Will car wash damage my 2020 ram 1500?

[SnowBlaZR2]

I value my time to much to care I guess.

I think everyone values their time. I think it's more about whether you enjoy it or not. I don't like cutting the grass, so I pay someone to do that. I like washing my truck enough to spend 30 minutes a week doing it.

 

[HAL9001]

I am always surprised that some care so much about a truck, to me its a utility vehicle. I can understand handwashing something exotic and expensive, but there is no way I would hand wash a truck? I value my time to much to care I guess. I have a few motorcycles I am handwashing because there is no automated wash.

Not trying to argue with anyone, its a free world, spend your time on whatever you want, more an observation from my side.

A lot of trucks are utility vehicles and are rightly treated as such. But many newer trucks are $69,000 luxury vehicles that look incredible. I don't know about you, but I'm going to treat a vehicle I paid $69,000 for a lot better than a utility vehicle.

 

[ferraiolo1]

And this is why you see 5-10 year old trucks driving around with rusted out fenders and rocker panels.

Yup. Or clear coat looking like chalk. And then people come on here and complain “pos manufactures can’t make ‘em like they used to!”


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[mikeru82]

I think everyone values their time. I think it's more about whether you enjoy it or not. I don't like cutting the grass, so I pay someone to do that. I like washing my truck enough to spend 30 minutes a week doing it.

You nailed it there cap'n. Except it takes me a lot longer than 30 minutes to hand wash my truck. Just drying it off takes that long LOL. Need to look into getting a blow dryer I guess. I Just hand washed and detailed mine on Sunday. Took almost 3 hours, but she looks great now that the winter grime is off.

 

[SD Rebel]

I think you guys can have both. I have a brand new vehicle that has gone through the same auto wash probably 20 times already, and honestly looks great. That's what has convinced me to take my RAM through there, which I have two-bucket washed for almost 3 years up to now.

Not all auto washes are created equal, I think that's where the difference is. Looks like I found a good one. I was the hand wash only guy for a long time, but changed my tune by the positive results I've seen. I'm not saying it's the best way, but I'm also not saying that auto car wash will destroy your paint either.

 

[SnowBlaZR2]

You nailed it there cap'n. Except it takes me a lot longer than 30 minutes to hand wash my truck. Just drying it off takes that long LOL. Need to look into getting a blow dryer I guess. I Just hand washed and detailed mine on Sunday. Took almost 3 hours, but she looks great now that the winter grime is off.

Oh, sure. If your truck is pretty dirty and you dry it with a towel like a heathen, it will take longer.

 

[SnowBlaZR2]

I think you guys can have both. I have a brand new vehicle that has gone through the same auto wash probably 20 times already, and honestly looks great. That's what has convinced me to take my RAM through there, which I have two-bucket washed for almost 3 years up to now.

Not all auto washes are created equal, I think that's where the difference is. Looks like I found a good one. I was the hand wash only guy for a long time, but changed my tune by the positive results I've seen. I'm not saying it's the best way, but I'm also not saying that auto car wash will destroy your paint either.

Where is this "great" wash? Aside from the damage they cause, they don't do a very good job. "Good enough for me" and great aren't the same thing.

Covering the dirty, scratched up paint with "liquid glass triple coat high gloss ceramic wax" doesn't count.

 

[SD Rebel]

Where is this "great" wash? Aside from the damage they cause, they don't do a very good job. "Good enough for me" and great aren't the same thing.

Covering the paint with "liquid glass triple coat high gloss ceramic wax" doesn't count.

Trust me, I was you just recently, at least when it came to my truck, I would never consider running it in an auto wash. However, we have new vehicles that are commuters and daily drivers my family aren't so carful about, so no issue running them in an auto wash.

However, I noticed this relatively new car still looked gleaming after many runs through this car wash, nothing my critical eye could see, still looking like new. So after feeling really lazy on truck wash day, I brought my RAM and ran her through this auto car wash. Zero dirt left behind, no scratches that I could see. Honestly looks as good if not better than one of my careful hand washes. Even the tires were clean.

I use the cheapest wash they have, which is $6 and doesn't apply quick wax in the wash to hide anything. Considering how easy and clean my truck looked after, I decided this is the way I will go from now on. As I mentioned, this is me and the specific car wash I am using, not everyone's results will be the same.

