Recommended Way to Wash MY?

[Bobbo8]

Last winter I went to a touchless car wash with the temps very low. The next morning i tried to charge but the M3 wouldnt recognize the plug. Water got into the port due to the high pressure. It took hours and needed a hand warmer in the port to defrost it. Be careful with touchless car washers when the temps plunge.

 

[mark95476]

This is good info.

FYI, I think the MY and 2021 M3 have heated charge ports.

Last winter I went to a touchless car wash with the temps very low. The next morning i tried to charge but the M3 wouldnt recognize the plug. Water got into the port due to the high pressure. It took hours and needed a hand warmer in the port to defrost it. Be careful with touchless car washers when the temps plunge.

 

[2101Guy]

Good civil discussion of the merits of different methods, especially for those with ambient temperature issues.

2010Guy: I question your logic about touchless car washes. I can't wrap my head around the high pressure removing wax/sealant. I have no proof, as I'm not a chemical engineer, but I just can't agree.
.

This info below is consistent with what I've always heard about touchless. Whether its the actual high pressure, the harsher chemicals used/needed, or a combo...not certain which. It stands to reason that if they arent going to touch, then something has to increase...the water pressure or the chemicals used.

But if touchless works well for some? Thats good/great. I just know for me, I always hand wash and hand wash myself. (I see the rags and method used by some of these "hand wash" places that deal in volume.)





Are Touchless Car Washes Bad for Your Car?

 

[jsight]

But if touchless works well for some? Thats good/great. I just know for me, I always hand wash and hand wash myself. (I see the rags and method used by some of these "hand wash" places that deal in volume.)

Ha, I'd actually prefer the machines over some of the local "hand wash" people. Some of the local dealers are the worst.

 

[CleverUsername]

But if touchless works well for some? Thats good/great. I just know for me, I always hand wash and hand wash myself. (I see the rags and method used by some of these "hand wash" places that deal in volume.)

Spot on. I had a Deep Sea Blue BMW X3 a while back, which I normally washed myself at one of those coin-op self wash places. The one time I took it to a “hand wash” place, holy crap, highly visible swirl marks everywhere, especially when the sun hit it. Their filthy, gritty towels absolutely wrecked the paint. I’ll never be making that mistake again.

 

[laservet]

Ha, I'd actually prefer the machines over some of the local "hand wash" people. Some of the local dealers are the worst.

This. I took a car to our local hand wash place and the experience was horrible. And they had a bunch of internal problems as evidences by their behavior, the employees were verbally fighting with each other while working on the car, I told the manager and when he spoke with them about it one of them told him to go f**k himself.

I also used a mobile detailer, they would stop by my office and wash and wax the car monthly, but stopped when their electric buffer slid a piece of trim on the door (BMW & series) forward a foot, then when they opened the door they bent that piece of trim at the hinge level, then denied they caused the damage.

Now I use a foam cannon and The Last Coat V2, happy with both so far.

 

[techmagnetic]

For those that handwash - how do you get the undercarriage? Just simply hose down the bottom of the car?

 

[jcanoe]

For those that handwash - how do you get the undercarriage? Just simply hose down the bottom of the car?

Good question; I have not gone through a winter with my Model Y.

Plan A - Skip it, it's not the biggest problem anyway

Plan B - When I can turn on the outside water, use my pressure washer with an angle attachment or an under vehicle attachment

Plan C - Break down and take my Model Y through the automated car wash, a few times, during the winter. Even though this may damage the finish on the vehicle the damage from prolonged exposure to road salt at temperatures above 32F would be worse. (Don't be as concerned about road salt on the vehicle when the temperature is below freezing, the corrosive action of the salt slows way down at cold temperatures. Worry about the salt sitting on the vehicle as the temperature rises.)

 

[Boston car guy]

I have two antique cars. One has won numerous awards and is still wearing the original 1963 enamel paint. I use the two bucket method and for twenty years only use MEGUIERS products. When I got my Y I did a complete hand wash & wax two weeks in a row. The car looks great and since I live in New England the paint has to be able to withstand the snow & ice. Have had two snowstorms already.

 

[bobby g]

I do a 2 bucket hand wash and dry using Chemical Guys products.

Took a class at McGuire's once. The instructor, great guy, now gone, used that method and said primarily it's the technique not the product

 

[Pianewman]

I have two antique cars. One has won numerous awards and is still wearing the original 1963 enamel paint. I use the two bucket method and for twenty years only use MEGUIERS products. When I got my Y I did a complete hand wash & wax two weeks in a row. The car looks great and since I live in New England the paint has to be able to withstand the snow & ice. Have had two snowstorms already.

