Any recommendations to help make an automated car wash a less stressful experience?

[jjrandorin]

Yeah, that unwritten, "my service guy said ..." type of thing.

I can understand someone saying that (even though most of us know that Tesla service people have given out some bad advice in the past), but when questioned "where does it say that?", that would need to be the response, not "read the #!@$@!$# manual".

 

[VipinLJ]

You only need to press the brake pedal enough to activate the brake lights. You don't have to press it hard enough to actually apply the brake pads. A little practice and you'll be good to go. I recommend practicing shifting in and out of neutral while descending a highway grade.

In my MYLR, I can shift from D to R without having to use the brake pedal at all if the car is rolling at very low speeds (2-3mph usually). Not sure if it changes depending on if the car is in regen or creep or the other mode (I drive using regen).

 

[vmoran24]

I under the impression I could not run my Model Y through an automated car wash. Good to hear that is not the case. I hate having an dirty car...especially during the winter. My blue car looks white with all the salt and can't stand it. I am going to give it try by using the car wash mode and following the advice I have read on this thread. Thank you.

 

[PianoAl]

Is there no touchless car wash in your area? We don't have any here, so I use Optimum No Rinse.

 

[MdlS3xy]

Stressful is an understatement!

So like easy entry I had to figure it out myself with trial and error.

I hate the belt because it can damage the rims. I’ve only ever found one brushless car wash that actually cleans the car and it’s 1.5hrs away. All the rest leave the sides dirty.

So for Costco or other belt type, you have to hand the ticket before car wash mode.

Car wash mode will/should roll up the windows. But …
* brake must be depressed “before” touching car wash mode screen button or the free roll option will NOT work!

Yeah, have fun trying to get the car in neutral when the belt stops, the car wash turns off and the guy is knocking on the window.

Testing this in the driveway works. I have yet to accomplish this at the car wash. …especially when they tell you to pull up after they say neutral and you have to exit car wash mode then it’s impossible to get back in it or neutral

 

[ATPMSD]

I under the impression I could not run my Model Y through an automated car wash. Good to hear that is not the case. I hate having an dirty car...especially during the winter. My blue car looks white with all the salt and can't stand it. I am going to give it try by using the car wash mode and following the advice I have read on this thread. Thank you.

Don’t run your car through any car wash until the paint has fully cured, which takes about 90-days. Only hand wash and be gentle.

 

[joebruin77]

Don’t run your car through any car wash until the paint has fully cured, which takes about 90-days. Only hand wash and be gentle.

I am pretty sure that is outdated advice. That used to be the case for cars manufactured 20 or 30 years ago. But with today's more advanced paints, the paint is fully cured shortly after it leaves the factory.

IMO, there are reasons to avoid car washes and to choose to do a hand wash yourself. But the need to allow the paint to cure is not one of them.

 

[ATPMSD]

I am pretty sure that is outdated advice. That used to be the case for cars manufactured 20 or 30 years ago.

Totally the opposite. Cars used to be delivered with high quality paint, but then the EPA came along and banned those paints. Today the paints are not are good and need extra time to cure.

“…older paints were in fact more durable than the paints we are using on modern cars today because they contained a catalyst, which means they had a chemical structure. In other words they dried through a chemical reaction rather than mechanically by air. These paints could not scratch, they could not peel, they could not chip, and they went on in three or sometimes four layers or even way more. Single stage in fact means you have more quality pigment on your car. The pigment defined your car. How do I know it was scratch proof? Scratching layers of paint off the car is how you brought back the shine of the car. That is why wool pads used to be the norm. The more you scratched off the more your paint would shine. This is where I will bring up the car wash as an example. Today they tell you not to bring your car through the car wash, they say a car wash will destroy your car and eat away at the paint. That used to be the point.”

If you want to do more reading: When Paint Jobs Lasted Forever: The Lost Art Of Single Stage

 

[joebruin77]

Totally the opposite. Cars used to be delivered with high quality paint, but then the EPA came along and banned those paints. Today the paints are not are good and need extra time to cure.

“…older paints were in fact more durable than the paints we are using on modern cars today because they contained a catalyst, which means they had a chemical structure. In other words they dried through a chemical reaction rather than mechanically by air. These paints could not scratch, they could not peel, they could not chip, and they went on in three or sometimes four layers or even way more. Single stage in fact means you have more quality pigment on your car. The pigment defined your car. How do I know it was scratch proof? Scratching layers of paint off the car is how you brought back the shine of the car. That is why wool pads used to be the norm. The more you scratched off the more your paint would shine. This is where I will bring up the car wash as an example. Today they tell you not to bring your car through the car wash, they say a car wash will destroy your car and eat away at the paint. That used to be the point.”

If you want to do more reading: When Paint Jobs Lasted Forever: The Lost Art Of Single Stage

Thanks for sharing your opinion and for the link to the blog post. I am certainly open minded to learning something new and/or learning I was incorrect.

I searched the blog post and I did not see anything specifically about curing time. I understand older paints may have been more durable, but that is a separate issue/question from cure time.

Also, the author of the blog post says the following disclaimer at the beginning of the piece:

"This is not a fact based article. My automotive articles are always geared towards stories about my personal life in the form of a blog, and the incidences I personally run into as a first time owner who is a non professional. About the frustrations I have personally felt owning cars as a consumer. Your experience may completely differ from mine. This article is purely subjective to my own personal taste you may disagree with. This is not an article giving professional advice or suggestions. It’s not to be taken as history or fact. This is a total opinion piece just to give a fair warning."

When I bought my Tesla P3D in 2018, I wanted to have PPF applied as soon as possible. I checked with both the owner of a Tesla approved body shop and the PPF installer and asked them if I needed to wait to allow the paint to cure before applying PPF. Both gave me the same answer. Factory applied paint has special drying processes that speed up the cure time so that by the time the car is delivered to the consumer, the paint is fully cured. Therefore, both said I could apply my PPF the day after I took delivery. No need to wait for more cure time.

However, if a person has their car painted after an accident at a body shop, that is a different story. Body shops don't have the same curing/drying equipment as the factory. So if you have a panel freshly painted at a body shop, then that would require additional cure time.

 

[ATPMSD]

@joebruin77


I posted that link because the guy provided a lot of detailed information. Draw from it what you will.