Car Wash Question

[G8Smitty]

I went to a car wash a couple of weeks ago and they offered an undercarriage cleaning option. As I drove through, I realized that this was a process of shooting high pressure water from the ground vertically as my car progresses forward into the cash wash bay. This got me thinking about one of the mod that I did which may be greatly affected by this process. I was in my wife’s van, so it didn’t apply, but it did get me wondering. Has anyone with the lower panel mod gone through one of these car washes? If so, was the filter soaked (assuming your car made it)? Just curious…

[-Ray-]

I went to a car wash a couple of weeks ago and they offered an undercarriage cleaning option. As I drove through, I realized that this was a process of shooting high pressure water from the ground vertically as my car progresses forward into the cash wash bay. This got me thinking about one of the mod that I did which may be greatly affected by this process. I was in my wife’s van, so it didn’t apply, but it did get me wondering. Has anyone with the lower panel mod gone through one of these car washes? If so, was the filter soaked (assuming your car made it)? Just curious…

I do it every time my car gets the spray wash treatment. I've had zero issues doing this.
It's a great way to get rid of the road salt and sand that get stuck under there during winter.

[Chewy]

I do it every time my cat gets the spray wash treatment. I've had zero issues doing this.
It's a great way to get rid of the road salt and sand that get stuck under there during winter.

Agreed!

I need to do this. I've been hand washing mine at the car wash to just get the big chunks off lately but I need an undercarriage wash.

[G8Smitty]

From underneath my car, I see the filter no problem. I figured it would end up taking a direct hit. Which I assumed would be very bad.

Thanks for the quick response.

[Chewy]

At our car washes you can hurry up past the front and then still get the rest. Can you do that?

[-Ray-]

From underneath my car, I see the filter no problem. I figured it would end up taking a direct hit. Which I assumed would be very bad.

Thanks for the quick response.

It'll only take a direct hit if the nozzle is directly under neath it. If you line it up just perfectly.... :)
I'm comfortable with the process and I have all the Charlie mods done too.

[wreckwriter]

I do it all the time, never had an issue.

[foreosu]

Wow, you guys take your cars through those auto-washers at the gas stations? Doesn't that leave horrible fine scratches all over?

[R.Penguin]

Wow, you guys take your cars through those auto-washers at the gas stations? Doesn't that leave horrible fine scratches all over?
No, gotta find a brushless car wash where they hand dry it at the end. Been thru about 22 times now and not a scratch or blemish.





Yet. :p

[G8Smitty]

Wow, you guys take your cars through those auto-washers at the gas stations? Doesn't that leave horrible fine scratches all over?

It is touch less.


I'll have to investigate a little further. Frankly, I don't really trust my ability to miss it if it is close at all. Sometimes if I see a can in the road and I want to run it over, I'll miss.

[Andy@Livernois]

Wow, you guys take your cars through those auto-washers at the gas stations? Doesn't that leave horrible fine scratches all over?

I am assuming they are talking about the "touch free" ones... Not the "charlie" one's... AKA "soft touch"

[-Ray-]

Wow, you guys take your cars through those auto-washers at the gas stations? Doesn't that leave horrible fine scratches all over?

We are talking about the automated spay washes. No brushes touch my car.

[R.Penguin]

Poor Charlie.:sad: I wonder, does he deserve so much verbal abuse? :hmm:

Bet your ass!:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Good thing he knows it's all just fun.....................and that he lives 1800 miles away! :p

[Blackdevil77]

I go to a fully touchless car wash. It's very good and fast. Never had a problem with them or even one swirl mark or surface scratch and is a great way to keep the car clean during the winter. I'm going next week sometime, ill take a video and post it.

[bobyoung]

Yeah I go to a touch less one also and it does a great job, get the works, Simonize, under carriage spray etc. Really cleans the krap off the car

[Chewy]

OH GOD YES!

Touch-less all the way! NOTHING touching my car but M/F and the foam pads on the D/A.

Chris

[99-LS1-SS]

We are talking about the automated spay washes. No brushes touch my car.

