Preperation for drive through car wash?

grunyon · 03-10-2013, 03:58 PM

This might make some of you guys in here cringe, but I am perfectly happy taking my 135i through the car wash instead of spending an hour in the driveway hang washing it. I see very little difference it just isn't worth it to me.

What I would like to know is any tips you guys may have for me to help the drive through wash do it's best. Anything to help loosen up bird poop and bugs and wheel dust is great. I find that spraying on some wheel cleaner before going through really helps loosen up and get all of the brake dust off. Anything else I can do?

bmw1racer · 03-10-2013, 04:03 PM

Uh, why do any prep at all if it isn't worth it?

Pig Farmer · 03-10-2013, 04:23 PM

If you use a carwash that pulls your car through the wash on tracks, just be aware that the inside of your wheels can drag along the guard rails and remove the paint.

Gray_Panther · 03-10-2013, 07:48 PM

Or you can buy optimum no rinse wash and shine and spend 20 minutes washing it in the comfort of your garage.
But yeah drive through car washes make me cringe.

ansch · 03-10-2013, 10:01 PM

don't waste money on products to prep drive through carwash, just use a scraper to losen the bird poop if they're baked on that hard :/

Lester · 03-10-2013, 10:48 PM

I see you are from New Jersey. Cover up the bullet holes with duct tape....

Seriously though, what color is your car? You are bound to get swirl marks on it, so I'd take it to a profesional detailer once a year for a clay bar, and paint protection.

bmw1racer · 03-10-2013, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lester

You are bound to get swirl marks on it, so I'd take it to a profesional detailer once a year for a clay bar, and paint protection.

From what I gather, I don't think the OP really cares.

Kgolf31 · 03-10-2013, 11:57 PM

Take some steel wool and scrub the whole car. It will really help loosen up everything.

/sarcasm

PS - I find it fairly funny you care about products to help clean the car...yet you don't car about swirl marks (which look worse than a dirty car, IMO)

YMMV

ansch · 03-11-2013, 12:20 AM

sounds like the problem is the OP doesn't use the drive thru car wash often enough. His main issue is probably baked on bird poop and bug that even the drive thru can't strip off

BBursey · 03-11-2013, 09:25 AM

I'll just throw my $0.02 in here (which rounds to nothing now that Canada has abolished the penny!).

I hand wash my car when I can (every couple months using Optimum No-Rinse in the comfort of our condo parking garage), but in winter, I'm happy to drive through a touchless wash once a week to get road grime and salt off my car. After two years of doing that, I still enjoy a swirl-free finish.

Cheers,
Bryan

dorkdog · 03-11-2013, 09:35 AM

We have one of those down the road. The touch*ess ones. I spritz the wheels first, then a quick vacuum (if it's not too co*d) to *et the whee* stuff soak, then thru the wash. Whi*e in the wash I use the 303 on my dash and interior.

Wreaks havoc on a waxed finish but in the dead of winter, so what?

Gray_Panther · 03-11-2013, 04:16 PM

so paint bubbles dont form from oxidation and corrosion?

After 12 years of upstate NY winter my GTI has shown that protection from a durable layer or layers from wax/paint sealant can prevent it. Yes I am shamelessly proud of that.

dorkdog · 03-12-2013, 09:11 AM

I select the wax that the car wash puts on there. It's not very good, but in spring I'll clay it and wash with Dawn before 'summerizing' the paint with some Zaino.

