Re: Car Wash

[Brian M Kennedy <kennedy@xxxxxx>]

Scott Miller wrote:

> >Opinions?  Issues?
> 
> Some of the car washes in the East Bay that I've used are the
> "touchless" type, including Hutch's in Hayward, Sponges in San
> Ramon/Danville, and Chamois (sp?) in the Blackhawk area.  Besides the
> tire-rubbing-on-the-guide-fence issue which I mentioned previously, the
> biggest problems are when they dry your car.  This was also in my
> original post, but perhaps I didn't make it clear that I was talking
> about the drying process, not the washing process.  The un-trained or
> under-trained, usually non-English-speaking workers will wipe down your
> wheels, under the wheel arches and along the rockers, which even after
> the car wash can be pretty scrungy, and then with the same towel,
> they'll wipe the rest of the painted surfaces on the car.  This can
> scratch the paint.  They'll also wipe the inside of the rear window
> across the defrost wires, instead of parallel with them, which can cause
> breaks in the wires.

Actually, I was the one that was unclear...

I am talking about a car wash that you drive into -- nothing touches your tires
(except the floor) -- the sprayers and soapers move around your car -- nothing but
soap and water touches your car.  There are also no people racing around your car to
dry it -- you drive out through a giant blow dryer -- and the remaining water
(spot-free rinse) blows off in the first mile.

I like to use such washes to keep my car clean in between thorough wash&wax'ings,
which I do myself.  The question remains:  do such automated washes pose any threat
to my car's paint?  I figure as long as the spray is less than 70mph, it is no worse
than driving 70 through a rainfall (which I assume BMW paint handles fine).

Am I safe?

Brian

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