D MENAC 7

Yesterday at lunch I decided to go through an auto carwash bay to rinse the dust off of my 8. As I am sitting there about 3/4 of the way through the cycle, I hear thump thump clatter thump and feel my car move a little. Arggghhh! I cannot get out until the cycle is done. I see the arm that encircles the car come round and see that one of the spray wands is missing...so, now I am aware of what hit me but not of what damage, pray none. The wash ends and I am out like a flash.

The first thing I noticed is an inch long by 1/2 inch wide gash down to the urethane on my rear bumper on the side, driver's side. I immediately go get the attendent and he comes in there with me and is very worried as he could tell I was livid. I didn't yell at him, what would be the point? I also noticed that my rear driver's side tail light lens is cracked. RRRRRRRRRR Then I saw that there is a scratch on my driver's side door too...it bounced off my car, hit the wall and then tapped my driver's side door and made a small scratch.

The attendent calls the owner and the owner tells him to tell me to get two estimates and call him. By law, I only have to get one. The place I have taken autos to before does excellent work so that is the only estimate he is going to get. The costs for repair? $1600. Yep, I said $1600. Let me post a couple of pics to explain what needs to be done.

D MENAC 7

Here is one photo that is of the tail light lens crack without all of the extra stuff.

RX8Lover

holy **** - I would have lost it. that sucks. make sure you NEVER go there again.

I would never go to a place like that - the only car wash I go to is the "brushless" ones which really consists of 10 mexicans with car wash mitts on cleaning your car. "LIMPIA MI CARRA, AHORA!"

Good luck with getting it fixed.

D MENAC 7

Another from the side...

D MENAC 7

And finally...

D MENAC 7

Oh yeah, NEVER again...

Thanks RX8Lover...I thought your comment about the brushless carwash and the 10 Mexicans was hillarious. It was a brushless automatic but without people, just a bay.

Too bad we don't have that many Mexicans here, all of our car washes like that are staffed by American youth and their work ethics aren't as high and don't do as good of a job.

Yeah, now I have to contact the owner and hear him faint on the phone...:D

RXhusker

Everytime a hear someone took their 8 to a car wash -- I get a little tear in my eye. Why must you torture that beautiful car

Thank goodness I have a detail shop in the garage of my office building for when I can't wash her myself. In fact -- I can see them drying off my car and a Mini Cooper out in the parking lot right now :D

shebam

OUCH

Smoker

Ouch, sorry to hear what happened. At least the Car wash owner didn't give you any fuss about the repair cost.

By the way Gentlemen, how many times do I have to say it ! All Car Washes are PURE EVIL. Touchless, Brushless, Auto, non-auto, doesn't matter, they are all accidents waiting to happen ! Don't go there !

If you really want to keep the body looking nice for many many years to come, you have to grab the hose and do it yourself .

G8rboy

I'm so sorry man- that sucks! I had my car for 3 days when I had my wheels scraped up by the tracks in an auto wash. I finally found a touchless laser guided wash that works great... but unfortunately hundreds of others in the area found about it too (long lines). Now the weather is better, I'm back to doing it myself. When it's 10F outside though, grabbing a hose and doing it yourself isn't an option. Plus it's hard to duplicate my auto washes underbody blast with a garden hose.

mikeb

that sucks bad

I clean my car weekly and I never use auto dry or car wash places

poolsidenaz

Oh man my stomach just turned upside down Sorry man.

RX8FanMan

man that sucks. I wash my own car, cause i took it to some place and they did a horrible job. I felt like i wasnt getting my moneys worth.

D MENAC 7

Thanks everybody for the sympathy.

It was just a bit dusty, not that I need to defend myself, but I just wanted to get rid of the dust coating. This isn't one of those car wash places where it drags you through the line and you walk along side to watch, it's one where you pull in, stick in some money, pull into the bay and the machine goes round and round, first with presoak, then with soap, then a bit of wax followed by rinse and ending with spot free rinse. It's unlike those other places that I do take it to once every two weeks just to get a good towel dry to take care of any spots before I wax it down.

We have two types of these automatic bay washers, one that everything is contained in a case and there is nothing to fall off except for the machine it's self, God forbid, and the other is this type of one with wands that spin around which are only good for removing a little dust (and a bit of paint and cracking your lens so I have now found out). I'll probably still go to the first type about once every week because they are good for a quick wash. Or better yet I might just pull into a bay to do it myself with a wand I can control. Or, since the weather is good now, I'll wash it myself.

I have never had anything like that happen to me in all the years I have owned a vehicle and have frequented one of these places...so, now I know.

Meowloud

D Menac 7, so what did the owner say about the estimate?

carnut

So sorry about the damage!

Hou-TX-RX-8

Damn that sux.. I never take mine to the beater brush car washes. Here in Houston we have Bubbles and the Car Massues. Sorry to hear about the car. I hope you get it fixed as good as new.

D MENAC 7

Just got off the phone with the owner. I faxed him the estimate earlier today, e mailed him with the photos too and he is very cooperative. He is going to give it to his insurance company, now they are the PITA possibilities that I have to deal with next. The owner was friendly and understanding as I was nice and talked with him in a nce talkative way so as to put him at ease. He didn't choke or anything so I am hoping this will come out OK.

No beater brush car wash, just a simple brusherless spraying machine that was probably damaged by a previous occupant and happened to fall apart on my car.

On another brief note, not sure if some of you know this but, I had a bad time with my dealership and my sale and have had to contact the State's Attorney's Consumer Fraud Division and am still in Mediation with them. Long story, not going to go into it but one of the things they messed up was my request for a personalized plate number which I had already had made arrangements with the Secy' of State and had it reserved. They were supposed to take my old plates from my truck and have them transferred to my new plates for my car.

Well, when I got my plates they were generic not what I had asked for so I had a friend in a high place check into it and was told the dealership had just got the plate to the Secretary of State DMV that day which was two full months after I bought it and a day after I had received my generic plate. A little late, huh? Well, I did get the state to agree to send me my requested and reserved plate number which I should be getting in a couple of weeks but this was by my own actions.

Today, in the mail, I got a bill from the dealership for $47. I called to ask WTF for and they said that they forgot to tell me it was a fee for personalized license plates. The lady I was talking to said she didn't have to listen to me talk to her that way (:D) and transferred me to the Owner/General Manager who happens to be out until next Monday, so I called back and got absolutely now where because the next down the line had already left for the day...Ohhh, the NERVE!!! Talk about luck even if it is bad.

Venting for the day has ended...I promise.

G8rboy

You still going to make it to the Chicago Rev-it-Up this weekend?

Meowloud

It is always the MULTIPLE little hassles that aggravate me the most! Also, we are here to vent to! Especially when the 'ole spouse gets tired of hearing it! HA HA

D MENAC 7

Yeah, I am still coming up. It was a hard decision but the damage is minute and I will at least cover the bumper with a bit of touch up paint. I'll make sure I park on the driver side toward the tent. :D

RX-GR8

sorry to hear about your car. $1600 seems high but it isn't your money and you need to get it done right. good thing the owner was cool about it. good luck with the repairs.

G8rboy

Good- glad to hear that!

D MENAC 7

Thanks everyone! :D I'll let you all know how it comes out.

XDEEDUBBX

dam that sucks...so next time wash your own car!!! i never trust those stupid car wash places...