Yes... worry about the touchless washes! They remove wax much quicker than anything else. They can potentially make any paint blemishes worse as well... such as paint chips. That high pressure water is bad for the wax, and if there's a paint chip, it can make that chip larger. I've even seen paint peel back from those if the car was too close to the jet.

As for the drive through w/ brushes, the main part you have to worry about is the people drying at the other end. That's where the real swirls come from. The brushes inside are coated with soap, etc and that acts as a lubricant to prevent swirls in most cases. 99% of swirls come from drying the car.

Also, just b/c a dealer does something, doesn't mean it's ok. Sheesh... I've seen dealers hose up so many cars.

On my 911 Turbo, I have a sign that I put on the dash, "PLEASE DO NOT WASH" for that reason!

If you have a dark color and are concerned w/ swirls, do it your self and use micro fibre.

 

If you had to do a car wash then touchless is the way to go otherwise hand washing is really the only safe way to save the paint. Even then if you’re not careful a hand wash can be just as bad as going through a sandwash. Carwashes are good for a quick fix on something your not looking hard at the paint on. If you want your car to shine and stand out then you have to stay away from the machines all together. Even after a touchless wash you have to get the car dry so if you use one bring a soft towel.

 

Lexus of Smithtown, out on Long Island. Our dealer is the easternmost Lexus dealer in the state.