Servicing courtesy wash

AllanG

AllanG

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My A3 saloon is in for it's first oil and inspection service on Monday, and I think it's the dealers normal practice to give the car a courtesy wash following completion of the service.

Reading all the threads regarding owners asking their dealer not to wash their new car before collection to prevent any scratches, etc., do you think it's wise to ask my dealer NOT to wash my car after the service for the same reason?
 
AllanG said:
My A3 saloon is in for it's first oil and inspection service on Monday, and I think it's the dealers normal practice to give the car a courtesy wash following completion of the service.

Reading all the threads regarding owners asking their dealer not to wash their new car before collection to prevent any scratches, etc., do you think it's wise to ask my dealer NOT to wash my car after the service for the same reason?
Click to expand...

Guess that depends on how much you like their usual washing equipment.....................:whistle2:


wire-brush-2.jpg
 
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The question I'd ask you is if you would use the same washing up water and cloth all day to do your washing up.

No.

So unless you want swirls all over your paintwork, tell them not to wash it. I won't let them wash mine.

If on the other hand swirls don't worry you - go right ahead!
 
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Our washer guy does a great job, but you don't know how he washes your car. Does he use a squeegee, for example, when he dries it? I cringe at the thought of a bit of grit under the blade as he draws it right across the bonnet and roof. Trying to get the dealer not to wash the car can be difficult. First time it happened to me they were desperate for feedback and for me to say that I was completely satisfied. You should have seen the service guy's face drop when I said 'Well no. You have been polite and attentive and I'm sure the technician has carried out the service properly, but I did ask for the car not to be washed and you wrote that on the job sheet - and yet it has been washed.' I felt a bit harsh, but I'm sure their superiors hammer it into them that they must do what the customer asks. And when I was at work, one of my bosses used to say 'The standard you accept is the standard you get'.

I don't let anybody else wash mine.
 
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I always tell them to leave a note not to touch mine, and I now tell them not to even vacuum the inside after picking it up from Glasgow Audi it was worse off than when I left it with them.
 
My neighbour bought a brand new Beemer last summer. Beautiful car, even if it is a Beemer. He, like me, is retired, so he has all the time in the world to faff around washing and polishing it if he so chooses. After a few weeks, I asked him if he was using the two bucket method to wash it. He had never heard of it and was completely mystified. However, a few days later he said he had looked it up on Youtube and I sensed he was a potential convertee. Since then, I have introduced him to quick detailer - although I don't think he uses it yet - and to the idea of keeping his exhaust tips sparkling. I'll soon have him obsessing about the appearance of his car too.
 
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Get a do not wash sign and put it in the car.
 
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Big fuss over nothing, one wash aint going to ruin yer car's paint simples,they hardly touch it,they just blast it with a pressure washer...Poppycock i say..l thought i was Anal....Jeezis
 
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jassyo06 said:
Big fuss over nothing, one wash aint going to ruin yer car's paint simples,they hardly touch it,they just blast it with a pressure washer...Poppycock i say..l thought i was Anal....Jeezis
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Steady on! jassy We don't want to hear about your sexual preferences ......:whistle2::whistle2::whistle2::whistle2::whistle2::whistle2::whistle2::whistle2::whistle2::whistle2::whistle2:
 
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pburv said:
Steady on! jassy We don't want to hear about your sexual preferences ......:whistle2::whistle2::whistle2::whistle2::whistle2::whistle2::whistle2::whistle2::whistle2::whistle2::whistle2:
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Was never a ATM...man....myself but l like to part the Flaps, more than l do like fiddling around the with Brown Star....lol
 
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jassyo06 said:
Was never a ATM...man....myself but l like to part the Flaps, more than l do like fiddling around the Brown Star....lol
Click to expand...
:hopelessness: Too much info...lol
 
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im not too bothered if they wash it or not.
why have i spent in the region of thousands on "detailing" equipment, if I'm never going to get the car into a position where it needs to be used.