WHAT??? A car made in 1963 is an ANTIQUE????
She-itt!!! I was built in 1954...

I've used the 2 bucket method since I've owned cars, since 1971. Started with Blue Coral products, then Meguiers. I used to keep my cars (AMC, Mercury, Audi, VW, Honda, Toyota) for 10-15 years, 160-180k miles. Paint always looked excellent when I sold/traded them.

I contend the initial rinse of dirt/grit is the most critical, followed by continual rinsing of the washing cloth/mitt/whatever, with minimal rubbing.

 

[Wrangler]

Thanks again for everyone’s advice. Went with a hand wash two bucket system. Followed by Meguiar’s polish then liquid wax. Turned out great. Was 39 degrees but no issues and didn’t feel cold. After wash removed aero covers and put on bolt center covers and added black decal for center Tesla emblem, looks good to me.

 

[bobby g]

That looks very nice - so it's working for you

 

[jcanoe]

Thanks again for everyone’s advice. Went with a hand wash two bucket system. Followed by Meguiar’s polish then liquid wax. Turned out great. Was 39 degrees but no issues and didn’t feel cold. After wash removed aero covers and put on bolt center covers and added black decal for center Tesla emblem, looks good to me.

Be aware that after you wash the car in these temperatures you need to really dry off all of the door and window openings or they can freeze shut. You can use a dry silicone lubricant on the door/window seal rubber gasket so the window does not freeze to the gasket. You can use WD-40 spray inside the door handles as WD-40 will repel water. Do not use regular WD-40 on the rubber parts of the vehicle as over time WD-40 will damage rubber. There is a different WD-40 Specialist water resistant silicone spray that can be used on rubber parts.

 

[Wrangler]

Thanks for the insight!

 

[s3da]

@Clark_Kent You are right that touchless car washes use high pressure but I suspect that the very aggressive chemicals used by touchless is what removes wax. Think ultra high pH or ultra low pH (like acids). This is explained pretty well at this Tesla Car Wash website that gets into how the touchless car wash works and why the guidance in the manual is kind of confusing.

Hand wash is what the manual says but personally I use one of two soft touch automatic washes near me that are 1) well maintained and use enough neutral soaps, and 2) use a foam element (not a nylon bristle or cloth). Folks who have not seen these elements up close might mistakenly think it's a brush. But it's not.

If you don't want to hassle with handwashing, learn a little about the differences b/w touchless and friction (foam, brush, cloth, whatever).

 

[Clark_Kent]

@Clark_Kent You are right that touchless car washes use high pressure but I suspect that the very aggressive chemicals used by touchless is what removes wax. Think ultra high pH or ultra low pH (like acids). This is explained pretty well at this Tesla Car Wash website that gets into how the touchless car wash works and why the guidance in the manual is kind of confusing.

Hand wash is what the manual says but personally I use one of two soft touch automatic washes near me that are 1) well maintained and use enough neutral soaps, and 2) use a foam element (not a nylon bristle or cloth). Folks who have not seen these elements up close might mistakenly think it's a brush. But it's not.

If you don't want to hassle with handwashing, learn a little about the differences b/w touchless and friction (foam, brush, cloth, whatever).

You might have named me by mistake. I don't use touchless car washes and have never advocated their use. I explained my approach to car washing on page 1 of this thread.

 

[sjsharks33]

I recently got my spoiler replaced on my MYP and the mobile service left adhesive that wasn't there previously. Anyone have recommendations on what product to use to clean it off?

 

[mackgriggs]

I use the 0 bucket method, which I think is faster and safer for a car. You have 4 damp microfiber towels (I use costco), then 1 towel for the wheels (that never is used on paint). Pressure wash prerinse, then foam cannon a side, and fold the microfiber into 4ths. You now have 8 sides of that one towel to use for the whole side of the car. Repeat for the other sides with them using their own towel, then the wheels. Pressure wash rinse, and dry. There is no lugging two buckets around, no grit guards, no going back and forth to the rinse bucket to wring out a wash mitt, and NO chance for having residual dirt that is on the wash mitt that didn't get rinsed off in the bucket. Very fast and safe.

 

[KenYoung1]

ONR spray, foam cannon, 2 bucket ,rinse, leaf blower, microfiber dry w detail spray. Mostly Adam's product.