Touchless car washes
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 122
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From: Anderson IN
Touchless car washes
Anything wrong with using a touchless car wash? I found one with no brushes, clothes, or conveyors. It seemed to do a decent job except for the leak in the driver side window. Since I live in an apartment, it costs me $2.50 to wash my car by hand. The touchless car wash was $4.00 for wash, wax, rinse, and dry.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 6,161
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From: Easton PA
Re: Touchless car washes (RyanD)
The only problem I see is that you are basically washing the car with a pressure washer. Any stubborn stains won't come off and it really doesn't get under the rockers. I guess for getting dust or rain spots off it would be OK, but not for me personally. just my .02
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
From: Anderson IN
Re: Touchless car washes (82dukman)
When I hand wash it, I usually have to touch it up when I get home anyway (bugs, tar, etc.). If I take my time to get it perfect at the car wash, I have to feed it even more money.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 13,266
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Re: Touchless car washes (RyanD)
i personally wouldnt trust it. i think with the high pressure you will get small scratches. you may not notice them.. but over time you will.
however..i have the advantage of a house where i can take the whole day to wash my car etc....
however..i have the advantage of a house where i can take the whole day to wash my car etc....
Safety Car
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 3,525
Likes: 0
From: Kenton TN
Re: Touchless car washes (RyanD)
Your going to have to hand wash the car eventually, I never use a drive thru wash (the spray on wax is garbage and wasted money) and only in a blue moon use the hand held wand. I have never seen any automatic car wash that will remove the road grime from driving in the rain, this takes a good hand wash. There is a drive thru near where I work where before these people take their car thru some goober with a big plastic brush scrubs on their wheels and paint to loosen the road grime, yeah, I can see that happening on one of my cars :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
[Modified by KLO, 11:53 AM 6/8/2002]
[Modified by KLO, 11:53 AM 6/8/2002]
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,488
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From: warner robins georgia
Re: Touchless car washes (NewVetteLover)
my wife uses one nearby for her rx300 and I really can't find any scratches; even with the old "flashlight test." It has zaino put on it a couple times a year after a dawn stripping b/c that carwash wax is crap.
I would think high pressure water would be less likely to scratch than a towel with dust/debris in it.
I still use the do-it-yourself method for the vette, but I have to admit, the local touchless car wash really does a pretty good job.
I would think high pressure water would be less likely to scratch than a towel with dust/debris in it.
I still use the do-it-yourself method for the vette, but I have to admit, the local touchless car wash really does a pretty good job.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 3,268
Likes: 2
From: Minnesota in the summer, Las Vegas in the winter
Re: Touchless car washes (RyanD)
Keep in mind that, with older corvettes with clearcoat paint jobs, high pressure water can find even the smallest of tears in the clear coat and make them worse. If you are using high pressure on a relatively new car you are probably OK but not on any paint which shows clearcoat wear.
Cruising
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 10
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From: Copperas Cove TX
Re: Touchless car washes (brdd)
I agree about the pressure wash messing up older cars with clearcoat problems. I drive a dodge stealth as my daily beater and use a touchless system, over time I have noticed my clear coat going down hill quicker and quicker. I only handwash my vette with TLC. :flag
Now a CTS-V Owner
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,675
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From: Central Ohio
CI 5-6-7 & 9 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08
Re: Touchless car washes (RyanD)
Have used them to no ill effect on all my recent rides, including a couple of STS's. I think some of these guys on this forum are really **** when it comes to their VETTES!!!!!! :cheers: :cheers:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,450
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City Missouri
Re: Touchless car washes (RyanD)
It wont get it clean, especially tar, bugs etc. There is no substitute for hand washing. Try to find a fried with a house and wash your car there, buy em a beer or two. :cheers: :lol: Just one more question, why is it that you cant wear clothes? :lol: :lol:
[Modified by rrobert22, 10:41 AM 7/3/2002]
[Modified by rrobert22, 10:41 AM 7/3/2002]
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 5,555
Likes: 9
From: Indiana
Re: Touchless car washes (RyanD)
Living in an apartment makes it tough. You gotta do what you gotta do. I really prefer a hand wash, because I know I'm getting it clean and it also lets me inspect the paint to see if I've picked up any new chips. The idea of a friend's house may be the best bet. In a pinch, I'd probably use a touchless wash as long as NOTHING but water touched the car .. no brushes, conveyors or hand-drying by a kid with a sandy rag.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 6,801
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From: Remember what the dormouse said.....
Re: Touchless car washes (RyanD)
High pressure water is the LEAST of your worries. The soap they use is EXTREMELY strong. It will start stripping wax off your paint, and ruining your clear coat.
It almost HAS to be very strong if its going to be touchless. Its gotta cut all the road grime. Problem is, it also destroys your paint,,,,,
It almost HAS to be very strong if its going to be touchless. Its gotta cut all the road grime. Problem is, it also destroys your paint,,,,,
Team Owner
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From: o|||||||o
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St. Jude Donor '07 thru '11
Re: Touchless car washes (Thomas)
High pressure water is the LEAST of your worries. The soap they use is EXTREMELY strong. It will start stripping wax off your paint, and ruining your clear coat.
It almost HAS to be very strong if its going to be touchless. Its gotta cut all the road grime. Problem is, it also destroys your paint,,,,,
It almost HAS to be very strong if its going to be touchless. Its gotta cut all the road grime. Problem is, it also destroys your paint,,,,,
Before buying my townhouse, where I can wash my car in my driveway :D, I would go to the coin operated place and hand wash my car there. $2.00 to for the initial rinse and fill the bucket, then $2.00 for the final rinse. Dry the car as thoroughly as possible before leaving. Note that if there is a line to use the car wash, you won't be able to do this, but I never had any problems. This is what I do when I travel with the car.
