jcl_cls01

Have any of you guys taken your 2004 TL to the car wash? Not the ones where they hand wash it, but the ones that will roll your car down a track. I need to know if Acura solved that problem with the previous model years with the wheels getting scratched from the track.

caball88

wheels will get scratched, the tires are too thin for the rim.

SlntSam

I go to one with no track and it's touchless. You drive into the bay and stop the car when the thing tells you do, it washes your car and you drive out. you never drive over anything.

I go there in the winter.

TBone2004

only the folks who are leasing their TL's

TLGator

At least some of us lease types want the car to look its best, too. No automatic car wash for my baby.

TBone2004

Thats good to hear - so many people I know are like "ah, I don't car - my lease is up soon..."

doogles

I have been there about 10 times so far. No problems, but I would bet that not all carwashes are the same with regard to the track. Ours is a very good car wash.

campIIIMAF

no way man. water bills around here are skyrocketing and car washes it seems are using a lot less resulting in sandy brushes.

silverbishop

And the folks who payed it in cash

BigBluu

when i'm lazy, i take it to one that does half and half. they hand wash the front, rear, and top half of the car, then run it down the track with soft cloth rollers to clean the doors and below, then towel dried. haven't had problems w/ the wheels scratching yet. i asked the owner/operator about it and he said the tracks were teflon coated to prevent scratching of the wheels. claims he has never had a customer complaint yet. i could not verify the teflon coating though.

Brucer

I only go to the hand job places

Majorhouse

I have a good touchless place that keeps the wheel about 2 inches away from the outside of the track. I live in a complex that doesn't allow residents to wash the car in front of their homes, and I really hate their "community wash area". No scratches in this or my prior Mustang GTs.

Uhh... I better not comment...

caball88

teflon coated? you mean the non-stick stuff they put in pans? even those rub off with a spatula. imagine the wheel of car grinding against it. that teflon is not going to help.

2004MT6TL

The hand wash place I go to puts the car on a track, with a roller driving the front left wheel, no damage in the past 4 years on any car except swirl marks on black mercedes and ripped floor mat on beetle.

acura911

does anyone know of any good car washs in nyc

Radcliffe1

Wooow...we have massage places around here....but have not been to a 'hand job place'.

cullal

used carwash few times and no issues ...

DMZ

Go where I go. Been using them for a year now. Top notch all the way!!!
Tell Anthony (I know, another one) you heard about 'em from the TL forum.

Astoria Heights Auto Spa
24-65 47th Street
Astoria NY, 11103
(718) 204-6207

Near where the GCP meets the BQE.

http://www.astoriaautospa.com

wv5b

I have a new tl and no problems with track carwash. I had a previous tl-s and my son has had 2 tl-s. we both go to the same car wash and no problem. I am lazy and only wash my car every other month by hand so i go through the car wash about 3 times a month and once a month i get an express wash and wax and tire treatment for $34. It is a hand wax and you can take your own wax, if you prefer. I sometimes lecture them about putting the car on the track straight, ie don't pull on at an angle. I think the worst thing you can do is go for weeks and not wash it, because you fear damage from the car wash.

silverbishop

I go to Chelsea Car wash on 14th street and 11th avenue. They do a good job, and they look pretty organized. They are a little bit on the expensive, but we do live in nyc

mmmbetter55

Think about it, youre running your car through a car wash with spinning brushes. How many people do you think have gone through and had all their dirt and road shit taken off by those brushes? Do you know whether or not they recycle their water (most do)? And how often are these brushes cleaned and/or replaced (seldom to never, from previous experience)?

If you take your car to an automatic car wash, you are going to have everyone elses dirt cleaning your car. I run a small-time Car detailing shop with my dad, and we do everything the hard way, because it just looks better. I have seen cars that have been through car washes that have fine scratches horizontally from the front to the back of the car... ON THE WHOLE CAR!!!

Without a doubt, if you really care about you car and you really want it to glow, your best bet is to learn how to do it yourself, and use quality products.

