The automatic car wash is super convenient to use and are much more environmentally friendly than washing a car in the driveway. Many people avoid using automatic car washes because they can damage cars.
Automatic car washes couldn't be easier to use, though. Just line your tires up with the rolling track, pay attention to the lights that say when to move and when to stop, and then put your car in neutral or park according to the directions. The car wash takes over from there.
For some drivers, automatic car washes are evil contraptions. Many car enthusiasts will have at least one story of an automatic car wash experience gone wrong.
Automatic car washes are fast, cheap, and save water, while doing a great job cleaning your car.Why are there so many around if they can damage cars?
Most automatic car washes are perfectly safe to use for most cars and trucks. While the rotating brushes seem to whack away at your car violently, the brushes are generally a soft material. High-pressure spray bars and unique sprayable foam washes are also fairly safe for most cars and trucks.
Most automatic car washes will have a warning sign posted before you pull inside advising you to lower antenna, fold in mirrors, roll windows up, and stay inside the vehicle.
Most people who have experienced damage to their car did not heed the warning signs.
The Disadvantages of Automatic Car Washes
Antenna
Many cars, particularly those from before the early 2000s had a fixed antenna. These metal whips can be particularly hazardous while washing a car in an automatic car wash. The brushes can wrap around the antenna and break it off, then repeatedly pummel it into the sides, top, and trunk of your car. This can cause an unbelievable amount of damage. It can even break windows, allowing the water that is supposed to clean your car to flood inside.
Remembering to lower your automatic antenna is essential to getting a good wash without destroying your car. Most cars will lower the antenna when the radio is turned off. A workshop manual for your car will tell you how to lower or remove your antenna.
Many modern cars have gone to internal antennas that are attached to the inside of the windshield and are not affected by automatic car wash rollers.
Mirrors
Remember to fold in your mirrors before using an automatic car wash.Side roller brushes in automatic car washes can break plastic mirrors off of the mounts, tangle them up, and beat the sides of your car or truck to death.
Simply folding the mirrors in usually keeps them from being damaged. Older cars and trucks may still have problems with brittle plastic mirrors breaking in an automatic car wash.
Trim
Oh, the glory days of the 1950s and 60s, when cars were bedazzled in acres of chromed metal! Those beautiful chrome spears and emblems can become terrifying flying objects in an automatic car wash. Even modern cars with plastic trim such as door bumpers and deck spoilers can get into trouble in an automatic car wash.
Loose, damaged trim can easily catch in brushes and be violently torn from the vehicle. Once wrapped into the brush, trim pieces will slash and smack the sides and tops of your car or truck. Even a plastic emblem snatched off a fender can smash windows when the automatic car wash rollers beat against the car.
Mud, Dirt, Rocks, and Vegetation
Getting dirty is a lot of fun, but don't use an automatic car wash after playing in the mud.The guy with the four-wheel-drive pick up probably had fun getting three-quarters of his truck covered in mud, but he is likely to ruin someones day by using an automatic car wash. Brushes are designed to shed dirt and debris, but they are not intended for severely crusty trucks. Rocks and gravel become trapped in the mud, and then get stuck to the rollers. The dirty truck probably has damage from his own wash, but the next three, four, or five cars are also likely to suffer surface scratches, dings, and dents.
Really dirty cars and trucks should not be washed at an automatic car wash. Instead, owners should take advantage of a do-it-yourself spray wash where the major amounts of dirt and crud can be safely cleaned off. Choose car washes that recycle water to do the environment a favor.
Advantages of Automatic Car Washes
Ease
The number one advantage of an automatic car wash is convenience. In mere minutes, a filthy, neglected car is scrubbed clean. A good automatic car wash will even dry your car really well. You might not even have to wipe it down afterward.
Environment
Most automatic car washes today use recycled water and prevent run-off from the car wash from entering storm drains. These car washes keep the harmful road grime and pollutants from damaging Mother Earth. many even use biodegradable soaps that are clean and green.
Undercarriage Wash
You should repair oil leaks before using an automatic car wash to reduce environmental damage.A lot of automatic car washes have a feature impossible to replicate in your driveway; undercarriage washes. An undercarriage wash uses pressurized water to clean the bottom of your car, helping to remove road grime, salt, and oil.
Undercarriage washes are usually safe for most vehicles. If your car has lots of oil leaks, it is a good idea to avoid automatic car washes until you make the needed repairs. This is because the oily substances can overwhelm the car washes ability to filter and recycle water.
You should use a factory service and repair manual to fix leaks on your car before using an automatic car wash.
Deciding if an Automatic Car Wash is Good for your Car
Take into account the condition of your car. If your windows don't roll up, don't use an car wash. If your trim, emblems, or body panels are loose or damaged, don't use an car wash. Cars with body damage from accidents should avoid using automatic car washes.
The condition of your paint can matter too. If your paint is peeling, an automatic car wash might be a poor decision. The rollers and brushes can strip loose paint and make your car look even worse.
Cars with wide tires and wheels should use caution. Most car washes are designed to accommodate factory sized tires and rims. Oversized sets can grind on the guide rails, destroying rims in seconds. Wide tires can jump over the guide rails and pin vehicles against the machinery. Trucks with large tires will sometimes skip the device that is supposed to roll the wheels, leaving the truck stuck until the driver can move it forward. Usually, the car wash cycle does not complete correctly when this happens, so drivers will have to wash their car again.
Automatic car washes can be convenient, saving you time that would be wasted washing your car in the driveway. They are much more environmentally friendly than at-home washes. The cost is usually pretty reasonable, unlike some of the hand wash car washes that have lots of employees.
Use the most modern, best-equipped car wash you can find in your area. The more modern car washes do a great job of protecting the environment, reducing energy costs, and preventing the waste of water while giving your car a fantastic finish.