Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Do you take your nicer vehicle through an automatic car wash?

I'm a little concerned about scratching up new paint. Is that a myth or a real possibility with these newer automatic car washes?

If you do avoid automatic car washes, what do you do instead? Have it hand washed? DIY? If DIY, then what products do you prefer?

DIY, standard turtle wax products since high school.

Nope, I go into a bay with a self wash system, I guess that's what you call it. Don't trust those damn automatic car washes. I DIY but at the car wash.

"Nicer?" "Wash?" Crazy talk....

Always wash by hand. Stays cleaner longer and looks better. Removes film not taken off by car wash.

At the end of the day, it’s just a car. You won’t get anymore for it when you sell or trade it if you didn’t use automatic car wash. The rock and road rash will do more damage than the car wash will ever do. New ones never seemed to scratch or “swirl” newer car finishes in my experience.

I used to go through the car wash before going out on dates. I'd even spring for the hot wax.
After my car got broken into a half-dozen times, I figured out it always happened right after a trip through the car wash.
I stopped going through the car wash and the break-ins stopped. Nowadays, I'll go through a wash only when I've had a serious trip through the mud in 4WD.

my 'nicer vehicle' , the last car I bought.. was an 08 Camry with 120K on it...I'll run it to 300K or so, and get a newer one...

so no, I don't get all out of sorts on an automatic car wash, on a car I paid $6K for...

In fact, one of our local car washes, for $30 a month, you get unlimited carwashes, their deluxe wash...

This time of year, living on a very wooded piece of property, with all the Birdschitt, I wash my car 3 or 4 times a week...

First time in an automatic car wash this winter.
Used it because the guys at work were talking about the
underbody wash. It has jets in the floor that blast the bottom as you pull in.
Blasts the salt off.

Cost is the only thing that would keep me from using it normally.
There is a big arm, suspended from an oval track, that goes aroundd your
car spraying it through a system of jets. Essentially, it does exactly what
you would do with a wand. Even let's you choose a pile of options, including
a blow dry.

Honestly, I only was cars to get salt off.

I wash mine by hand.

All the time. Local private owned quality place. My vehicle is $35.00 for their top of the line wash. I buy a monthly pass
I drive a black on black Yukon Denali.
I pay $50.00 a month for Mon-Thur unlimited deluxe washes. Vacuum, machine wash mats, hand toweled, etc
No scratches and my vehicle always looks good.
I typically have it done every Monday and Thursday.
I like a clean black vehicle.

My new truck, I always DIY at home with a Power washer and it looks fantastic. I'm not gonna lie, the winter time is tough, but I pick my days

My last truck I had one of those unlimited drive thru contracts, and used it every other day, within 2 years I had paint peeling off my truck in multiple spots.

Oldest son just got his official license. He’s been working at a car wash part time for the last year. He is working on establishing a detailing business so we have very clean cars. He has learned a lot watching professional retailer vids on YouTube. It’s interesting how many new products are out there now that make keeping a car clean easier.

He just finished a paint correction taking swirl marks out of my car followed up with one of the new ceramic coatings. The car has never looked so good. A nice benefit is that crud doesn’t stick to the paint like it did before and is easier to clean off. No more car washes for us in the foreseeable future.

Seeing our cars brought back around to looking great inside and out made me realize how we get used to the incremental degradation that takes place and accept that as the new norm. If resale is in the future a car with a well cared for interior and paint that pops and that has minimal to no swirl marks is gonna bring more cash.

I don't know. I don't have a nicer vehicle...

2019-21 sierra and silverado owners do! They want to go ahead and have the rear window leak so it can be fixed under warranty.

I don't know. I don't have a nicer vehicle...

That is what rain is for!

Exactly, my truck gets used and abused. Car wash scratches can’t complete with trees and [bleep] brush.

Besides, washing it just removes too much of the rust that holds it together.

No. I have gear or supplies in the pickup bed I don't want to get wet.

My ‘06 Buick gets washed at least once a year, generally after the mulberries are gone. Sometimes I have to wash it in the driveway so they won’t Shame me when I get to the carwash.