Imageboi

I went thru several mechanical carwash places and all do the samething... today i went thru the carwash and the wiper fluid kept shooting out and the traction control went off and then the ac then the auto lights kicked off and all the tacts blank out and the stereo too... then i wait 2 hours and everything is fine... whats the deal?? does this happen to anyone else??

envyxc350

Sounds like water got into some electrical wiring to me

Imageboi

yea but i'm wondering what could get hit with water to cause all the electronics to go haywire like that.. the only thing i could think of was the ecu but thats dead center above the engine.. unless it's going thru the cai..

Carsy

Take a look for water ingress under the bonnet or boot.Try washing by hand to see if you have the same problem. Its cheaoer too.

Scat01

You are probably 1 out of 100 MB owners that runs his beautiful car through a paint swirling, dirty water spewing, filthy rag wiping, old towel drying method of washing your car - so probably will not get too many that have had the same issue...C'mon man, spend an hour with 2 buckets, quality soap and sponge and a clean MF drying towel....

Acapulco Bill

Anyone with pride in his W204 and wants to keep their paint and badges intact should DIY using the two bucket method described here.

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...cult-wash.html

Most car washes that use pressure washers recycle the water with all the salt and grit in them, here are two emblems showing what an improper wash or two can do. The Ford logo still looks like new after 7 years. Come on MB, these Chinese badges are rubbish.

maverickvii

It's true that if you have the time, washing by hand is the way to go but come on...machine washes are not that bad. I've been using them for 4yrs with a mb that still looks like new.

Also, the use of a mechanical wash vs by hand likely has nothing to do with Bill's issues; probably just exposed wiring that got wet. Good luck Bill.

xXHotelCrazyXx

try reseting the car by disconnecting the battery for 10 minutes

ImageX

the car is fine now so what ever it is it's getting wet only thru the car wash but everytime i go thru a carwash it does this...

also i dont have the time to sit there and hand wash my car (travel alot and quite honestly the time i do have i spend with the girl and sleep) and also a undercarriage wash how you going to do that with handwashing?? but quite honestly carwashes work just fine for me... an occasional detail (polish and wax) and still looking as good as all the other cars..

but i was just wondering if anyone else has this happen to them and if it's a popular carwash bug or something cause if not this car is going back to the dealership to get checked out...

noka

I agree. I guess it depends on the car wash, how much water they use to rinse the rags, etc. I used to wash my car all the time by hand but I don't always have the time and doing that in the New England Winter is just about impossible. If it's a really nice day and I have nothing better going on, sure,... a manual wash is a great relaxing, head-clearing event. I've mostly been using a mechanical car wash since I got my C300 (also with a couple of past cars) and have no scratches or swirls on the paint. Looks as good as new (except for a couple of rock chips from highway commuting.

MBnewby

There is no problem with a newer touchless car wash that uses fresh water...the really good ones do an amazing job. Who in the hell would go through an old car wash with brushes/rags?! All auto car washes are not the same...find one you like and stick with it. Have a few kids and see if you have time to hand wash your car everytime.

blue00r6

I've got an interesting addition. I have literally taken my car through an auto car wash twice, both in emergency situations where I needed it to look presentable but didnt have time to wash it. BOTH times i have gone through the car wash i have had problems, it is like the paint finish gods are punishing me.

First time, the car ahead of me came off the tracks and the dope just sat there while my car was rammed into the back of his tow hitch. (Car wash company paid for full brand new bumper replacement without a hassle, that was nice)

Second time was a couple weeks ago and as i'm at the exit of the wash and the giant fans are blowing air off the car, water starts spewing in from the middle of the passenger side A-pillar. Not in a seam, not through the window, but directly through the cloth. looked like someone was squirting a squirtgun behind it, directly onto my seat.

fast forward a couple of days and now my blower motor doesnt work (most of the time, it is intermittently functioning for now). so no AC, no heat, nothing happens when i change the settings on the climate control.

I'm going to be taking it in to the dealership soon to see what they say. Luckily i've still got 1,000 miles left on my warranty!

ImageX

the problem with your blower motor sounds almost like my problem but i just get no ac for some reason...

RLE

You are describing those free dealer "courtesy" washes. Not for me, either.

icanectc

Not everyone has the luxury in in the DC area trying to even FIND a automated car wash is a godsend. Dealers will only wash car during business hours Mon-Fri 9-5 can't wash your car in a lot of apartment complex's or on the street. You would need to take it to a real detailer which can cost a pretty penny and in the spring with all the pollen your car will get dirty in 3hours...

encoder

Modern touchless systems, while they don't have brushes, do have some very intense detergents. If peoples cars we're only half clean they wouldn't have a very good reputation and retention rate. So abrasive detergents that have been shown over time to affect the clearcoat and (esp) the rubber trim pieces become a good trade-off for these carwash owners.

Bottom line is, like everything in life, there's no free lunch. The only solution to have a truly clean car, without harming the paint, is a 2 bucket method using high quality detergent. (I personally live the P21S stuff, but there's a lot of good ones out there)

I'd never take any car thru an automatic car wash that I cared about.

RLE

I have been washing the engine compartment of all my cars for a VERY long time and this has never happened including the perhaps six times I've cleaned the C300's engine this way. First, the hot soapy wash followed by a very liberal rinse including the alternator, the multi-rib belt and the coil packs to get all the soap off. I then drive the car home and blast any remaining moisture off with compressed air.

Since your experience is a definite anomaly, you should let the dealer sort it out since it's clear that water is getting in someplace it should not.

Doanster

My car has gone through an automatic touchless wash exactly one time. I had water intrusion during the ride through. When I inspected the car afterward, turns out the high pressure jets flipped the roof-rack attachment point cover up, allowing water to flown down the channel. I wouldn't expect that channel to have interior intrusion capability, but obviously don't know what's underneath or what paths exist for air/water escape.
Can't say if that's what caused your problem or others', but one could carry some blue painter's tape around and seal the four covers before going through a wash just to be safe.

blue00r6

Yes, that is exactly where the water got in, i'm sure it is a known problem

iGeorge

Have your mechanic check two things; Envyxc350 is right on the money, you've got exposed wiring somewhere near the ECU. If you a facing the engine, I think it's on the right side towards the firewall. However, you also have a point of ingress for the water at the rubber seal at the leading edge or side of the hood. A place to check also is the plastic cladding at the leading edge of the hood; the rubber gasket for the leading edge attaches to it and the intake scoops are attached to it. That plastic cladding may have come loose, and water will get in under the gasket.

Imageboi

well it seems it's only certain carwashes that do this.. cause i went thru another and no problems... odd.. i just figure a mb wouldnt have stupid little problems like this... but then again always little problems on every car..

Carsy

I would be a little concerned of the possibility that the soap laden water( Caustic ?) corrodes the electrical system terminals to cause problems down the track.