Using the carwash

[Anonymous]

Look -  I'm going to ask a question which may seem foolish to many of you.   I have had my 2 for a couple of weeks and it's filthy.

I want to put it through the car wash and don't see why not, except that I have a boot lid spoiler.

Has anyone tried it?  What was the result?  Dont flame me because I appear to be stupid - I'm just lazy and can't be arsed to clean my car  -  that's all.

[Anonymous]

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!

Not if you have only the softtop anyway! I would personally not put the 2 through one, but IIRC it says not to do it if you have the soft top anyway.

Hart top may be ok, not sure.

[Anonymous]

Sorry I can't comment directly but do you not have a power jet wash at your local Tesco or something?

I guess from your post that you know drive-ins are not ideal for protecting your paintwork against incidental damage.

[Anonymous]

Not such a daft question.

I have taken an Astra GTE ragtop & an Escort ragtop through car washes in the past with no problems what so ever. Have never tried the 2 but have used jet washes with no problems. Only places I avoid with the jet wash are headlight seals & roof seals.       s:) s:)

[Liz]

I go to one that is a hand car wash, they use the jet washers but they dry by hand and then do the windows.  I last took mine through a new car wash in town but it had one of those tractor units that you have to drive the car onto, take it out of gear and it pulls you through.  The car made a horrid scraping noise when I drove it onto the machine and I made them stop to see what was happening, its one place I won't go back to again for sure, even though there was no damage. I totally agree with being lazy and not doing it yourself though!! All those Autoglym products I got for my birthday are gathering dust in the shed!! But I might break a nail if I washed it myself  s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

[zud]

I wouldn't take any car I cared about through a car wash!  I'm now convinced they damage the paint... it really showed on my last (black) car.  But i would use the jet wash, and use a Karcher myself.  Just make sure to hold it high and spray downwards when doing roof/windows, and avoid the headlight seals.

[Slacey]

Although I don't see any reason for the car to leak, it WILL scratch (and ruin) the paintwork, as the brushes eventually damage and hold dirt.
TBH, the brush parts of Jetwashes will do the same - it's only a small car, clean it yourself - it doesn't take long, you won't damage the car and the sense of satisfaction when you see it gleaming is worth it!   s:D s:D

[Anonymous]

Saw a Volvo cabbie go through once...would never take a rag top through a car wash myself.  You are putting excess abnormal pressure on the seal surely.

[kanujunkie]

definatley don't, my mum and dad have a prelude and had to have new windows and a new paintjob after going thru one of those bloody things, cost them a shed load of money. This is why their is always a disclaimer on them.

BE WARNED, IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU!!!

Stu

[Anonymous]

If you look at a "company car", which has been carwashed numerous times, from the right angle you get a lovely swirly pattern of scratches.  Most of the time they're not to deep, but they're very very noticeable.

[Anonymous]

Seriously, DON'T EVER take ANY car to a car wash, unless you aren't that bothered about the paintwork. The first MK1 I had had the paint completely stripped off the rear spoiler by a car wash!!! Seriously. Wrecked it and looked horrendous. Also, ANYTHING with high pressure (i.e. Jet washes, karchers etc........) will give microcracks to the paint works, eventually getting water into and under the laquer of the paint, causing it to lose its sheen and can eventually damage the apintworkd irrepairably. The only effective way to keep the paintwork in top condition is to hand wash yourself. Then there is no harsh abbrasiveness and pounding and you can also keep a good eye on it from close up too.

Hand wash only. They should put a little tak on the car somewhere, like your favourite t-shirt..........

[Hope4Sun]

You could take it through, but i have to agree with other comments here, no car was or use of any presure wash on a car that you value. Presure washers are ok for under sides and engine bays, but i would stick to the good old fashioned by hand (its only a small car  s;) s;) , even if it did use to take me a weekend to clean mine   s:oops: :oops: s:oops:  )

Andy

[heathstimpson]

I hand wash but just use my pressure washer to rinse the car and clean the wheel arches etc

[Anonymous]

rlack

Don't be such a lazy sod  s:roll: :roll: s:roll:    s:roll: :roll: s:roll:    s:roll: :roll: s:roll:   You must have thought the looks of the car needed improving to have a boot spoiler put on and yet you can't be bothered to wash your pride and joy by hand  s:!: :!: s:!:   I have only put a car through one of those horrible contraptions once (the type Liz described). That was years ago. The battering it gave the car was terrible. If you wash it by hand you can easily spot any stone chips or blemishes that require attention. Surely, if you bought the car in good condition you will want to keep it that way.

