MG4 wheel covers and car wash

[airbusa300b4]

Picking my Trophy up on Tuesday and want to put it through IMO's new ceramic wash. Should I take the wheel covers off as I'm worried the wheel brush will damage them?

 

[Ian Key]

I'd be more worried about the twin spoilers on your Trophy.

 

[tsedge]

I would never use a car wash - most of them will cause damage.

 

[Mike01Hu]

Picking my Trophy up on Tuesday and want to put it through IMO's new ceramic wash. Should I take the wheel covers off as I'm worried the wheel brush will damage them?

I have no idea what a IMO ceramic wash is, but I use the latest local car wash for my Trophy every time and there are no issues with either quick wash or full gold service; just ensure the mirrors are folded.

 

[bowfer]

I would never use a car wash - most of them will cause damage.

To the MG specifically?
I’ve been using auto carwashes for decades, zero damage to a single car. ?‍
If you mean minute scratching to the paint, that’s a thing of the past on modern carwashes with roller brushes made of kinder materials.

 

[Deleted member 9692]

To the MG specifically?
I’ve been using auto carwashes for decades, zero damage to a single car. ?‍
If you mean minute scratching to the paint, that’s a thing of the past on modern carwashes with roller brushes made of kinder materials.

Minute scratching of the paint, or clear coat to be specific will be unavoidable with any contact automatic car wash. The brush material is not the point here, it’s the fact that the corrosive dirt was not lifted properly before those “kinder materials“ swirled the dirt all over your car causing swirling of the clear coat. You may not have noticed any “damage to a single car” but it will have been there. Would it bother you personally? I think I already know the answer to that ?

I know many people who are perfectly happy with automatic car washes. If you care about keeping the finish in the best condition then I’m with @tsedge - avoid

 

[tsedge]

Minute scratching of the paint, or clear coat to be specific will be unavoidable with any contact automatic car wash. The brush material is not the point here, it’s the fact that the corrosive dirt was not lifted properly before those “kinder materials“ swirled the dirt all over your car causing swirling of the clear coat. You may not have noticed any “damage to a single car” but it will have been there. Would it bother you personally? I think I already know the answer to that ?

Exactly this.

 

[bowfer]

Minute scratching of the paint, or clear coat to be specific will be unavoidable with any contact automatic car wash. The brush material is not the point here, it’s the fact that the corrosive dirt was not lifted properly before those “kinder materials“ swirled the dirt all over your car causing swirling of the clear coat. You may not have noticed any “damage to a single car” but it will have been there. Would it bother you personally? I think I already know the answer to that ?

I know many people who are perfectly happy with automatic car washes. If you care about keeping the finish in the best condition then I’m with @tsedge - avoid

Well if you want to only ever hand wash, entirely up to you. ?
I’m happy to use an auto one from time to time (usually winter when the car is filthy and it’s too damn cold to hand wash) and there’s no discernable damage to the paint on any of our cars ( black / white / blue )
I’m not blind or inexperienced, I know what swirling looks like.
I’m always complimented on the condition of my cars by colleagues, friends and family and people collecting our lease cars or when I sell/trade PCP ones.
So, IMO, this view you have that using auto carwashes is a bit like going at your car with a scouring pad is OTT and a bit old fashioned.

 

[Rolfe]

I also think that to do better than a carwash as regards getting the grit off in the first place you have to be pretty good at it and pretty careful. I'm not going to plead little old lady here because I have been using carwashes since I got my first car in 1985, but honestly, sometimes life is just too short.

 

[bowfer]

I also think that to do better than a carwash as regards getting the grit off in the first place you have to be pretty good at it and pretty careful. I'm not going to plead little old lady here because I have been using carwashes since I got my first car in 1985, but honestly, sometimes life is just too short.

