Touchless Drive-Thru Car Wash

[Kaotic Lazagna]

What do you guys think of them? I was planning on going to a Chevron one, but I'm not really sure if they'll damage the paint or knock out one of my VG fins.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

I have a bad feeling about them tho, so may be I should just stick to my 1.5-2 hour hand washing :biggrin:

[Altitude]

The pressure is definitely high and I could see stuff that is just stuck on with 3M tape being knocked off. I use one quite often and haven't gotten any paint damage on my Yaris.

I do have an after market gas filler cover on my Jeep where the paint has been blown off a bit - but I think that has more to do with poor manufacturing. The metal exposed underneath is too smooth for the cheap paint they likely used to adhere to.

All in all you'll probably be safe - but they usually have disclaimers that they aren't responsible for after market items getting knocked off the body of the car.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Awww, don't want to deal with a missing VG fin. I'll just leave my car extremely dirty until I have time to wash it again.

[PETERPOOP]

Dude. Why do you take so long to wash your car?

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Dude. Why do you take so long to wash your car?

I'm very meticulous when it comes to my car. I rinse off the car really good, then I soap one panel at a time (soap then wash, soap then wash) starting from the roof, windshield, back window, trunk/spoiler, hood, (side opposite sun) front fender, front door, rear door, rear fender, trunk, rear bumper, opposite side (from rear to front this time), top half of front bumper and lights, then bottom half. Then I do the tires and rims. All of the time, I keep the entire car wet, never letting one spot dry. Then dry whole sections at a time.

:biggrin: The lengths I go to to avoid water spots and swirl marks. I also soap in linear movements oppose to circular.

Tack on another hour or two if I wax because, I wax panel by panel as well, then re-rinse to negate the static made by waxing, and re-dry.

[PETERPOOP]

you freak! Danny Tanner

[Kaotic Lazagna]

you freak! Danny Tanner

:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

Although I don't get what Full House has to do with it :tongue:

[darkmoon87]

if you have anything on your car that is glued or taped on, never use high pressure car wash...it will get knocked right off

[MUSKOKA800]

I've used touchless and never had anything fly off, including dirt film.

[Bob_VT]

I used a touchless last week and it did a terrible job. It was not that high of pressure and the Yaris was so short the rear never got cleaned properly.

There is one in town that does a fair job but unlike you fair weather people my main concern is knocking off some of the salt and dirt.

[KCALB SIRAY]

I wouldn't use it at all. There is just something about washing a car, getting the satisfaction of doing it right.

[nemelek]

I've used touchless and never had anything fly off, including dirt film.

They use magnesium cloride during the winter. Only a bucket and sponge will clean off the salt.

[ChinoCharles]

I bust out the power washer at home and put the car on jack stands. You have to up here. I've been to a touchless once, and that was simply for the satisfaction of using my dealership's car wash for free.

[dvlnblkdrs]

i used one here and its tracks scratched my stock alloys.. as soon as i saw that, i said id never go back.. and i havent

[leasaunce]

hmm thats something new.

need more of them here in sydney. we have the old style.

[YAR1S]

I'm very meticulous when it comes to my car. I rinse off the car really good, then I soap one panel at a time (soap then wash, soap then wash) starting from the roof, windshield, back window, trunk/spoiler, hood, (side opposite sun) front fender, front door, rear door, rear fender, trunk, rear bumper, opposite side (from rear to front this time), top half of front bumper and lights, then bottom half. Then I do the tires and rims. All of the time, I keep the entire car wet, never letting one spot dry. Then dry whole sections at a time.

:biggrin: The lengths I go to to avoid water spots and swirl marks. I also soap in linear movements oppose to circular.

Tack on another hour or two if I wax because, I wax panel by panel as well, then re-rinse to negate the static made by waxing, and re-dry.