 

[ferraiolo1]

I think you guys can have both. I have a brand new vehicle that has gone through the same auto wash probably 20 times already, and honestly looks great. That's what has convinced me to take my RAM through there, which I have two-bucket washed for almost 3 years up to now.

Not all auto washes are created equal, I think that's where the difference is. Looks like I found a good one. I was the hand wash only guy for a long time, but changed my tune by the positive results I've seen. I'm not saying it's the best way, but I'm also not saying that auto car wash will destroy your paint either.

If you’re truck has a good wax job or ceramic coat, you really only have to use a foam cannon on it and wipe dry. It’s easier to keep a truck clean with preventative measures. As nothing really sticks to it


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[SnowBlaZR2]

Trust me, I was you just recently, at least when it came to my truck, I would never consider running it in an auto wash. However, we have new vehicles that are commuters and daily drivers my family aren't so carful about, so no issue running them in an auto wash.

However, I noticed this relatively new car still looked gleaming after many runs through this car wash, nothing my critical eye could see, still looking like new. So after feeling really lazy on truck wash day, I brought my RAM and ran her through this auto car wash. Zero dirt left behind, no scratches that I could see. Honestly looks as good if not better than one of my careful hand washes. Even the tires were clean.

I use the cheapest wash they have, which is $6 and doesn't apply quick wax in the wash to hide anything. Considering how easy and clean my truck looked after, I decided this is the way I will go from now on. As I mentioned, this is me and the specific car wash I am using, not everyone's results will be the same.

Not all hand washes are created equally, either.

I'd say the chances that you've found the only touchless wash in the world that actually cleans the paint and doesn't damage it are exactly zero.

As I've said before, I don't care if you clean your truck with a belt sander. It's your truck and your paint. But, touchless washes are garbage if you want to have legitimately great paint.

 

[mikeru82]

Oh, sure. If your truck is pretty dirty and you dry it with a towel like a heathen, it will take longer.

It's a special towel with a scouring pad to clean off what I missed when I washed it.

My days of drying cars with towels ended before the last century.

 

[SnowBlaZR2]

It's a special towel with a scouring pad to clean off what I missed when I washed it.

My days of drying cars with towels ended before the last century.

I used to use those Absorber towels before I knew any better.

 

[SD Rebel]

Not all hand washes are created equally, either.

I'd say the chances that you've found the only touchless wash in the world that actually cleans the paint and doesn't damage it are exactly zero.

As I've said before, I don't care if you clean your truck with a belt sander. It's your truck and your paint. But, touchless washes are garbage if you want to have legitimately great paint.

I have all the right equipment, I was (probably still) a bit of a amateur detail guy. I have 3 buckets (shampoo, rinse, wheels), power washer with 90 degree connector, Rupees polisher, grit guards, etc. I do know how to wash a car properly and have been doing it for many years.

The car wash is not touchless, it uses rotating brushes. I didn't say it didn't damage the paint, anything you touch with the paint damages it, of course it is going to cause more hairline scratches on the clear coat than a wash mitt.

For me, it's pretty negligible the clear coat scratches its putting on. If it does get bad enough for me to notice, I will simply get it paint corrected, something I do usually every 4-5 years anyways.

But we got vehicles that have gone through this car wash many many times, and I honestly can't see an issue with the paint. My point is, yes you won't get professional looking paint with an auto wash, but it's not crap either, if I told you my Toyota was only hand wash since new (instead of over 20 auto washes), you would believe it.

 

[SnowBlaZR2]

I have all the right equipment, I was (probably still) a bit of a amateur detail guy. I have 3 buckets (shampoo, rinse, wheels), power washer with 90 degree connector, Rupees polisher, grit guards, etc. I do know how to wash a car properly and have been doing it for many years.

The car wash is not touchless, it uses rotating brushes. I didn't say it didn't damage the paint, anything you touch with the paint damages it, of course it is going to cause more hairline scratches on the clear coat than a wash mitt.

For me, it's pretty negligible the clear coat scratches its putting on. If it does get bad enough for me to notice, I will simply get it paint corrected, something I do usually every 4-5 years anyways.