Damn you have some rough car washes in your area, they spay you while they clean your car. OUCH!

lol

[foreosu]

Ok, ok I thought you guys were talking about a BP-style car wash with those huge ass brushes spinning at 200 mph all over your car! I was about to faint.

I'll have to look for a touchless car wash in my area. Can't seem to recall seeing any one close by

[Chewy]

Ok, ok I thought you guys were talking about a BP-style car wash with those huge ass brushes spinning at 200 mph all over your car! I was about to faint.

I'll have to look for a touchless car wash in my area. Can't seem to recall seeing any one close by

You can't throw a rock without hitting one in my community so I KNOW Dayton has to have some.

A lot of the BP stations here have touchless now. There are very few of the old style brush washes around. Most "brush" washes use those sham-wow looking strips instead of nylon strings. EITHER is BAD!

Chris

[foreosu]

We are talking about the automated spay washes. No brushes touch my car.

So they just have a bunch of high-powered sprayers that wash your car? Or do actually people hand wash the car for you?

[99-LS1-SS]

So they just have a bunch of high-powered sprayers that wash your car? Or do actually people hand wash the car for you?

We have both here but I think he was talking about the high powered sprayers.

[wreckwriter]

yea, its all water jets. Car is not touched.

[foreosu]

ok, i just need to look around more i guess. All that I've ever seen in my immediate area are either the crappy gas station brush-style washes or the detailing places that have people hand wash your car and its really expensive.

[Blackdevil77]

So they just have a bunch of high-powered sprayers that wash your car? Or do actually people hand wash the car for you?

It's hand dried.

[Chewy]

It's hand dried.

With cotton towels that have been used on half of the towns cars. NO THANKS!

The one I like has a blower at the end to get the large amounts of water off.

I need to hit it here soon.

COMPLETE touchless is the only way to go unless you don't care about some scratches here and there.

[foreosu]

I'd be fine with one that doesn't have a blower - I'd just get out and dry it myself. I need to test out the Adam's microfiber towel I got for Christmas anyways.

But I agree - no way am I letting anyone else rub it down with nasty old towels like that

[Chewy]

I'd be fine with one that doesn't have a blower - I'd just get out and dry it myself. I need to test out the Adam's microfiber towel I got for Christmas anyways.

But I agree - no way am I letting anyone else rub it down with nasty old towels like that

I wouldn't touch it with a towel unless it was hand washed with a MF mitt first and removed ALL the dirt.

Chris

[Blackdevil77]

With cotton towels that have been used on half of the towns cars. NO THANKS!

The one I like has a blower at the end to get the large amounts of water off.

I need to hit it here soon.

COMPLETE touchless is the only way to go unless you don't care about some scratches here and there.

The place I go to has the blowers that get most of it off. They just get the excess with the towels that after each car they use them on, they go into a washing machine and move on to a previously washed towel. They use a clean towel for each car.

[Chewy]

The place I go to has the blowers that get most of it off. They just get the excess with the towels that after each car they use them on, they go into a washing machine and move on to a previously washed towel. They use a clean towel for each car.


"clean"

I:wacko: have become BEYOND anal when I clean my car... Most wouldn't even understand...

[TomPierce]

It is touch less.
Sometimes if I see a can in the road and I want to run it over, I'll miss.

That is what the Botts Dots (lane reflectors) are for (if you have them in your state) - next time you are on a long boring trip you can use the reflectors to find EXACTLY where the edges of your tires are -

Makes it easier to dodge (or hit) stuff in the road if you know where the edges of your tires are :)

And, yeah, I have too much time on my hands...

[Blackdevil77]

"clean"

I:wacko: have become BEYOND anal when I clean my car... Most wouldn't even understand...

I definitely prefer to clean my own car. Just a good alternative to get that excess salt off during the winter when it's too cold to do it yourself.

[Chewy]

I definitely prefer to clean my own car. Just a good alternative to get that excess salt off during the winter when it's too cold to do it yourself.

Yeah I just won't touch it unless spotless after washing.

Hand wash hand dry, spray wash air dry... Just my take. I can clay the few water spots off later.