Mechanical Car Washes

What to do to keep your car looking and running like new, inside and out.

Do you run your car through mechanical washes?

Yes, every time. Haven't washed my own car since 1986.
1
8%
Yes, some of the time.
4
33%
Not really, only once or twice.
0
No votes
No, but I'd consider it.
0
No votes
No, I go to hand-wash establishments.
0
No votes
No, I try to wash my car myself/have someone else wash it.
3
25%
No, never! What an abomination!
0
No votes
Wash my car? Why in the world would I do that?
4
33%
 
Total votes: 12

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six
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Mechanical Car Washes

Post by six »

This just popped into my head, since I did this recently...

As you know, my current car is quite old and has fading paint. So instead of washing my car myself, I decided to just run it through a car wash to save time (a lot of time actually). It did a surprisingly good job. Now, I haven't run any car through any car washes before, believing the age-old myth that car washes leave your car looking like a kindergartener's sketch. I can safely say that is not the case, not even close. It did a great job.

With that said, do you, or would you, run you car through mechanical washes? :D
Last edited by six on Mon Aug 05, 2013 12:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Mechanical Car Washes

Post by AHTOXA »

I do it sometimes for the same reason - to save time. I do use a touchless wash, however. It's not ideal as it does leave a base level of dirt on the car but you have to look hard to see it.
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Re: Mechanical Car Washes

Post by tankinbeans »

I do because I've never let the perfect be an enemy of the good. I always have trouble drying my car completely before getting spots. I've never had anything go wrong in a car wash.
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Re: Mechanical Car Washes

Post by theholycow »

Where's the option for people who don't wash at all? ;)

I rarely wash. I really ought to more; it would help prevent the corrosion that eats my vehicles. When I do it's more often a mechanical wash than hand-washing, though I do it by hand to save money sometimes. I have a hot water hose spigot on the driveway side of my house, the water that comes out is incredibly hot. I use a water-pressure-powered spinny brush.
tankinbeans wrote:I do because I've never let the perfect be an enemy of the good.
That is one well-crafted set of words. I like it.
I've never had anything go wrong in a car wash.
I have. I had a truck with one hell of a set of ladder racks that never had a problem in the car wash I was using at the time. They were big, aggressive, and extended very far over the cab. I got a new truck and racks that seemed much less likely to be a problem in the wash. They were smooth and didn't extend as far over the cab. I was wrong...the horizontal brush got caught between the rack and the roof, crushing the roof some and pulling up so hard on the rack that it deformed the bed rail where it attached. The worst part? I was afraid it might happen so I had my eyes glued to the window with the idea that I'd kick it into reverse if the crap hit the fan, then when it happened I was so mesmerized and fascinated that I forgot to do anything about it. :lol:
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Re: Mechanical Car Washes

Post by ClutchFork »

theholycow wrote:Where's the option for people who don't wash at all? ;)
That's me! :lol: I think my F150 didn't get washed the last 7 or 8 years I owned it. I got the Ranger in December 2011 and have never washed it. Cars tend to rot out from under me. Like the Aerostar that got washed a few times in the 18 years we owned it:
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Re: Mechanical Car Washes

Post by theholycow »

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Re: Mechanical Car Washes

Post by Shadow »

Nothing but hand car washing for my vehicles. Using the two-bucket method. Keeps them looking like new for many, many years.
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Re: Mechanical Car Washes

Post by potownrob »

i usually do it manually at the car wash, but i sometimes succomb to the temptation of sitting on my a$$ while i blast music and watch my car getting cleaned from the comfort of my driver's seat :twisted:

edit: i don't use the brushes at the manual car wash anymore; car doesn't get quite as clean, but no swirlies from the brushes.

edit 2: i used to wash my cars at home using soap buckets and a garden hose; haven't done that in years (despite having a mr. clean carwash kit) :?
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Re: Mechanical Car Washes

Post by AHTOXA »

A mechanical wash once ripped the bumper off a beat taurus I used to have ages ago. The bumper was already hanging when I entered the wash. Well, it wasn't hanging any more when I got out of it. Problem solved. :lol:
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Re: Mechanical Car Washes

Post by six »

theholycow wrote:Where's the option for people who don't wash at all? ;)
InlinePaul wrote:That's me! :lol: I think my F150 didn't get washed the last 7 or 8 years I owned it. I got the Ranger in December 2011 and have never washed it. Cars tend to rot out from under me. Like the Aerostar that got washed a few times in the 18 years we owned it
LOL :lol:

I added the option hahaha
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Re: Mechanical Car Washes

Post by theholycow »

Look at the results. 2 votes for the no-wash option, none for anything else.
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Re: Mechanical Car Washes

Post by tankinbeans »

theholycow wrote:Look at the results. 2 votes for the no-wash option, none for anything else.
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I've had a couple no-washers, but those were already too far gone to bother when I got them.
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Re: Mechanical Car Washes

Post by ClutchFork »

Ah, I didn't see the poll was modified to add a no wash option, so now I have cast my no wash vote. There are a couple reasons for no wash:

1) it'll just get dirty again

2) let the rain wash it.

I had a maroon F150 (1984) that one winter had so much salt and road scum on the side that my wife got sick of seeing it on the street out our front window and asked me to wash it. I took a bucket of water and a broom and swashed it over the side of the truck to get most of the salt and scum off and called it a day. Think I only swashed the street side.

I sold that truck to my boss after I had abused it for 15 years. He drove it another 10 years but which time it was becoming like the Flintstone mobile with a big hole in the floor that he had to put a board over, and finally he got to where he would only drive it a few blocks to the Park and Ride because the frame got so rotten the truck became sway backed.

Anyhow, for all you car care folks, I am the dirty rat who likes to buy your well cared for used vehicles and then let them rot. Well I have to. If I bought one already rotten it would not last.

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Re: Mechanical Car Washes

Post by tankinbeans »

I wash much less often during the winter because I'm not about to let my doors freeze shut. Also, it's really fun to see the shiny paint come through in the spring when all of the road vomit comes off. I've only just recently gotten access to a garage where I can park my car overnight and old habits die hard.

I've always heard, don't know how much to believe, that it's better to just leave the grime because warming it up and getting it wet is a catalyst for corrosion (or something to that effect). Am I remembering or believing correctly?
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Re: Mechanical Car Washes

Post by six »

theholycow wrote:Look at the results. 2 votes for the no-wash option, none for anything else.
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Hahaha, when I added the no-wash option, it cleared all the results.

If possible, could everyone re-cast your vote?
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