Automatic Car Washes

[jdubs]

Hello All,

I hate to ask a dumb question, but here it goes.

I use to be a member of a local car wash that was a track driven wash that pulled you through. I loved it, it got my car clean, and best of all was $17/month for unlimited washes.

I've been too nervous to take the Fiesta through because the owners manual states not to. I am still at stock ride height and don't feel i'm really all that low. Has anybody else had experience with this? I know most people prefer touchless, which generally are not track driven, but I want a clean car and touchless just doesn't do it for the dirt and salt here in Wisconsin.

Thanks for the input!

 

[KKaWing]

I've taken mine through tracked washes. Nothing ripped off yet. Beware though, touchless washes actually give you the most "spider webs". The drying agents will dry and crack the clear coat if you don't wax / seal it often.

 

[DvC]

good luck on your future paint goals...

 

[frankiefiesta]

I go through automatic washes all the time. No issues (yet)

 

[DaveG99]

Im way to OCD about my paint to damage it in automatic car wash. Those things are evil.

 

[Muldoon]

Those things are evil.

x2

I can totally see the appeal in not having to do any work and only spending a few minutes getting your car clean, but it isn't worth the damage in the long run. If you decide you want a swirl/rid free car in the future, you'll be spending way more money than you saved, and infinitely more time.

 

[dyn085]

Realistically, most people cause enough damage hand-washing during the year to need a polish once a year anyways. When winter comes I don't really put much effort into anything but obviously prefer to use a touchless when I do wash. Honestly though, I would take a brush wash over having salt on my car constantly if I lived in that sort of environment.

 

[DaveG99]

Winter? Whats that? It was 78 here today. Lol. Seriously though was it by hand and use the two bucket method. Dry it with a blower and then use a large micro fiber towel.

 

[Butterybunz]

I'm a member of a monthly car wash package. It's a drive-in wash (no tracks) and is touchless, that's the only automatic type wash I would use.

 

[FORZDA 2]

I take really good care of my cars as I buy exactly what I want, buy new, and keep them ~15+ years to recoup the depreciation through long-time use and fun. I kept my previous "fun" car for 17 years and sold it for 1/2 the original retail price. My 2008 Mazda CX-9 with 130,000 miles that has spent its entire life outside has no paint issues other than rock/debris impact damage to the front. The folks saying touch-free automatic car washes in general will kill your new-car paint are simply mistaken.

I've used a current-technology touch-free automatic car wash about once per week for the 2+ years I've owned my 2014 FiST, so it has at least 100+ washes. I do hand-dry it and wipe clean the door jambs, under hood, and around the hatch (weekly). The paint is in excellent condition, no swirls or wash-induced flaws. Well, it does have some nasty rock chips on the front from the abundance of trucks towing horse shit, cow shit, and/or just junk shit trailers over the crappy-shit roads in and around Oklahoma City.

The worst possible automatic car washes are those really old versions that use spinning stranded brushes or even the newer versions that use strips of synthetic "towels".

 

[jdubs]

Winter? Whats that? It was 78 here today. Lol. Seriously though was it by hand and use the two bucket method. Dry it with a blower and then use a large micro fiber towel.

Haha... this is my summer method for sure. Not as doable without a garage in below freezing temps.

I agree with everyone, but honestly if I have this car more than 4-5 years it'll surprise me. It's white which I think helps my case. And well, it's been a salty mess for a month because touchless washes simply don't do the winters justice here.

I was more curious to know if the FiST would make it through without scraping. I'll never forget the 2k2 Neon that I had (don't hate it was my first new car back in the day), lowered mind you, just horrible scraping noises the whole way through.

One more month till I can become OCD again. Just hoping to get good and clean before then. Thanks for all the responses!

 

[KKaWing]

Haha... this is my summer method for sure. Not as doable without a garage in below freezing temps.

I agree with everyone, but honestly if I have this car more than 4-5 years it'll surprise me. It's white which I think helps my case. And well, it's been a salty mess for a month because touchless washes simply don't do the winters justice here.

I was more curious to know if the FiST would make it through without scraping. I'll never forget the 2k2 Neon that I had (don't hate it was my first new car back in the day), lowered mind you, just horrible scraping noises the whole way through.

One more month till I can become OCD again. Just hoping to get good and clean before then. Thanks for all the responses!

Well, if anything scrapes it will be the stock wheels. The tracked washes here in Toronto don't scrape, though we have many drive in and 2 magic carpet washes around the city.