20 inch wheels / automatic car washes

[RedRocket]

With winter approaching in Michigan I'm thinking about how I'll keep my car clean. I've not run the car through an automatic car wash yet and am concerned that the wheels may be damaged by the guide track.

Should I be concerned by this?

 

[Billm0066]

With winter approaching in Michigan I'm thinking about how I'll keep my car clean. I've not run the car through an automatic car wash yet and am concerned that the wheels may be damaged by the guide track.

Should I be concerned by this?

They wont damage it. However you should really be concerned with the brushes and soap damaging your paint. The brushes will cause a ton of swirl marks in your clear coat. You are better off going to an enclosed do it yourself wash that is heated, or maybe a drive through hand wash.

 

[darreli]

Or the Touchless ones. Yeah those brushes are terrible on your clearcoat and even worse if they're not adjusted right

 

[PonySHO]

I take mine to the quarter car wash (more like $3.25 now) and just spray it down in the rinse mode to get the salt off. I do a very thorough job, takes about 10'.

 

[SHOenuf]

I would be leary of the car wash and the rims! The first and last time I went the guy guided me in, the outside of the drivers tire got all scratched up. He actually made a screwed up face when it hit and that prompted me to look when I got out. Never again will I go through an automatic carwash. Also, above with the brush marks in the clearcoat, no thanks.

 

[Crax]

DO NOT DO IT! I have the 20" wheels, that ain't your problem though. I went through an auto wash here which has (I thought) soft cotton brushes. dangit! Scratched my clearcoat and worse, scratched those "black panels in-between the front and rear doors" (no idea if those have a real name or what).

The clearcoat is looking better after some hand washes and polishing. However I really do not know what to do with the black panels. They aren't terrible mind you, and maybe I am paranoid since it is only visible close up, but I am certain the scratches came from that car wash and I can see the damage adding up. So I am going all hand wash, I know that is "risky" too sometimes but I have decent microfiber cloths and at least if I bone it then it's on me.

Edit: I did not say "dangit" who writes this stuff. Also, I did not notice any damage of any kind to the wheels from the auto wash, just wanted to make that clear.

 

[SHOstopper1992]

I worked for an automatic car wash company and we broke of mirrors of of Taurus's when the rollers came around. Happened about once a week!

The Gen 1 and 2 mirrors WILL break off if your not carefull!

Plus it will swirl your paint and scratch your car

 

[Newad]

http://www.attentiontoeverydetail.com/

These brothers detail all my cars. The work they do lasts about 4 months or more for me. It is really worth it to have a detailer do even the cleaning if you want to take the best care of your car. I don't mean the service department at your dealership but a professional detailer with the proper equipment. I agree hosing down the salt in the winter is wise if you have time to do it yourself. They will detail-wash my cars for about $35 each. The work is amazing. About $250 will keep my SHO showroom like for months. It isn't cheap but I'll pay for it.

I had a Malibu before my SHO's and it had gotten pine tree sap all over it. I was having the worst time trying to get it off on my own. They took care of it and the car looked better inside and out than it did when i bought it.

Again, worthwhile.

 

[RedRocket]

Thanks for the input guys. I'll be doing the coin operated wash this winter.

 

[mjhpadi]

I only use the touchless auto wash if I do an auto car wash, however, I prefer hand washing. I have found that Adam's Polishes Swirl and Haze Remover will do a good job of removing swirl marks from paint. I use it with a Porter/Cable RO buffer, and it removes all most all the swirl marks that aren't deep or scratches.

 

[SterlingGraySHO]

any pics of your damaged wheels?

I would be leary of the car wash and the rims! The first and last time I went the guy guided me in, the outside of the drivers tire got all scratched up. He actually made a screwed up face when it hit and that prompted me to look when I got out. Never again will I go through an automatic carwash. Also, above with the brush marks in the clearcoat, no thanks.

 

[RonPorter]

If you live in MI, and you daily drive a car, you have to use a regular car wash, unless you have a heated garage with a floor drain with H&C running water to do it yourself.

Touchless car washes work in places like AZ (where I'm at right now) to get the dust off, but they are useless in MI in the winter. I've tried them a few times over the years, and they have been a waste of money.

You are better off getting the crud off and putting up with the fine swirls (which may not be bad, depending on the car wash you go to) and just do a good 3-step cleaner/polish/wax with a Porter-Cable in the spring. The slush/salt/crud is worse that having a perfect show-quality paint "look" IMO.

FWIW, my LGT was about totally repainted in July 2099 from a hailstorm. It's ONLY been through the local car wash since them, and looking at it parked out here after a local AZ car wash, I have no swirls, and this is on a very dark blue car. And when I got here after driving cross-country and through a nasty storm in IN, the car was white with a salt crust.

 

[Billm0066]

If you live in MI, and you daily drive a car, you have to use a regular car wash, unless you have a heated garage with a floor drain with H&C running water to do it yourself.

Touchless car washes work in places like AZ (where I'm at right now) to get the dust off, but they are useless in MI in the winter. I've tried them a few times over the years, and they have been a waste of money.

You are better off getting the crud off and putting up with the fine swirls (which may not be bad, depending on the car wash you go to) and just do a good 3-step cleaner/polish/wax with a Porter-Cable in the spring. The slush/salt/crud is worse that having a perfect show-quality paint "look" IMO.

FWIW, my LGT was about totally repainted in July 2099 from a hailstorm. It's ONLY been through the local car wash since them, and looking at it parked out here after a local AZ car wash, I have no swirls, and this is on a very dark blue car. And when I got here after driving cross-country and through a nasty storm in IN, the car was white with a salt crust.

I have been using the automatic ones this winter. I was trying to do the do it yourself ones but it got too cold. My garage is heated but I do not have water or a drain in there so it's a no go. My next house will have it.

I have two automatic washes by me. One charges $3 and the other is $6.50 and those are both their basic. The expensive one gets the car cleaner, dryer, and it barely took off any zaino wax. Last time I waxed was November and took it through about 6-7 times and the car still felt smooth. I took it to the $3 wash and all the wax was gone and the paint felt like crap. I spent about 1.5 hours yesterday clay barring and waxing even though we are supposed to get 12" of snow tomorrow. Can't wait for spring...

 

[bill1]

The stock wheels on the 2010 SHO will hit the rails and get gouged. the wheel structure sticks out past the tire.

 

[SterlingGraySHO]

here's what's happened to mine, it's the driver side front wheel, I noticed it two weeks ago and can't figure out where it happened, that's why I asked. . .

 

[bill1]

I got the same kind of marks with some yellow paint thrown in. On the same wheel.