Taking Laguna II through auto car wash

Horatio

6,388 posts · Joined 2005

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#2 · Jan 25, 2007

I'm guessing they're concerned that the steering will lock when you stop the engine. It shouldn't on the Lag as long as you leave the card in the slot, but it wouldn't hurt to check beforehand. Mine's hands-free, so I'm not sure when it applies the steering lock.

On later models with the electronic parking brake, turning off the engine would also apply the brake. You should still be able to release it by pressing the button and pulling the handle though.

I tend to leave the engine running through these carwashes after a very embarassing time in an IMO when my car wouldn't restart as I got out of the other end. That was a long time ago, but the habit has stuck. I suppose they ask you to turn off the engine for a reason, and maybe there's a very, very slight risk that you'll get water in the air intake. Most likely they're worried about you accidentally knocking it into gear and racing out of the front of the car wash. If you're sensible, then that won't happen

 

SportTourer

2,666 posts · Joined 2005

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#3 · Jan 25, 2007

I personally don't use automatic/drive thru car washes. They don't do a particularlrly brilliant job and scratch your paintwork. The ones I have seen also cost a fortune.

Some people use them often and say the paint work is fine. Depends on how you want to look after your car really, if its a company car you probably wouldn't be that bothered.

Using it every so often would probably be ok, but don't use it every week or you might as well use a brillo pad to wash your car. The fine scratches will only show up in bright sunlight (or at least show up most).

You can't beat actually washing the car yourself with a bucket,sponge ( a wash mitt is even better, to avoid scratches) & hose or pressure washer. It probably doesn't take much longer either, unless you just pop in to the car wash on your way past,rather than make a special trip.

 

davesss

4,771 posts · Joined 2005

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#4 · Jan 25, 2007

I would never use a car wash for the same reasons as above.

If you use a jet washer make sure it is not to powerful, new research has shown that 5 seconds on one spot on the tyres can damage them and make them unsafe.

 

L

laguna steve

144 posts · Joined 2007

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#5 · Jan 26, 2007

Car Washing

I never youse one, hate the things and they do scrach your paint work big time.

I always wash with sheep skin hand glove or sponge, jet wash the wheels and underneath, and and cold rinse after. i can spend hours cleaning my lag.

But after saying that, if its the company van, "well" car wash it is but i normaly get one of the drivers to do that.

 

Horatio

6,388 posts · Joined 2005

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#6 · Jan 26, 2007

I've had worse than a few swirls and scratches from an automatic car wash before now. I took my (then) brand new Mazda 323F through one once, and the overhead roller brush somehow managed to get under the back wiper.

It snapped the aluminium wiper arm and bounced the blade and the remainder of the arm off the roof with quite considerable force.

So there I was with a brand new car, ready for its first trip to the bodyshop.

I noticed afterwards that some car washes started supplying plastic sleeves to go over your rear wiper arm. From that, I'd conclude that it wasn't an isolated incident.

I tend to wash mine by hand these days, using a huge brush with very soft bristles. It's designed to go onto the end of the hosepipe, but it leaks at just about every joint. I just dunk it in a bucket of soapy water and use the hose to rinse down. It works brilliantly.

All in all, it probably takes less than 10 minutes to wash the car, and you can spend that long queuing for the local car wash (well you could until they bumped the prices up.) I'll only bother with the car wash if the weather's too nasty to be out there hand washing it and the car's absolutely filthy.