I will probable get chastised for this but we have a new car wash in town, for $20 you get a months worth of washes! So I went through in the NA, it does a nice job. I have a SRT and XJS Jag also, Sunday afternoons was hand wash day for the three cars if they had been driven. I tend to use the NA because it gets the best mileage and is the least rare car, I have never taken the SRT or XJS through a automatic car wash because they both have the whale tail type spoolers and I worry about them being damaged. So does anyone use a car wash on the SRT's have you had any issues with brushes damaging the spoiler? I still will wash on Sundays and put some wax on the car about once a month if it is driven a lot.

 

I NEVER take my Roadster through an automatic wash because the air dryers / blowers have enough force to blow the glass loose from the canvas top
I will only use a hand spray wash and even then I do not spray the top

 

When on extended trips to CAA events etc. I will use a touchless car wash, never one with brushes on my SRT or the N/A.

 

If I use a car wash, it will be one like Valk referenced above and I typically use these hand spray wash facilities when attending events per zip439 above. Otherwise. the Coupe gets a hand-washing, with a wipe-down to minimize the possibility of water spots.

 

I saw a car going through an auto car wash and somehow it came out of the tracks, it stopped moving and the car behind it ran into it and pushed it a few yards before someone hit the emergency stop button. That was years ago with nobody in the car, maybe it does not happen these days, quite something to see though.
Anyone remember those car washes? People standing in pits doing the wheels, guys swobbing the car down in rubber coveralls and guys swarming all over the car drying it and cleaning the mats at the end.
The top guy waited at the end doing a little drying, asked you if it looked OK, he had someone run over and fix any complaint. He had his hand out to get a tip, I hope he shared it. Pretty quick turnover in those places, I think some just worked long enough to get the money for a bottle of cheap wine.

 

I just clay barred my car and waxed it again. Wouldn't go near a car wash as I was one of those guys,(young) who worked in the car wash 180 referred to. We didn't buy cheap wine, it was a 24 which cost $4.50 in those days. And nobody shared any tips!

 

I trust you shared the beers. LOL

 

Years ago, had Chrysler back up sensors (wife's choice) installed by dealer. Not thinking ahead, nor warned by service advisor, they put our Roadster thru their auto car wash!?! Couple days later, saw the left, lower corner of tail light lens broken off/missing!!!??!! They admitted NO fault (surprise?) but I should have fought with them for a replacement!
HAND WASH. SERIOUSLY.

 

In the UK "hand car wash" outfits are now common place, across most Towns and Cities. Usually comprising foreign (eastern European) guys all running around your car.. some might be hoovering, while others are cleaning the wheels, others drying and buffing the panels etc.
The car does come out gleaming at the end (although they often miss a bit somewhere!). But I've heard the car looks so clean as the products they use are quite strong / concentrated, also jet washing using a high PSI (both not good for your paintwork over repeated washes like that).

 

When I bought my Crossfire, the owner gave me a few pieces of advice...one was ......”Never, ever go through an automated, high spray car wash”

a few years later a new car wash featured free Visits for a week so I took my cars there. Bringing my Crossfire home I noticed the Chrysler emblem next to spoiler was dangling by a thread. The next day the fan blower would not shut off. High speed Water must have backed up the drain holes in firewall and shorted out the resistor underglovebox


the moral of the story is.......Troubleshooting And fixing my blower problem and flushing out all the drain holes was $40 and about 5 hours (plus almost losing the emblem)
....... 30 minutes out of your life to completely Hand wash your car - Priceless

 

, then don't push it, yea but it hurts when I push it............