What do you think of "automated car washes?"

[Twista]

I have the urge to drive the car to the nearest gas station and slide her through the automated car wash. Why? B/c its 20F here in chicago and its doable @ home, but my turn knob on the water holes is frozen close. ( the knob on the house) Im not sure of the nearest car wash so thats out of the question. (The one i usually go to is far away )How well do they clean your car? Do they leave any noticable things in the paint job? Are the cloth brushes soft in the winter time?... im hoping they dont freeze up and end up screwing your paint job.

 

[LeiZaK]

Those can be very bad for your paintjob...

 

[drum]

if it is covered in 2 inches of salt like everybodys car around here, it isn't going to get it clean

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

just use a touchless and you will be fine

 

[mugs]

I used the "touchless" kind because I got a free coupon, it didn't clean my car very well.

 

[Encryptic]

In my experience, an automatic car wash isn't that good, but it's better than nothing, especially if you're a lazy fscker like me who doesn't want to take the time to hand wash the car.

 

[MaxDSP]

I stopped taking using the gas station car wash after I bought my new(er) car. I live in Chicago too, and the salt from last week's snowstorms left my car bathed in white. I felt like taking my car to the automated but resisted and after like 1 week, finally got around to it. Car looks like new now, good thing I got it waxed a month or so ago .

 

[Twista]

Originally posted by: MaxDSP
I stopped taking using the gas station car wash after I bought my new(er) car. I live in Chicago too, and the salt from last week's snowstorms left my car bathed in white. I felt like taking my car to the automated but resisted and after like 1 week, finally got around to it. Car looks like new now, good thing I got it waxed a month or so ago .

Ya, that salt is pretty much on every car i see on the road. =) I wanna be the odd duckling and clean my car up. :/ If it was warm out its usually washed up daily since i park under a bird sh!tting tree.

 

[HyTekJosh]

Complete hand wash FTW. I do my car myself except when its below ~40 degrees F. When its cold I take it to this place called Splash and they do an okay job. Its all by hand. I would never take my car through an Automatic wash.

 

[Mrfrog840]

as long as they are touchless automatics i dont have a problem with them. If they are touch autos then sand can get on them and scratch your car

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: HyTekJosh
Complete hand job FTW. I do myself except when its below ~40 degrees F. When its cold I take it to this place called Splash and they do an okay job. Its all by hand.

:Q

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: HyTekJosh
Complete hand wash FTW. I do my car myself except when its below ~40 degrees F. When its cold I take it to this place called Splash and they do an okay job. Its all by hand. I would never take my car through an Automatic wash.

I love it when other people do complete handjobs!

 

[skrilla]

Some of the newer touchless ones are nice. But there are some out there that don't do a good job at all.

I use the touchless, for MN winters it is better than driving around with a car covered in salt and dirt. I haven't had a problem with them messing up the paint job.

 

[dethman]

Originally posted by: HyTekJosh
Complete hand wash FTW. I do my car myself except when its below ~40 degrees F. When its cold I take it to this place called Splash and they do an okay job. Its all by hand. I would never take my car through an Automatic wash.

:thumbsup: for handjobs.

 

[Mr N8]

Originally posted by: Encryptic
In my experience, an automatic car wash isn't that good, but it's better than nothing, especially if you're a lazy fscker like me who doesn't want to take the time to hand wash the car.

...or like me who takes his car to a place that does a good handwash for you.

 

[FoBoT]

they are good

 

[bigrash]

they're quick and not too expensive. works for me

 

[imported_LoKe]

Terrible for your paint. Don't do it. ~_~

 

[Mr N8]

Originally posted by: LoKe
Terrible for your paint. Don't do it. ~_~

Touchless carwashed don't do anything to your paint...but they do leave most of the cantaminants, so they car isn't really getting that clean.

 

[eelw]

Boy, surprised there are that many paranoid people here in this topic. Yes, soft cloth automatic carwashes can trap dirt particles in the fabric and cause a few minor scratches on a cars finish, but it's no worse than the constant rock damage that occurs from daily traffic.

Yes handjobs FTW, but in this winter weather, what choice to you have?

 

[destrekor]

when you guys say automated, do you mean only the gas-station ones?

i used to work at a full-service car wash, where we vacuumed the customers car, prewashed the car and presoaked the tires and wheels/rims.
then it would go through the automated machines, where certain things were applied depending on order (clearcoat, wax, and just plain soap, or something to that tune)
then a driver would get it, spray all the windows, and other people would dry the car off and wipe the windows clean, and cleanup anything missed, and apply tire shine

there are no problems with those kinds of washes. paintjobs are never screwed up unless the people working there do something they shouldn't (like put the tire presoak on the paint and let it sit there for a long while), but thats why the next step usually comes real quick so the presoak doesn't sit there for long

we used to have a guy that brought his porsche 911 turbo in once or twice a week... never damaged his car, ever.. and countless other nice cars came through

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: Twista
I have the urge to drive the car to the nearest gas station and slide her through the automated car wash. Why? B/c its 20F here in chicago and its doable @ home, but my turn knob on the water holes is frozen close.

Trying to turn your knob outside your home by yourself in sub-freezing weather almost always ends in tears, pain and possible embarassment.

That's why getting a thorough hand job by a practiced professional in an enclosed faciltiy is the way to go. They won't turn you loose until ALL the salt is off, if you know what I mean.

 

[Twista]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: Twista
I have the urge to drive the car to the nearest gas station and slide her through the automated car wash. Why? B/c its 20F here in chicago and its doable @ home, but my turn knob on the water holes is frozen close.

Trying to turn your knob outside your home by yourself in sub-freezing weather almost always ends in tears, pain and possible embarassment.

That's why getting a thorough hand job by a practiced professional in an enclosed faciltiy is the way to go. They won't turn you loose until ALL the salt is off, if you know what I mean.

\LOL! I gave up after 2 minutes i couldnt turn it @ all!

 

[AdamK47]

I only use the automatic washes on my 99 Z28 and 94 Corvette for an underbody wash. The rest of the time I use the manual bays.

 

[KrillBee]

Originally posted by: waggy


I love it when other people do complete handjobs!

:Q