Mechanical Car Washes: Who uses them and how does the S550 fare?

[2019FordMustangGTdriven]

Never take it through an automatic washer. Its like sticking your pecker into a glory hole, Never know whats playing with it on the other side.

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[moffetts]

Black = hand wash only

 

[Zathras]

Being older and lazier than I used to be, I usually go the automatic route. The one I use doesn't have any guide rails so the wheels are safe (relatively). It works OK but the automatic brushes don't do a good job on the back part of the car (the turn/brake lights, rear panel, and license plate area) so I always have to go back and clean those by hand.

 

[Deleted member 35644]

Hell no to anything that touches. The touch-free washes don't clean very well, and I end up wiping the dirt off with my drying towels, so I got a Sun Joe and went back to driveway washing.

 

[SilverStallion]

Buying a 80 dollar pressure washer and a good wax/sealant would've what I recommend. Mechanical car wash put 2 nice scratches on my rims

 

[TnWHTMARE]

Its very hard for me to see how that mechanical washes are not putting small scratches in the clear coat that add up over time. Just look at the steps that people go to to prevent this very thing. (ie...two bucket or multiple mitt methods) Its also hard to imagine that the concentration necessary for touchless to remove dirt wouldnt be eating away at whatever sacrificial barrier you have on the car. (ie..sealant or wax). I guess if you have a coating it would be much more durable/resistant to chemical removal. Big NO on car washes for me.

 

[vernonator]

Touchless ONLY in the winter when its too cold to pull out the pressure washer and all the other gear at home. I think I did that once this winter as I only drive my baby when I absolutely HAVE too in weather.

 

[HBTD]

I know I will get hung, drawn and quartered for saying so but I have done about every two weeks or so for 4 years with my convertible. The ones near me are the ones that touch the car with brushes and long strips of wet cloth and has guide rails for both sides. The good: it is easy and the car is always clean, the antenna is resistant to the wash and does not have to come off, the top does not leak, no scratches on the wheels (19" optional oem wheels), the convertible top is fine with no visible damage. The bad: in the right light you can see a myriad of small scratches in the clear coat, these are most noticeable on the trunk lid. You have to look but they are definitely there. I can't stand a dirty car and I don't have time to hand wash the car as often as I would like, so I have decided that the trade off is worth it to me.

 

[FreedomPenguin]

I know I will get hung, drawn and quartered for saying so but I have done about every two weeks or so for 4 years with my convertible. The ones near me are the ones that touch the car with brushes and long strips of wet cloth and has guide rails for both sides. The good: it is easy and the car is always clean, the antenna is resistant to the wash and does not have to come off, the top does not leak, no scratches on the wheels (19" optional oem wheels), the convertible top is fine with no visible damage. The bad: in the right light you can see a myriad of small scratches in the clear coat, these are most noticeable on the trunk lid. You have to look but they are definitely there. I can't stand a dirty car and I don't have time to hand wash the car as often as I would like, so I have decided that the trade off is worth it to me.

Those scratches would happen regardless hand washing or machine. Any dust or dirt that hits will cause micro scratches. Black showing the most, dust an scratch paint. good thing, it can be polished out, no damage.

The new washes uses soft foam, great washes. Dont fret over the swirls, they can be paint corrected one day, people who wash at home not knowing what they are doing will also get swirls. It takes a bit of effort to get perfect washes, and I for one am too lazy.

If it was a show car and not DD I guess I could wash it by hand and be all crazy OCD. but nah, I use car wash myself.

 

[BrianGT2015]

Always hand wash and hand dry at home. Don't trust mechanical car washes, Also touchless does not dry good. Even when you get the spot free rinse. I always get some kind of residue or spotting on my car for some reason. I bought a pressure washer and just wash her at the house.

 

[BrianGT2015]

I know I will get hung, drawn and quartered for saying so but I have done about every two weeks or so for 4 years with my convertible. The ones near me are the ones that touch the car with brushes and long strips of wet cloth and has guide rails for both sides. The good: it is easy and the car is always clean, the antenna is resistant to the wash and does not have to come off, the top does not leak, no scratches on the wheels (19" optional oem wheels), the convertible top is fine with no visible damage. The bad: in the right light you can see a myriad of small scratches in the clear coat, these are most noticeable on the trunk lid. You have to look but they are definitely there. I can't stand a dirty car and I don't have time to hand wash the car as often as I would like, so I have decided that the trade off is worth it to me.

Get you one of them hand polishers, you know at Walmart, learn to use it. YOU WILL BE AMAZED.

 

[Triton54]

Don't some of these places use > recycled< water of all things, yuck! I don't even go through them with my winter beater.

 

[1MEAN18]

I don't even drive my '07 beater thru one! And my '18 has always been hand washed, I wouldn't run it thru an auto car wash if you paid me. If you are too lazy to give your car proper care, then you deserve the scratches, wheel dings and all that comes from the convenience, I just prefer to save the money and do it myself so it gets done right. And I don't live in a very climate for washing by hand during the cold months either, so its tough to practice what I preach at this time of year.

 

[ETAGuy]

I take my black 15 though at least once a week, one because its free (my wife is a manager) and secondly Michigan is cold right now. You would never know looking at it, I don't let them use the scrub brushes in the beginning, it gets sprayed off, than soft cloth machine washed, and towel. I have 19's on my car no issue. Odds are the people getting rim scratches can't line their car up in the track.

 

[FreePenguin]

Love our automated wash at my house, its brand new, this company has opened up a ton of these barns around called flying ace car wash, I love it. Its not touchless but I don't see swirls on the grabber blue so I don't care too much. They are brother company of moo moo car barn in Columbus ohio. I get a military discount, the top wash for 17 a month, I just keep it on winter car in winter, and switch to mustang in summer.

https://www.flyingacecarwash.com/about/

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