Car Washes

[LittleMissVE]

Just wondering, most ppl on here are fanatical about their cars, and looking after them too.

Am I the only person that just goes through the automatic car wash?

I live out in the sticks, so majority of my driving is highway driving, so my car is normally covered in bugs & red dirt... On the off chance I ever go past a car wash, I'll just go through there to give it a rinse.

How bad is it for my car?

[CAPRILICIOUS WL]

Never tried one my self, however been in someone else's car during an auto wash, its pretty cool and the car came out crystal clean but it was white in color so couldnt see any signs of damage on paint.

I enjoy washing mine by hand specially that it's black, if a spot is missed you can see the grey spot of grime left out so manual works the best for mine.

What color is your car?

[LittleMissVE]

It's white.

It never comes out crystal clean... Always bugs left on.. But it gets all the red dirt off at least!

[CAPRILICIOUS WL]

Yea I guess it really depends on how dirty the car is.
Bugs stick on like super glue so I see why the auto wash left em behind.

[LittleMissVE]

Well that's probably my next question then... What's the best stuff to use to get bugs off?

Keep in mind, I'm not about to go through the whole waxing, shining etc routine.

[Jebadayah]

You drive a HSV and aren't gonna wax/polish etc?? You make the baby Jesus sad

[Big_Simmo]

Is it a touchless car wash or one with the strips hanging down etc??

I had a blue vy calais before my stato and the previous owner ran it through the car wash all the time, damaged the hell out of the paint after a few years, lots and lots of fine scratches.

I only use a touchless car wash myself if i use one, but they get rid of red dirt from the under carridge like nothing else

[Kikki]

None of my cars have ever been through a auto car wash. The daily car I'll take there to wash myself but that's it.

The SSV makes trips 160kms and gets covered in bugs, but it gets washed nearly every weekend, which literally takes 4/5 hours.

I have a mop like glove to clean the bugs, has a scratch free rough side, works awesome at getting them off & protects the acrylic nails

[naf33n]

my cousin had a black vy ss ute, when he bought it, the dealer gave him free car washes for 3 years, through there automatic car wash, he used it twice a week, and there was no sign of damage even to the day he sold it in 09, he still used them.

been black if it was going to cause damage it would show up

[MikeCuzzy]

My aunt did damage to her car going through one, but this was about 15 years ago now. So I don't know, I guess the technology is a bit better now.

Personally I hand wash and clean my car inside and out every weekend at least. As long as you don't leave animal poo (bat especially), any paint stripping chemicals or any such on your car, your paint should be ok.
The more you look after it, the longer it will last.

Regards,
Mike.

[Shedvl]

I prefer to do my own car...usually takes me about 4 hours to do inside and out. Since my car accident I cant do it as often...and it drives me mental. I'd rather have a messy house than a messy car. I take my time and listen to some music. I have no problem laying down on the ground in the dirt or mud and getting it done right. A chick has to have her priorities right lol. I had gone through automatic car wash a couple of times with this car, but not since new wheels went on. I only use Meguiars products on it.

[gossie]

I only ever wash my own car.
Hose off grime and dust with the hose on full. Wash with a big clean sponge with water on low starting at the top working down. Hose off hard again. Chamois off. Give a very light polish all over every three months.

[GothicKidd]

I would take my car through the car wash every time my car needing a washing, but its a 80k travel just for a $10 car wash.. I sometimes do it myself. :P

[Astranomical]

Once when I took the car to the local Holden dealer for a service I got a voucher for a free car wash. When I had a look at the car afterwards I noticed bits of soap and crap that were still stuck on the car, that weren't cleaned off. Not to mention that the way it just completely blasts your car with water, I can't imagine it would be good for the paint. I'd do it again if I got another free voucher, but I'll never pay for one.

