F355C5

Reading my 2012 C63 manual is states not to use a touch less car wash. something about harsh chemicals will damage paint and plastic pieces.
Any comments ?

JCH

I use one about once a week and follow up with a hand wash once a month. I don't like to let dirt accumulate too long.

Justin4586

I wouldn't dare put my car through a tunnel car wash because the cleaning agents they use can damage the paint and the turning things can swirl it bad too.

JeffDL

I use them all winter. better than salt.

-=Hot|Ice=-

I don't use car washes at gas stations.EVER. During the winter, I will take my car to a soft touch carwash place that I've taken many previous cars to. Other then that, I try to wash my car in my garage(and it's not heated) if I can. Car washes are a last resort.

SonnyakaPig

I only hand wash my car or have a professional hand wash it. But, even with hand wash the paint seem prone to swirls.

SonnyakaPig

I just think the brushes/scrubs that the drive-through washes use accumulate a lot of build-up from all of the cars that go through them and that can get cause damage to your paint.

The manual is probably being cautious because some touch-less car washes may use harsh chemicals, although many places probably use safe-for-paint cleaners.

MercedesFTW

Touchless car washes don't have brushes or scrubs...

F355C5

Took my GTR to touchless car wash for 3 years--from what I could I see the paint and finish were fine. My 2012 C63 diamond white has so much orange peel OMG. GTR had none.

grane

Many car washes reuse the wash solution during a given period so you get all the chemical junk from the previous cars.

SonnyakaPig

Ah.. thanks for pointing that out. I was mistaken.

_AMG_

Ive been washing and detailing my C63 myself since owning it. I do take it to a self car wash though.

Mort

We have a Shell touchless car wash here that we use regularly especially in the winter when it is too cold to do a hand wash outside. My owner's manual says brushless car washes are preferable. It says to put the climate control in recirculation mode to protect the cabin filter.

It goes on to say to avoid touchless car wash that uses caustic spray. Best to ask the wash operator what chemicals they use.

I have an eight year old truck I put through this wash and the paint and trim are still in great shape.

jarjoug

Twice a week in the winter.

qaz393

The MSDS of the chemicals are in concentrated shipping form. Its hard to know the dilution ration. Most chemicals are near 14 ph or 1-3ph level when the are concentrated..........

i wouldnt worry too much about tunnel washing (touchless) and assuming rims wont get damaged. I wash my cars very often inside tunnel wash and nothing bad has happen......

ZephyrAMG

I shower with my car, at the same time. That way I can use shampoo soft as silk for the both of us and I don't waste water. I do it every 2 weeks...

Justin4586

^^

qaz393

body shampoo is not ideal for cleaning. use a dedicated car soap instead of body soap or hair shampoo or dish detergent. using improper soap can cause the black rubber trim to fade and grey out faster.

DuaneC63

They use recylced water that spots like crazy if they don't dry it fast enough. I wash the rides myself as I have time. Use ionized water and very little if any car wash solution for weekly washes. All cotton towels to dry (no sham wows). You also get to see the car up close and find all kinds of stuff you'd overlook in everyday driving. To wash your wheels right you have to take them off any way (every three months).

DuaneC63

You must have one hella big shower

qaz393

im pretty sure they do not recycle the water..... the water treatment (in case some cars leak oil) would be such a huge expense to get proper equipment.....

They do use softened water which doesnt spot much. The dryer sucks ***** in most tunnel washes.

Touchless doesnt clean the car well at all. If you do a finger swipe after, you will see how dirty the car is.

Touch was (tunnels) will swirl up the cars indefinitely. The cloth/brushes will not scratch paint, but it is the sand and dirt stuck inside that will....

grane

Lets concentrate on the undercarriage. Ok?

Given the ph that is severely alkaline -14- and thus just as corrosive as a serious acid with a low say 2 ph.Therefore the ideal cleaner for a car used on salted roads, given what qaz says is a serious shower in a mildly acid solution, that would neutralize the road salts. The car wash chemicals can't help if they are base. The ph of water is nominally 7. We are looking for a bath below 7 with surfactants.

Consider adding perhaps gallon of white vinegar, such as found at grocery stores, to your DuPont or other ph neutral car wash. This will make the washing solution mildly acid and tend to neutralize the corrosive effects of the outrageously base road salts.
If you have your own washing container and some ramps to Get access to the underside, consider this sort of washing solution.
Has anyone tested the ph of say RainX winter solution the orange stuff? Perhaps one could use this instead.
After all the crap is gone, sluice with fresh water.

qaz393

the ph of the rain x concentrate should be 9. I will get a list tommorow at work....

the most ideal is to reduce the amount of salt with large volume of water??