Model 3 Car Wash with wrap?

[Dinsdale]

Hoping I can get some clarity as I seem to be getting mixed messages on Google.

I've got a white M3 on order. Once I get it, I plan to get it fully wrapped.

I have two questions

1. Pre-wrap, can you take a Tesla through an automatic car wash or will it damage the battery?

2. If so, could you do the same with a wrapped vehicle or could it damage the wrap?

I know it may be a stupid question but I'd rather ask it regardless than naively take the risk and find out I've just put a lot of money down the drain.
Thanks

 

[jjrandorin]

how would that be damaging the battery? I thought you were going to ask if it would damage the wrap, or the paint (which are what people normally ask).

unless your automatic car wash has you driving through a lake of standing water, it wont damage the battery in any way. Now, damaging the PAINT (which you obviously are concerned about, if you are intending to get a full wrap on your car after delivery) is another story entirely.

 

[MexiCanuck]

Hoping I can get some clarity as I seem to be getting mixed messages on Google.

I've got a white M3 on order. Once I get it, I plan to get it fully wrapped.

I have two questions

1. Pre-wrap, can you take a Tesla through an automatic car wash or will it damage the battery?

2. If so, could you do the same with a wrapped vehicle or could it damage the wrap?

I know it may be a stupid question but I'd rather ask it regardless than naively take the risk and find out I've just put a lot of money down the drain.
Thanks

Plenty of people take their cars, ICE or BEV, or, PHEV through automated car washes without damaging the internal mechanical aspects of the car. Automated car washes serve a useful purpose but are not ideal. Automated car washes also vary from touchless through to “scouring pad”.

If you are getting PPF, endure that the installer will do “paint correction” as part of the PPF installation in case there are any factory, or car wash, imperfections.

Here is what I did. I prearranged the PPF installation for the day I received the car. I picked up the car and drove straight to the PPF installer, about 30 km away. I left the car there for about a week. I picked up my car, fully PPFed (and ceramic coated).

Since then, it has been pretty easy washing it at home. If I couldn’t wash it at home, I would be comfortable taking it through a touchless car wash.

 

[joebruin77]

When you say "wrap" are you referring to an actual vinyl wrap or to PPF? Although I personally avoid all commercial car washes and prefer to wash my car myself, theoretically it is safer to take your car through a professional car wash if it has a full-car PPF as the PPF will protect the paint. The self-healing properties of PPF will heal any scratches or swirls induced by the car wash. Vinyl wraps do not have self-healing properties, are much thinner than PPF and do not offer the same level of paint protection. So I personally would not take a vinyl-wrapped car to a commecial car wash.

As for touchless car washes, I avoid those too. Because touchless car washes do not make any contact with the paint, they have to compensate by using very high Ph soaps that degrade or even completely remove car sealants and waxes. So if you have a paint sealant or wax on your car and you take it to a touchless car wash, it may come out of the wash looking clean but your sealant or wax will be degraded or gone.

 

[zhu-]

1. Yes you can take any Tesla through any car wash.

2. It more so depends on the wrap. If it was a cheaper wrap job you might want to hand wash but if it's warrantied against peeling in auto car washes from the wrapper then you can do the same. Many wraps tend to self heal scratches in the sun so it would be ideal to take a wrapped car through auto car wash without worrying about scratches from the truck in front of you that just came back from its offroading adventure.

 

[Rockster]

My 3 is completely wrapped with PPF but I’m unwilling to take it through an automatic car wash. I’m afraid that it would cause an edge of the PPF to peel up or something. I prefer to wash it by hand. Our S, on the other hand, has nearly 110k miles on it, has had massive hail damage, about 5% of which we don’t intend to fix, and has become the “beater” car that we use for trips to Home Depot, to take the dogs to the dog park, etc. THAT car we drive through automatic car washes without hesitation. We just always remember to raise the suspension, turn off the automatic wipers, put the car in neutral, and keep our butt firmly in the driver’s seat so that the car doesn’t automatically go into Park.

 

[focher]

I have a full PPF. While an automatic car wash probably is fine, it’s not worth the time. Wet the car and wipe it down. Done. Takes more time to take it to a car wash.

 

[Dinsdale]

Thanks for all of the varied replies.

I think I need to do more research on wrapping. I ordered white so I could later wrap it, and it does seem I want this PPF on it, but not sure if you can have that AND a wrap?

I shall enquire.

 

[Dinsdale]

I'm now thinking... perhaps I should ask Tesla to change my order from white to grey (hopefully there won't be a fee and/or delay in delivery)...

And then just get a full PPF job... that way I'm still covered from rocks and stuff... but I won't have to wrap it and PPF it, I can just PPF it.

 

[zhu-]

Wraps generally refer to vinyl which is mostly for color or other aesthetics reasons though some can self heal minor scratches in the heat/sun. PPF (paint protection film) is mainly used to protect the paint from harsher elements like rock chips, scuffs, minor door dings, etc while also having self healing properties. PPF is usually clear and unnoticeable though there are matte variations too like Xpel Stealth if you want a more unique look.

I know some people who have wrapped the car with vinyl to change the color then put clear PPF on top and with a ceramic coat which probably runs between $6k to $10k total.

Also, the inside of the door jams and other crevices are usually not wrapped so if you plan on wrapping a darker color you might prefer black/grey paint so the white areas aren't popping in your face every time you open the door if that matters for you.

 

[Dinsdale]

Yeah the colour I was going to wrap would be similar to the Tesla dark grey colour anyway - so I may just go with that and get the PPF only. I'll see if I can call Tesla today.

 

[XLR82XS]

If you are getting PPF, endure that the installer will do “paint correction” as part of the PPF installation in case there are any factory, or car wash, imperfections.

Here is what I did. I prearranged the PPF installation for the day I received the car. I picked up the car and drove straight to the PPF installer, about 30 km away. I left the car there for about a week. I picked up my car, fully PPFed (and ceramic coated).

Agreed, correction in a must, and I did the same thing. Added BTP at delivery for the trip to PPF installer.
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[TLLMRRJ]

PPF does just fine in any car wash. It's not going to peel up, and it's not going to get all scratched up the way the soft Tesla factory paint gets destroyed by automatic car washes that use brushes.

My last car had PPF on front, and it went through an automatic car wash 2-4 times per month for 8 years without anything impact on the PPF. And that car wash used the big rolling brushes, forced air drying, and then attendants wiping the excess at the end of the line with not-so-soft looking hand towels.

 

[Dinsdale]

Thanks guys.

I called Tesla and changed colour from a White to Midnight Silver free of charge (although I will need to pay for the colour itself).

I was told I'd now be rematched to a silver car and therefore may push my delivery to December. I'm fine with this.

So no need to colour wrap, I will just get PPF. What brand, I am not quite sure.

But yes I will take it more or less straight to get PPF'd and ceramic coated.