Carwash drive thru

[Dude]

Hand wash only.

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[SonicBlue]

My first and only time using an automated car wash a couple years ago, my front bumper port got knocked loose (still attached to the tether) and one of my mirrors got disconnected from the auto-folding mechanism (was easy to snap back in place).

This was a fairly new Club Carwash, which is a very popular franchise.

I’m not a paint finish snob. I’d love to just get a monthly car wash membership and save 30 minutes a week. But nah, I’ll stick to hand washing after that.

 

[Ricochet]

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

I had an issue with that yesterday. It flashes a message about auto hold - I must have hit the wrong selection (yes/no). In the past I have ignored and it was fine. So, I will ignore it from now on.

 

[Mr Breeze]

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.

I’ve been through several car washes no tape no issues

 

[Triggerhappy007]

I’ve been through several car washes no tape no issues

Consider yourself lucky. I even had 3 pieces of painter's tape on and it still ripped my charging port off.

 

[Mr Breeze]

I use pure magic car wash but now I think I will consider myself lucky and hand wash myself until someone comes up with a better plan. My door needs to be pressed pretty hard to open, maybe a misalignment working in my favor.

 

[Jerrytball]

I’ve learned my lesson in car washes and today the Fourth of July I always wash my cars on the Fourth of July. So I got up and I looked outside and we had a huge rain storm, so I normally keep my car clean anyways and I’m like oh this is great so I just went out there and toweled it off and came back inside because it’s like 90 already 8 o’clock in the morning. I turn around and I looked outside and it’s pouring again?, well, after it dries up naturally, I’ll go back out there. Car wash ceramic spray works wonders. Six months no Garage I love this spray cleaner

 

[Opa]

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.

We have no problems at all using our local car wash. We don’t tape our door for the charger, but I did buy an aftermarket carbon fiber cover for it that seems to do the trick.

Never had a problem with the rear windshield wiper or anything else coming off and we have a lot of stick on mods on our, MME

 

[Secret Sauce]

Question: are charging doors really more likely to be ripped off by carwashes than gas tank filler doors, even though they fundamentally the same?

 

[ToOldForThis]

Question: are charging doors really more likely to be ripped off by carwashes than gas tank filler doors, even though they fundamentally the same?

Good question.

 

[Chrisbriding]

...

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.

No, because it's not like "any other car" with a mechanical transmission.

 

[the golden eel]

Those of you who have had the charge port door open/ripped off during a carwash... I am assuming this was from the type of car wash with spinning rollers that touch your car?

I can't imagine any damage from a touchless wash - but now I'm wondering.

 

[ECHARGD]

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

Can you share specifics on the tape you are using? After loosing my door cover and $140 for a new one I do not want this to happen again, but also don't want to damage my paint with wrong tape. Thx!

 

[ack154]

Can you share specifics on the tape you are using? After loosing my door cover and $140 for a new one I do not want this to happen again, but also don't want to damage my paint with wrong tape. Thx!

If you're going through the type of wash with spinning brushes or something that actually touches the car (and risking opening/breaking the charging door) you're probably doing more damage to your paint from the wash than a piece of tape would do.

 

[2FlyMache]

Can you share specifics on the tape you are using? After loosing my door cover and $140 for a new one I do not want this to happen again, but also don't want to damage my paint with wrong tape. Thx!

It’s the blue painters tape that you use on your walls to protect from getting paint on trim pieces

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