Went threw a car wash today(really dumb idea) and after i came out my windshield molding was almost completely off on one side. Is there a way to fix this, should I hit up my dealer where i bought the car because its less than 3 weeks old. heres a pic.

 

You are going to need a new strip. Go to www.sewellparts.com and buy one there around $30 I think. Or try and have the stealership fix it but beware of $$$! It's an easy DIY fix.

 

If the clips are not damage you should be able to pop it back into place.

 

It pops back into place, but is there a way so It won't come out , or should i just never go threw a car wash and wash my car by hand ?

 

BINGO!!

If it can do that to your trim, do you really think it is safe for your paint?

This is the proper way to wash your car by hand... I would suggest investing the time and money into learning how to properly maintain your vehicle on your own

 

Never going threw a car wash again, thanks for the link to how properly washing my car.

 

No problem...

You will find all of the products you need from any of our detailing forum vendors - Detailed Image, Detailer's Domain, or AutoGeek.

I would highly recommend reading through this entire Detailing Guide as well.

 

I do agree that you should wash your car by hand but sometimes you just have to go through a car wash, it saves time and energy if you just need a quick wash off... I wash my car by hand maybe once every 2 months... mainly because im a perfectionist and it takes me 7 hours to get everything perfect. Car wash takes 3-5 mins.

Next time go through the touch less car washes instead of the ones with the big scrubbers. I would also take it back to the dealer to have that replaced. If you bought it used, and that molding is coming off easily, its a sign that the windshield was possibly replaced at some point in the cars life and they didn't do the job well

 

The car washes with the big brushes WILL scratch and swirl your paint.... end of discussion. If you want to introduce that sort of damage to your finish, that is totally up to you.

As for the touchless washes... the harsh chemicals used in those washes WILL strip the sealant and/or wax you have applied to your vehicle, leaving your vehicle much more vulnerable to UV damage and oxidation. These touchless washes also do a terrible job cleaning your car compared to a hand wash... the picture below is the dirty rinse water from a BMW M3 that was brought to me. The owner had driven it through a touchless wash immediately prior to dropping it off with me... this just shows you the amount of dirt left by the touchless system.



During the winter months, I will stop by the coin-op power wash and spray my car off with water just to release the heavy contaminates, and then wash my car by hand in my garage using a rinseless wash. Refer to this article.

You can choose to ignore my advice all you want, but there is just no way around it... auto washes are NOT the proper way to maintain your car. I wash my car once a week by hand and have never felt like it is a waste of time or energy... it is just proper maintenance.

 

^Same here...once a week washes are a must for my baby! It's the least I can do after beating on it all week in traffic.

 

I'm surprised you took to a car wash that's not hand wash only!

 

I am not saying that it is NOT proper maintenance at all, If i had the time to wash my car by hand every week i would but between working 2 jobs, family, friends, significant others, and all the other thing that life brings, its just easier to pay the 4 bucks for 5 mins.

I am not a professional detailer but when i wash my car, I make sure i detail my car as well. I make sure its done properly and that's why I take so long. Its really up to each individual to learn how to maintain their car properly but also has to be with in their means as well. Not everyone has the time

Plus I don't have a garage, my car sits outside 24/7 so as fast as it gets clean is as fast as it gets dirty