Carwash drive thru

[doogie63]

When using a carwash have you had any trouble with charging door, bumper lead door, or with staying in car while in neutral?

See stories where charging door comes off. And some with bumper door falling open.

And if you are staying in the car shouldn't you be able just to put in neutral like any other car? And not doing all the steps to put in neutral to exit car.

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[2FlyMache]

I use painters tape on charging door and rear wiper. No issues staying in car in neutral

 

[RickMachE]

When using a carwash have you had any trouble with charging door, bumper lead door, or with staying in car while in neutral?

See stories where charging door comes off. And some with bumper door falling open.

And if you are staying in the car shouldn't you be able just to put in neutral like any other car? And not doing all the steps to put in neutral to exit car.

Many people have had issues because they don't tape the charging door, and/or the bumper door (which has a tether on it). That's why you've seen stories. And yes, if you're in the car, you can simply put it in N.

 

[Norcolboulder]

I unfortunately no longer use by brushed car wash with the new GTPE. Ceramic coating is removed in brushed car washes. Brushless automated lanes are now available or I simply use a wand

 

[Nolanbro]

I work at a carwash part-time during school and I can tell you the biggest thing we see are usually rear wipers.

Fords in general we rarely ever damage, their wipers are a solid beam and don't really move under high pressure like Hondas and Subarus.

We have never had an issue with a charging door being opened during a wash on any EV. We get a lot of bolts, niros, blazers, and mach-e that come through regularly.

In my experience maybe 5% of the time the cover for the 12v jump lead comes off when the car is being dried (blowers not hand dried), but its held on with a cable.

If you're really concerned you could ask for a full retract to the employee so the spinning brushes don't go on the car, but that's up to you.

Putting tape on the mach-e is pretty overkill unless you are using a really old carwash.

 

[Kopytka]

Putting tape on the mach-e is pretty overkill unless you are using a really old carwash.

Have run my '21 Mach-E through the same car wash for about a year now (one end of my commute is pretty dusty, so the $20/month unlimited membership made a lot of sense (I really enjoy hand washing, just not everyday ). In any case, never had an issue until about a month ago - charging door popped open during wash, and painted cover was immediately blown off (they watched the footage on their cameras afterwards). Luckily the arm/door itself didn't break, just the lost cover (which they never found, even after their weekly "pit cleaning").

Not sure what changed that it popped open like that (after countless runs through that tunnel)....my guess is just general wear and tear causing the internal latch grab to not hold as tight as it did a year ago, but I really don't know.

After $125 to buy a painted replacement charging door cover I now tape the door prior to washing 100% of the time.

 

[highland58]

I always use the touchless wash, then park the car by the vacuums and wipe down the entire car afterwards with microfiber cloths. Either that or the two bucket wash at home. I've not heard that ceramic coating (or do you use spray-on ceramic?) is removed, but the normal car wash has all kinds of dirt in the pieces that rub against the car, which will scratch the car. After 2+ years, my ceramic coating still shines bright - Adam's graphene ceramic coating.

 

[Nolanbro]

Have run my '21 Mach-E through the same car wash for about a year now (one end of my commute is pretty dusty, so the $20/month unlimited membership made a lot of sense (I really enjoy hand washing, just not everyday ). In any case, never had an issue until about a month ago - charging door popped open during wash, and painted cover was immediately blown off (they watched the footage on their cameras afterwards). Luckily the arm/door itself didn't break, just the lost cover (which they never found, even after their weekly "pit cleaning").

Not sure what changed that it popped open like that (after countless runs through that tunnel)....my guess is just general wear and tear causing the internal latch grab to not hold as tight as it did a year ago, but I really don't know.

After $125 to buy a painted replacement charging door cover I now tape the door prior to washing 100% of the time.

I'm shocked they didn't pay for it.

I'll tell you that we have a lot of customers small items fall off (bumper magnet, suction cup decorations, things of that nature) and we can never find it. If you ever get unlucky enough to clean the pit its basically shoveling sand and pressure washing. My guess is it somehow got shoveled with the dirt and nobody noticed, or it actually managed to get though the pit and into the city sewer system, so its long gone at this point.

Yet again if your carwash has whats called a "mitter". It looks like cloth hanging that swings back and forth, you can ask for a full retract so the spinning brushes don't hit the car. I can tell you in full confidence that the car will be 95% as clean without the brushes and you have less of a chance of causing some nice swirl marks.

 

[Nolanbro]

I always use the touchless wash, then park the car by the vacuums and wipe down the entire car afterwards with microfiber cloths. Either that or the two bucket wash at home. I've not heard that ceramic coating (or do you use spray-on ceramic?) is removed, but the normal car wash has all kinds of dirt in the pieces that rub against the car, which will scratch the car. After 2+ years, my ceramic coating still shines bright - Adam's graphene ceramic coating.

If only there was touchless washes in buffalo with a membership... :/

 

[ack154]

I always use the touchless wash, then park the car by the vacuums and wipe down the entire car afterwards with microfiber cloths.

Same.

I'm not so sure about a ceramic coating coming off just because of a brushed wash - unless it was one of the cheaper "spray" coating wax things maybe. Though, frankly, if a brushed wash really is taking off your ceramic coating - just think about what it is doing to your paint if you don't have a coating.

One of the many reasons I will NEVER run my cars through a brushed wash.

 

[Spike]

When using a carwash have you had any trouble with charging door, bumper lead door, or with staying in car while in neutral?

See stories where charging door comes off. And some with bumper door falling open.

And if you are staying in the car shouldn't you be able just to put in neutral like any other car? And not doing all the steps to put in neutral to exit car.

I wash mine about once a week, never had a issue.

 

[markw314]

I did mine at one of those drive-in places at a gas station a few months ago (are those the "touchless" ones?). Ripped the rear wiper off. I was able to pop it back on, but never going to one of those again with any of my vehicles.

 

[garyd9]

I did mine at one of those drive-in places at a gas station a few months ago (are those the "touchless" ones?). Ripped the rear wiper off. I was able to pop it back on, but never going to one of those again with any of my vehicles.

Wow.. was it actually touchless? (The touchless ones work solely on water jets - nothing actually contacts your car.)

 

[markw314]

Wow.. was it actually touchless? (The touchless ones work solely on water jets - nothing actually contacts your car.)

No, it was brushless, but not jets only. I haven't seen what you're describing - a truly touchless one - around me.

 

[jdeve]

Does auto hold work in neutral? Thinking auto hold needs to be turned off before going in.

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