[Closed] Car wash question

Def wouldn't take it through with roof gear on. Go to a hand car wash. Costs the same, better for paintwork, leave roof rack on.

I have used a car wash with roof bars attached, but not cycle carrying ones.

Didn't do any harm.

The only bad car wash experience I have ever had was when my son opened the window 😯

Roller brushes = belt sanders!

I have never used a car wash, might as well beat your car with a grit infested broom. Did the mother in laws car once and I was sitting there gutted as the car was being rocked and scratched. They completely wreck modern car paint. As for answering your question, You should always remove them if you really need to use the carwash or find a handwashing place.

Dalla95 can you answer me this? I have wingbars with 591s fitted, both face forward, the driver's side one is ok, but the passenger side one sits forward of the other, due to having the arm swapped over to face outward. I find this causes it to whistle in the wind. I keep thinking it can't be right, to have one side protrude in front of the roof bar like this...

FWIW I use hand wash places...

car washes are for reps or people who really can't be ar5ed. if you really can't be ar5ed, drive a dirty car. 😀

I would leave them on.

At least there will be few areas on the roof that are protected where the paintwork won't be ruined 🙂

Hand car washes aren't always much better either.

Gritty wash mitts that never get washed properly.
Cloths and wash mitts that get dropped and then still used.
Harsh chemicals that make washing easier but not good for the finish of the paintwork.

I used to be a mechanic (and part time spray painter) at various main dealers and my best mate owned one of the biggest car repair bodyshops in Brixton specialising in high end exotica car repairs so please take my advice in the way it is intended - NEVER take your car through any type of automatic car wash as they will beat and score the topcoat of your paintwork and leave swirl marks and scratches, once that happens then it's a case of spending many hundreds of £££ to get a full detail to bring the paintwork back to as it should be, every time i use the one local shell garage that has an automatic carwash i see someone about to use it and i stop and have a word with them, i scream NOOOOOOO!...don't use it you FOOLl!!!!! .

😉

If you can't be arsed to spend an hr or two of your time washing it yourself using a two bucket method then find a local car wash that is accredited or has knowledge of detailing and uses the two bucket method or preferably a low pressure snowfoam.

One great thing about Automatic car washes.

They do generate a lot of work for me rectifying the damage they cause to paintwork !

Vorlich - I leave my 591s as standard. It's not especially difficult* to get the bike on and I think it's more secure going round roundabouts. Also clamps better when it's level with the big ring on the non-drive side.

* Passenger side bike goes on first. Make the clamping arm vertical. Put bike on rail. Lean it towards the centre of car past the vertical arm. Bring down arm to desired position. Straighten bike and clamp it up.

Had a colleague take his van through a commercial style wash. We all do it, (company owned) however he hadn't tied his two three section ladders properly so the front ends were free. The brushes lifted them up off the rack and then proceeded backwards over the van. The ladders ended up almost vertical, the wash jammed so he reversed out, the ladders slammed back down, and he made a hasty exit.

I was always surprised as he was a bit of a geek and knew exactly how to do everything, and would always do it correctly, Except his ladders, it seems 🙂

Some interesting replies about car care but no one has done it which surprises me. I thought if anyone had tried it they'd be on here. 🙂
I should have put in my original post that it's a company car so car it's not going to be hand washed very often by me. Local hand washes round here are all immigrant gangs who don't take any care anyway and I doubt the businesses are contributing any tax from their takings so they're not getting my money.

Vorlich - I have mine attached one facing forwards and the other backwards. Don't have any problems loading.

Looking at the design it just seemed that they are quite low profile and if you strap the clamp there shouldn't be anything to get caught.

Sounds like you need a Valeter 🙂
I cover your area. 😉

I always need a valeter when it's time to return the car 🙁 The lease company can be quite fussy about the condition when you hand it back.

I do loads of lease returns, companies and individuals.
If your company returns a few cars at the same time it works out cheaper to book a few in together.
But it's not expensive really compared to what the lease companies charge for the same job if you send it back needing a Valet.

email is : nealglover@me.com

Washing cars? Isn't that what rain's for?? Trouble is, the rain doesn't seem to get the moss off mine 😕

Washing cars? Isn't that what rain's for?? Trouble is, the rain doesn't seem to get the moss off mine

sounds like you need a Valeter

🙂

Just to show people what sort of damage is caused by Auto Car washing, and Hand Carwash places that don't do it properly, this is a car that I did a full machine polish on after the owner called and said "I just can't get it clean anymore"

First picture shows a 50/50 shot, the are further away has been Machined with a fast Rotary machine and two different compounds to correct the damage caused by Bad Washing.

[IMG] [/IMG]

[IMG] [/IMG]

He doesn't take it to the Automatic Carwash, or the Local Hand carwash place anymore.
He gets me to do it properly 😉