[Darren_L]

a lot of automatic car washes (brushless in particular) contain high levels of caustic in their detergent, which can be rather harmful to paint - particularly dark colours. Strangely enough it was a carwash attendant that advised me of this when I took my car to the carwash, he said my red car could eventually end up looking more pink than red lol I thanked him for his honestly and instead chose to hand wash the car, and I've never taken my car through the automatic wash since. I have taken my white daily ute on the occasion though. And if I do handwash my car at the carwash (don't need to now that water restriction have been relaxed), I use my own detergent as I found even the hand washing detergent leaves bad streaks in my paint.

So yeah I can't say the above with any sort of authority, but just repeating what I was told by someone working in the business.

[F l a k]

I've always found car washes to be harsh on paint. With my old rims they faded a lot as I used the car was every couple of weeks or so. I'd also be worried about fine scratches, and if you have any existing paint damage then definitely avoid them as it can rip the paint open from that weak spot.

It's really not that much of a pain to wash you car yourself with good quality products. Plus you get the satisfaction of doing it yourself, having a much better job, knowing that the paint will look better and be healthier, and you probably save money too.

[SP00KSTER]

ive never liked car washes, they seem very brutal on the paint, always hand washed my car, plus when you hand wash it you can get every little spot of dirt and you have the satisfaction at the end knowing that your car is clean and no damage is done by extreme water pressure and flinging brushes at paint work.

[Tim Smtih]

I've never used a car wash. I have both the time and energy to wash my car. That and i couldn't stand the thought of people messing about in my car (obviously i'm referring to one of those ful detail places). Whenever i have to remove bugs and muck from the front end of the car i hose it, then spray on a "bug and tar" remover and leave it for a couple of minutes before giving it a good wash by hand. Despite the fact that the previous owner must have had the front bumper painted by trained chimpanzees it comes up pretty well.

[LittleMissVE]

You drive a HSV and aren't gonna wax/polish etc?? You make the baby Jesus sad

I've done far worse things in my life than not waxing my car that make Jesus sad lol.

Nah, I love my car, I really do. But the main reason I bought a clubsport over an SS is because I like the look inside & outside better... I needed a V8 because a) I'm a revhead at heart and b) as I mentioned before, lots & lots of highway driving, and need the power to overtake.

So the fact that I don't kill myself & my child when overtaking a road train, is a little bit higher on my list of priorities than how shiny my car is

[Jesterarts]

I sway well away from automatic car washing, places with those high pressure sprayers and hot chicks to have dangley metal bits on their bra between their tits.

All these things are bad for paint.

I don't even use high pressure at home!

Bucket water, microfibre "tentacle" washing globe and running hose water to wash it off.

But that's be and maybe I'm a little OCD about it.

[elmaso]

#### those auto washes, there shit don't clean it properly. and for $10 you'd expect better.

i usually give the car a spray with water, then a scrub microfiber sponge with meguires car soap then a final hose down. comes out well.

[Crisis63]

My Landcruisers always ended up with scratchy finishes coz that what you get from bushes etc so I they go through the auto car wash. I don’t know how scratch free they are. I can’t say I have ever noticed damage. All my company cars went through the auto washes. When I had my VY SV8 which I bought new and now with my Monaro I washed them by hand. My Monaro has a paint finish on it which means it cleans up in most cases with water and a microfiber cloth. It has special detergent if I need to use something stronger.

[Bill44]

I do my own. Even when my car goes in for a service I specify "Do Not Wash & Do Not Paint The Tyres".

[Jebadayah]

I've done far worse things in my life than not waxing my car that make Jesus sad lol.

Nah, I love my car, I really do. But the main reason I bought a clubsport over an SS is because I like the look inside & outside better... I needed a V8 because a) I'm a revhead at heart and b) as I mentioned before, lots & lots of highway driving, and need the power to overtake.

So the fact that I don't kill myself & my child when overtaking a road train, is a little bit higher on my list of priorities than how shiny my car is

Lol...good answer I take my hat off to you.

[gopher]

people wash their cars??