Zombie1 · 03-21-2013, 03:44 PM

Just wash it ahhh!

andrey_gta · 03-21-2013, 03:58 PM

I use no touch car washes this past winter, only because it was cold and they weather guarantee meant that i could take it for a wash up to 48 hours later. 2 for 1 deal

I would prep the Rear of the car near the trunk and the areas around sideskirts. I found that No-touch washes did not clean them well. Perhaps just use the window squeegee's foam side at a gas station, I don think people use those on cars that they care about so why not. Just dont apply any pressure, or simply splash the water on the areas

Kgolf31 · 03-21-2013, 04:06 PM

Oh these responses are making me shriek. Poor paint techniques ITT

kilgore · 03-22-2013, 12:30 AM

Seen this happen a lot, the steel tracking rails in the car wash "curbing" the outer lip of the rims. No thanks.

cwg · 04-27-2013, 04:29 AM

no thanks for me - never used an auto wash. Cant even imagine how bad my jett black paint woud look

AKopp · 04-28-2013, 01:18 PM

Spend some quality time with it. Wash it by hand and then detail spray between washes. No other way.

jkoral · 04-28-2013, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kgolf31

PS - I find it fairly funny you care about products to help clean the car...yet you don't car about swirl marks (which look worse than a dirty car, IMO)

Case in point: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showt...php?p=13890154

jkoral · 04-28-2013, 01:26 PM

Full disclosure: I occasionally take our family SUV through the automatic car wash. Light silver color, doesn't seem to show swirls and the Japanese paint seems so much harder and durable. Very few paint chips with twice the mileage of my BMWs.

I've never taken a BMW through and I don't even let the (BMW) dealer wash my cars.

PA135i · 04-28-2013, 02:31 PM

I use a touchless car wash here only as a last resort in the Winter to get salt off. It does not have a track. Just drive in to a point and does a high pressure wash. I gave up on track washers years ago. They damage wheels.

