At the car wash...

[cinergi]

I'm sure they're just covering their butts with this statement. There are LOTS of disclaimers around automatic car washes, especially ones that touch the car. Regardless of the car, I'd never take one through anything other than touchless.

 

[mlascano]

I'm a little concerned when reading through this thread because it looks like many are assuming there is some ominous reason behind the 'use brushless only' directive. Let's not go down that path again.

Have any of you contacted Tesla to understand why? I'm willing to bet a lunch that it has to do with maintaining the paint - and that most high end cars say the same thing (and some say NEVER take through an automatic wash).

I highly doubt that it is anything to do with the car being electric or aluminum ... because if there was some reason attached to that, brush or brushless wouldn't be the issue.

Could we PLEASE assume good intent before we start yet another thread that takes a rumor and turns it into fact?

(And while some have been asking for the owner's manual, you don't actually have the car yet. It's fine to ask, but hopefully no one is actually complaining.)

No complaining here, Bonnie. Just patiently waiting to get a copy of the Manual (which we know now from Rod and Barbara's post on TM already exists as a hard copy) and assuming nothing (good or evil) until we get a complete answer from TM (I have asked my rep about this issue, answer was "don't know").
I fully support the notion of not jumping to conclusions, let's wait until we get more concrete info. We don't even have our cars yet!! Figuring out where/how to wash them (although important) can certainly wait a bit more! :wink:

 

[bonnie]

Bless you.

 

[MikeK]

What parts of the warranty are void? The whole thing?

IANAL, but I don't think it says that the warranty is void. It says, "could cause damage that is not covered by the warranty." I interpret that to say, for example, if they have a bad brush or a pebble stuck to one of the cloth things and it scratches up the paint, don't file a warranty claim for that

 

[Lloyd]

Bless you.

Sorry Couldn't resist

 

[strider]

We have a Roadster 1.5 that has a prohibition (after it was paid for -- can you say surprise?) from using automated car washes. The reasons were vague enough that I forgot the details, but faintly remember something about the electrics or paint durability.

My understanding is this was for 2 reasons - 1) since the motor and PEM are air-cooled, high-pressure water could find it's way into the fans and ventilation openings and end up in the PEM which is not designed to be soaked in water. 2) Paint doesn't bond as well to carbon fiber as it does to metal.

Both of the above are non-issues w/ Model S so as long as you are ok w/ the potential for paint damage you won't hurt the car w/ a car wash.

 

[W8MM]

Could we PLEASE assume good intent before we start yet another thread that takes a rumor and turns it into fact?

Hey, slow down.

You forget that my house has had experience with Tesla before. We've owned a Roadster 1.5 since March of 2008. There's no speculating that the Roadster came with an admonition to NEVER take it through an automated car wash. I've been living with hand washing it for the past 4 1/2 years. That's one more reason to not drive it in the winter (besides the suicidal behavior of the ABS in some slick surface scenarios -- ones not listed in the instructions or ever to be fixed or upgraded). I tried to coax out of various Rangers on their service visits ways to hedge the car wash rule -- many years to no avail.

I was never given the slightest insight into the car wash prohibition other than "Dont ever do it". I've been faithful to their proscriptions and just accepted that the Roadster was an occasional fun ride interspersed with fun rides in other of our several fun cars -- none of which are daily drivers. I've treated the Roadster like my Carrera GT or my wife's Z8, something close to fine jewelry, only worn on occasion, and washed and cared for with that in mind.

The Model S is a completely different proposition. It's purported to be a daily driver that's fun to drive and, oh ... by the way, it's electric. Did I get the marketing position about right?

Since it's a daily driver, having to treat it like a new-born baby seems counter-intuitive to the function. I'm agitated because the wording of the car wash prohibition quoted above seems eerily similar to what we were told about the Roadster. If it turns out that there is no functional difference between the prohibitions, I'll be really quite, very very upset!

