Is there anything wrong with a completely "touchless" car wash?

E

Egoolps

New member
Being that not everyone has the luxury of having a garage to wash their car in (during the winter months), what's the general take on these?



Personally, I prefer it to bringing it to a hand wash...as the mere sight of the rags they use there makes me cringe. Even the places that have fresh towels...you never know how new they are.



Are these the next best thing to doing a hand wash by yourself?
 
you could go through this and then after bring some ONR and finish washing it. don't let any of the car washes touch your car...
 
Egoolps- Noting that Accumulatorette runs her A8 through a touchless in TN when on her DixieLand roadtrips (the point being that I'm not as opposed to them as some people are), there are a few potential issues (and that's all they are IMO- *potential*) to watch out for:



- They don't get too much dirt/etc. off exept when the LSP is really fresh or when their chemicals are mixed really strong

- Unless the blow-dryer is really good you'll get a lot of residual water, which might freeze and/or leave streaks/spots

- If/when the chemicals are really strong or the water isn't filtered well, you can get issues ranging from LSP stripping to window marking to trim damage



Kinda a trade-off IMO between doing it often enough to keep things clean vs. not doing it so often that you strip your LSP right away :nixweiss



If I couldn't wash in a shop, I'd probably consider having the vehicle professionally done once a month (even if it's just a wash/LSP refresher) while running it through the touchless every week. That'd be about...what?...three pro wash/wax jobs with the touchless taking up the slack in-between. But I'd shell out the bucks for a real *pro detailer* as opposed to the "hand wash" guys. Eh, easy for me to spend your money, huh?
 
I have done the touchless car washes in the winter, although their chemicals will likely strip away your protection. I have one a mile from home so I'll go through, then come home and do a hot water ONR wash with Optimum Spray Wax. Keeps the vehicle pretty clean for the winter time and protected.
 
IMO, they are paint safe. The problem is they are not trim safe. I know a few people that use them extensively, especially in the winter. Each of the cars in question has trim that looks like hell for a 5-6 year old car, even compared to neglected cars. And its not ALL the trim, just a few pieces here and there that don't seem to deal well with the chemicals. Another thing I have noticed is bubbling on wheels and aluminum trim pieces. If there was a place that used PH neutral detergents, I'd say it was safe. Until then, its the equivalent of using a strong wheel cleaner on your entire car.
 
Touchless car washes are worse than the ones that scrub your paint down to nothing. Unfortunately, touchless carwashes use very very strong chemicals, which not only strip your wax, but can stain moldings, rubber gaskets, and trim.
 
yakky said:
...its the equivalent of using a strong wheel cleaner on your entire car.
Click to expand...



Picturing that made me cringe inside. I'm guilty of using those touchless car washes during the winter time, perhaps its time to pick up some ONR this season?
 
Accumulator said:
Egoolps- Noting that Accumulatorette runs her A8 through a touchless in TN when on her DixieLand roadtrips (the point being that I'm not as opposed to them as some people are), there are a few potential issues (and that's all they are IMO- *potential*) to watch out for:



- They don't get too much dirt/etc. off exept when the LSP is really fresh or when their chemicals are mixed really strong

- Unless the blow-dryer is really good you'll get a lot of residual water, which might freeze and/or leave streaks/spots

- If/when the chemicals are really strong or the water isn't filtered well, you can get issues ranging from LSP stripping to window marking to trim damage



Kinda a trade-off IMO between doing it often enough to keep things clean vs. not doing it so often that you strip your LSP right away :nixweiss



If I couldn't wash in a shop, I'd probably consider having the vehicle professionally done once a month (even if it's just a wash/LSP refresher) while running it through the touchless every week. That'd be about...what?...three pro wash/wax jobs with the touchless taking up the slack in-between. But I'd shell out the bucks for a real *pro detailer* as opposed to the "hand wash" guys. Eh, easy for me to spend your money, huh?
Click to expand...



Thanks. Based on the responses in this thread, seems like this is more than likely my best option. I'll just have to see how much a detailer will charge me for that.



BigAl3 said:
you could go through this and then after bring some ONR and finish washing it. don't let any of the car washes touch your car...
Click to expand...



Unfortunately I don't have the option when it's below freezing out. I don't have a garage (my complex has carports). So though my car is protected from snow/rain, doing ONR when freezing isn't possible.



Got_Leather said:
I have done the touchless car washes in the winter, although their chemicals will likely strip away your protection. I have one a mile from home so I'll go through, then come home and do a hot water ONR wash with Optimum Spray Wax. Keeps the vehicle pretty clean for the winter time and protected.
Click to expand...



How many touchless washes would strip away protection would you say? One? Four? (thinking of using the above advice if that's the case)



yakky said:
IMO, they are paint safe. The problem is they are not trim safe. I know a few people that use them extensively, especially in the winter. Each of the cars in question has trim that looks like hell for a 5-6 year old car, even compared to neglected cars. And its not ALL the trim, just a few pieces here and there that don't seem to deal well with the chemicals. Another thing I have noticed is bubbling on wheels and aluminum trim pieces. If there was a place that used PH neutral detergents, I'd say it was safe. Until then, its the equivalent of using a strong wheel cleaner on your entire car.
Click to expand...



If I wasn't paranoid, now I will be. I'll be checking my trim tomorrow with a magnifying glass...



JohnKleven said:
Touchless car washes are worse than the ones that scrub your paint down to nothing. Unfortunately, touchless carwashes use very very strong chemicals, which not only strip your wax, but can stain moldings, rubber gaskets, and trim.
Click to expand...



