Hi,

Has anyone put their RX-8 through an automated car wash? I usually wash it on my own, but now that it's winter it's impossible. I am trying to decide if it's safe. My dad put his Forester through it once and all 4 wheels got scratched badly. With the 8 having delicate wheels and not a deep wheel well, I am concerned. I once had it hand-washed in the winter, but it cost $70!

What do you guys do? Thanks...

I wait until it gets in the 40's and 50's and wash it myself....I don't trust an auto wash D;

I wait until it gets in the 40's and 50's and wash it myself....I don't trust an auto wash D;

Same here.

But, to the OP, depending on what type of auto wash it is and how new and well maintained makes a big difference.

I'd never go to one with brushes that accumulate god knows what crap off other cars. Touchless ones haven't given me any problems, except that the soaps are aggressive enough to scrape wax off the car, so keep in mind that you'll need to rewax it more often.

Touchless if you have too. But you end up wiping everything it misses which can be a lot.

Touchless if you have too. But you end up wiping everything it misses which can be a lot.

still better than nothing, specially if you live in areas that get snow and ice.

Do you have mica paint or regular paint on yer 8?
The Ocho can't go through a car wash because it has mica paint.
He has to be hand washed every time.:sweatdrop High maintenance.

Do you have mica paint or regular paint on yer 8?
The Ocho can't go through a car wash because it has mica paint.
He has to be hand washed every time.:sweatdrop High maintenance.

can i watch you do it? :naughty:

touchless for me in winter only, and, only when the temperature gets above freezing (because that is when the salt starts to activate).
and yes the touchless does leave quite a bit of grime on the car.....hand drying is optimal afterwards.......but damm! it gets too cold sometimes......lol.

He has to be hand washed every time.:sweatdrop High maintenance.

can i watch you do it? :naughty:
This calls for a YouTube video. :D:

I just handed washed it the other day and it was 40 out. I will NEVER take my RX8 to the automated wash and same goes with touchless. I put two coats of sealant on the 8 in December to prep for winter and will probably put another coat in a week when its 40 again. I have even washed our cars when it was freezing out. The water would freeze the moment it touches the surface of the car. Shows you how dedicated some of use are when it comes to taking care of our cars properly. The cars thank me at the end of winter.

BTW, scratching your wheels is the least of your concerns -_-...

still better than nothing, specially if you live in areas that get snow and ice.

Yeah I know, just warning the OP of the extra work to get it completely clean. I end up thinking why didn't I just do it myself.:wallbash:

The place that hand-washed it did an awesome job...I just wanted to see if there was an alternative to the expensive payment! It's in the 20's-30's where I live, so no way I am trying to do it myself right now! From what everyone says, it's probably best to continue hand washing. Thanks for all the info!

SayNoToPistons - I couldn't believe how bad the automatic car wash scratched the entire face of all 4 wheels of my dad's car. God knows what it would do to mine, AND the rest of the car! :-O