Can i really not take my car to the carwash....at all? Will the rims get scratched?

 

That is correct.

I bet you’re glad you visited here before you found out the HARD way.

Shawn S

 

just go to a self service place, use a bucket and mit when no one is looking, and use the low pressure "spot free" rinse. that's the safest way in winter.

even those "laser" auto-washes that have you drive onto a rail just to make sure your car is in position scratches the rims.

 

Oh my god......i am going to freeze my nuts off !!!!! Who is the moron who designed the wheels? I can never ever go to a carwash, huh? Damn. It was nice having fingers......

 

i have gone through car washes hundreds of times, just choose a car wash WISELY. Choose the ones you DRIVE INTO, and park yourself...etc...

 

I think when someone asks a general question about a CAR WASH, its assumed they mean an AUTOMATIC version that pulls the car through on a rail.

In the cold of winter I have gone to the so-called “Touch-Free” places that you just drive in and the car is washed via high-pressure water without anything touching the car.

The only thing you have to watch out for with those is there is a guide that centers your car up inside the machine.
Just be sure to make contact with the INSIDE edge of your wheel because these still have the capability to scratch our delicate wheels.

I haven’t had to use them yet this season because up until this last week it has been warm enough on occasion to wash the car in my garage.

I've even made it to the end of December without having to put my SNOW's on yet. Happy-Happy

Shawn S

 

Go to one of those manual quarter fed car washes, it is worth it. I took my car to a "belt fed" wash and they scratched 2 rims, and they wouldn't pay for them either.........SAVE THE TIME AND HEADACHE........DO IT YOURSELF!!!!!!!

 

at last its been 30 days since the accident so i can apply a coat of zaino and start from square one again, i'll have to sneak into the polish dep't at the dealership on a saturday and help myself to the facilities

 

either go to a hand wash place or throw some toyo's on it..
Mine got toyo's and to rubber sticks out so the rim dont scratch..
I scratched my rims like 4 times w/stock tires , and none yet with the toyo's..

 

Been going through a hand car wash (moves along a rail) with my car since I got it, no scratches- just make sure the rail is wide.

I learned the hard way with my Mcoupe (only brought it there in ridiculous cold weather)...killed a rear wheel, and then a front at a different car wash.

 

I'm telling ya' people... You can hand wash your car in a garage. A bucket, sheepskin mit, chamois and a squeegie (to get the water out of the garage). It especially nice if it's below freezing outside, like it is in Chicago currently. Just use a lot of water when doing this, so you don't get dirt in the mit which could scrath the paint.

A 'touch' car wash is scary, not only because of what it would do to the rims on the CL, BUT all that dirt and sh!t on the brushes as it comes and touches YOUR paint. I've seen many cars come out with the paint scratched to all hell.

'Touchless' is fine, but you'll still have to dry it, and it's not enclosed like a garage (damn cold!), hence that's why I'm all for a hand wash in my garage.

Just my $0.02...

 

Even if my car didn't HAVE rims at all...i would still wash the car myself!!:P My point is, no matter what rims, its better to just wash it yourself...You get it done the way you want...yah, its time consuming, but i mean, hey! its a 3.2 CL (Type-S)

 

Amen!

 

You havent been in a Chicago winter!!! The only reason i wanna go to a car wash is because it is too damn cold to be outside. I dont wanna do it home (besides freezing my ass off) is that the water will freez on the driveway. That is no good.

 

The place I go to in the winter has a large blower at the exit that gets the car about 80% dry.
There is a digital timer that counts down from 30-seconds as you slowly drive under it and exit the washer.

After that I just park outside and give it a quick wipe down with my ABSORBER or take it up on the highway for an old-fashioned 90MPH “blow dry” on the way home.

Shawn S