Carwash ok for S550?

[rxryanm]

My owners supplement on my gt350 says not to go thru car washes....

Looks like it says touchless without mechanical tracks on the ground are fine to me, which is what Jerry was asking about. And says don't use the ones where you pop in in neutral and have it pull your car along.

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[Ogopogo]

Touchless car washes where the spray arms rotate around the vehicle are the 'go to' options for many months of the year in Canada. There is no other viable option. It is where I took my Infiniti for 16 years and the paint remained like new. They are perfectly fine for the purpose intended.

In the summer, I will often do a touchless wash followed up by a hand wash (touchup) and dry.

 

[The Demon]

Looks like it says touchless without mechanical tracks on the ground are fine to me, which is what Jerry was asking about. And says don't use the ones where you pop in in neutral and have it pull your car along.

In other words never ever ever ever ever. Wash your car even if it takes a month to do so. I see you’re in Michigan but if you need to drive it every day I’m not sure what you do. When I was in Illinois stored in my cars every winter.

 

[20ducks]

Funny how some people can rationalize just about anything.

 

[DutchPony]

Can you? Yes sure, Mustang should fit. Should you? I recommend against it, chances of swirls and scratches are too high.

 

[kilobravo]

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[rxryanm]

Can you? Yes sure, Mustang should fit. Should you? I recommend against it, chances of swirls and scratches are too high.

Swirls & scratches with a touchless car wash? I might as well just leave mine in a garage 24/7 then.

 

[SMOKE46]

Just wondering if the car would get through a touchless wash unharmed. Anyone have experience with the idea? Not that I want to do this, but I am curious....

Gotta worry about stripes getting bubbled up. I won’t do it with my new Mach but did it with my old 2010 GT and had to replace stripes twice , just saying

 

[SMOKE46]

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Haven’t tried my washer yet but still gotta use right light spray nozzle and stay back at least 2ft or you’ll be replacing stripes after them bubbling up

 

[Jerry Carguy]

Gotta worry about stripes getting bubbled up. I won’t do it with my new Mach but did it with my old 2010 GT and had to replace stripes twice , just saying

Excellent point! Never thought of that....

 

[mrgooden]

Just wondering if the car would get through a touchless wash unharmed. Anyone have experience with the idea? Not that I want to do this, but I am curious....

No car wash is good for your car, touchless or not. Touchless use harsher chemicals to clean your paint damaging any coating you may have and reducing clarity and shine.

Richard

 

[kilobravo]

Gotta worry about stripes getting bubbled up.

Smoke: My current vehicle has painted stripes but I've had Ford OEM stripes on a previous 500. Even replaced the hood and roof stripes once after installing film. I have been using electric pressure washers for many years and can't even imagine one of those lifting vinyl stripes.

By chance, were you using an ICE-powered pressure washer when you had the incident? That's the only way I can begin to imagine overpowering vinyl adhesive with a pressure washer. I'm thinking you'd need to get REALLY close as well.

With machines like the Kranzle, they put out at most 1500psi while a gas unit could easily run that right up to 3500psi. I still don't get close to the paint even with the 1122TST and a forty-degree nozzle but again, your post was quite a surprise.

 

[SMOKE46]

Wasn’t talking about a pressure washer at home electric I was talking carwash even the wand carwash and yes the chemicals at carwash are strong , I hv gasoline and wouldn’t try it I think it’s at least 2500 psi

 

[Jerry Carguy]

Smoke: My current vehicle has painted stripes but I've had Ford OEM stripes on a previous 500. Even replaced the hood and roof stripes once after installing film. I have been using electric pressure washers for many years and can't even imagine one of those lifting vinyl stripes.

By chance, were you using an ICE-powered pressure washer when you had the incident? That's the only way I can begin to imagine overpowering vinyl adhesive with a pressure washer. I'm thinking you'd need to get REALLY close as well.

With machines like the Kranzle, they put out at most 1500psi while a gas unit could easily run that right up to 3500psi. I still don't get close to the paint even with the 1122TST and a forty-degree nozzle but again, your post was quite a surprise.

I get what you are saying. I have had good luck with a normal garden hose, way less psi. If you are careful the damaging grit is knocked off easily, then you are ready for the wash procedure.

 

[20ducks]

Again, a good number of self-wash facilities use recycled water. If you are good with that plus a pressure washer only removes surface dust. The car still needs to be hand washed. If those conditions are acceptable then you are good to go.

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