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Drive through car wash

Discussion in 'Model S' started by Leewx, Oct 21, 2018.

  1. Leewx

    Leewx Member

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    Aug 25, 2018
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    Location:
    Vancouver WA
    Any issues driving through an automatic car wash? Selector in neutral of course and I suppose suspension on very high to avoid issues with wheel guides. Anything else?

    Thanks
     
  2. Silicon Desert

    Silicon Desert Active Member

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    Sparks Nevada / GF 1
    I haven't looked lately, but I recall seeing a least a couple old threads about running through automated car washes. Might try the search engine. As for me, I don't use them for the Teslas.
     
  3. Bballou

    Bballou Member

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    Dec 18, 2017
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    Location:
    New York, USA
    Car washes with brushes will rough up your paint. Touchless should be fine.

    Put it in neutral and keep your seatbelt on. If your seatbelt isn't buckled and you shift in your seat it will shift into park automatically.

    Turn off auto-wipers.
     
    • Informative x 1
  4. Plan B

    Plan B Active Member

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    Don't lift your butt off the drivers seat or the car will go into park. And if you go through brushless be sure to wipe your car off, the chemicals they use are awful on the paint.
     
  5. nevrenuf

    nevrenuf Member

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    Location:
    Las Vegas, NV
    I use a touchless car wash all the time with no special behavior. I leave it at normal height, put it in park, listen to the radio, and wait.
     
  6. bhawkins4194

    bhawkins4194 Member

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    Location:
    Saint Louis, Missouri
    My SC warned me that it could cause damage to the parking sensors.
     
  7. Leewx

    Leewx Member

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    Location:
    Vancouver WA
    Thanks for the replies. Didn't know unbuckling the seatbelt and lifting my butt off the seat would automatically but it in park. Probably a good safety feature but could be disastrous if activated in a drive through carwash.
     
  8. ahkahn

    ahkahn Active Member

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    Chicagoland
    Yeah, I had a guy rent my car and ended up getting my car rear-ended in the car wash for exactly that............
     
  9. Pinot.Noir

    Pinot.Noir Member

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    Don't use a carwash....ever. Get a ceramic coating....immediately. They are very easy to wash thereafter. I would never, ever let somebody else wash my car. If you stay on top of it you can simply use a spray bottle of Ultima and microfiber towels. Super easy!
     
    • Like x 1
  10. caligula666

    caligula666 Member

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    Location:
    Switzerland
    To people saying « no car wash » like it was a Piece of art: my 2017 S (black) has horrible painting (orange skin type), I never owned a car with so sub par painting quality. Isn’t it your case? No going through car wash feels a bit to me like saying « I’m very bad at sport but absolutely need this $10k bike »
     
    • Like x 1
    • Love x 1
  11. f205v

    f205v Member

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    I use automatic car wash all the time...
     
    • Like x 2
  12. Pezpunk

    Pezpunk Active Member

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    Bristow, VA
    i go through the car wash all the time. no big deal.
     
    • Like x 2
  13. Silicon Desert

    Silicon Desert Active Member

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    That sounds odd. Hard to imagine that Tesla and many other car manufacturers that use the same sensors would put them on a car without thinking about it or testing the results in a car wash. I'm not believing it. My other car with similar sensors had gone through a LOT of car washes without issues. I don't run the Tesla through automated washes for other reasons, but I'm not concerned about this reason.
     
    • Like x 2
  14. Pinot.Noir

    Pinot.Noir Member

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    Location:
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    No, my paint is perfect. However, I did get Xpel Ulimate and CQuartz finest applied shortly after delivery, so that might have something to do with it. I also treat it like a piece of art, and don't mind spending a half hour a week with a microfiber towel or two.
     
    • Like x 1
  15. caligula666

    caligula666 Member

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    mine arrived like a peeled orange, the SC ack'ed it, and found lots of other reference to a similar look in the forums. I don't think adding any product to it would change anything (I added some stuff afterwards, but it just makes maintenance easier, it doesn't structurally change the painting. What's your color? Mine is black.
     
  16. Pinot.Noir

    Pinot.Noir Member

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    Location:
    Livermore, CA
    Mine is blue. My installer did say the car needed a lot of paint correction before application. He also said this was typical of Tesla's, so I do agree their paint process is less than optimal.

    You might try discussing your paint with a detailer. They might be able to fix your issues, although it may run you about $1000.
     
  17. SpudLime

    SpudLime Active Member

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    Location:
    Leesburg, Va
    I thought i read on another car wash thread to put it in "tow" mode so that the seat belt or butt off the seat accident cant happen...
     
  18. Kruegmeister

    Kruegmeister Member

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    Feb 26, 2018
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    147
    Location:
    Rochester, MI
    I think I tried this once and it was tough to get back into Drive at the End of the Conveyor.
    I just use Neutral. Be Warned you have to hit Brake (at least partially) to get back into Drive.
    Stay in Seat! Do Not Put your Wallet away or Pull Out for Tipping... etc...
    Auto Wipers OFF
    Following that everything has been fine after Several Washes.
    As far as Swirls being Caused, I'll just hit it with my Polisher. Plus the Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant I've been using on other cars seems to hold up well against Potential Swirls.
     
  19. g1000x

    g1000x Member

    Joined:
    Mar 25, 2018
    Messages:
    169
    Location:
    Denver
    Cannot manually wash the car in the winter time.... only option is automatic car wash.
     

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