GAMESHARQ

One of the things I love most about owning a Lexus is that I can take it to my dealership (or apparently any Lexus dealership from what I've been told) and have it washed for no charge.

Oddly enough, I can't seem to find any information about this on Google. The closest thing I can find is that Lexus washes your car for free with any service appointment. But at my dealership, I can have it washed for free even without a service appointment.

Is this something that not all Lexus dealerships do? Also, are there any car manufacturers other than Lexus that offers this to their customers?

97-SC300

iTrader: (17)

You enjoy the free swirls and scratches?

SeanO

iTrader: (1)

Most "premium" car brand dealerships will offer this service - as mentioned above though, they do a quick soap down and then scrub your car with some pos cloth that they use for every vehicle.. I always tell me service advisor to skip that process as I would rather do it myself and ensure that the proper steps are being taken to avoid damaging the paint

3nergiz3d

I agree. My local Lexus Dealership runs it through their automatic car wash, so 100% I tell them not to wash it and I'll do it myself. If this was a leased car, I would let them wash it for free anytime.

UDel

Avoid the "free washes" at all costs.

I put signs on my polished nicely finished car not to wash my car any time it goes to the dealership for something. The people washing your cars do not care about your finish.

GAMESHARQ

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I'll avoid it from now on. I did notice a slight mark on my hood and I wasn't sure where it came from. Maybe it was from their wash.

What do you recommend as an alternative? Are paid car washes good?

3nergiz3d

The best kind of car washes are the ones you do at home or at a coinop in a wand bay. Never use any type of coin-op brushes on your vehicle. Lots of resources online on how they wash their cars and the products that they use.

GAMESHARQ

Can you please elaborate on a wand bay? I'm honestly not sure what that is. The only types of car washes that I have around me (that I know of) are the ones you drive through.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

The Real Cost of a “Cheap” Car Wash by Zach McGovern


How To Properly Wash and Dry a Car by Todd Cooperider

GAMESHARQ

That is an informative article. Unfortunately, I've been taking it to my Lexus dealership for the past 3-4 years just to have it washed so it's probably too late for me to save the condition. But I'll certainly keep it in mind the next time I buy a new car.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

It certainly is not too late to save the condition... here are a few examples of that


Full Article -> Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG: Paint Correction & GTechniq Crystal Serum Light Application by Zach McGovern




Full Article ->1999 Porsche 996: Paint Correction and 22ple HPC Coating by Zach McGovern


Full Article ->2015 Range Rover: Paint Correction and Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light Application by Zach McGovern



It just depends on how much time, effort, and/or money you want to put into your current car to restore it to a like-new finish.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask (or search around on the detailing forum).
-Zach

GAMESHARQ

Thanks. Can you give me a ballpark how much it would cost for a Lexus RX350?

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

That completely depends on the specific condition of your paint, the level you want to restore it to, what type of paint protection you chose, if you select any additional services of types of protection, etc.

The articles I had posted above all feature jobs with 4 figure invoices, but long story short, no, there is no set pricing... if you let me know where you are located I might be able to point you towards a trusted professional in your area.

-Zach

SW17LS

And quite frankly, IMHO when it gets to that point you are better off to pay that 4 figure cost to get it back to the best shape it can be in, and then maintain it as a hobbyist from there.

SeanO

iTrader: (1)

Wand bay car washes are places that you drive into, park your car and then insert however much money you would like.. usually they are $3 minimum and that gets you 5 minutes.. the more money you put in, the more time you have - there will be a selector dial or buttons that will determine what comes out of the wand (think of the wand as a pressure washer style hose)

Drive through automated car washes are good (only the touchless) but sometimes do not get all of the dirt off of your vehicle. Some people warn that the chemicals used are hard on your clearcoat if used extensively but I'm not sure how much truth there is to that.

As mentioned above, having your car polished or detailed can be expensive. You can have a 1 step paint correction done for anywhere from $300-$500 usually that will clean up most of the swirls/ defects but not everything. Its entirely up to how much you care and how much you plan on protecting it in the future.