Brushless car wash?

[kadwar]

I just got my 2022 Taycan 4S. I live in the northeast of the U.S. It get too cold in the winter to hand wash my cars. Who takes their Taycan to a brushless car wash? Any recommendations? Thanks

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[madeyong]

I just got my 2022 Taycan 4S. I live in the northeast of the U.S. It get too cold in the winter to hand wash my cars. Who takes their Taycan to a brushless car wash? Any recommendations? Thanks

https://autopolishingcenter.com/

I live in Bergen Country, New Jersey. APC in Waldwick is the best place near me for sure. Full hand wash and they do all of the exotics and supercars in the area. They take a lot of pride in their work and have great attention to detail.

 

[svp6]

Did that for the last 18 month. KwikTrip (local gas stations) have a decent touchless wash. I have never hand-washed our cars.

 

[bob66hall]

After 2.5 years of ownership (front half has PPF coating), I've done the following. Hand wash when temps are reasonable (like above 50 degrees F). Use spay-on car wash and "finish" product fairly often, but only when "dusty" or so....never for "dirty." Use touchless (no brushes) drive-through car wash when necessary (or when I'm just too lazy). Once or twice a year full professional detail. With this mash-up of care, I have NO peeling of the PPF, no discernible scratching of the PPF, and I have a life beyond car care

 

[Vim Schrotnock]

We are lucky enough to have one of the best car washes I've ever seen right here in town - they use only soft water. They vacuum the car interior and trunk before washing. After washing they spend about 15 minutes to wipe down all exterior and interior surfaces and apply tire shine. All for $40 including tip. If you can find a top-quality conventional wash, I'd go for it.

I would avoid 'brushless' washes at all cost - they use very harsh chemicals to compensate for the lack of brushes. After only 3 washes or so in a brushless wash, the gloss black on my BMW was ruined.

 

[cbeck44]

Many brushless washes are ok, but always sect the lowest option, which usually does include waxes or or other add-on treatments. This is especially true with a ceramic coated car. In winter, I use it to remove a level of dirt and then finish with a waterless detail.

 

[MichaelPNW]

The width of the wheel tracks in some of these car washes can be quite tight for the rear wheels. If you can find one that has a flat conveyor belt vs the ones that “trap” the wheels between two rails, you reduce risk of rim damage.

FWIW, I avoid car washes in general. But my garage situation is good for waterless detail as needed and I realize that makes a difference. Living in Seattle has the side benefit of leaving my car nice and wet when I pull into the garage this time of year. If I give the exterior a quick wipe down before it dries, I can keep it pretty sparkling.

Now if I could just get my children to stop leaving gigantic hand prints on my passenger doors. ?

 

[cbeck44]

Any car wash with a conveyor of any sort should be avoided like the plague. Usually ensures brushes or rags touching the car as well as the very real possibility of damage to the wheels.

 

[Vim Schrotnock]

Any car wash with a conveyor of any sort should be avoided like the plague. Usually ensures brushes or rags touching the car as well as the very real possibility of damage to the wheels.

Completely disagree. I've been using our carwash (details above) for 35 years, 4 years with my Turbo S, and with brushes and rags 'touching' the car I've never had any kind of problem with swirls, scratches, or any kind of wheel, paint or trim damage whatsoever. What's important is how the rails are setup, the material they use for the brushes/rags, and how aggressive they are, and what chemicals are in the water and cleaning solution.

 

[cbeck44]

Completely disagree. I've been using our carwash (details above) for 35 years, 4 years with my Turbo S, and with brushes and rags 'touching' the car I've never had any kind of problem with swirls, scratches, or any kind of wheel, paint or trim damage whatsoever. What's important is how the rails are setup, the material they use for the brushes/rags, and how aggressive they are, and what chemicals are in the water and cleaning solution.

Well, we agree to disagree, especially with a darker car. I do not let anything drag across my cars that I do not do myself, as aside from water. If you have not found an automated wash that does not effect the paint or wheels, that's awesome. My experience has been the opposite - brushes leave swirl marks and wide tires are an issue for *most* conveyor systems. When I do wash manually in good weather, I use a two bucket system and always make sure the sponge is clean of any substance - tough in an automated wash where the previous car just had his snow/dirt/stuff dragged off.

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