Are touchless car washes safe to use? I have never been in one before and don't know how it works but I am thinking about trying it for the first time. I have a layer of salt and junk on my car 0.5 mm thick that needs to come off and it is relatively warm today, 40 degrees F.

I know it does have a track like an automatic car wash. Will the track mess my wheel alignment or scratch my rims if I don't line up perfect?

My other option is to use the do it yourself bay. I doubt the water rinse will take the salt off by itself and I don't want to use the soap brush because I am scared it will scratch my paint.

There is no chance I am going in the soft cloth automatic car wash. Those things will leave tons of swirl marks and possible scratches.

 

Depending on the car wash, the touchless either uses a track like a soft cloth wash or you drive into it, and drive one tire up a little ramp until the machine says stop. Then the machine moves over your car as your car stays stationary. The latter is preferred.

I don't use the soap brush when I'm washing my car in the public wash bays. It's just not a smart idea. The water pressure is quite high when you set the right setting so I don't think you'll have much trouble getting the salt off.

 

also depending on which do it yourself one you go to. some of them have an option for spray soap that comes out of the wand and does a pretty good job as well. i used one right before a car show and you couldn't tell the difference.

 

Theres one i go to somtimes for a quick clean, its a lasertech wash, dries with a blower and cleans with pressure wash system, does the job and is safe

 

he best way to wash your car is to pressure wash it ,use mirco fiber cloths,dry with a good shamee,i use the asorber from auto zone or wal mart,then use mothers spray wax,always use mirco fiber.

 

That's the kind I used. The ramp scared me, I don't understand why it is necessary to raise one side of the car 4 inches up in the air? Other than that it was a good experience, nothing touches the car other than water and soap. It also included an undercarriage rinse which I wanted and a clearcoat sealant which I did not want but was included.

 

I use one once a week or so to get some of the damn salt off. I also prefer the stationary one that moves around the car, i don't like the skinny rail that you have to drive onto on the moving one. I'm pretty **** about my paint but I don't see how sprayed soap and water could do any real damage, its the same thing you do at home.

 

Yep. I get em free of charge so I go in the DIY bay first and hose it off with water, then soap, then water again. drive through the touchless with rain-x (laserwash and air dry), then use the air blower at the DIY thing to blow out the door jams, etc. Do this once a week in winter, in summertime I wash it myself.

Theres never any brushes touching my car. Those destroy your clearcoat.

 

I've never been hurt by a brushless car wash. I normally use a soft cloth carwash cause it does a better job than touchless........but I'm not all that **** about my paint either. I've never gotten scratched but its only a matter of time.

 

Watch out if your lowered. A friend of mine had a bad experience where the moving roller tried to make off with his side skirt. It ended up pulling out a fastner, folding the plastic and leaving some deep scrapes. 350Z stock body on lowering springs.

Preasure washers can only do so much too. If the car is pretty dirty, there is always a visible layer that will stay behind. It's a perfectly good stop-gap though if you just want your car to look a little better or to get some of the evil salt off. I don't use the clearcoat sealant option. It will just make the dirt that it didn't get off harder to get off later.

 

I bet there are definitely swirl marks from those "soft cloth" car washes.

 

You're going to start a heated debate between microfibre vs. pure cotton. I've seen this happen before.