Can Ice scratch your clearcoat?

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imported_Indy YZF

New member
The other day, I drove up to Bristol to keep my dyno appt. It was forecast to get all the way to 40 degrees, so I figured Id better do it then, as the next two wks are supposed to be well below freezing. When I got there, though, the pipes had burst, and the rollers were under 3ft of water. No dynoing that day, thats for sure. On the way back, the snow let loose like you wouldnt believe. But all the sand and salt on the roads just turned it into a muddy slop, and the car was disgustingly dirty.



The next day, Wed, I decided Id better get it washed. So I went to my local Splash carwash, and told them not to use the towels; I didnt want them putting any scratches in the clearcoat.



When I got home and took a good look under the lights, to my horror, there were dozens of the strangest looking clearcoat layer scratches all over my hood of my white Dinan supercharged '99 M3 Ive ever seen.. They were unusually shiny, and had these strange curves and jaggy shapes in them, and were from 2" to a ft in length running generally from the front to the back of the hood.. I Always polish the surface scratches out of the car, as I cant stand swirls and scratches, and I know the surface like the back of my hand. These definitely came from the carwash. I thought that because the water was hot, Id be ok. It was 9 degrees out at the time of my carwash, and knowing the scratches came from the agitated vertical strips of material they use to 'clean' the horizontal surfaces, I wasnt sure whether it came from inbedded dirt and grit, or from ice on the material. The strips of material looked very clean to me, and usually, Ive found if I can keep the guys from towel drying it, Im ok because the strips have never done this before. So Im guessing its ice on the strips.



But, I really didnt think Ice could scratch paint. But, I guess if its so cold that the water droplets on the car froze solid instantly as soon as I rolled the car out of the wash bay, that it really could do the scratching. The unusual appearance of the scratches led me to believe this was indeed what had happened. So, I must have looked like an idiot to the other tenants in my condo, as I spent the next 3 hrs in our communal garage with my rotary drill, and foam bonnets with various polish compounds , removing the damage.



So, dirty as your car may be, wait til ice is no longer forming. It doesnt have to be above freezing, as the hot water will keep ice off the equipment UNLESS it gets down below 20 degrees. And, below 10, like with me, nothing will keep the ice away!
 
"and knowing the scratches came from the agitated vertical strips of material they use to 'clean' the horizontal surfaces, I wasnt sure whether it came from inbedded dirt and grit, or from ice on the material."



With hundreds of cars preceeding yours through the machine, what ever makes you think they are clean, whatever their appearance?
 
>>With hundreds of cars preceeding yours through the machine, what ever makes you think they are clean, whatever their appearance<<



Look, Im not an idiot. Did yoiu read this portion?:

"...Ive found if I can keep the guys from towel drying it, Im ok because the strips have never done this before. So Im guessing its ice on the strips."



What this means is that the strips have never done the damage.. Apperently, the large amount of soap and water adequately prevents them from doing the damange when its not freezing. Its because warm weather use at this carwash has only produced toweling damage, that I surmised it had to be the ice on the agitator strips.



HOpe thats clear now.
 
Paul, sorry to hear about the problem...sounds like a ton of aggravation. The other concern that always worries me is how dirty are the different surfaces within the car wash that contact the car? They could be real bad during the winter when everything is covered with dirt, sand...let alone ice.
 
That's what happens when you use auto carwashes...ESPECIALLY during the winter, but really they're a bad idea any time. Sorry mang...looks like you've got some polishing to do.



If you need to use the car wash stick to the bays and dont go enar that foaming brush...
 
>>They could be real bad during the winter when everything is covered with dirt, sand...let alone ice.<<



Ive never had a problem from just the strips at the places I use, althought the side rotating brushes Always put light horizontal scratches in the door sides and fenders.





>>bad idea any time<<



I agree, but its a real problem when yo live in a hirise condo, with no facility to wash your car yourself.



>>If you need to use the car wash stick to the bays and dont go enar that foaming brush<<



You mean the do it your self bays? I think I ve got the answer to that brush.. I mean, instead of the foaming brush which is awful, just fill up a 64oz plastic bottle of your favorits carwash soap and water, and bring a wash mit. then, in the bay, before you turn on the power wand, poor the solution liberaly over the mit and car, and give it the onceover gently. then turn on the power wand and spray it down good. At least it sprays hot water, but in this weather, of 10 degrees, its a *****.
 
endus said:
That's what happens when you use auto carwashes...ESPECIALLY during the winter, but really they're a bad idea any time. Sorry mang...looks like you've got some polishing to do.



