Mystiqueskillz

The weather has been really bad in the Bay Area lately and recently the weather has improved and I was driving top down and man my car was so dirty from the rain and what not. So then I drove by a 76 car wash place, where they had people wash your car. Prior to this, I've never taken my car to an auto car wash before and I only hand wash my car myself. For some odd reason I was hella feeling really lazy and I was like why not, what's the worst that can happen? I knew it was going to smear and put swirls on my paint, but I was going to get it professionally detailed in a month or two. So that was only the slight worry.

I'm in line, and I get to where they hand wash my car. So to get there, there is this line thing where you have to drive in so it will pull you forward onto the wash place, so yeah as I drove in there, the dude was like no right no left blah blah. There I knew I curbed my rims. After the wash, I went outside and looked my my rims and man, they were curbed! The left side got curbed cause that machine that pulls you forward is on the left side. The curb rash on the front left isn't as bad as the rear because the rear wheels are bigger.

I learned my lesson about going to the auto car washes. I'm done with them and I'm never coming back again. The morale of this thread is, if you never taken your S2000 to the auto car washes, don't because something bad will happen.

I'm super mad and super sad because man if I was just not lazy and just wash my car like every other time, this would not happen.

tekstar

Doesn't the owners manual say you can't take it into the auto car washes? Too harsh for the top or something like that (maybe I'm just talking out of my ass )

wanabe

yup- the main problems with car wash places are:
1. guaranteed swirls
2. possible wheel damage - you know about this one!

we love converts here, cause thats what most of us are!!

(yes, my owners manual says that car washes can damage the top seals- the pressure isnt good for them, and the water dries them out... solution after going through one is shin-etsu grease ; the dealers sell it- it remoisturizes the rubber- "plumps it up")

JackS

I was stuck visiting my mom at Leisure World last Dec. and guest are not permitted to use the car wash facility which is all self hand wash.
So I took my car to an manned auto wash and explaind to the head washer that my car wasn't capable of withstanding the roller that washes the top.
"No problem I'll turn it off and personally take the car completly through the wash myself.
My car came through clean with no problems.
Moral- If you must send your car through one of these monsters, let someone there know of your concerns. It can be done if someone besides yourself really cares and takes pride in his job.
Note- This is So. Cal. and I did drive several miles looking for a coin operated "self wash" that seems to be everywhere except when you really need them. There may have been some around but I couldn't find one.