Im glad Im not the only one.... LOL:thumbup:

[darkmoon87]

Im glad Im not the only one.... LOL:thumbup:

I'm exactly like that too...it's a good weekend exercise too imo lol

[PHXDEMON]

I'm very meticulous when it comes to my car. I rinse off the car really good, then I soap one panel at a time (soap then wash, soap then wash) starting from the roof, windshield, back window, trunk/spoiler, hood, (side opposite sun) front fender, front door, rear door, rear fender, trunk, rear bumper, opposite side (from rear to front this time), top half of front bumper and lights, then bottom half. Then I do the tires and rims. All of the time, I keep the entire car wet, never letting one spot dry. Then dry whole sections at a time.

:biggrin: The lengths I go to to avoid water spots and swirl marks. I also soap in linear movements oppose to circular.

Tack on another hour or two if I wax because, I wax panel by panel as well, then re-rinse to negate the static made by waxing, and re-dry.


That's so overkill :laugh: Sometimes I detail my car like that but I can wash the exterior of my car better than those autowashes in 20 minutes.

[JetfireK]

I'm very meticulous when it comes to my car. I rinse off the car really good, then I soap one panel at a time (soap then wash, soap then wash) starting from the roof, windshield, back window, trunk/spoiler, hood, (side opposite sun) front fender, front door, rear door, rear fender, trunk, rear bumper, opposite side (from rear to front this time), top half of front bumper and lights, then bottom half. Then I do the tires and rims. All of the time, I keep the entire car wet, never letting one spot dry. Then dry whole sections at a time.

:biggrin: The lengths I go to to avoid water spots and swirl marks. I also soap in linear movements oppose to circular.

Tack on another hour or two if I wax because, I wax panel by panel as well, then re-rinse to negate the static made by waxing, and re-dry.


If you do get water marks on the glass, you can use white vinegar and water rub in a circle and it comes off. If you can find a permanent marker close matching or close to your autos color wash area good, dry apply marker just in the chip area and dab with NU Finish auto wax which is really Teflon let dry and wipe off...Presto...good as new...

[YarisSedan]

I think someone has obsessive compulsive disorder ^_^

[Kaotic Lazagna]

i use the Shell touchless car wash, hadn't had anty problems yet except for the fact it missed a few spots. and my vg fin was perfectly fine.

You have VG fins, PK?

[Kaotic Lazagna]

I've used touchless and never had anything fly off, including dirt film.

LOL. Yeah, that happened on our Camry, but I never bothered to look for scratches on it before and after the wash.

I used a touchless last week and it did a terrible job. It was not that high of pressure and the Yaris was so short the rear never got cleaned properly.

There is one in town that does a fair job but unlike you fair weather people my main concern is knocking off some of the salt and dirt.

hmmm, never thought of the Yaris being short, but since you said that, more of a reason not too.

I wouldn't use it at all. There is just something about washing a car, getting the satisfaction of doing it right.

Well-said. I like washing my car, and then standing back while being blinded by the shininess. :biggrin:

i used one here and its tracks scratched my stock alloys.. as soon as i saw that, i said id never go back.. and i havent

eeek, that's what I said about Pep-Boys too.

Im glad Im not the only one.... LOL:thumbup:

:tongue:

[Kaotic Lazagna]

I'm exactly like that too...it's a good weekend exercise too imo lol

Yup, I feel the burn in my arms after. hehehehe.

That's so overkill :laugh: Sometimes I detail my car like that but I can wash the exterior of my car better than those autowashes in 20 minutes.

:laugh::laugh::laugh: I think overkill is when I clay bar the car. hahaha.

If you do get water marks on the glass, you can use white vinegar and water rub in a circle and it comes off. If you can find a permanent marker close matching or close to your autos color wash area good, dry apply marker just in the chip area and dab with NU Finish auto wax which is really Teflon let dry and wipe off...Presto...good as new...

I can't bring myself to write on my car with a marker. hehe. I also don't like circular rubbing unless it's wax. Thanks for the tip tho.

I think someone has obsessive compulsive disorder ^_^

:biggrin:

[jclo3313]

I use them all of the time with zero concerns, I wish I could wash my car at home but we are still under water restrictions here so whats a neurotic mess to do?

[Kaotic Lazagna]

I use them all of the time with zero concerns, I wish I could wash my car at home but we are still under water restrictions here so whats a neurotic mess to do?

I'm still worried about my VG fins getting knocked off. hahahaha.