If you need to use the car wash stick to the bays and dont go enar that foaming brush...
Click to expand...



Agreed.



Its not ice on the strips because its heated inside the tunnel and the strips are constantly moving. Whats happened is the strips are covered in salty nasty water, and it drug all of that debris clean across the car.



Here's why it did this this time and only this time:



How regularly do you use the wash. Most washes will clean the strips with power washers once a week or so. If you go right after they've done this cleaning you may be okay.



You said the snow turned the roads into a mucky mess making the car filthy. You got it washed the next day...with everyone else within 10 miles of you, sealing your fate by making sure the strips were as filthy as they've ever been.



Did you spray the car off. In my experience these carwashes hardly pre-rinse the cars enough before those strips go nuts across the paint. The guys in front half assedly spray off the sides, the wash dribbles a little, then here comes the strips, sometimes even before the soapy water! Whenever the car is dirty ESPECIALLY in the winter I always spray it off in a wash bay or at home WELL first. The carwash here has wash bays and a tunnel, so this is easy.



Dirty water. Most washes use recycled water. On a day like the one you went the water is getting dirtier and dirtier every car that goes through, just like the strips. Go early in the morning to get the clean water.



IMO this is whats bad about these washes. Usually you'll be fine but its this one time that just screws the car up because of variables you either weren't aware of or couldn't control. It could have been one peice of gravel on one of those strips...



Think of it like washing your car with a mitt and a bucket of water used ALREADY to wash 120 filthy road salt covered cars before yours. Not my car...



Just not worth it IMHO, use some QEW, a touchless wash, something else...
 
>>Its not ice on the strips because its heated inside the tunnel and the strips are constantly moving<<



I wouldnt be so sure... I was there, you werent. It was 9 degrees out. There was ice covering the side spayers, ice on the ground, ice everywhere....I still think it was the ice, becasue like I told you, Ive used this facility when not freezing, and the cloth strips never have done this. Moreover, the scratches did NOT appear liek the kind regular 'ol' dirt generates.



>>You said the snow turned the roads into a mucky mess making the car filthy. You got it washed the next day...with everyone else within 10 miles of you, sealing your fate by making sure the strips were as filthy as they've ever been<<



Wrong again. .I ran into snow squalls near Hartford the day before, and on the way home.. At home, there was not this amount of mud on the roads, plus which, in this weather, from 0 to 10, there was NOBODY washing....I passed by; the day before, and before me, and there were NO lines.



In general I agree with you about the carwashes. I hate them. but I hated the mud covered bimmer even more. And, this facility had NEVER done this to me before in over a dozen visits, both summer and winter. But this was teh ONLY visit at 9 degrees, with ice all over the place. Literally. I think thats what did it.
 
>>Its not ice on the strips because its heated inside the tunnel and the strips are constantly moving<<



Idont mind the help, but it has to be correct on fact. That heated side nozzles were frozen over should indicate that the heated water doesnt necessarily prevent freezing. I am allowing that it could have been grit. however there had been a dry spell of several days, and the snow squall didnt occur where the carwash was. In addition Ive never had any dirt problems from those material strips. whats different now than then? Yup.. the ice.
 
I feel your pain. The last snowstorm I was brushing snow off my car. It was powder snow but a layer of ice on the car near the bottom of the snow. As i brushed some off (with my coat sleeve), a large chunk of ice slid down the hook in one piece and off the car onto the ground. The next day I saw a very mind scratch down the hood about 8" long. It has been way to cold to deal with it but I will try and buff it out in the spring.........be careful!
 
>> The next day I saw a very mind scratch down the hood about 8" long. <<



Yup! And did you notice that, under indoor lights, it had a sparklier or shinier appearnce that sand scratches? I dont know what it is about me. Im too damn compulsive. If I get a scratch, its got to come out, then and there, and I dont care if its zero degrees out either! Its sick.
 
I don't think I've ever seen so many non-quoted quotes in one thread.



Hope you get your M3 taken care of.
 
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