But we got vehicles that have gone through this car wash many many times, and I honestly can't see an issue with the paint. My point is, yes you won't get professional looking paint with an auto wash, but it's not crap either, if I told you my Toyota was only hand wash since new (instead of over 20 auto washes), you would believe it.

Lol that you've been talking about rubbing dirty brushes all over your paint this whole time. Touchless washes are crap. Brushes are absolutely jacking up your paint.

I'm not a fan of the two-bucket method, either. But hey, it's still better than automatic washes and at least you have all the equipment.

 

[SD Rebel]

Lol that you've been talking about rubbing dirty brushes all over your paint this whole time. Touchless washes are crap. Brushes are absolutely jacking up your paint.

I'm not a fan of the two-bucket method, either. But hey, it's still better than automatic washes and at least you have all the equipment.

If it's jacking my paint, I'm not seeing it, at least not to the point is noticeable to me. Again, I'm as shocked as you, I never thought I would run my RAM through an auto wash, but I'm happy with the results.

Either way, there no damage that a standard polish/paint correction won't fix years from now. I bought last year a 2004 Crossfire with original paint that has only seen autowashes, and it still get complements for it's nice looking paint. Though it's finally getting to the point where I am likely to polish it based on my own standards.

 

[SnowBlaZR2]

If it's jacking my paint, I'm not seeing it, at least not to the point is noticeable to me. Nothing a standard polish/paint correction won't fix years from now.

Sure, which is why I've repeatedly said that it might be acceptable to you, but that doesn't mean it's doing a great job.

Removing clear coat to fix something that could've been done correctly from the start isn't a "positive result."

 

[mikeru82]

Sure, which is why I've repeatedly said that it might be acceptable to you, but that doesn't mean it's doing a great job.

Removing clear coat to fix something that could've been done correctly from the start isn't a "positive result."

 

[SD Rebel]

Sure, which is why I've repeatedly said that it might be acceptable to you, but that doesn't mean it's doing a great job.

Removing clear coat to fix something that could've been done correctly from the start isn't a "positive result."

Removing clear coat is part of any cutting polish, whether you hand wash it or not, you can't avoid that process in paint correction. I know plenty of professionally hand washed cars that eventually need to be paint corrected/polished.

The question is how long it takes before you need to do that. Sure, proper hand wash I can probably go a bit longer before I need a polish, but I will eventually need one someday regardless of how I wash it.

Again, I'm not trying to say it's a better way or convince you to do it, I'm just here to say I was against auto washes, and now I'm not. My paint looks great and I'm loving the convenience and it's a price I'm willing to make.

 

[SnowBlaZR2]

Removing clear coat is part of any polish, whether you hand wash it or not, you can't avoid that process. I know plenty of professionally hand washed cars that eventually need to be hand polished.

A coated and properly maintained vehicle isn't going to need paint correction "every 4-5 years just because."

Sorry, bud, but this is where you went wrong:

Honestly looks as good if not better than one of my careful hand washes.

If you're doing a proper hand wash, there's no way in hell an automatic wash is doing as good or better of a job.

I'll buy that it's more convenient for some. Maybe even more time efficient. Maybe. But when you say it actually does a better job than a correctly done hand wash, you lose me.

 

[SD Rebel]

A coated and properly maintained vehicle isn't going to need paint correction "every 4-5 years just because."

Sorry, bud, but this is where you went wrong:

If you're doing a proper hand wash, there's no way in hell an automatic wash is doing as good or better of a job.

If you off-road like I do, then you probably will need to do a paint correction every 4-5 years. Also, that 4-5 years is based on when I typically get rid of my primary vehicle, I like to shine them up before selling them. If I kept it longer, I probably won't need to do it.

Also, most new vehicles could uses a proper polish and coating as they can often be swirled up during the time they arrive and sit at a dealership. Look at any new black vehicle sitting at most lots, it's swirl city. But that's up to whatever standard you have.

The quote you noted about me saying it looks better than my hand washing was more an overexaggerating of how impressed I've been with my auto wash. It's probably not better, assuming I do a good job, but pretty darn close that I was that impressed.

I agree that hand washing is better, but I don't agree that all auto washes will destroy your paint. It's clearly not the case if so many people use them, including the dealership. That's my only point here. I found an place that has done a great job for my other vehicles, and happy with what it's done on my RAM.