Car Wash

[GMFWDFAN]

There's a nice local touch-free car was here, and I take my car to it during the winter months, because it includes an underbody wash. I am wondering if I can still do this now that I have a cold-air intake. Will the underbody wash spray water far enough into the bumper to get to the intake?

[XoticGA]

That should be ok, but you're prolly gunna rip off your mirrors

[GMFWDFAN]

No, it's completely touch free and my car went through it twice before I got the intake.

Thanks. :)

[Bouchie11982]

why would he rip off his side mirrors if it's a touch free car wash???


the filter should be fine. if u look underneath, there is plastic guarding it underneath. some dirt gets in but not alot, trust me.

[XoticGA]

Originally posted by Bouchie11982
why would he rip off his side mirrors if it's a touch free car wash???



Sorry, I forgot, you don't make mistakes :roll:

[Bouchie11982]

wow wait.....where'd that come from?? :???:
i NEVER said i don't make mistakes....take your drama back to the off
topics.



yea at least your car wash doesnt stain your black mirrors. the one near me did when i had my mickey mouse mirrors. oh it was bad HAHA

[GMFWDFAN]

Originally posted by XoticGA
Sorry, I forgot, you don't make mistakes :roll:
Hey I understand what you thought, because at my last job (car washer at local Ford dealer) their was had brushes that literally just beat the dirt off your car and called it a day. I wouldn't take my car through that hell-hole for anything!

[goredsox]

Originally posted by Bouchie11982
wow wait.....where'd that come from?? :???:
i NEVER said i don't make mistakes....take your drama back to the off topic

Katie, arent you and Trish friends??? This comment scares me...

[Chain]

I am courious how can a touchless car wash rip off your mirrors?

Only time I ever go to a car wash (touchless of course ) is during the winter to wash off the salt under the car.

[wiseojelly]

Eh, it was a misreading situation. Everyone does it sheesh!

During the winter I go through those to get the salt off as well. Though I heard a few times where parts fall off those things and damage the vehicle.

[Bouchie11982]

Originally posted by goredsox
Katie, arent you and Trish friends??? This comment scares me...
lmao!!! your kidding right...?

Originally posted by Chain
I am courious how can a touchless car wash rip off your mirrors?

Only time I ever go to a car wash (touchless of course ) is during the winter to wash off the salt under the car.
i only go to those DIY jobbies.
i dont go to the touchless ones. last i did that my tire slipped off the tire hook thingy

[coupe]

If i had to choose a car wash it would be touchless.

But even touchless can be dangerous, they arent as safe as some might think but better than the carwashes that touch your car in ANYWAY.

[coupe]

Originally posted by Bouchie11982
i only go to those DIY jobbies.
i dont go to the touchless ones. last i did that my tire slipped off the tire hook thingy



:???: Touchless dosent have anything that touches your car, you drive in on your own and drive out on your own.

[Bouchie11982]

Originally posted by coupe
:???: Touchless dosent have anything that touches your car, you drive in on your own and drive out on your own.
oh no the laser wash here, you have to like hook your tire on the thing up front and it activates the car wash. it's still touchless but you have to hook your tire on the thing.
i think it's a stupid idea. i can't see where my tire is in the first place....or if it's even going on the little ramp thing

the one i go to is the one you drive through, the drain underneath and basically wash it. you guys must not have the Laser wash kind down there

[coupe]

None of ours are like that

They are all laser though, they tell the arms where to go relavent to where the vehicle is.


At no time does ANYTHING touch the vehicle though.

[TA^Guy]

To answer the question at hand, YES it is safe to go into a touchless carwash and get the under carrage sprayed with a CAI.

Even if the filter got a little damp it won't harm the car. You pratically have to have it submerged to worry about anything.



For the other debate...

As for touchless washes and whatever it be. Touchless=crap, especially on dark cars. It won't get all the crap off and still leaves a film of filth. Think, would you just take a shower by rinsing off and getting out? It's the safest "automatic car wash", but typically the worst results. Good if you just want to get the excess crude off your car, especially in the winter months.

Standard car washes with brushes will clean much better, but at a cost. The rotating brushes usually are not cleaned too often, and with them slapping across the paint it leaves fine scratches in the finish.

DYI wash bays are my favorite when I'm not home. Roll in and the first thing I do is inspect the brush (our car had 800 miles on it when the head of one fell off and left a 10" gouge in our black hood). Then I take the gat gun and with high pressure spray off the brush to clean it. Rinse te car with high pressure soap and if it has a foaming soap or prewash use that and then go over it with the foaming brush. The more soap/foam the more it will lift the dirt away from the vehicle.

All in all the best way to wash is at home with a wash mitt and bucket. Do not use a sponge. A sponge will trap dirt in the open pores that can scratch your finish.



BTW, a touchless wash CAN ruin parts on your car. Ask RJ he used to run a touchless wash and I'm sure he's seen the blowers destroy a few things in his day. The wash I worked at hen I was 16-18 had brushes. Many things made it past the brushes fine but his the blowers and get ripped off the car.

[coupe]

I hate it when people say its *bad* or *good* for dark cars.

If its bad for one color its bad for them all.

Wash it yourself or except the damage.

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by coupe
I hate it when people say its *bad* or *good* for dark cars.

If its bad for one color its bad for them all.

Wash it yourself or except the damage. Not bad as in damage wise, but bad as in the wash results look worst on black cars because the scummy film shows more.

I can spray my white truck down with just a pressure washer and it "looks" clean.

If I spray down our dark green Exploder in the same manner it'll still look like crap.

Follow me?

[Big Joe]

moved thread.

[Nitr0Racing21]

Originally posted by TA^Guy
Not bad as in damage wise, but bad as in the wash results look worst on black cars because the scummy film shows more.

I can spray my white truck down with just a pressure washer and it "looks" clean.

If I spray down our dark green Exploder in the same manner it'll still look like crap.

Follow me?
X2^^

[coupe]

I understand what your saying, light colors *appear* to be cleaner when you do that.

[GMFWDFAN]

I don't take my car there in the summer usually, but when it's 40 degrees out and the snow/salt crap is melting everywhere, I'm not going to go out and wash my car in the driveway. In fact, I can't. Our water hoses don't work in the winter. I just use the wash to get the salt off the underbody, something I can't really do myself.

[coupe]

40 degrees is very doable

[GMFWDFAN]

Like I said, our hoses don't work in the winter.

Anyway, I went through this car wash close to my grandparents yesterday, to see if I like it better than the one I usually go to during the winter, and it proved us all wrong.

After the was was over I started the car and the idle was all over the place, and it acted funny the whole way home - long shifts, odd whooshing noises, etc. Scared me bad enough that I pulled over and checked everything twice.

Poor car, it deserves an owner that's not a dumbass like me. :D

[coupe]

Your supposed to bring your hoses in for the winter.

I assume you mean they dont work becuase they are frozen.

[kp22090]

I know in mine, I was taking it to this wash for a while and one day the driver mirror ripped right off. I guess they're not made to well. I put it back on with black sheet metal screws. lol.

[99blackSE]

Originally posted by coupe
40 degrees is very doable

Yup, once it gets below 0 C / 32 F then the hands start to get a little cool. I think I can usually get away with handwashing till end of Oct. maybe early November, but after that nothing until March when it thaws out again.