i know that how i wash it, 2bm etc, will help to prevent swirls and damage, but no mater what or how you clean your car, at some point or another it will swirl and scratch! taking that on bored i have rotarys and dual action polishers, various this and various that to correct it when it does go wrong.
i like to use my equipment, so sure the dealers can wash my car, because in fact, i use the 5 quid hand car washes, and the garage power wash and brushes to clean my car if i know i have a week off work coming up. knowing that I'm going to swirl it, kind of arouses me...

getting to lay out all my kit
cleaning it all before i clean the car
getting the stands ready
warming up the towels
removing tail lights and headlamps
removing the wheels
take wheels indoors (after wash 3 times)
opening the doors and sealing off the interior and door cards to tackle the shuts! open the fuel filler cap
APC, rinsing, APC and foaming, rinsing, foaming, rinsing, foaming, 2bm, rinsing.
panel by panel clay, de-iron, rinsing and foaming and 2bm again!
drying
spot lights
correction - 1,2,or3 stage if required
LSP etc etc

oh don't even get me started on under the bonnet and inside the wheel arches!
im tingling all over!
2 days later having a spanking car, and thinking "yeah, i did that" money and time well spent!

then there is also, the argument that i could do that and then have it in the dealers the next day. that wouldn't happen, i wouldn't let it out of my sight if i just spent 2-3 days on it! but it only needs a clean like that once a year, the simple foam and rinse will only last for so long before it needs doing again! at this time, it goes to the dealers for their wash that will no doubt leave me needing to get my kit out and do it all over again...

oh...so...sexy...
 
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jassyo06 said:
Big fuss over nothing, one wash aint going to ruin yer car's paint simples,they hardly touch it,they just blast it with a pressure washer...Poppycock i say..l thought i was Anal....Jeezis
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Bang on mate!!

I couldn't be bothered to post anything sensible coz it's like banging yer head against a ****** wall!! As far as this forum is concerned every Audi dealership employs Stevie Wonder with a bag of wire wool for their valets!! lol .....................well, except mine apparently..................:whistle2:

Load o ****** ballbag I reckon!!
 
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Simon L said:
Bang on mate!!

I couldn't be bothered to post anything sensible coz it's like banging yer head against a ****** wall!! As far as this forum is concerned every Audi dealership employs Stevie Wonder with a bag of wire wool for their valets!! lol .....................well, except mine apparently..................:whistle2:

Load o ****** ballbag I reckon!!
Click to expand...

Yeah mate one wash wont make any difference...enough said
 
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jassyo06 said:
Big fuss over nothing, one wash aint going to ruin yer car's paint simples,they hardly touch it,they just blast it with a pressure washer...Poppycock i say..l thought i was Anal....Jeezis
Click to expand...

RO65ERS said:
why have i spent in the region of thousands on "detailing" equipment, if I'm never going to get the car into a position where it needs to be used.
Click to expand...

Simon L said:
couldn't be bothered to post anything sensible coz it's like banging yer head against a ****** wall!! As far as this forum is concerned every Audi dealership employs Stevie Wonder with a bag of wire wool for their valets!! lol .....................well, exce
Click to expand...

Exactly :iagree:
 
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the only damage they can do, that'll really affect your last "detail" is using a shampoo that isn't pH7, Milk is neutral. but i wouldn't want to wash my car with milk...

thats my biggest fear when someone else washes it and my LSP is still working wonders, what shampoo are they using?!. No doubt its the all so generic auto glym, PH2/3 s**t that'll strip all the good stuff that i layered on.

end of the day, they power wash it, generic shampoo and a brush and rinse it off and shammy it dry.
if people on here who want to cry about a dealers wash, are that anal about their "detailing" their car would be that spotless even if they did use a squeegie to wipe off the excess water, there would be no contaminates on the car anyway, because you, the anal detailer likes to make sure its spanking every minute of the day.

i love cleaning my bikes and cars! a car can take me 2-3 days
a bike can take me 1-2 days

I've done the whole, oh now i need to keep it clean, and never used it - i had a bike 3 years and it did 700 miles because i didn't want it to get dirty.
now i know that actually, its going to get s**t high, scratched, swirled, metal filings stuck in the paint, brake dust in the wheels... I'm pleased to know that i can rectify it when i want to and enjoy doing so.

unless you abuse your paintwork, the odd crappy wash that doesn't conform to "detailing rules" it isn't going to make sod all difference.

and thanks guys, seriously, I've just signed into CYC and started filling a basket of the good stuff! I'm trying to save money, not spend it!
 
