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  1. #1
    Super Member sportscarhiatus's Avatar
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    Question Swirls from Automatic TOUCHLESS car washes?

    I've been meaning to ask this question for some time now. I wanted to get answers BEFORE winter. When winter comes around, I don't have a heated garage so washing for me is limited to ONR (if temperatures in garage permit) washing.

    However, I would just like to take it to those automatic touchless car washes just to get the salt off. I have read and heard that sometimes these car washes cause swirls??? My question is, how is that possible provided NOTHING touches the paint except water and soap? Is it because it is sprayed at a high velocity? I would like to know please, so that I know what to do come winter...

    I know the car washes with those spinning brushes that touch your car are for sure a big NO NO... but I thought the automatic touchless ones are fine.

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  2. #2
    Super Member ICEMAN's Avatar
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    Re: Swirls from Automatic TOUCHLESS car washes?

    i do a nice detail to my vehicles in the fall. waxed and sealed. Then i use automatics only when needed over winter. when you use an automatic, DO NOT get the wax.

    This is my opinion... The wax will keep any salt dust that didnt get removed, under the wax, so its there until the wax wears off, so if there is a scratch in that area, thats the last thing you want.

    even if you use automatics a lot over winter, just give it a nice detail in the spring to freshen it up. watch for automatics that have the under carrage spray, thats a nice plus! i mean the one that literally sprays underneathe the car, not the ones that are off to the side of a car. or just pressure wash the underside of your vehicle often. i do it once a week to the trucks.

    hope it gives you some help!
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  3. #3
    Super Member sportscarhiatus's Avatar
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    Re: Swirls from Automatic TOUCHLESS car washes?

    Quote Originally Posted by ICEMAN View Post
    i do a nice detail to my vehicles in the fall. waxed and sealed. Then i use automatics only when needed over winter. when you use an automatic, DO NOT get the wax.

    This is my opinion... The wax will keep any salt dust that didnt get removed, under the wax, so its there until the wax wears off, so if there is a scratch in that area, thats the last thing you want.

    even if you use automatics a lot over winter, just give it a nice detail in the spring to freshen it up. watch for automatics that have the under carrage spray, thats a nice plus! i mean the one that literally sprays underneathe the car, not the ones that are off to the side of a car. or just pressure wash the underside of your vehicle often. i do it once a week to the trucks.

    hope it gives you some help!
    Thanks for the reply! Yes, I have/or am already doing most of what you mentioned... but I do believe sometimes I do get the "fancy wax" in an auto car wash. That's a good point about getting dirt/debris caught in between my wax and the auto wash's wax.

    But my question still stands... does using a touchless autowash swirl a vehicle? If so, how??? I just don't want my vehicles (which are all swirl-free) looking like a spiderweb in spring.
    2012 Ford Mustang 5.0 - Kona Blue Christened name: MARILYN
    2012 Acura TSX S.E. - Silver Moon Christened name: TORI
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  4. #4
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    Re: Swirls from Automatic TOUCHLESS car washes?

    Quote Originally Posted by sportscarhiatus View Post
    Thanks for the reply! Yes, I have/or am already doing most of what you mentioned... but I do believe sometimes I do get the "fancy wax" in an auto car wash. That's a good point about getting dirt/debris caught in between my wax and the auto wash's wax.

    But my question still stands... does using a touchless autowash swirl a vehicle? If so, how??? I just don't want my vehicles (which are all swirl-free) looking like a spiderweb in spring.
    No, almost all the ones with brushes cause swirls.

  5. #5
    Super Member sportscarhiatus's Avatar
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    Re: Swirls from Automatic TOUCHLESS car washes?

    Quote Originally Posted by ToySupra727 View Post
    No, almost all the ones with brushes cause swirls.
    Those were my thoughts exactly. I don't see how spraying water on paint (granted the paint would be covered in salt and grime) causes swirls. I could have sworn I read on this forum that ALL autowashes (touchless even) should be avoided because of the fact that they cause swirls.
    2012 Ford Mustang 5.0 - Kona Blue Christened name: MARILYN
    2012 Acura TSX S.E. - Silver Moon Christened name: TORI
    2013 Toyota Prius V - Blue Ribbon Metallic Christened name: PORTIA

  6. #6
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    Re: Swirls from Automatic TOUCHLESS car washes?

    Usually if I ever go thru one. I get the basic. Soap(soak), rinse, Blow dry.
    If my truck is paticularly dirty I go thru one before I wash it at home to get most of the dirt off. (being lazy I know) But it helps keep my mitts cleaner lol and I dont have to work as hard to keep them clean during washes.

  7. #7
    Super Member S2K's Avatar
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    Re: Swirls from Automatic TOUCHLESS car washes?

    I was sitting in line at a drive thru restaurant and there was a touchless wash next to it and I was watching an attendant rub a long handled brush all over this truck (after dipping it in a bucket which he probably doesn't change the water in all day long) before it went through the wash. It didn't seem to be in the wash long enough to even rinse off what ever the attendant rubbed all over it.
    (You might be an AG if something like this makes you cringe)

  8. #8
    Super Member pfix's Avatar
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    Re: Swirls from Automatic TOUCHLESS car washes?

    I have used a fully touch less auto wash in my area and my problem is with the attendants that dry the car. They are using terry towels for drying and I have seen these towels drop to the ground and be picked up and put right back on the paint. I think the wash process is fine, but the towel drying process not so much.....

    Paul

  9. #9
    Mike Phillips
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    Re: Swirls from Automatic TOUCHLESS car washes?

    Quote Originally Posted by sportscarhiatus View Post

    But my question still stands... does using a touchless autowash swirl a vehicle? If so, how??? I just don't want my vehicles (which are all swirl-free) looking like a spiderweb in spring.

    I don't use automatic car washes, I "think" I can remember going through one at some point in my life but it was before I could drive and it's really hard to remember... maybe it never happened?

    I do understand the importance of removing salt or aluminum chloride off the undercarriage of your car as well as all dirt off your body panels and for some people in some geographical locations that means taking your car to an automatic car wash.

    So first, I've admitted I've never taken a car through a touchless car wash so I'm admitting I have no first hand experience with these systems.

    Second, after admitting the above this is all just conjecture on my part...

    "IF" swirls and scratches are being instilled into a car finish from a touchless car wash then the only way I can see this happening is the force of the water impacting the dirt on the surface and causing the dirt on the surface to physically cut the paint as it exits under water pressure.

    That or there's some type of dirt residue in the water being sprayed due to insufficient filtering of reclaimed water.

    These are both just guesses and I'm not even saying this type of thing happens, thus the use of the word "if" above.



  10. #10
    Super Member RaskyR1's Avatar
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    Re: Swirls from Automatic TOUCHLESS car washes?

    A true touch-less should not cause any swirls. However, IMO they never really get the car clean, and by spring time will will have accumulated a lot of bonded surface contaminants.

    In the winter I like to use the coin-opp car washes late at night when no one else is there and hand wash my car. I bring a 5 gal bucket filled with warm soapy water (with lid) and some drying towels. Only use the rinse setting and you should be able to wash your car for $4-6. Just be courteous to other people and only go when it's not busy.


    Rasky
    Quote Originally Posted by CieraSL View Post
    Wait! I know! Mirror, mirror against the grass, tell me who has kicked swirls' ass?
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