For those of you who don't know, I am a professional detailer. I spend quite a bit of time fixing mistakes caused by inexperienced/untrained dealership 'detailers'. I warn a lot of people on the forum to avoid dealership washes at all cost, however a lot of people ignore my words of caution because they don't see how a simple car wash can really damage your paint. This also goes for automatic washes and 'full service' washes as well. IMO there is no substitute for a proper hand wash.


Anyway, I wrote this article to share the story of a fellow 2IS owner and CL member that had to deal with the terrible wash techniques used by most dealerships. This owner is a very proud detailing enthusiast and loves maintaining his swirl free finish. Although he asked the service adviser not wash his vehicle, they did anyways and caused a tremendous amount of damage.

Lexus refused to cover the entire cost of the damages, so the owner was forced to pay hundreds out of pocket to fix the damage that the dealership caused. All of this from ONE improper car wash.



^Paint condition after dealer wash



Please Read the Full article here: The Real Cost of a Cheap Car Wash


As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

-Zach



**mods: please do not move to detailing sub-forum. I think this needs to be seen here as many members do not visit the detailing section! Thank you!**

 

Wow. Thanks for sharing. The only reason I get mine washed at the dealer is because I won't be keeping it.

 

It makes my cringe just thinking about my car going through one of those filthy car washes. Funny thing is that so many people don't give a ****.

Sorry to hear, I hope you got him all fixed up.

 

yeah, nothing like doing it yourself. if you scratch your own car, you won't be as mad as the dealership\car wash spa that scratched your car and refusing to pay for damages. I gets in the cracks where as the "untrained" detailers don't. thanks for posting.

 

Excellent info, thank you.

Not to get off-topic, but as I get older and have less time on my hands (2 kids) it gets really hard to keep a handwashing schedule. I live in the Pacific Northwest, and it doesn't help that is 40-50 degrees for a good part of the year - and raining. I was trying to hand-wash only when I purchased the IS350 - but then I found that the car just got nasty-dirty from not washing it for lengthy periods. The drive through carwashes are just so dang easy. lol

Is it better for the paint to go 2-3 weeks with out a handwash, or go through a drive-through 1 time a week?

 

I always refuse the car wash when my car goes to the dealership even for some recall work I have them avoid racks if possible because they damaged my old SSR's pulling it onto the rack.

 

Zach = truth in detailing

Thanks for the info, and I still wish you lived closer to Atlanta as I would love to have you work on my car

 

They are not all the same. My dealer car wash is one of the best I have seen (foam gun+hand wash). We can see through the glass wall how cars are serviced and washed.

 

yep all depends on quality of mahcine they use. I personally dont use any car washes. Hand wash = clean car and a work out

 

This brings back memories of a very frustrating dealership car wash experience, but fotunately the swirling came out with a coat of wax.

 

^This owner did not live near me. He had it taken care of at a detailer in his area.

Touchless washes are 'OK' in a pinch, but the reality of the matter is that the touchless washes rely on harsh chemicals to remove the dirt from the surface of the vehicle. These chemicals are strong enough to remove/strip wax or sealant from the surface of the vehicle, so by going through touchless facilities, you will be degrading or completely removing the layer of protection you have on your car. Also, touchless facilities do not remove all of the dirt, just most of it. For this reason, the touchless 'full service' places (that will then dry your vehicle after the touchless wash) cause a lot of damage as well because they use poor quality towels and they are rubbing the towels on the paint that still has very fine particles of dirt on the surface.

Rinseless washing is a fantastic way to maintain your vehicle in the colder months, or even in the summer when you just have light dirt/pollen buildup on your vehicle. Check out THIS ARTICLE on how to safely perform a rinseless wash in your garage with Optimum No Rinse.

^I'd gladly fly out to ATL In all seriousness, I would be more than happy to recommend a trusted professional in your area

^The dealership near me uses 'wash brushes' for their 'hand washing'.... these brushes, however, are simply tossed on the ground afterwards, so they are picking up dirt and debris off the ground and then rubbed onto the vehicle. It is completely careless. I see plenty of brand new vehicles that are just trashed. I also see them wiping down vehicles with dirty, crappy microfiber. Lexus paint (and all paint in general) is extremely fragile. Glad your dealership treats the vehicles properly.

^Wax will not remove swirls, however it will temporarily fill them in.

Machine polishing is the only way to remove the swirls and other surface defects from the paint. Cutting compound & Polish contain fine abrasives that will actually remove a small amount of paint in order to level the surface and create a smooth, glossy surface.



Most dealerships use improper tools for this and end up leaving a lot of damage behind. Proper polishing is an art and requires a lot of practice and patience. Dual Action machines (aka random orbital) are the best tools for the job, however dealerships and body shops still resort to rotary buffers with dirty wool pads. This leaves a lack luster finish that is dull and cloudy compared to a properly polished surface.


^This is a panel that had been repaired and repainted by a BMW dealership. Notice the buffer trails and overall cloudy appearance.


^Here is a side by side comparison of the section that I polished (left side) vs. the finish the body shop left. Quite a dramatic difference. This is why a true professional detailer should always be consulted instead of a dealership or body shop when it comes to polishing.



Let me know if you've got any more questions!
-Zach

 

Thanks ZMC - just purchased some of the ONR

 

Zach, Can you recommend someone in the Chicagoland area for me? been wantin to get the 350 detailed for some time now but cant seem to trust just any shop with it. Thanks!

 

Would you be able to reccomend someone in the Rhode Island area???

 

I was in a accident couple of month back and took my car to Sewell Lexus bodyshop when I got my car back it was like a amateur that polish my car there was buffer mark all over the car.