Good to know. Thanks.



Well I suppose I have my options for the winter: (feel free to offer more if I don't clear it up)



1) Have it professionally washed when I feel like spending the money

2) Have it professionally washed once/month and either drive in filthy 3/weeks out of the month or chance my trim getting stained if I use a touchless

3) Buy a place with a garage (not really an option for a long time)
 
Egoolps- Nobody can say how many touchless washes it'll take to strip LSP/damage trim/do whatever because there are just soooo many variables.



Is the vehicle in question your MOPAR? At least those don't have the oh-so-fragile aluminum trim that, say...Audis have.
 
Wash bays are always an option if they keep them open in your area. Bring a covered bucket with hot soapy water.
 
i am opposed to any type of wash method (besides doing it the right way). with that said. those "harmless" touchless washes can do more damage than you think.



1. one of the local distributors that I go through told me that the touchless wash companies buy their wheel cleaner off of them and use that to spray on the victims cars... thats how they strip lsp rather quickly



2. unfortunatly my car got egged 2 nights ago, and after one week of Opt opti-seal and Optimum Car wax it was all gone after going through one of these (i was reluctant to go but had to cause i dont want any clear coat damage. and i was crunched for time to wash it myself) now i dont have one single bead on the paint and surprisingly because i know how durable optiseal is.
 
Admittedly I do use them form time to time but will follow with an ONR wash. If you use them often don't be surprised if your LSP vanishes and your trim starts to look like ***.





Here is your touch-less washes at work...



damaged

99century008.jpg




How it should look

99century009.jpg




damaged

01intrepid004.jpg




How it should look

01intrepid007.jpg






damaged

98_Nav_before_035.jpg




How it should look

98_nav_123.JPG






Any questions? :D
 
RaskyR1:



I'm curious as to how you corrected or would correct the trim damage in pic 3 (process/polishes/pads used)?



I see this type of trim neglect quite frequently.



Thanks.
 
They actually clean up rather easily with any mild polish. ;)



Think I used M80 on the Navigator but it was a few years ago... 4" white LC pad on PC.
 
Products that have worked well to clean/restore exterior trim for me (note that all such trim is *NOT* the same so YMMV):



- 3M PI-III RC 05933 (hard black plastic in nasty shape)

- 3M PI-III MG 05937 (hard black plastic)

- Hi Temp Heavy Cut/"357" (most exterior trim incl. BMW "B" pillar plastic)

- 1Z Paint Polish (most exterior trim, usually not soft/soft-ish rubber though it's worked OK on occasion)

- 1Z Metallic Polish, Pro Line Version (hard black plastic)

- 1Z Wax Polish Soft (fragile hard black plastic)

- Vanilla Moose (all exterior trim including rubber)

- KAIO (all exterior trim, but be very gentle on rubber and YMMV *really* applies so don't blame me if it messes it up)

- Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion (all exterior trim, very mild in cases)



DO NOT let any of the above dry before buffing off.



Products that have NOT worked well for such stuff for me:



- ZAIO (will be OK in some cases but was way too abrasive for black plastic on Audi sideview mirrors)

- M205 (looked OK initially but was a hideous mess once the oils had dissipated)



Side note: looking over this post and thinking about how I've experimented with this stuff, this makes a good argument for having various seemingly similar products on-hand; a case where being a "product collector" is pretty much a necessity, especially in those cases where trying a poor choice results in a nasty "oops!" where you actually make the problem worse.
 
I should note that on those painted trim pieces I posted above two of them were painted pieces and my main concern was oxidation removal. For that just about any mild polish will do the job. If you have heavy marring a more aggressive combo will be needed. I don't believe the intrepid pieces were painted and on those type of plastic pieces I've found KAIO to work well (As noted above by Accumulator).



I always tend to use more caution any time I'm working on trim like that.
 
RaskyR1 said:
..I always tend to use more caution any time I'm working on trim like that.
Click to expand...



GOOD advice. Some trim isn't what you might expect; the "B" and "C" pillars on the MPV seemed like ss paint but were actually some kind of plastic wrap that couldn't withstand much polishing, its black finish wasn't very thick.
 
I am involved in the mass car-wash world, so I'll give my personal take on this. I think touchless car washes are by far the best method of general car washing. Wand washes are great, as long as you aren't using the foam brush, or at least thoroughly cleaning the foam brush first. Automatics (tunels) with brushes = bad bad bad. Touchless offers a very good wash, with minimal chance of swirls and scratches. I've gone through touchless car washes for years, and never experienced anything remotely like what Rasky has posted. I'm not saying that it's not possible, but IMO, the touchless(es) that caused that damage are having their chemicals mixed improperly.



Bottom line is, 99% of the public isn't able to hand wash their vehicles with a two bucket method, ONR, blah blah blah. They don't have the time, or they don't have a suitable location, etc. "Professionally" washing once a month isn't an option unless you live in a climate that allows for that. My car gets dirty (I'm talking sand dirty and a visible layer of dust) within 2 days of driving around. Most of the folks here are Autopians, yeah, so you go the extra mile on washing your vehicles, but the general public just isn't going to do it. I run my car through a quick wand wash (minus the foam brush) once a week, just to keep it relatively clean, but it's dirty 90% of the time anyways, I just live with it. In the winter, I won't wash my car at all. At -60 degrees F, I just don't care anymore :)
 
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