Car Washes

[cx9gtguy]

Need advise on car washes. With winter approaching I assume I will have to take my new CX-9 to a car wash - to clean off all that salt that will be on roads soon.

I read some warnings that automatic car washes can damage low profile wheels. Did anyone with CX-9 had problems like this?
Also I hear that car washes could use chemicals or high pressure streams that could damage clear coat on the wheels.

I don't think I can't wash the car myself in the winter - too cold outside. But I do want to keep the car clean, and looking good for years.

Any advise? How do you guys manage keeping your car clean in the winter? Do you use automatic car washes?

 

[ceric]

I have taken my CX9 to auto car wash many times.
I am more concerned about leaving whirl marks on the paint than anything else.

 

[sbmrinaldi]

When I lived in the midwest I would only take my car to the manual car wash and spray it down with the pressure washer. I would be sure to clean off everything. And when weather permitted I could actually clean it good enough to get it home and give it a quick wax job in the garage. In addition I would always give it one good detailing before winter and one right when the weather would break. My wife's CX9 has 50k and is an 07. The paint is as slick as glass and looks new.

I now live in AZ and don't have to worry about the cold.

 

[table5511]

Yeah, if you're not gonna do it yourself, use a manual wash with a pressure sprayer....just don't get too close, that stuff can knock your paint off, spray it about 2-4 feet away from the surface.

 

[Rawyzf]

I go to the car wash all the time with my G8, winter and summer. At least 1 time a week. Just get to know your local car washes and pick which one is best. Some have rails and some don't. As long as you go in straight though, you shouldn't have to worry about scraping the wheels on them.

 

[SteveSI]

Need advise on car washes. With winter approaching I assume I will have to take my new CX-9 to a car wash - to clean off all that salt that will be on roads soon.

I read some warnings that automatic car washes can damage low profile wheels. Did anyone with CX-9 had problems like this?
Also I hear that car washes could use chemicals or high pressure streams that could damage clear coat on the wheels.

I don't think I can't wash the car myself in the winter - too cold outside. But I do want to keep the car clean, and looking good for years.

Any advise? How do you guys manage keeping your car clean in the winter? Do you use automatic car washes?

I have a 2011 GT also. Even with have the 20" rims and stock tires, I have yet to scratch or scuff them on the auto car washes or curbs. I don't rub curbs much but the few times I did it was just the tire that rubbed the curb...........My GT is black and still looks great even after the last winter we had, but up close I noticed the small swirl marks from the car washes. I never make time to hand wash or use a sprayer so i guess I have to deal with small small marks on paint...good luck

 

[Aron in Toronto]

I usually use a drive through automatic car wash with rails and haven't had any wheel damage. I will say that the car wash I use recently "upgraded" to a touchless system that eliminated the rail drive. You drive in to the center of the wash bay and the wash equipment moves around your stationary car. On this particular wash you have several options of wash types. You can either select "soft touch" that used the traditional spinning brushes or the "touchless" which uses high pressure gets (no brushes) to clean your car.
Although the wheels are safer, neither of the new soft touch or touchless washes gets my CX9 very clean, and the completely touchless wash used such high pressure jets I was afraid it would blow my sunroof off. It also discolored and streaked all the black plastic moulding.
I've heard the touchless systems in general use much harsher chemicals to get the job done.

 

[cx9gtguy]

Well, I have been going to my local automatic car wash almost every week now, for about a month and a half, and there wasn't any issue with the rails. I did check how tall the rail is and it was just below the lowest part of the rim, so it never actually touches the wheels. My local car wash does not use brushes (they use hanging ribbons of cloth) except on lower part of wheels, so the bristles never touch the paint. My only concern is the clearcoat on wheels themselves, but so far it looks fine.

Now I just need to find a place to hand wax it regularly, without costing an arm and a leg - I do want it to look good for a long time

 

[KrisKringle]

The automatic car washes do use tough detergents that are hard on paint..... but too me for at least where I live I would rather wash the salt and crap of my paint rather than let it stay on it, so in the winter I do the automatic car washes.....

 

[SonicBoy]

Frequent waxing of the wheels will aid in protecting them and make the washing a lot easier.

If you're going to the car wash once a week, I doubt you have much to worry about wearing the clear coat as stuff really shouldn't be that stuck on in the first place.