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      12-08-2014, 07:07 PM   #1
mr.fabulous
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Automatic Car Wash or Not

New here, apologies if this has been discussed before (I can't find it). In my previous life as an E36 owner, I knew well to avoid automatic car washes as too much water over the top of these things can ultimately lead to a flooded DME and a very expensive repair (worst BMW design ever). Is there any such risk with an E82? There's a nifty gas station car wash near where I live; touchless, with a vertical row of jets on a gantry that swings 360deg around the car (car does not move). It's pretty nifty. Anything to worry about with this? I wouldn't use this for all washing, but sometimes it'd be handy...
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      12-08-2014, 09:31 PM   #2
bmw1racer
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Too much water on top?

What about rain?
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      12-08-2014, 11:10 PM   #3
mr.fabulous
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Not sure I can recall an E36 DME flooding from rain, but to lose one in a car wash was not uncommon in the late 90s. Disassemble this forward of the firewall and you'll be *shocked* at the stupidity of the design.

No issues here?
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      03-14-2015, 12:14 AM   #4
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Gantry? Nifty?
Subscribed solely based upon the excellent word choices!

In all seriousness I wash my E82 all the time and go through touch-less car washes all the time as well as live in Rainy Seattle. No issues yet!
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      03-18-2015, 08:57 PM   #5
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Only use touchless if it's too cold to do a hand wash... which is most of the winter season here. The pressure will work on your emblems and window seals. I had emblems that the paint had started to come off.
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      04-02-2015, 04:18 PM   #6
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Yes, use it if it's too cold outside and car overly dirty

If you have to toss up between dirty, crudded with salt and sand car vs. risking strong detergent on an auto wash, choose auto wash as long as it is "touchless"
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      09-12-2015, 01:26 PM   #7
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Auto washes give you 2 bad choices. Dirty rotating brushes or very harsh chemicals required for touchless. This is not a car I care to drive in Canadian winters (or any rear wheel drive), as it's a long term keeper. Hand wash in summer, store it for the winter - it will last and look good virtually indefinitely. My winter solution is a 10+ yr. old front wheel drive that didn't cost much more than a good set of winter wheel/tires.
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