Yes, my OE wheels have those dark stains on them (like in the TSB), and it had to be from a car wash, since I only use mild stuff when I wash the car. Living in the city, I have to use car washes 'cause there's no place for me to wash it myself, though I wish I could. I only use "hand car washes," but that wasn't enough to keep my wheels from being marred.

 

The DD i take to the car wash since i think its a waste of water to do it myself.

The FD i do myself though. No way in hell im taking that car to any local car wash. The people are always in a hurry, theres like 10 guys and they scrub the **** out of your car and they dont do a good job anyway.

I remember one time back in the day when i had my talon, i took it to an automatic car wash. WHen you pull up to the beginning slope, you have to get out so like 4 guys can vaccum inside your car, then one of them has to drive it like 10 feet to get the car on teh rollers. This one idiot, revved the car to like 5k just to move it a couple of feet. I was like YOU IDIOT! I dont know if he didnt know how to drive stick or he just wanted to hear what my car got.

Ever since that day i dont go to automatic car washes or car washes in general unless its for the DD.

 

It all depends upon if you are going to keep it for ten years.

Its only a car.

If its a keeper, do it yourself.

 

Any sand loose enough will fall off when you hose it with a regular hose, strong nozzles may get deeper stuff loose. If water doesn't hurt paint then how come rainwater makes your car look like it's got a disease? Acid. It's not just water in those carwashes either.

I'm not talking out of my ***, it's people who've been in the business for a long time that say they'd never wash in carwashes regularily, eventhough newer ones probably are more gentle. If you've washed a pretty dirty car at those selfwash places, and seen nothing go off unless you scrub it, imagine what force is in the machines spray...

 

automatic car washers aren't that powerful. and the acid in the the rain water ( from coal ) hurts everything.

Here in the US water is cheap and clean, in most cities across the country.

 

I wash and wax my Car. I would not run it through any Car washes some of the guys have got there Tires sliced, Spoilers riped off, Wheels curbed, Windsheld cracked all kinds of stuff. Not cool.

 

+1

Odds are even if I love the car over the next 5 years I'm probably going to get a new one. As it turns out 95% of them are probably going to end up in a junk yard at some point in the future. At least the people that hand wash will have nicer junkers than mine My vote is if you have the time and enjoy it you might as well hand wash, if you don't have the time or don't like doing it then get it washed wherever is convenient.