car!!
And I'm sure I will resort to (a) not cleaning the car very often and (b) going to the car wash, when my car is a bit older!!
 
You can actually get some decent hand car washes now that use foam, lambs wool kits, blow dry the car etc and still only cost around £5. I think they've probably had a few complaints and simply read up on a 2 bucket safer washing method. Still takes a good 20 mins though.

Definately wouldn't use an auto car wash, it would kill the paintwork over time, unless you have a white car and they seem to hide any swirls and marks anyway.
 
I am no longer physically able to wash my car by hand but I do like my car to be clean. So for the total life of my previous A3 (3 years) and now with my current A3 I use a conveyor type automatic car wash. With the one I use the guys jet wash the car before it goes in to the actual car wash. The car comes out at the end washed, wheels and underside washed and the car dried and all I have to do is wipe the water off the mirror glasses.

I often get comments about how good my car looks both from friends and from the dealer. I'm not aware of any 'damage' to the paintwork and I always get a good price from the dealer when I trade-in and he knows the car has been washed all it's life using a car wash.

Both cars have been Silver and this is one of the reasons I choose this colour, because it always looks good after using the auto wash.
 
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Automatic car wash? Not for me no matter how dirty, I'd clean the number plates and windows but no more.

But I appreciate that many, perhaps the vast majority of car owners are not so in love with their vehicles that they give a toss about swirls, two buckets, difference between a wax and a polish etc etc.

So if your happy sticking it into a car wash or even the 'bomb site hand washes' then that's fine.

But if your really keen to protect your investment then avoid auto car washes and the typical hand wash too. They do not use a clean sponge, cloth, mitt for each car. Just carrying the grit and grime from one to another.
 
I'm obsessive with clean water, clean sponge/cloths etc and even that cant avoid the odd mark here and there. Auto car washes are the stuff of nightmares. Jet washing (spray) on the other hand is a good way to blast the loose dirt off before a hand wash.
 
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What will you do when we follow Germany and make cash washing in other than a dedicated site illegal?

In the past I must say I've always enjoyed washing both mine and my wife's cars but that's no longer an option.
 
An interesting one. At one point I would always have said hand car wash is better which is where I take my wife's IX35 but it now definately has swirls when in the sun or rather looks like very fine sandpaper has been rubbed up and down along it. She cannot tell tho as does not have the critical eye that I do or is rather not as bothered. Where I work we have an auto car wash which we put coupes and convertibles through but the cars are new with only test mileage on. So in favour of this it has rubber elements to it rather than bristles of old car washes and continually uses fresh water. In practice this cost many 10's of 1000's of £ and I cannot imagine any garage being kitted out with this - maybe they have I've not looked recently.

I do my car using the two bucket approach and also have a dual action polisher to keep any swirls at bay as I have in interest in detailing when time allows !! I guess it's a case of finding either that is good maybe a friends recommendation and giving it a try keeping in mind an annual trip to a detailer may be on the cards either way.
 
Lots of excellent replies and various pros / cons associated with each.

Like H5DJR, I've used Auto Washes on previous cars and they've all looked like new / never any adverse comments come trade-in.

What I was getting at with this thread though was not so much the potential for paintwork swirls but would the Hood be okay after going through it.

Wasn't sure if the bristles would scuff or damage the hood material in any way - or worse case, somehow rip the entire roof off. Relliott6879 and Rob2k68 have put my mind at ease that this isn't going to happen - well, shouldn't happen.

Might give it a go on Friday afternoon on the way home from work.
 
Seems to be more of a problem with some colours than with others.

Personally I wouldn't use an automatic car wash because of all the swirls - especially noticeable on medium to dark colours, and even worse in the summer sunlight!

My new car (Sepang Blue - still the only one I've seen on the road) has a 6-year paint protection applied (Diamondbrite by Jewelultra) so washing it is a joy at the moment. I do appreciate that some don't really attach that much importance to the swirls and those who are physically precluded from the leisurely task of sprucing up their chariot, well then I quite understand where they're coming from.
 
If you're worried about the hood, you could always put it through with the hood down. Should be safe then?
 
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wideboybloke said:
Car washing illegal. Oh the benefits of EU membership...
Click to expand...


It's based around car cleaning chemicals going down drains. You have to go to designated car washing sites which, by law, have specific filtration for the various lotions and potions involved in making cars shiny.
 
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Car taken through Auto Car Wash on Friday afternoon.
No problem at all and car now gleaming like a new pin.

Won't take it through too often, maybe once / twice during the winter months.
Back to hand polishing then.
 
I won't be taking my car through a car wash.....ever.
 
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Not taken any car through a car wash since 2008 when I stopped having old bangers...
 
cilurnum said:
I won't be taking my car through a car wash.....ever.
Click to expand...
Perhaps one day, when you are my age and with my physical problems you may not have a choice, unless of course you want drive around in a permanently dirty car. You are lucky you are still able to wash your car yourself!
 
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I think its a shame Dave that you feel you should feel the need to explain why you have to use a automatic car wash in here and perhaps shows how bigoted some are. If I was in the same position I think I might feel quite strongly about where that predudice can go and put itself...
 
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