Hey everyone, I just bought my 05 Mini last saturday, and it is already in need of a wash. Since it is FREEZING cold here, and I have a gift card with a bunch of free washes, I'm going to use the automatic car wash this time...question is, do I need to remove my antenna for this? or If I do remove it, is there a chance of water getting where it shouldn't be?

 

Most of us here don't use the car wash, we do it ourselves. But to answer your question, it will be alright to remove it

 

Thank you, I usually don't use it either, but losing 20 lbs to wrestle, kind of kills your resistance to standing out in the cold.

 

If you can, use a place that hand-washes the car. Here in CT there is a chain called Splash. They use wool mitts and have grit guards in their buckets. They do a nice job and don't put all of those nasty swirlies in your paint.

 

Dang, I wish we had a place like that around here!

 

A "Free" wash may cost you more then you know. You may be better off giving that gift of free washes to someone without a MINI.

The only auto car wash I use are the touchless without that wheel rail. No need to remove any parts for the touchless.

Getting car washed in very cold weather is risky unless there is a high speed dryer to get most of the water off the MINI. If not you may find yourself frozen in the MINI when the water along the widow and rubber becomes ice.

It's been a very long dirty winter in Chicago with very few breaks to wash the MINI. I hope to wash it by March. :(

 

Thats true, I don't know if the mini would clear the wheel rail...the only vehicle I've ever taken through there is my F-350...little difference in the ground clearance...I think I'll just deal with the cold

 

Hey Hawkins, I didn't mean to sound so snoty, Sorry. May I ask how you lost 20 lbs? I could use that myself

 

Be very careful of the wheel rail.

 

I used to work at a car wash... I TRULY don't recommend taking a car through one. Between the foam fingers hitting your car and the potent chemicals stripping off wax and protectant, I think taking your car to a car wash is a bad idea, regardless of if it is touchless or not.

I do take mine to a touchless in a pinch once in a while, but only to get the salt off... I typically wash mine 1-2 times a week.

If you are going to use the wash passes, make sure you have a good coat of wax!

 

hand wash..
or machine that sprays.. no buff wheels.. and hula strips..
they will break everything and scratch your paint

 

Haha, It's simple, I lose 10-20 every year...last year I lost 50, all you have to do is a REALLY strict diet, and tons of excercise...unfortunately, most people don't have the discipline for it.

 

I always go to a touchless wash, and only when it's between 40 and 50 degrees. Above that and it's a hand wash, below that and its too cold for any wash.

 

MINI ABUSE ... dont do it... i would use the hand pressure washer self wash place to get mostly clean till you can give it the ever loving personal hand wash with nice warm bubbly filted house water and soft microfiber washer..you MINI will love you

 

My brand now 08 BRG with black has been on the road for about a week - there was a crust of salt that measured at least a mm or two. It's 20 degrees, and there is no way I'm getting out my frozen hose, or mucking around with buckets of water from the tub. Went through the touchless carwash - no problems at all, and it got most of the salt off. No need to stress about the auto carwash...
blackdog

 

I was wondering about the removal of the antenna as well - is it a must-do, or not? I guess if one uses a touchless car wash, then it can stay on?

It's been 0-15 degrees here for weeks - just had my dealer finally give my Minnie Pearl a wash - she seemed pretty dry when done, but - I hate salt road crap on my Precious, HAD to get her a bath.

Hmm... my little salted peanut, might go with that -

 

I know I have read horror stories here on NAM about people who have gone through the auto car wash and had things ripped off their car.. I am lucky I live in SC ( never thought I would say that) but I can basically wash my car anytime.. I would hold off until you can give your new little beauty a hand wash and dry.. but thats just me.. whoever said dont sweat the auto carwash.. well I would wonder what little swirlies you have picked up in your finish from all those people who were washed ahead of you

 

I absolutely agree. No effing way would I put my Little Buddy through the auto wash, at least not the kind with the big, spinning "mops of sandpaper death". I don't see anything wrong with high pressure but DON'T USE THE FOAMING BRUSH!!! No tellin' whose hoopty that things been scrubbin' on...and for cryin' out loud, DRY IT with microfiber or a really "old-timey" diaper when you're done. I actually use a synthetic chamois to whisk off the big puddles of water then, I go back over it with the diaper and TLC. This happens at least once a week. Oooooh, and the "between waxes" detailer stuff...now we're talkin'. When that's not happnin', I keep the California Car Duster thingy in the boot. I'm a freak about it, I know, but this is my 13th car and my favorite one of all time...someone in my family will inherit it when I'm gone `cause I can't take it with me when I "go" and I know I ain't-a-gettin-rid of it!!

 

At the car wash I worked at, we had BOXES of things that fell off cars... granted they were ALL GM parts (ironic, 'eh?), but I still wouldn't trust an auto-car wash.

The chemicals we used ate away CONCRETE... just imagine what it's doing to your fragile clear coat!

Also, PLEASE do NOT dry your car off after a touchless car wash... the dirt is STILL there. I see this all the time, and it kind of drives me crazy. Go over your windows with a white cloth and notice how dirty the cloth gets. Now just imagine rubbing all that dirt into your paint!

 

Any temp below freezing is a great time to wash. Nothing sticks and there's no melting snow to ruin the wash.
Around here we get about 60" of snow a season and temps dip into the -20s easily. We wash the cars a couple times a week in the winter just to keep the salt off. Always use touchless, and the best time is between 30 and 0. (car washes close here at 0 degrees).
I have to laugh when there is a long line on a 40 degree day and the roads are soaked. There's no line at 10 degrees and the roads are frozen. In all my years of driving I've never had a car freeze. Just wash during the day and the sun will help keep it thawed.

 

I've only had Minnie Pearl a few weeks, and she is MINE FOR LIFE. Whichever life that may be - hers or mine. Tell us more about the California Car Duster?

 

Well today I had to wash our other car, a van (L'BEN doesn't go out unless the sun is out also) and I asked the man at the auto wash if a MimI Cooper could make it thru the tracks & wash without a problem. His answer was yes. But after all these horror stories above, L'BEN will have to wait a couple more days till it warms up.
njp

 

This thread will do better here in the detailing forum

Mark

 

Well, I did it - and I'll never do it again. Out of desperation, I went through an automatic car wash. As soon as I pulled up to the wheel rails, I heard it scraping on the bottom of my car. I MADE my poor husband get out of the car so it would raise it enough to not rub on the wheel rails. I couldn't back out of the wash (a line behind me) and there was no other choice but to go through the wash.

Turns out what was rubbing at the beginning was the front plastic piece below the front grill. Again, after husband got out, it didn't rub again. But it still TOTALLY FREAKED ME OUT. MY BABY! TRAPPED! OMG!!!

And YES - take the antenna off if you go through a car wash that has any moving things hitting your car - the antenna is STATIC (meaning: doesn't move) and will break if it gets entangled. Yes, I took my antenna off. Very very easy. It simply unscrews.

I have to find a touchless car wash (here in St. Paul MN) - as there is NO way to make it through a winter here without getting the car washed. You wouldn't believe the salt/de-icer chemicals that get on our cars.

Any Twin Cities Minnesota owners out there who can advise of a touchless car wash in St. Paul?

 

I used to live 500 miles north of you in Winnipeg(Winterpeg) Find a wand wash, do it yourself kind of place. The car won't look great, but the salt will be gone, and that is whats important.

Mark