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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Wash, Wax, Detailing and Cosmetic protection/repairs > I almost died - gf's car wash experience



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      08-31-2005, 12:01 PM   #1
Broken1
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I almost died - gf's car wash experience

So my girlfriend now's I'm mad about my car and cars in general. Anyways, today I ended up going to what she though was a good car wash. I almost died.

First, we drive in and it's like a ghost town, not a person in sight. A man slowly walks toward the car, and we tell him to wash and vacuum. He then walks around the car, grabs a soap sprayer and sprays the car with soap. OMG HE DIDN'T RINSE IT!!! I wanted to get out and go mad...like what the hell? I was told to sit tight, and so I did.

Then, the guy takes the dirtiest, oldest sponge I have ever seen...he must have used it 100 000 000 times. He very midly rubs the soap (and dirt I might add) into the car, in swirls...he didn't cover the entire surface of the car.

Next, he takes a SUPER high pressure jet, probably tripple the pressure of my car wash's jet, and rinses the car. He put the jet so close to the car that the one back door actually started leaking. Again, I almost died.

Next we park the car under a shade cloth, but due to the angle of the sun it was in direct sunlight (2pm). They then vacuum the car (most likely so the sun can dry some of the water - another dieing moment) and then wipe the car with some dirty old patterned t-shirt and a dirty cloth. When I say dirty, I mean was white and is now 90% black.

The car was dirty when we got it back, the windows were dirty, the bumper was dirty and it was just a terrible experience. I told my gf, rather spend extra money and take your car somewhere decent. She was quite upset I didn't like the car wash. Didn't like is an understatement. It was the worst car wash experience ever...I am lucky my heart didn't collapse when they practically destroyed her car.

Thank g-d I didn't take my car there....
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      08-31-2005, 12:05 PM   #2
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Hah sorry you had this experience, but the way you told the story cracked me up!
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      08-31-2005, 12:43 PM   #3
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so what car does your GF drive? was it a BMW as well.
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      08-31-2005, 01:01 PM   #4
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......and that's why NOBODY touches my car, except for me. Now, my wife's (leased) SUV, on the other hand, gets taken through the automatic car wash exclusively......
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      08-31-2005, 01:52 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by txusa03
so what car does your GF drive? was it a BMW as well.
An alpine white (thank g-d doesn't show scratches so badly) E46
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      08-31-2005, 06:53 PM   #6
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wash your own car. at night.
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      08-31-2005, 08:19 PM   #7
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OMG What a nightmare story, my heart goes out to you!
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      09-12-2005, 05:57 PM   #8
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Just a quick note, I drop into a delaership a while ago, they have a car in the washing bay ready to be clean. It was placed under the shade toensure that the surface of the paint is not hot (car paint is softer when they are hot).

This is what I have learnt and since adopt. The car was spray with detergent/water to soften the dirt (cuase it was parked at the dealership yard and had 'gather dust'), this is specillay usefull for buildup dirt areas and flat horizontal surfaces, leave it for 2-3 minutes to give the detergent mix time to react with the grime/dust.

Blast it with 1400+Psi spray (including under the mud guards and around its nooks and cranies) but never directly at a rubbber seal (cause it weaken it and be carefull arround black/paint transition edges - wrong angled spray might strip paints off bumper edges etc). Then shampoo it (at this stage the car is 90% clean) to remove finer film of dirt.

Regularly dip/wash the sponge in the bucket (never dip your sponge past 2/3 of the bucket cause the grit sediments are left on the bottom). Thus now the wet part of the process is finish.

The car delaership use wax whilst you dry (silicon/petrolium based) to give your car the wet look (but must evenly applied otherwise it will have swirly effect) and applied it (spray thin mist) whilst the water residuals are still on the car.

Then dry it with deep pile clean towel or car rubbery polymer fabric (we call its shammy in Australia), at this stage your car will be free from dirt/grime, and looking like a million bucks, whilst all the dirts are on you (from blasting it with 1400 psi pressure). Then do the tyre shine, and I used foamy under car cleaners (slicon based yet again) inside the mud guards (makes it look black and clean)

With proper equipment and prep you are looking at half hour max for the wet process/drying (1 person washing), then you can vacuum the int. and wipe the dash etc, say it takes you another 25 mins, for under one hour you have brought your car to a 'showroom condition', and of course your GF/wife will take it out and park it under a tree and it will be covered by bird dropping etc or at least soil the front wheels from braking (braking is good tough).

At present in Sydney we have water restriction, so I can't use the high pressure cleaner at home, I have to go to 'car lover' to use their equipment, I only clean my cars once every fortnight. Gets pretty yucky with those brake dust at the front wheels.

Good luck is washing your cars!, I found it to be relaxing cause me and my car is spending 'quality time'.
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Last edited by ivanwibi; 09-12-2005 at 06:20 PM..
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      09-12-2005, 06:59 PM   #9
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That sucks dude!

Buddy o' mine bought a brand new Prelude, pearl white, and his kid brother wanted to go out and clean it... the kid brother was young, (and stupid, i'd like to add)

When he walked outside, he saw his brother cleaning his car with steel wool (the ones that you use to wash really dirty dishes or pots and pans)

He nearly punched out his own brother.

So sad, and yet....... kinda funny
(he didn't think so tho)
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      09-12-2005, 09:28 PM   #10
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Hi Noctural,

That is funny, I won't even let people touch my car after it has some dust settle on it, cuase the dust is like the grit found on sand paper.

Its kinda amusing tough.
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      10-24-2005, 11:44 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Broken1
The car was dirty when we got it back, the windows were dirty, the bumper was dirty and it was just a terrible experience. I told my gf, rather spend extra money and take your car somewhere decent. She was quite upset I didn't like the car wash. Didn't like is an understatement. It was the worst car wash experience ever...I am lucky my heart didn't collapse when they practically destroyed her car.
Thank g-d I didn't take my car there....
oh with the plot twist. I was about to feel rreeaaally bad for you!
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