03-10-2013, 03:58 PM	#1
grunyon Enlisted Member 16 Rep 36 Posts Drives: 2008 BMW 135i Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Flemington, NJ iTrader: (1)	Preperation for drive through car wash? This might make some of you guys in here cringe, but I am perfectly happy taking my 135i through the car wash instead of spending an hour in the driveway hang washing it. I see very little difference it just isn't worth it to me. What I would like to know is any tips you guys may have for me to help the drive through wash do it's best. Anything to help loosen up bird poop and bugs and wheel dust is great. I find that spraying on some wheel cleaner before going through really helps loosen up and get all of the brake dust off. Anything else I can do?
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03-10-2013, 04:03 PM	#2
bmw1racer bimmerphile, technogeek 998 Rep 3,784 Posts Drives: 2012 E82 6MT Sport Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: SoCal iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 BMW 128i Coupe [0.00]	Uh, why do any prep at all if it isn't worth it? __________________
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03-10-2013, 04:23 PM	#3
Pig Farmer Major 340 Rep 1,293 Posts Drives: E92M Join Date: May 2010 Location: Florida iTrader: (0)	If you use a carwash that pulls your car through the wash on tracks, just be aware that the inside of your wheels can drag along the guard rails and remove the paint.
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03-10-2013, 07:48 PM	#4
Gray_Panther Brigadier General 1553 Rep 3,234 Posts Drives: 128i Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Upstate NY iTrader: (0)	Or you can buy optimum no rinse wash and shine and spend 20 minutes washing it in the comfort of your garage. But yeah drive through car washes make me cringe. __________________ 2012 BMW 128i 6MT Deep Sea Blue Metallic
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03-10-2013, 10:01 PM	#5
ansch Captain 33 Rep 645 Posts Drives: SGM 135i Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Brisbane, Australia iTrader: (1)	don't waste money on products to prep drive through carwash, just use a scraper to losen the bird poop if they're baked on that hard :/
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03-10-2013, 10:48 PM	#6
Lester Brigadier General 295 Rep 3,350 Posts Drives: Join Date: Oct 2007 iTrader: (0)	I see you are from New Jersey. Cover up the bullet holes with duct tape.... Seriously though, what color is your car? You are bound to get swirl marks on it, so I'd take it to a profesional detailer once a year for a clay bar, and paint protection.
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03-10-2013, 11:57 PM	#8
Kgolf31 Brigadier General 459 Rep 4,531 Posts Drives: 2007 Z4MC, 2012 128i Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ohio iTrader: (4)	Take some steel wool and scrub the whole car. It will really help loosen up everything. /sarcasm PS - I find it fairly funny you care about products to help clean the car...yet you don't car about swirl marks (which look worse than a dirty car, IMO) YMMV
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03-11-2013, 12:20 AM	#9
ansch Captain 33 Rep 645 Posts Drives: SGM 135i Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Brisbane, Australia iTrader: (1)	sounds like the problem is the OP doesn't use the drive thru car wash often enough. His main issue is probably baked on bird poop and bug that even the drive thru can't strip off
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03-11-2013, 09:25 AM	#10
BBursey Work hard, play harder 14 Rep 261 Posts Drives: 2011 135i Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Calgary, AB iTrader: (0) Garage List 2011 135i [0.00]	I'll just throw my $0.02 in here (which rounds to nothing now that Canada has abolished the penny!). I hand wash my car when I can (every couple months using Optimum No-Rinse in the comfort of our condo parking garage), but in winter, I'm happy to drive through a touchless wash once a week to get road grime and salt off my car. After two years of doing that, I still enjoy a swirl-free finish. Cheers, Bryan __________________ 2011 135i M Sport \| COBB V3 AP Stage 1+ \| ER FMIC and CP \| BMS OCC \| Dinan Stage 3 Suspension \| Dinan High Performance Bushing Kit \| M3 Wishbones \| Modified CDV \| Clutch Stop \| APEX EC-7 Wheels w/ Michelin PSS 235/40R18 265/35R18 Tires \| Maddad Street Series Exhaust \| BMW Performance Kidney Grills \| LCI Blacklines \| Armrest Delete \| Spoiler Delete \| 28% Tint
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03-11-2013, 09:35 AM	#11
dorkdog Big Mouth No Filter 49 Rep 586 Posts Drives: 128i Montego Blue 6MT Sport Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Puyallup WA iTrader: (0)	We have one of those down the road. The touchess ones. I spritz the wheels first, then a quick vacuum (if it's not too cod) to et the whee stuff soak, then thru the wash. Whi*e in the wash I use the 303 on my dash and interior. Wreaks havoc on a waxed finish but in the dead of winter, so what? __________________ We do not inherit the Earth from our parents; we borrow it from our children
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03-11-2013, 04:16 PM	#12
