Automated Car Washes???

[Max_Power]

As has already been said, if you guys value your car's paintwork please don't take it to any automated car washes (unless they're touch-free) and most certainly don't use the brushes they supply at the self serve washes!

If you're hard-pressed cleaning the car at home, give your paint a good coat of wax (or synthetic sealant) every 3 or 4 months, and take it through the touch-free car washes. The dirt should be pretty easily removed due to the smooth coat of wax on the paint. Otherwise I find the touch-free ones don't really do a good enough job, especially given their price.

[ill0gitech]

Why don't you just take the car to a local car wash where you pressure wash it yourself?

I've not seen one of these locally

[Lemonskin]

I've not seen one of these locally

Neither have I, not around the Shire anyway.

I think I'll try in the short term to wash it myself, my main problem with that is that the ceiling in our underground carpark is quite low, so if I spray water it usually ends up on the dirty ceiling and then dripping down onto my clean car! Its also dark im there so hard to see if I've got all the dirty bits. Will try with a bucket and hose on low pressure and see how we go.

[gavs]

Automated Car Washes???

If by chance you have done any kind of paint protection using waxes or sealants and expect to retain the luster, shine and protecting then I highly recommend to NOT go to an automated carwash.

The products they use are made for lifting heavy grime and muck and will strip the wax or sealant so quickly it's not funny. I've tested this with a few waxes and sealants and the longest I have gotten out of the protection (over a dry summer, using the same carwash and same process each week) was 3 washes. After that the water would clearly sheet differently and the surface tension was not the same.

Go touch free I you have no pain protection. If you have paint protection, wash at home with a ph neutral shampoo and use the 2 bucket method

[alexaescht]

Yeah I definitely would not go through a non-touch free car wash, mum did once on the polo and it ripped the rear wiper off! $80 later and there you go.

[wai]

Actually, you need to be careful of all washes where soap is sprayed at the car at high pressure.

The soap lowers the surface tension of the fluid and under pressure will enter seams. The soap solution will not be washed out as water on its own has a surface tension preventing it getting into those same gaps.

After a while, the soap will break down and the result can be corrosion.

[Veeduby]

Actually, you need to be careful of all washes where soap is sprayed at the car at high pressure.

The soap lowers the surface tension of the fluid and under pressure will enter seams. The soap solution will not be washed out as water on its own has a surface tension preventing it getting into those same gaps.

After a while, the soap will break down and the result can be corrosion.

I assume this also applies to using snowfoam guns? Anything in particular that needs to be done to avoid this?

[Lemonskin]

Actually, you need to be careful of all washes where soap is sprayed at the car at high pressure.

The soap lowers the surface tension of the fluid and under pressure will enter seams. The soap solution will not be washed out as water on its own has a surface tension preventing it getting into those same gaps.

After a while, the soap will break down and the result can be corrosion.

Eek! Seems the easiest way will be for me to just fork out a little more $$$ but have me a nice handwashed car!

[DasPassat]

Automated Car Washes???

There is a touch free wash at Kirrawee where you can also wash it yourself. Haven't tried the touch free wash there myself.

http://www.envirowash.net.au/Locations/Kirrawee/Envirowash-Kirrawee.asp

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[wai]

I assume this also applies to using snowfoam guns? Anything in particular that needs to be done to avoid this?

The only way is to avoid the pressure hitting the seams (not very easy) with the soap solition. If you use a pressure washer to wash the soap off that was applied by hand, you aim it at a panel and let the flow wash the soap off.

[Lemonskin]

I tried going to the place in Burraneer Bay today... 10am and the guy already had 6 cars waiting! He does them by himself so I would have been waiting a long time. I see now why my folks go up there and leave the car for a few hours! Anyway its apparently $30 there so not much cheaper than the basic wash from Crystal or Diamond.

[Wolfgang]

Bit hard as I live in a unit and park in secure lock up parking. Anyone know of any good waterless cleaning products?

I know this is from a few months ago but I had to wait until i knew this was going to be available in Aus.

Garry Dean's Infinite Use Detail Juice

Anyone I know who has used it is loving it. Even a few pro detailers.

PM me if you want details as its not available from any site sponsors and I don't want to tread on anybody's toes.

[TSI_Dan]

The place up at Sutherland near the SUS club is good too, but there's usually a bit of a wait.
Let me know how you go up Burraneer Bay Rd.

Yeah I've heard the Sutherland one is decent. Also heard of a car being slowly stuffed from many visits to the mechanical washer next to Lexus at Kirrawee. I don't have much first hand experience with those washers as I always do mine at home. You could try the BP at Loftus which offers a timed pressure hose from memory.

PS, I noted a GTI with Sharks plates being held up by a painfully slow Merc behind the Coles at Miranda on Thurs or Friday afternoon. Hmmmm I wonder who that was...

[kam]

why not just wash at home ?

[Wolfgang]

why not just wash at home ?

Why are you asking the same question in the same thread that you already have an answer to?