Car Wash & CCB’s

[Caraholic]

Just curious how many owners with carbon ceramic rotors run their cars through the car wash. Can’t seem to find much information on if it’s a problem for the carbon ceramic discs or not. This is my daily and I don’t have time to wash it a couple times a week and like to keep a clean car. Not worried about the paint or any other random scratches. The car has full ppf so the paint won’t even be touched. Run allot of my vehicles through this car wash for years without any problems. So not worried about random damage.

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[Mr.Smith]

You have to be very careful with what chemicals are used on carbon ceramics. It needs to be PH neutral which i doubt car washes use.

I use P&S Brakebuster. Foam on the wheels, leave on for a minute, rinse off, blow dry after.

 

[mander2129]

Car wash won’t hurt it at all. Even the harshest chemicals aren’t sitting on there long enough to do anything at all. Decades of CCBs going thru touch-less car washes and never an issue. Your main risk at your typical car wash is the paint getting scratched up.

 

[BigAllen]

High Temperature on ccb

 

[Caraholic]

Car wash won’t hurt it at all. Even the harshest chemicals aren’t sitting on there long enough to do anything at all. Decades of CCBs going thru touch-less car washes and never an issue. Your main risk at your typical car wash is the paint getting scratched up.

so you have run prior cars of yours with ccb through the wash? I may be being overly paranoid just note trying to spend 11-20k for having a clean car.

 

[Dee]

You have to be very careful with what chemicals are used on carbon ceramics. It needs to be PH neutral which i doubt car washes use.

Absolute nonsense.

 

[Dee]

Just curious how many owners with carbon ceramic rotors run their cars through the car wash.

Absolutely no problem.
But, be careful, they don't brake very well when wet/soapy.
Just brake a few times and you're good.
Other than that, no problem at all.
I've done this for more than five years already.

 

[j.w.s]

Just curious how many owners with carbon ceramic rotors run their cars through the car wash. Can’t seem to find much information on if it’s a problem for the carbon ceramic discs or not. This is my daily and I don’t have time to wash it a couple times a week and like to keep a clean car. Not worried about the paint or any other random scratches. The car has full ppf so the paint won’t even be touched. Run allot of my vehicles through this car wash for years without any problems. So not worried about random damage.

Carbon ceramic does not like acids, nor strong bases. Those and other chemicals can corrode, oxidize, or otherwise contaminate your brakes. In theory.

In the real world you will almost certainly not have a problem. Car wash chemicals are not THAT acidic or basic, and they generally get applied and then rinsed off pretty quickly - too quickly to cause signifiant issues. And, more broadly, the steel/iron parts of the wheels are likely to be harmed more easily and more quickly than the ceramic disks, and we all know that an occasional automated car wash does not cause major harm to normal brakes.

So for me, I would avoid the car wash in general, because I think they are rubbish and I want none their quick-and-dirty wash and wax solutions anywhere near my Porsche paint. But I would worry more about the paint and the exposed metal parts of my wheels than the carbon ceramic disks. Just cycle the brakes a few times after any wash, automated or not, because they are going to be nearly useless for the first few stops.

 

[Dee]

Carbon ceramic does not like acids, nor strong bases. Those and other chemicals can corrode, oxidize, or otherwise contaminate your brakes. In theory.

For a more educated answer:
Carbon/ceramic is very stable.
It's formed through carbonization by high pressure and sillicized by vacuum and heat (1400°C).
Most of its electrons are paired, making it less reactive and giving it few available electrons to form bonds with the hydrogen ions (H⁺) from an acid or OH⁻ from bases.
Because it doesn't readily form bonds, carbon/ceramic does not dissolve in (diluted) acids or bases.
It's absolutely no problem to go through a carwash with PCCBs.

The only people who want to sell you cleaning products will tell you otherwise.

 

[Caraholic]

Thanks for all the replies guys. Didn’t think it would be a problem but never seen any discussions on it.

 

[prj]

Just be careful when braking the first time after the car wash. You will have no brakes past the regen, I almost went off a roundabout the first time.

After you get out of the car wash do some heavier brake application to cook the water off.

 

[daveo4EV]

there is no issue - I use "no touch" car washes and do a full high quality detail twice a year - PCCB's are pretty robust in "normal use" and won't be harmed by car washes

as other's have noted it's important to use the brakes soon/heavily after rolling out of the wash to make sure braking effectiveness is restored to normal - it's easy to have "no brakes" after the car wash and find out the hard way…

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