Gray_Panther Brigadier General 1553 Rep 3,234 Posts Drives: 128i Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Upstate NY iTrader: (0)	so paint bubbles dont form from oxidation and corrosion? After 12 years of upstate NY winter my GTI has shown that protection from a durable layer or layers from wax/paint sealant can prevent it. Yes I am shamelessly proud of that. __________________ 2012 BMW 128i 6MT Deep Sea Blue Metallic
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03-12-2013, 09:11 AM	#13
dorkdog Big Mouth No Filter 49 Rep 586 Posts Drives: 128i Montego Blue 6MT Sport Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Puyallup WA iTrader: (0)	I select the wax that the car wash puts on there. It's not very good, but in spring I'll clay it and wash with Dawn before 'summerizing' the paint with some Zaino. __________________ We do not inherit the Earth from our parents; we borrow it from our children
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03-21-2013, 03:44 PM	#14
Zombie1 Colonel 171 Rep 2,347 Posts Drives: BMW 135i 2010 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Island long iTrader: (6)	Just wash it ahhh! __________________ Mods:-Berkexhaust -alpinaB3flash -CobbAP -Cobb FMIC -ER charge pipe tialQ bov -M3 front sway bar -M3 subframe bushings -M3 front upper and lower control arms -M3 guide rods -M3 rear upper control arms -Mfactory LSD -defiv lockdown kit -TC Kline SA coilovers /camber plates- HP rear toe arms
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03-21-2013, 03:58 PM	#15
andrey_gta Brigadier General 298 Rep 4,040 Posts Drives: 130i coupé ;) Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Bimmerpost iTrader: (1) Garage List 2008 BMW 128i [10.00]	I use no touch car washes this past winter, only because it was cold and they weather guarantee meant that i could take it for a wash up to 48 hours later. 2 for 1 deal I would prep the Rear of the car near the trunk and the areas around sideskirts. I found that No-touch washes did not clean them well. Perhaps just use the window squeegee's foam side at a gas station, I don think people use those on cars that they care about so why not. Just dont apply any pressure, or simply splash the water on the areas __________________ 128i Sport 6MT converted to Euro 130i spec, 3.73 diff, tuned by evolve ~220 whp 207 wtq(ft-lb) SAE In-progress: //M front arm, M3 rack, e36M lip Wishlist: Coils, n55 mnts, headers, LSD, e60 finn diff "The 1-series is the last car that BMW engineered before the Germans, as a car-making culture, fell out of love with driving." - R&T 2013 135is
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03-21-2013, 04:06 PM	#16
Kgolf31 Brigadier General 459 Rep 4,531 Posts Drives: 2007 Z4MC, 2012 128i Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ohio iTrader: (4)	Oh these responses are making me shriek. Poor paint techniques ITT
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03-22-2013, 12:30 AM	#17
kilgore New Member 1 Rep 23 Posts Drives: 2010 BMW 135i Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Valparaiso, IN. iTrader: (0)	Seen this happen a lot, the steel tracking rails in the car wash "curbing" the outer lip of the rims. No thanks.
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04-27-2013, 04:29 AM	#18
cwg Captain 45 Rep 723 Posts Drives: 2017 M4 ZCP. AZB on black Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Kailua, HI iTrader: (0)	no thanks for me - never used an auto wash. Cant even imagine how bad my jett black paint woud look
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04-28-2013, 01:18 PM	#19
AKopp Second Lieutenant 24 Rep 265 Posts Drives: 2009 BMW 135i Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: PA iTrader: (0)	Spend some quality time with it. Wash it by hand and then detail spray between washes. No other way. __________________ 2009 135i - SG/Coral - 19" Alufelgen SF-71 - ST Coilovers - Cobb Stage 2+ - AR Downpipes - Berk Sport Exhaust - Active Autowerke Charge Pipe - AMS FMIC - AFE DCI - LUX V3 Angel Eyes - LCI Blacklines - Active Autowerke Strut Tower Brace - BMW Performance CF Spoiler - Kerscher Carbon Splitter - Scopian CF Diffuser - MusicarNW Level 2
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04-28-2013, 01:26 PM	#21
jkoral Lieutenant Colonel 1021 Rep 1,965 Posts Drives: 2017 M2 LBB 6MT Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: MA iTrader: (7)	Full disclosure: I occasionally take our family SUV through the automatic car wash. Light silver color, doesn't seem to show swirls and the Japanese paint seems so much harder and durable. Very few paint chips with twice the mileage of my BMWs. I've never taken a BMW through and I don't even let the (BMW) dealer wash my cars.
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04-28-2013, 02:31 PM	#22
PA135i Brigadier General 967 Rep 3,323 Posts Drives: 08 135i 08 CR-V Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Pennsylvania iTrader: (0)	I use a touchless car wash here only as a last resort in the Winter to get salt off. It does not have a track. Just drive in to a point and does a high pressure wash. I gave up on track washers years ago. They damage wheels. __________________ Sparkling Graphite Metallic / 6MT / Terracotta Boston Leather / Sport Package / Comfort Access system / Gray Poplar wood trim / Heated front seats / iPod and USB adapter / HD radio / Premium hi-fi system / OE Tuning / VRSF Intercooler & charge pipe / BMW Performance short shift kit / BMW M Performance Handbrake Handle / BMW Stainless steel pedals / V1 hardwired / rear sun shades *Pennsylvania 20 electoral votes*
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