My reasons:

1) If this is just lawyer talk preventing Tesla's warranty from liability for holograms being micro-scratched into the finish AND the same applied to the Roadster, I am over the top upset that I wasted 4 1/2 years of my life hand washing for no reason important to me. The Rangers made automated washing sound to have dire consequences. Now... I don't know. Do you?

2) If the reasons are the same as the those for the Roadster and they are serious and valid, then the Model S is a joke of a daily driver in my climate and to have waited since 2009 for this car when trusting that Tesla would make all of the inadequacies of the Roadster 1.5 right has been a tragic waste of time.

So, yes, I have given continuous years of credit to Tesla for good intentions. But, with hindsight provided by experience, I'm left to ponder:

Were they diddling me then, or are they diddling me now?

 

[W8MM]

My understanding is this was for 2 reasons - 1) since the motor and PEM are air-cooled, high-pressure water could find it's way into the fans and ventilation openings and end up in the PEM which is not designed to be soaked in water. 2) Paint doesn't bond as well to carbon fiber as it does to metal.

Both of the above are non-issues w/ Model S so as long as you are ok w/ the potential for paint damage you won't hurt the car w/ a car wash.

3) If it turns out that there are major differences in the prohibitions, then a little more communication on Tesla's part wouldn't get me so upset.

 

[bonnie]

Hey, slow down.

You forget that my house has had experience with Tesla before. We've owned a Roadster 1.5 since March of 2008. There's no speculating that the Roadster came with an admonition to NEVER take it through an automated car wash. I've been living with hand washing it for the past 4 1/2 years. That's one more reason to not drive it in the winter (besides the suicidal behavior of the ABS in some slick surface scenarios -- ones not listed in the instructions or ever to be fixed or upgraded). I tried to coax out of various Rangers on their service visits ways to hedge the car wash rule -- many years to no avail.

I was never given the slightest insight into the car wash prohibition other than "Dont ever do it". I've been faithful to their proscriptions and just accepted that the Roadster was an occasional fun ride interspersed with fun rides in other of our several fun cars -- none of which are daily drivers. I've treated the Roadster like my Carrera GT or my wife's Z8, something close to fine jewelry, only worn on occasion, and washed and cared for with that in mind.

The Model S is a completely different proposition. It's purported to be a daily driver that's fun to drive and, oh ... by the way, it's electric. Did I get the marketing position about right?

Since it's a daily driver, having to treat it like a new-born baby seems counter-intuitive to the function. I'm agitated because the wording of the car wash prohibition quoted above seems eerily similar to what we were told about the Roadster. If it turns out that there is no functional difference between the prohibitions, I'll be really quite, very very upset!

My reasons:

1) If this is just lawyer talk preventing Tesla's warranty from liability for holograms being micro-scratched into the finish AND the same applied to the Roadster, I am over the top upset that I wasted 4 1/2 years of my life hand washing for no reason important to me. The Rangers made automated washing sound to have dire consequences. Now... I don't know. Do you?

2) If the reasons are the same as the those for the Roadster and they are serious and valid, then the Model S is a joke of a daily driver in my climate and to have waited since 2009 for this car when trusting that Tesla would make all of the inadequacies of the Roadster 1.5 right has been a tragic waste of time.

So, yes, I have given continuous years of credit to Tesla for good intentions. But, with hindsight provided by experience, I'm left to ponder:

Were they diddling me then, or are they diddling me now?

My understanding is that because of the flexible cf panels, softer paint was required for the Roadster (though I know of at least one person who uses brushless car wash anyway).

This is an aluminum car, different paint. I don't think it's a question of "Were they diddling me then, or are they diddling me now?". Different car, different paint.

 

[W8MM]

I don't think it's a question of "Were they diddling me then, or are they diddling me now?". Different car, different paint.

Different car, same cryptic prohibition.

 

[ggr]

There's a car wash next door to the Newport service center (the old one on PCH). That's where the roadsters get washed when they are in for service. They've been told not to use the automatic brushes on them. Unfortunately I can't remember the proper terminology... something like "roll through". Anyway, they put the roadster through the automatic part to get sprayed, then finish it by hand. It costs only a few dollars more than the standard automatic wash. Apparently if you know the magic words, and trust the car wash to do the right thing, there's no real problem with the roadster and presumably even less with the Model S.