Check out Griots Garage for some really good tips (we use their products).

http://www.griotsgarage.com/


-3M

doogles

Quote: "Think about it, youre running your car through a car wash with spinning brushes. How many people do you think have gone through and had all their dirt and road shit taken off by those brushes? Do you know whether or not they recycle their water (most do)? And how often are these brushes cleaned and/or replaced (seldom to never, from previous experience)? "

True, which is why I only go to a brushless wash. They do not recycle their water, and neither my wife or myself have had any problems in over ten years of going there. My wheels have never been damaged at all, except when it is caused by my incompetence in negotiating parallel parking.

Just as an aside, I never get THAT anal about cleaning. I normally do it myself, hand wash several times per week, wax it, have a California Duster, etc., so I know how to make it look good and I enjoy doing it myself. But there are times when I simply don't have the time to do it myself, and a 3 minute run through the local wash is the way to go. With all of the good experiences that I have had at my local wash, I think that there is a greater chance of scratching the paint with ice/snow/hail storms, shopping cart mishaps, or my 2.5 year-old daughter using my door as a chalk board . With that said, I look at it as a car--accidents are going to happen, and it is just a part of ownership.

arkk

I'm waiting for my TL to be delivered. Anyway I was at a car wash (brushless) this morning and the guy in front of me had a NBP TL with VERY dark (5%) tinted windows all around. It looked smashing!!! I asked him where he got the tinting done and he told me, Tropical Tints, Union, NJ.

I tried looking them up on Google, and noticed a post from a TL.com member asking about this very shop. Their web address is, www.tropictint.com and from there I'm sure you can get the telephone number.

The TL owner told me he paid $225.00 for all windows and it took about 2 hours. I'm not "fronting" for this shop, but I will tell you this (again) the job looked perfect and the car awsome.

johnny_software

Doogles, I realize that this is an ancient thread, but I know that you're in the Pittsburgh area and my NBP is getting alarmingly salt-caked. Would you mind sharing the name of this fine establishment?

doogles

Johnny, the name is Mr. Magic, they are on the corner of Castle Shannon Blvd. / Mt. Lebanon Blvd. in Mt. Lebanon (I think they are on the web). I recommend them highly. They also have the best drying system that I have ever seen, but I sometimes take a towel and wipe the car off under the mirrors and by the trunk so that I can catch the inevitable drip. Let me know how you like it.

carcar

I haven't posted for awhile, mainly because I have my TL now (no need to research things here) and have taken up automotive detailing. I encourage anybody who cares about their vehicle to go to autopia.org or detailcity.com and learn how to properly maintain your vehicle. I have ZERO imperfections on my paint, even under harsh halogen lighting there is nothing but clear, brilliant paint. No swirl marks, no scuffs, the paint is smooth, and it's all because of what I've learned from other detailers and autopia/detailcity. It's not a difficult thing to do, but I realize that most people are extremely busy, so I encourage you to have your car professionally detailed. Listed, "autopian level" detailers are found by this link. (maybe there's one in your area!) here
Any new car is a huge purchase, why not spend $125 to have your vehicle washed, clayed, polished, and protected? At any rate, almost all car washes that use brushes are terrible....i highly doubt they have microfiber brushes (if there even is such a thing), and the only safe towel is a microfiber towel. Cotton, polyester can all scratch. I suggest in the winter, take the vehicle to a drive up bay do-it-yourself power-washer to just rinse off all the sand and dirt and a)wash your vehicle with a 100% sheepskin wash mitt and a mild car wash shampoo, rinsing between panels and using the "two bucket method" of having one bucket with soap and the other for rinsing your mitt or b) using QEW if you don't have a hose/are afraid of your pipes freezing, etc. QEW is a waterless wash that is COMPLETELY safe when used correctly. Will not scratch. To find out more about QEW click on the link here

Clay your vehicle, and wax/seal it regularly. Polish the paint if necessary. But please do some research on detailing sites for proper techniques if you want to do this yourself.

Thanks,
Carl