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audi upgrades
They washed mine once when they replaced the alloy, when I got home I noticed a nice long grit scratch down the centre of the bonnet...wouldn't call that nothing! I had to get the DA out to remove it.
 
S32B said:
They washed mine once when they replaced the alloy, when I got home I noticed a nice long grit scratch down the centre of the bonnet...wouldn't call that nothing! I had to get the DA out to remove it.
Click to expand...

if it was corrected by a DA, its nothing to cry about...
 
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Daveotto said:
Exactly :iagree:
Click to expand...
My dealer always washes my car whenever it goes in for service or anything else. No had any problems at all. But then my car is always washed in a car wash anyway. I'm personally not able to wash my car any more and my local ACS carwash make an excellent job. I canoot wash my own car but I don't like driving around in a dirty one either. Use the cash wash approximately once a week.
 
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My dealership does a good job as well, and, to be honest, will a car thats had a wash after a service be worth less than one that hasn't. Of course the answer is no, so really its just a matter of choice and each to their own.
 
AllanG said:
My A3 saloon is in for it's first oil and inspection service on Monday, and I think it's the dealers normal practice to give the car a courtesy wash following completion of the service.

Reading all the threads regarding owners asking their dealer not to wash their new car before collection to prevent any scratches, etc., do you think it's wise to ask my dealer NOT to wash my car after the service for the same reason?
Click to expand...
@AllanG - NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO don't do it EVER!

I use 3 of these when ever any of my cars go into the Dealers -
http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/downloadable-do-not-wash-signs.247190/
 
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RO65ERS said:
if it was corrected by a DA, its nothing to cry about...
Click to expand...
lol but why should I have to take my time up correcting something that they have done, they are meant to be professionals...or at least it's their job!

A smashed window can be corrected, it doesn't mean you don't care if you get one :)
 
Bristle Hound said:
@AllanG - NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO don't do it EVER!

I use 3 of these when ever any of my cars go into the Dealers -
http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/downloadable-do-not-wash-signs.247190/
Click to expand...

As above. Always tell to leave well alone and I also used the signs @Bristle Hound pointed me too.
I've had to many scratches inflicted by 'car washers' at various branches. Here's how my old Insignia came back from VX after being in for a repair. Two photos, how it went in and how it came out.
How is was


How it came back.


To say I was slightly mad was an understatement. That's it partially corrected.

If you want to correct what they do go for it. Personally I'd rather not have too!
 
I had my first oil service a couple of weeks ago, I didn't know that they would also wash it and if I'd known before hand I would of requested that they don't, next time however I'll be more than willing to let them, here's why; So, I sat and waited in the lounge area (after I'd done a round of sitting in cars I can't afford) while they did the service, it was do that or go shopping with the mrs and kids. The service area is visible from the lounge through the glass partition walls on the opposite side of the showroom, as is what I later realised is a washing/detailing bay, this is also glass partitioned so you can see everything and I only realised when they started washing it what the area was, it was no more than 10 meters away from where I was sat. I watched as they did the service, then watched them drive the car out of view out the back of the building, I thought they were driving round to park up and hand back to me but to my surprise watched it pull up in the (at the time mystery) glass walled bay next to me, I was wondering what was going on until they pulled out a jet wash and started spraying it down. I then got a bit worried about them causing swirl marks etc etc but to my surprise they actually cleaned it properly using decent kit (jet wash, snow foam lance, 2 bucket method and a QD spray with a clean micro fibre), it took the guy a good hour and he did a great job, interior wise he just gave it a quick hover and a wipe down but to be fair the interior was already immaculate. I think the only things missing to make it a proper detail were a fallout spray treatment, clay bar, a good waxing and a tyre dress. I was mighty impressed but then the service did come to just short of 300 euro! All in all it was a good 2 and a bit hours for me watching just how efficient the local Germans were. I wouldn't expect that all dealerships servicing is the same to be honest and I don't know why but I certainly am not expecting that when i eventually come back home to England! But I guess if you are concerned you could ask exactly what their cleaning regime is.
 