 

[W8MM]

There's a car wash next door to the Newport service center (the old one on PCH). That's where the roadsters get washed when they are in for service. They've been told not to use the automatic brushes on them. Unfortunately I can't remember the proper terminology... something like "roll through". Anyway, they put the roadster through the automatic part to get sprayed, then finish it by hand. It costs only a few dollars more than the standard automatic wash. Apparently if you know the magic words, and trust the car wash to do the right thing, there's no real problem with the roadster and presumably even less with the Model S.

I appreciate the update. Unfortunately, Ohio winters and those in San Diego give different opportunities in selecting car wash providers.

 

[bonnie]

Different car, same cryptic prohibition.

What am I missing? The Roadster was NO carwash, handwash only. The Model S is no brushless wash, but automatic okay. That's the same as a lot of cars. I'm trying to understand how that is the same cryptic prohibition?

 

[tomanik]

I appreciate the update. Unfortunately, Ohio winters and those in San Diego give different opportunities in selecting car wash providers.

coin operated car wash

 

[W8MM]

What am I missing? The Roadster was NO carwash, handwash only. The Model S is no brush[less] wash, but automatic okay. That's the same as a lot of cars. I'm trying to understand how that is the same cryptic prohibition?

I apologize.

I am so used to having my disappointments "managed" by Tesla that I failed to go get my instruction book to read for differences. I was doing it from memory and there is a significant difference between "no brushes" and "no nothin'". I was equating all forms of automated car washes with a sub-set of car washes.

No excuses. The car wash thing is one of my hot button disappointments from the Roadster along with useless air conditioning and unpredictably scary winter brakes.

I have so hoped that the Model S would fix them all that I went berserk with the mention of car wash prohibitions.

Sorry for calling you out.

 

[bonnie]

I apologize.

I am so used to having my disappointments "managed" by Tesla that I failed to go get my instruction book to read for differences. I was doing it from memory and there is a significant difference between "no brushes" and "no nothin'". I was equating all forms of automated car washes with a sub-set of car washes.

No excuses. The car wash thing is one of my hot button disappointments from the Roadster along with useless air conditioning and unpredictably scary winter brakes.

I have so hoped that the Model S would fix them all that I went berserk with the mention of car wash prohibitions.

Sorry for calling you out.

No harm, no foul. All is good.

 

[kevincwelch]

Different car, same cryptic prohibition.

Agreed.

I think some people on this forum can confuse legitimate questions with criticism.

Is it not reasonable to want to know what we can and cannot do with this car? Is it not reasonable to want to know what specifically will be damaged if we do something? Is it not reasonable to want to know what specifically will void the warranty? (I supposed we'd know if we had access to said warranty.)

Brushed car washes -- if this is just a paint "warranty" issue, I say no big deal. Otherwise, let me know why not.

Same issue: communication. Let me know before I get locked in.

 

[Doug_G]

The reason for the Roadster is very simple - they have to use softer paint on the CF panels because they are flexible. As a result the paint is fairly easily scratched.

I'm sure aluminum bodies are more easily dented than steel, so that's probably the reason for the disclaimer.

 

[kevincwelch]

I'm sure aluminum bodies are more easily dented than steel, so that's probably the reason for the disclaimer.

Damn...what kind of car wash do you go to!?!? :wink:

 

[W8MM]

The reason for the Roadster is very simple - they have to use softer paint on the CF panels because they are flexible. As a result the paint is fairly easily scratched.

I'm sure aluminum bodies are more easily dented than steel, so that's probably the reason for the disclaimer.

I don't want to appear snarky, but my 1983 Porsche 928 had aluminum body panels and it didn't mind brushed car washes.

Also, there are a bunch of modern Porsches with carbon fibre front fenders that I have never heard needed to be defended from car washes.

I will admit that I have never taken my totally carbon fibre Carrera GT through one, mostly on ground clearance issues.