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03-10-2013, 03:58 PM | #1 |
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Preperation for drive through car wash?
This might make some of you guys in here cringe, but I am perfectly happy taking my 135i through the car wash instead of spending an hour in the driveway hang washing it. I see very little difference it just isn't worth it to me.
What I would like to know is any tips you guys may have for me to help the drive through wash do it's best. Anything to help loosen up bird poop and bugs and wheel dust is great. I find that spraying on some wheel cleaner before going through really helps loosen up and get all of the brake dust off. Anything else I can do? |
03-10-2013, 04:03 PM | #2 |
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Uh, why do any prep at all if it isn't worth it?
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03-10-2013, 07:48 PM | #4 |
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Or you can buy optimum no rinse wash and shine and spend 20 minutes washing it in the comfort of your garage.
But yeah drive through car washes make me cringe.
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03-10-2013, 10:48 PM | #6 |
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I see you are from New Jersey. Cover up the bullet holes with duct tape....
Seriously though, what color is your car? You are bound to get swirl marks on it, so I'd take it to a profesional detailer once a year for a clay bar, and paint protection. |
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03-10-2013, 11:31 PM | #7 |
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From what I gather, I don't think the OP really cares.
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03-10-2013, 11:57 PM | #8 |
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Take some steel wool and scrub the whole car. It will really help loosen up everything.
/sarcasm PS - I find it fairly funny you care about products to help clean the car...yet you don't car about swirl marks (which look worse than a dirty car, IMO) YMMV |
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03-11-2013, 12:20 AM | #9 |
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sounds like the problem is the OP doesn't use the drive thru car wash often enough. His main issue is probably baked on bird poop and bug that even the drive thru can't strip off
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03-11-2013, 09:25 AM | #10 |
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I'll just throw my $0.02 in here (which rounds to nothing now that Canada has abolished the penny!).
I hand wash my car when I can (every couple months using Optimum No-Rinse in the comfort of our condo parking garage), but in winter, I'm happy to drive through a touchless wash once a week to get road grime and salt off my car. After two years of doing that, I still enjoy a swirl-free finish. Cheers, Bryan
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03-11-2013, 09:35 AM | #11 |
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We have one of those down the road. The touch*ess ones. I spritz the wheels first, then a quick vacuum (if it's not too co*d) to *et the whee* stuff soak, then thru the wash. Whi*e in the wash I use the 303 on my dash and interior.
Wreaks havoc on a waxed finish but in the dead of winter, so what?
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03-11-2013, 04:16 PM | #12 |
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so paint bubbles dont form from oxidation and corrosion?
After 12 years of upstate NY winter my GTI has shown that protection from a durable layer or layers from wax/paint sealant can prevent it. Yes I am shamelessly proud of that.
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03-12-2013, 09:11 AM | #13 |
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I select the wax that the car wash puts on there. It's not very good, but in spring I'll clay it and wash with Dawn before 'summerizing' the paint with some Zaino.
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03-21-2013, 03:44 PM | #14 |
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Just wash it ahhh!
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03-21-2013, 03:58 PM | #15 |
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I use no touch car washes this past winter, only because it was cold and they weather guarantee meant that i could take it for a wash up to 48 hours later. 2 for 1 deal
I would prep the Rear of the car near the trunk and the areas around sideskirts. I found that No-touch washes did not clean them well. Perhaps just use the window squeegee's foam side at a gas station, I don think people use those on cars that they care about so why not. Just dont apply any pressure, or simply splash the water on the areas
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04-28-2013, 01:18 PM | #19 |
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Spend some quality time with it. Wash it by hand and then detail spray between washes. No other way.
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04-28-2013, 01:22 PM | #20 | |
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Quote:
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04-28-2013, 01:26 PM | #21 |
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Full disclosure: I occasionally take our family SUV through the automatic car wash. Light silver color, doesn't seem to show swirls and the Japanese paint seems so much harder and durable. Very few paint chips with twice the mileage of my BMWs.
I've never taken a BMW through and I don't even let the (BMW) dealer wash my cars. |
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04-28-2013, 02:31 PM | #22 |
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I use a touchless car wash here only as a last resort in the Winter to get salt off. It does not have a track. Just drive in to a point and does a high pressure wash. I gave up on track washers years ago. They damage wheels.
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