One further thought. If the car is as filthy as you say what do you think the wheel arches are like? All the muck and gunge will retain moisture and with the Winter coming you have the added problem of salt corrosion. I clean out all the arches every time I wash the car.

Sorry, but your post rattled my cage a bit  s:lol: :lol: s:lol:  IMHO I can't understand anybody who buys a car like ours and doesn't treat it with love and attention (just like you would with a wife/girlfriend/boyfriend).


  s:D s:D    s:D s:D    s:D s:D

[Anonymous]

IMHO I can't understand anybody who buys a car like ours and doesn't treat it with love and attention (just like you would with a wife/girlfriend/boyfriend).

I tend to put things like this into perspective by thinking along the following lines. Sure it's a lovely car (and I really really do love mine), but:

a) It's only some metal, plastic paint and assorted other materials.  It's a possession, a means of transport etc.  It's not a human that can be lost or irreperably damaged.

b) It's not a unique car.  Sure some of the mods make it a one off, but those mods aren't impossible to reapply.  If the car were the only example left in the world, or one of a limited number then there would be a very very good reason to make sure it's not damaged.  But still not as much as a).

c) It only costs £18-£20K.  Again, I love mine to bits, I think it's amazing, but it isn't a Pagani Zonda, it didn't cost £325000.  I think the amount of consideration I put towards keeping the car looking perfect is related to how much it costs.

I'm sure we could discuss further, but I think there are three pretty good reasons above why someone might consider using a carwash now and again.

We've warned that there could be damaged, short and long term.  Let's not go too far  s:) s:)

[Peter Laborne]

Has anyone tried it?  What was the result?  Dont flame me because I appear to be stupid - I'm just lazy and can't be arsed to clean my car  -  that's all.

I'm reminded back to the early days of MR2 ROC. A woman joined the list and her first post was that she put her 2 through a car wash and it had damaged the roof. Not only that but she was listening to the radio at the time and it had snapped her ariel.

She wanted to know if she was covered under her warranty. RTFM dearie!!!! It says no. You will have no comeback and will have to pay yourself if there is any damage.

[Peter Laborne]

I work in a petrol station (Morrisons) which has a car wash and two jet washes. Knowing the mechanical parts, operation, care and maintanance I would like to clear a few things up.

it WILL scratch (and ruin) the paintwork, as the brushes eventually damage and hold dirt.

Our car washes and jet washes have never scratched or ruined any paintwork of any vehicle that has been through it*. The washes are checked a few times every day - I was out at 6am this morning to do the first check, then at 9am and again at 12pm, and that's on a weekday when only a handful of people used it. The brushes do not damage they just wear down. They are also replaced very regularly.

This is why their is always a disclaimer on them.

I'm not sure about other disclaimers by other garages, but our disclaimer is regarding the misuse of the car wash and jet wash and that the company will not accept any liability if any damage occurs due to the misuse of the car wash.

If your car is genuinly damaged by the car wash or jet wash then you are covered by the companies insurance.

If you look at a "company car", which has been carwashed numerous times, from the right angle you get a lovely swirly pattern of scratches

My 2 isn't a company car or been in a car wash but it has swirly marks** in the paint (and I don't have a circular buffer either). Also car wash brushes spin on their axis and move from front to rear. Thus any scratches on the side of a vehicle would be horizontal and any on the bonnet, roof or boot would be a line from nose to rear. Therefore it would be impossible for a car wash to create a swirly scratch or pattern!!!

I will add that on my check this morning I did find something which had come off a car in the car wash........a magnetic L plate!!! Knowing our car wash I doubt it was the brushes that knocked it off, it was probably the dryer. The wind that comes off it is extremely strong!!!


