I was just wondering how safe the pressure wash car washes are for a quick wash. I just want to know if these are in any way bad for your paint or not, since I am just looking for a quick wash to get the bugs and sea-air off the Z (I live in santa barbara for college, and I can't wash my car at my apartment).

 

do you mean where you park it,get out. put the change in and pick up their sprayer and do it yourself?

 

Nothing wrong with the do it yourself car washes. As far as the automatic ones with tracks... I would avoid those like the plague. My wife took my 350Z thru one a couple years ago and came home with some huge gouges in the front rims from the track rollers.

 

...Might also be the ones where you drive in and a big arm circles the vehicle with high pressure spray of water, then soap and then you drive slowly under a big blower to dry it off. Not sure but that's what I thought he meant.

Ross T.

 

Check the mechanism that pushes the car by the wheels. Does it look safe for wheels?

 

Kinda like that. Its not quite one of the ones that you do yourself, although I have seen a few of those around. Like I said I am just thinking about using one of these for a quick wash, and I am just wondering if the automatic "drive through" pressure sprayer car washes are safe for my paint or not. Im having my wheels re-finished next week anyways, so im not worried about my wheels for now.

 

The high pressure auto wash things that you drive into will straight blast you in the face when that water hits the rear part of your windows. Atleast mine squirts in

 

I use the touchless wash sometimes its just high pressured water and soap no big huge mop flaps that hit your car.95%of the time i wash it myself infront of the house but sometimes i like to go to the wash gives me an excuse to go for a drive.

 

avoid the pre-wash brushes at all costs. also avoid them automatic wash. unless you like scratched paint that is.

 

ohhh Yeah. The Do-It-Yourself washing with the brushes I never touch. I picked it up one day and looked into the bristles and found sand, rocks and god knows what in it . I immediately threw the dam thing down and went with another layer of the high power wash/soap setting.

 

I use the brushless car wash only after a detail and the car has dust on it, then Griot's speed shine with microfiber towel. But a hand wash is only $15 , plus $5 tip so I wouldn't do it for major cleaning.

 

Well that is pretty much what I am talking about. Just one of those drive through's. I would wash it by hand (which I do when I go back home), but as I said this is just for a quick temporary wash. So there is no danger with the high pressure automatic pressure washers (the drive through type at some gas stations like shell for example)?