Hey,
I have tons of friends who put their pricey cars and SUVs through the automatic car washes here (I never used one...ever). Just got my OB/B Mini last Weds, and had a few questions (Oh, and yes, all the auto car washes around here are brushless).
1) Do you put your MINI in Neutral or Park when you use one?
2) Has anyone ever had a bad experience with an auto car wash?

thanks so much!
Sharon

 

I won't do it and that's all there is to it! shortly after taking delivery on Isobel last August, I ordered a whole bunch of detailing products from Detailers Paradise along with a Porter Cable. I just detailed my car today, it was wet out but not raining at about 40 degrees. So dress warmly, and even in the winter you can take care of your own car, but then again I may be a little more on the OCD side than you

This thread should probably be moved to the Detailing forum, you will likely get more usefull responses there from all the mini OCD'ers, I know I do!

 

I didn't even wash my previous car more than 4 times per year. Thanks to NAM, after 20 months, I still would not consider running d'MIni through an automatic car wash. Good or bad - don't know, just the way it is.

 

Didn't somebody's antenna fall off at the drivethru carwash?

 

i take my antenna off and go autobell. i like it =]

 

you should be fine in a brushless car wash, from what i have read it is a good idea to shut off the engine.

But it is best to use high quality products like Prima or Zanio on your mini.

 

During the winter I use a nearby automatic (touchless) wash and haven't had a problem. I usually bring along some microfiber towels to dry afterwards (the blowers never get everything dry).

(ObSnark: my MCS doesn't have a Park setting )

 

Well, here in North Georgia we are still in a bad drought, so we are not allowed to wash our cars at home. Therefore we have to either use the automatic car washes or the "Magic Wand" (pressure washer) washes...which is what I use. I have used the automatic ones, and have found that around here the ones that actually touch your car (if you remove the antenna) do a somewhat better job...

[But technically Im just praying for rain so I can do it myself ]

 

I've had no problems in brushless washes. There's no other way I could get the road salt off on a regular basis.

I don't have a "park" but I put the car in 1st gear, shut it off and set the handbrake.

Of course the automatic washes never really get your car clean, they just remove the most obvious dirt.

 

I use the high pressure wand at the local car wash. I first use the pre soak on the whole car and let it sit while I fill up a bucket with the soap. By the time I get the bucket somewhat full, I then go over the entire car with the high pressure/soap. Especially hitting the areas that get the dirtiest like the boot and behind the wheels to get the grit off.

Then I go over the whole car with a soapy rag from the bucket I just filled, making sure to constantly wring out the dirty rag. Always start from the top and work your way down and around. Ending with the wheels (major pain!)

Then switch to rinse cycle and finish with the spotless setting. This takes about 10 mins total. I don't use the lawn blower but do take a ton of anally cleaned towels and dry it off before leaving (opening each door and cleaning the frames.

The weather has been pretty crappy the past month or so, so it get's very difficult to keep Silversmith clean the way I like it. I did a cleaning this weekend however and it runs so much better!

 

Moved to Detailing 101.

 

the problem with my 03MCS was that the rear strut bottom would scrape
along the rails. i use to drive this car as a daily driver until i found out
that it can't clear the rails. quickly turned into a hobby car and bought
a separate daily driver.

my daily drivers go through touchless washes...it has to cause there's
just too much roadsalt here in the winter time.

 

You need to come up here to Chattanooga, no drought restrictions.

It is strange that we are only about 20 miles apart, but because of the different states we have very different water restrictions.

 

I'll give the touchless wash credit - it did get almost all of the salt off of my car. It even got a bunch of nasty dust and crud off of my wheels. They're no longer black, it's more of a light grey. The next time I go I think I might back up a bit after I hit the 'STOP' sensor. The four feet of concrete behind my car got pretty clean, but my boot hardly got touched. (The fact that the boot is almost vertical and the spoiler blocks part of the overhead water probably didn't help.)

I also need to remember to take some drying towels with me next time. The dryer didn't really do a good enough job to prevent bootular spotting.

 

The one time I ever ran a car through an automatic car wash, I regretted it. For some reason it didn't rinse the detergent off fully and by the time I got the car home, it had dried on (middle of the summer heat). I quickly washed it off but the paint was never the same after that. As much as I waxed and buffed the car, it never had the same luster. I simply refuse to use those automatic car washes. I either wash it at home or spray (only) it off with water in the stall car wash if I'm in a pinch.

 

If I could find a touchless wash around here I would use it this time of year. It just rains so often and the back gets so cruddy and I hate to spend an hour of my time washing/detailing just to have to do it again in 3 days. Because I can't just give it a fast wash; when I do it myself I end up doing the whole shebang.

I should just go out and do it right now, to be honest. Needs a good vacuum anyway...

 

Yeah, and its also strange that I am worried about washing my car while I am praying for rain, which is just going to make me have to wash my car again...lol

 

yah, i haven't personally washed my cars since nov.

this time of year, it's a waste of time. just stick it through the
autowash and get as much crud off of it. and detail come spring.

 

The best way to make it rain would be to wash your car.

 

this is because your state has a different supply and in my opinion a better operating government body to have secured you a strong reserve. i believe you are holding out to raise prices in the southern area when your water utility begins sending over the state lines. hmmm... so you didn't think state gov't was important until you could'nt wash your own car... haha its funny the simple things are the ones we care the most about.

 

but that wake up the nearby birds too...

 

You guys down south are more than welcome to take some of our Pacific Northwest rain... I would be more than happy to share... I washed on Saturday and it has rained every day since...