Automatic Car Washes Bad for Paint?
 

How many of you guys are going to use the automatic car washes for your car? Living in chicago it's they are the only places i know of that does an undercarriage wash, but i don't want it to ruin my paint, scratch my paint, or cause swirls of any type.

what are your thoughts?

It will create swirls in your paint. Whether you can live with that is obviously personal preference, but it's already pretty dirty cloth wiping the dirt on your car across the clear coat.

If you absolutely have to do it, a touchless car wash will be better. The soap they use at touchless car washes tends to be harsh though, so make sure you have a pretty good/tough coat of wax on the car. I'll be using Collinite 845 as my winter wax. If it isn't too cold out here in CT, I'll probably hand wash the car and make sure to hose down the undercarriage really well. If it's really cold, as in frozen hoses, I may go to a coin operated place with some buckets. Touchless would be my last resort. Do not use a car wash that physical slaps those curtains and brushes against your car. It'll scratch the paint.

i always go to handwash car wash its cheaper and much better

You have to be careful with the touchless too. I've had ones get dirt in the water and chip the paint on my WRX (it basically turned into a giant sandblaster). I don't even use those anymore, for now I've been using a coin operated place with the stalls which seems to be working ok so far.

You can use a tunnel wash but it will not do your paint any favors. Try and locate a local DIY car wash stall and spray the undercarriage yourself. Then proceed home to the garage to do a ONR rinseless or ECO waterless wash. If not then locate a hand wash shop to do it for ya.

Opti-Coat your car and you can take it through all the Touchless washes your heart desires without harming the coating!!!

I got a year unlimited hand washes for 200, already made my money back since I go about three times a week. I am starting to see very fine surface scratches at certain angles in the sun. Think I need a polish and wax. Wished I would have gotten opti coat.

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^ that

Opti-Coat is tough enough to handle the touchless car washes.

I actually use the touchless washes everyday on my beater. We have no clue how strong the soap is at those washes so they could be not that great for the wax on your car or the clear.

yeah that's if i can get the wife to agree to get my car opticoated before winter. also, i dont belive touchless car washes rinse the undercarriage. That's my biggest concern with the chicago winters, you know?

salt = FR-LOSE...

Talking of keeping your clean, does anyone have suggestions about a car cover? I have to leave my BRZ outside.

That is car clean sorry

apart from a regular universal car cover I'm not sure if they make a custom one.
hit up covercraft

And why would your wife not let you Opti-Coat the car? It's protecting your investment. Opti-Coat is going to cost 3x more after winter. All the damage you will incur over winter will take MORE time to remove the following summer. The best advice (even though you may think its bias) is to Opti-Coat the car when its brand new. It costs the least at that point.

DONT DO IT!. Sorry for the bold letters.but I got one 2 weeks ago.it left the front of my whiteout with some scratches.pissed me the hell off.not just scratches,but the paint on the bumper crack in some spots.This was not a touchless.This is a car wash place that offer the full service not an automated machine.but from now on i will be washing my car myself.