[orie's_mini]

Hi,
I am thinking of driving through one of those drive-thru car wash with my Mini. Wonder if it would damage any part of the car, for example, the antenna at the rooftop, etc. If anyone had done it before or not, would appreciate any comments.
Thanks

[monsta]

Don't do it!!! Be kind to your MINI, use a jet wash or hand wash....

[AidenL]

Dont use them, especially if its a black car !!Think of those scratches.......

[Phil Craddock]

Be kind to your paintwork
Use your hands

[Martin L]

Arrrgh!!! Don't you love your mini enough?

Apart from the possible scratches in the paintwork, I think the front and rear wipers, as the are not concealed will be prone to damage.
If you don't want to clean it yourself go to a hand wash car wash, they're so much better, and they dry it off too. Not too expensive either.

[Dogger]

Quote:

Originally posted by Martin L
Arrrgh!!! Don't you love your mini enough?

Apart from the possible scratches in the paintwork, I think the front and rear wipers, as the are not concealed will be prone to damage.
If you don't want to clean it yourself go to a hand wash car wash, they're so much better, and they dry it off too. Not too expensive either.

Time for me to come out of the closet (so to speak)

I've put mine through an automated was on several occasions (hey, it was freezing cold at the time.)

The aerial unscrews easily, although I've put it through with it on and it survived untouched - had no problems with the windsreen wipers either.

However, I wouldn't recommend using them as the rear of the car remains filthy (around the number plate especially). I guess the car was trying to tell me something?..

[Martin L]

Quote:

Originally posted by Dogger


Time for me to come out of the closet (so to speak)

I've put mine through an automated was on several occasions (hey, it was freezing cold at the time.)

The aerial unscrews easily, although I've put it through with it on and it survived untouched - had no problems with the windsreen wipers either.

However, I wouldn't recommend using them as the rear of the car remains filthy (around the number plate especially). I guess the car was trying to tell me something?..

Tut, tut, tut...
and I thought you were chosen as a moderator becuase you're supposed to be responsible

[BruceK]

In the US, many automatic car washes are high pressure liquid only ("touchless"), so no brushes or cloths touch the car. Followed by a high pressure "air dry" blast to (almost) dry the car.

Don't you have these type of 'touchless' car washes where you live? If you do, I would think that these types of car washes could be somewhat useful and would not scratch the paintwork. (Of course, they don't clean the car as well as when the dirt is actually removed with a soapy water and a hand sponge ).

[Martin L]

Quote:

Originally posted by BruceK
In the US, many automatic car washes are high pressure liquid only ("touchless"), so no brushes or cloths touch the car. Followed by a high pressure "air dry" blast to (almost) dry the car.

Don't you have these type of 'touchless' car washes where you live? If you do, I would think that these types of car washes could be somewhat useful and would not scratch the paintwork. (Of course, they don't clean the car as well as when the dirt is actually removed with a soapy water and a hand sponge ).

Now that sound's cool. I haven't seen anything like that here.
In the UK there are loads of hand car washes where a team of people, armed with jetwashes, sponges, chamois etc get to work on your car. They do a very good job for a good price, I pay £10 a go for an inside and outside clean.
I haven't gone there with my Cooper yet. I'm in that proud owner cleaing his car on a Sunday mode still!

Better still if you take you mini in for any problems to your dealer, they do a great cleaning job too.

[belfastcooper]

The chemicals used in all commercial car washes (drive-thru and jet) are cheap for financial reasons. They may remove grime but long term they are not good for your bodywork. Best to only clean the car yourself using a quality product like Autoglym. Probably no more expensive, though a little more time consuming. And if it's a cold day, rub harder!!

[noahe]

The high pressure "no-touch" car washes have their perils too. They can blow off loose paint, force soap between the frameless windows, and shoot water into the lock holes.

I haven't tried it with a MINI, but I worry. The MINI is also quite low, I wonder about that track that grabs your wheel. I've hung the Integra up on them before.

Nothing worse than that slow, grind, grind, grind noise as it rakes you forwards. You can't even jump out and ask them to stop the works - unless you want a high pressure shower (with hot wax!).

[J.N.]

Can't beat caressing your baby with a wet cloth.

Oh do behave at the back!

Good tip for bathing your babe in cold weather is to wear washing up type rubber gloves, or use a hand held car-wash-brush and wear ordinary gloves.

Rubber gloves really do stop your hands freezing. Try it.

Wouldn't let mine anywhere near a nasty old car wash with abrasive brushes.

[Viscount Charles]

Quote:

Originally posted by noahe
The high pressure "no-touch" car washes have their perils too. They can blow off loose paint, force soap between the frameless windows, and shoot water into the lock holes.

All of which happen to my classic Mini. Last time, the hi-pressure wash tore the wheel-arch extension right off!

Bucket of soapy water for my MINI when it arrives ...

[groovy_jr]

too right!

It will be me, my karcher and my imperial leather soap for that gently touch...keep it beautiful and soft!

[Ciaran Darcy]

I agree...car washes knacker the paintwork - leaving all those sworls on the lacquer.

One thing I find about the Mini (having had a SAAB in the past), is how quickly one can wash it. I start at the back (always the dirtiest, hence if you leave it till last, you're a little bored and more likely to miss bits) and when I get around the car, back to the back, I always think..."Jeez, am I here already".

And don't forget the aluminium (I think it's aluminium...that "a-LU-min-um" for the yanks) strips on the door sills....My mate has a TT (they have the same thing) and they got wrecked coz he didn't look after them. Apparently, you can get clear tape to put over them if you don't want to have to clean them. But mine get a weekly clean anyway.

The Mini is the first car where I have cleaned the paintwork inside the doors (i.e. the bit of body colour not visible to the outside)

Steer clear of car washes.

[Blackdeath]

I was at a filling station in South Wales (no names!) this morning at the same time as a guy who had just come out of the car wash to find his Vectra badly scatched from end to end by a piece of what looked like car aerial wire stuck in the washer mechanism.

This is not the first time I have seen this happen - the first time was on a 5 series BMW a few years back. That one was really badly damaged, again by a piece of metal.

These contraptions are the work of the devil - AVOID!!!!

[Zub]

Im looking at buying a new Mini soon but you guys surprise me with how you clean your cars!

Put through a car wash?
Let a group of other people wash it?
NO WAY!

I have a black Peugeot 206 and i only wash it myself using a soft cotton wash cloth. Once i have washed it once, the cloth goes in the bin! Evn with me doing this i still have some ultra fine scratches through washing but the amount is far less than if i had used the cloth more than once. No matter how much you clean the cloth there is all those little invisible pieces of dirt waiting to scratch the paint!

[groovy_jr]

Whatever you do.....(if you put your car thru a car wash) switch off thew wipers! I forgot on a van at work and ripped off the wipers, broke the wiper engine, and had to have a new windscreen as it scratched it rather badly!

Not a popular chappy! LOL