Quote:
Originally Posted by MacCool
I run mine through those things fairly often as a matter of convenience. They do an OK job as a quick means of getting the big chunks of dirt off, but don't do much for the bugs on the clear bra. I won't use the ones where the car gets pulled through, only the ones where you drive it in, no guide rails. The "harsh chemicals" thing....I'd have to see some data. I suppose it's possible they use less-than-optimal detergent, and maybe some of that other crap they spray on, but I've not seen any bad effects on my paint in the many years I've been washing Nissans -- Z's, Murano's, Cube -- using those car washes and frankly in the absence of actual data I'd be inclined to say that such a characterization falls under the heading of "internet lore". Sort of like most of the stuff I read online about engine oil.
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I've seen the effects personally if you use them over and over. I know a guy who used one near his house approx 2 times per month - never touched the car other than those washes. Over the course of 10 years that car wash completely destroyed the clear coat on two brand new Honda Civics with the end result being the sun-damaged paint in just 3-4 years very similar to this:
A nice embedded layer of highway grime is the most likely reason they do not affect some cars' paint. It provides a protective barrier to the clear coat because the car wash can't clean that layer. But a brand new clean car that doesn't get driven often and doesn't get very dirty and gets cleaned a lot with those chemicals will suffer.