Please excuse me, I do not even order my mini yet and just my curiosity.

Where do you go to wash your mini? do it yourself or from gas station as a drive through? Because MCS has the hood vent at the very top which is mostly decoration or something. I think if you do wash your mini from gas station, engine will be damaged because water can be thru the hood vent?

 

No. I think most of us here have washed our cars in various ways. Lots of us wash ourselves, but there are plenty of people who go through car washes. It's perfectly safe for the car either way (now for the paint finish, that's another story).

 

I prefer washing my cars myself -- I won't even let the dealers wash them.

But I wouldn't worry about water entering the hood vent. The earlier Minis have functional hood scoops which are designed for water ingress (what do you think happens when they're driven in a heavy rain!) and the newer ones have fake scoops which won't let much water in and whatever does enter simply (and harmlessly) wets the engine.

 

I enjoy the car washing experience. also, I rarely like to pay someone to do something I can do myself.

 

My stock height MCS nearly got stock in an automated carwash. The suspension was dragging on the rails that guide the wheels. I wouldn't worry about water in the scoop, you're going to drive it in the rain. Wash it yourself.

 

I do my own washes as well. I'm too picky about scratches from automated type wash places. I clean my wash mit after every wash.

 

yah, that happens. try a taller profile tires next time.

 

I rotate between washing it myself by hand or going thru car washes. If its really dirt, I do it by hand. If its just a lightly dusty, I might go thru a touchless carwash only. I never go thru washes that use those damn brushes.

 

Thanks all comments. I was wondering because this will be my first car with the hood vent at the very top.