There’s no denying older carwashes we’re bad, they used rollers with thick nylon ( like really thick fishing line )
It would be abrasive enough when new, but with time it would fray at the ends and there’s no denying you could spot a car that had regular auto wash use ( especially dark colours )
But times change, modern carwashes pre-wash your car before the rollers, the rollers themselves are made of soft cloth stuff like a vileda mop and there’s always tonnes of fresh water getting pumped through.
I’d rather occasional use of those than a filthy mid-winter, caked in salt car..

 

[Ian Key]

There's a certain enjoyment about using a jet wash to cover the car with snow foam, having a quick cuppa while it does its job before rinsing, washing and drying off. Meanwhile talking to the neighbours and giving them advice in two words or less when they suggest you could do their cars next ?

 

[Rolfe]

I'm with Bowfer here. The time the car really needs the muck cleaned off is the time of year when I don't want to be standing on my driveway with a hosepipe in my hands. I just wish either that there was a decent car wash closer than 14 miles away, or that the local fire brigade (500 yards away) would do their fundraising car wash more often than once a year.

 

[bowfer]

There's a certain enjoyment about using a jet wash to cover the car with snow foam, having a quick cuppa while it does its job before rinsing, washing and drying off. Meanwhile talking to the neighbours and giving them advice in two words or less when they suggest you could do their cars next ?

90% of the time I’m citrus pre-wash / foam etc too

 

[memo]

I'm with Bowfer here. The time the car really needs the muck cleaned off is the time of year when I don't want to be standing on my driveway with a hosepipe in my hands. I just wish either that there was a decent car wash closer than 14 miles away, or that the local fire brigade (500 yards away) would do their fundraising car wash more often than once a year.

Personally I always use the "local" hand wash (11klm), inside and out for 14 euros, even our village petrol stations automatic is 11euros with prewash ect.

Best of both worlds, we go for a relaxing bite/shopping, they do the work and better than any auto will do. The car looks new after they have finished it.

 

[Rolfe]

Oh, if only. I have no idea why these enterprises are one to a street in the west, but over in the Edinburgh area there are hardly any. There's a great one in Ferry Road but it takes at least 45 minutes to get there.

I did book the car in for their full valet once, drove there with my bike in the back, got the bike out and cycled to the Botanic Gardens for a lovely day out and lunch, and collected a car that looked new mid-afternoon. That was an expensive one, but worth it occasionally. I just wish we had one closer.

 

[bowfer]

There’s handwashes and handwashes
In Aberdeen there’s a large drive-in handwash that I know is popular with taxi drivers, never used it myself.
It looks professional though.

Then there’s these guys that take over rows of parking spaces in shopping centres….
Don’t trust them, I’ve watched them wash cars using one bucket and no rinsing, they just use cloths to dry the dirty water marks off the cars. ?

 

[memo]

There’s handwashes and handwashes
In Aberdeen there’s a large drive-in handwash that I know is popular with taxi drivers, never used it myself.
It looks professional though.

Then there’s these guys that take over rows of parking spaces in shopping centres….
Don’t trust them, I’ve watched them wash cars using one bucket and no rinsing, they just use cloths to dry the dirty water marks off the cars. ?

Absolutly agree, those in car parks etc that I have seen, wouldn't go near, but this one in the next local town to us is awesome, in its own little drive in "garage" at the top of the towns main street

 

[Ian Key]

Then there’s these guys that take over rows of parking spaces in shopping centres….
Don’t trust them, I’ve watched them wash cars using one bucket and no rinsing, they just use cloths to dry the dirty water marks off the cars. ?

There used to be one of those one bucket car wash enterprises at my local Sainsbury's operating out of a container until immigration turned up one morning.

 

[Deleted member 9692]

Well if you want to only ever hand wash, entirely up to you. ?

Of course, my cars are only ever hand washed, your blessing is appreciated ?

In turn, I am 100% behind your continued patronage of automatic car washes ??

 

[Rolfe]

There used to be a reasonably good one at Hillend, that vanished just as I'd accumulated enough wee stamps on a card for a free wash. I heard they turned out to be a bunch of crooks using it as a cover for a money laundering business. But it was busy and could have been a viable honest enterprise.