Apologies for the absolute novel there!
 
Reading that, I was like where is this dealer? An hour to wash a customers car? Then you said you were in Germany. Penny dropped.
As you said........take it while you can get it.
 
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Well I bought my A4 from Epsom Audi, they have a group of people washing their cars, and I wouldn't want them washing my car, detailed or not; 1 bucket, 1 sponge, used on multiple cars. My car is an ex-demonstrator and is covered in swirls, they can be seen in the sun, not so much in the rain or when it's dull, but the swirls are awful, and I can clearly see how they got there having seen their washers.

I'm looking for a reasonably priced paint correction, (Croydon area), I've found one but he's put his prices up recently, (looking at £300), any recommendations greatfully received :D
 
I enjoy cleaning the wagon and all that but feel inclined to agree with jassyo06 on this one. Some of the pics on this forum that folk attribute to a clean from a dealerships' YTS lad don't ring true. The pics always show swirls that are no way caused by a single wash from a kid in a garage.
 
moorzy said:
I enjoy cleaning the wagon and all that but feel inclined to agree with jassyo06 on this one. Some of the pics on this forum that folk attribute to a clean from a dealerships' YTS lad don't ring true. The pics always show swirls that are no way caused by a single wash from a kid in a garage.
Click to expand...

All you need to look at are the threads Daryl from OffSet Detailing posts. Currently one from a brand new R8 that was in for a full detail straight from the dealer. Swirls, minor scratches all over it. This is what a dealer can do to a spanking new car!!
http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/thread...0-plus-nardo-grey-detail.265900/#post-2693716
 
Scottyg said:
All you need to look at are the threads Daryl from OffSet Detailing posts. Currently one from a brand new R8 that was in for a full detail straight from the dealer. Swirls, minor scratches all over it. This is what a dealer can do to a spanking new car!!
http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/thread...0-plus-nardo-grey-detail.265900/#post-2693716
Click to expand...
Not having it that they are caused by a single wash at dealers after delivery.

I've had cars in the past that i have never washed myself, either been through, what I'd assume is the worst minor scratch provider, drive thru wash or a side road hand wash place and have had similar amount of scratching/swirling. Thats after probably 30 washes. The scratches reported to be attributed to a single quicky at dealers don't ring true is what I'm saying. The one you link to is in top condition? One very minor swirl that you'd really have to search for is not trashed surely?
 
Minor?? Did you watch the video? That's a brand new car with swirls on the bonnet, rear boot sill, doors and roof. Straight to detailer from dealer! Unfortunately I've been there. The pics are above in one of my posts. It happens all the time.
If you want your dealer to wash your car, that's your choice. Mines never will.
 
Scottyg said:
Minor?? Did you watch the video?.....
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Yep watched, hardly trashed was it though?

You need to be proper looking at daft angles with lights to see these minor "flaws". I think that the chap who posted about that "anal" aspect has a point that's all I'm saying, these wild stories of cars being delivered looking like they've had footballs with tiny shards of glass superglued to them kicked at paintwork are exaggerated in my opinion.
 
So your saying I shouldn't let the dealer touch my car when it gets delivered?

Ha ha it will look funny in the unveiling room covered in a fine layer of dust!
 
ScottishS3 said:
So your saying I shouldn't let the dealer touch my car when it gets delivered?

Ha ha it will look funny in the unveiling room covered in a fine layer of dust!
Click to expand...
That's pretty much how I collected mine. :)
 
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