* I did have a situation a couple of days ago wherby a customer claimed that the car wash had scratched his car. What it turned out to be was the fact that his car was extremely dirty before it went in the car wash. Added to that his car was white. The problem was that the brush didn't remove all the dirt and missed a couple of patches. These patces were extremely thin and as they were horizontal, at first inspection, against a white background, looked, indeed, like scratches. However, rubbing your finger on it miraculasly touched up the scratch and the paintwork was perfect again.

** Cars with darker paint (eg dark blue, red, black, grey, green etc) and especially those with metallic flake in them will show swirly marks when viewed at certain angles. It's just harder to see the marks on lighter coloured cars.

[Anonymous]

I'll second that.  The carwash at  Sainsbury once caused a crack to one of the headlights on my audi and they paid the full cost of having it fixed.  I'm not really sure it was the carwash that did it to the car though.  I just blamed it one them cos I discovered it a day after visiting the carwash

[Anonymous]

ARE you MAD or just boneildel
Get a bucket and sponge and do it yourself

[Anonymous]

I thought I already excplained to everybody that I was bone idle.  That's not at issue here.
The problem is that I own a few cars and a motorbike and I just havn't the time, especially given that I spend every last minute doing up the house at the moment.  If I seriously have time enough left every fortnight to wash the car by hand then I'd rather spend that time driving the damn thing somewhere fun.

I'm not given to obssesing over every last scratch and mark on this or any other vehicle I own.  In fact I spent a small fortune on spraying my old '67 e type jag roadster.  When I got it back froim the bodyshop I deliberately took the ignition key and scraped the paint under the door sills.  That way I could stop worrying about putting the first scratch in my baby and get on with driving her and having fun.

Bottom line is that I don't care much for the aesthetic appeal of the MR2.  I bought it because I adore the handling.  My mate who races Elises took it out 2 weeks ago and said it was better on the twisties than his car- though slightly slower on the pick-up.

Occasionally I just need to get the shit off my car and I view the car wash as a relatively risk free way of doing that provided that you:

1:  Choose a car wash that's modern and well maintained
2:  Choose one that is insured against damage.

Nobody has yet answered my question - is it POSSIBLE to put it through the wash; or will it tear the hood etc.

[Anonymous]

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!

Not if you have only the softtop anyway! I would personally not put the 2 through one, but IIRC it says not to do it if you have the soft top anyway.

Hart top may be ok, not sure.

Not always. There are car washes that are softtop safe. They dont use brushes as such but bits of cloth. Never used one personally, but Ive not heard of any problems either.

Out here its illegal to was your car on the street, and my rent contract also prohibits washing the car in the (undeground) car garage. So I have to use a car wash.

[Anonymous]

Nobody has yet answered my question - is it POSSIBLE to put it through the wash; or will it tear the hood etc.

Depending on the car wash yes you can. Check with the owner if its soft top safe first. Avoid the rotating roof brushes.

[Tem]

They dont use brushes as such but bits of cloth.

Out here its illegal to was your car on the street, and my rent contract also prohibits washing the car in the (undeground) car garage. So I have to use a car wash.

We don't have any brush-carwashes anymore (well, I'm sure there's an exception somewhere). They are all (again, probably just most) done with only water injectors squirting at pressure at the car. Nothing touches the car during the wash and I'd guess it's safer for the paint than hand washing it.


Victor, don't you have garages where you can wash the car yourself? They are quite common over here. Wild guess that maybe fifth of service stations offer one. They cost some 3-5 euros per hour and include water and pressure washer. (and you can agree on lower prices outside busy hours)

[Anonymous]

.....Out here its illegal to was your car on the street, and my rent contract also prohibits washing the car in the (undeground) car garage. So I have to use a car wash.

.....

Victor, don't you have garages where you can wash the car yourself? They are quite common over here. Wild guess that maybe fifth of service stations offer one. They cost some 3-5 euros per hour and include water and pressure washer. (and you can agree on lower prices outside busy hours)

Yes, there are the pressure wassher diy car washes, but the prices are fixed. You ut loads of money into a machine and it switches on the hose for 2 minutes or so...never long enough. I recon on circa 10 euro/wash (prewash, foam, high preasure wash, wax, and rinse all by hand hose).

There is always a long queue and if your more than 15 mins some big hairy German will start to complain!

[Tem]

There is always a long queue and if your more than 15 mins some big hairy German will start to complain!

 s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

Not much use then...