Cheekybird

I know this topic has been hashed out on here in the past but I am having trouble understanding why not run it through an automatic car wash. Look, I do not care if the clear coat gets scuffed and has to be buffed out. My car is a daily 2004 C4S and will see lots of salt. My 10" winter tires/wheels do fit in the rails. It is a daily driver and I live where the use of salt on the roads is extensive. I just changed the oil and salt is caked all over the the rear motor area. Talking to my mechanic, the salt on the underneath is worse then a few scuff marks I may receive from a car wash, so run her through All those scuff marks can be buffed out.

So assuming I do not care about the paint, the clearance of wheels and front bumper is good, why not?

Is there an issue with water running in my air intake? Wouldn't water get in there just as easy with rain? I know drain channels can get blocked and cause water to backup into cabin but those channels and drains are clean.

porschedog

Do what makes you happy - it's your car. I don't use these due to the fact I won't let brushes with 32' of my vehicles.

Animus

Before i knew any better. I took mine through a touch less car wash. When I drove out it out. It was sputter. I cursed myself forgetting that it's rear engine and vents lead straight in to engine. Pulled over and opened up. Cursed even more when I remembered it had an after mkt air filter that was now all wet. I let it sit for about 30-60 mins for it to dry. Drove off fine.

I'm not picky about paint. But it didn't damage it from what I saw.

I'm also in high salt area. So what I do know is go to the car washes where you can do it yourself. Only select water (as a friend who used to work at one of these places say the chemicals they use are harsh and they don't separate into each container. So its all the same. )

I spray down the car and use the bendy nozzle to get underneath.

DTMiller

Other than the bad things that can happen, why shouldn't I do the thing that causes the bad things? No reason at all.

Dennis C

If you aren't concerned about damage to the paint, then there shouldn't be an issue. You should keep in mind that the chemicals used in automatic car washes tend to strip wax from your paint, so you should wax the car more often in the winter months.

An alternative to consider is washing your car in a self-wash stall with a high pressure wand. It would probably be more effective in removing salt than the automatic wash.

dporto

^This^

PelicanParts.com

+1 This is the method I use. Of course getting the sprayer under the car is a little harder.

sweet victory

You don't take things you love through an automatic car wash

DK570

A self wash station is probably 'best' but I don't care for those. The only time I don't wash in the driveway is during the winter when it's very cold in WI, and the self wash places that I've been too aren't heated. The water will turn to ice before you have a chance to dry it off. Also, I don't like that you have to bring you're own drying chamois.

For obvious reasons you want to avoid the automatic type with the spinning brushes.

Some gas stations have the type with a robotic arm that circles your car and sprays w/o touching it. These work OK for a quick cleanup, but don't get the underbody. They usually have 4 options / prices. In my opinion don't get the most expensive one as it uses too high of water pressure.

What I do a couple times during the winter is go to a automatic touchless car wash called 'Octopus'. At the start they have a guy with a bucket and wash mitt to get the dirtiest places. Through the wash they only have sprays and a hanging chamois that gently / slowly oscillates. At the end they have guys to dry, and touch up the wheels etc.

Never heard that the chemicals in automatic washes strip wax. Don't know if that's true or not. I always assumed it was pretty much the same soap you buy at the auto parts store.

If you have the stock air intake you will be OK. A cone type filter is less than ideal.

Alansglide

Considering the cost of a new paint job or clear coat repair , the wand in a self wash sounds like your best option.

I wash my own cars in the driveway . That includes washing , waxing , conditioning the leather and checking fluids and tire pressure. Then I go out and flog the hell out of it .

Dennis C

I use this method too. I like to use a waterless carwash product in my garage for the paint, but it's nice to get a good spray underneath the car with the wand every now and then. I use Griot's Garage waterless carwash, but I know there are others that work well also.

Oil_Slickrick

Not wanting to further upset anyone with my posts, I agree with ^^^ Alansglide 110% or that the wash wand may be better than any automated washer if you care for your vehicles paintwork. Or you could try ......

Gaspasser19

When it's too cold to wash by hand, I take my cab through the touchless carwash on the cheapest setting. It doesn't use any sealants but still has a double pass soap and an under carriage and wheel wash. That's more than enough for me without worrying about harmful brushes touching the paint. Gets me through the Winter.

Cheekybird

Thanks for all the great replies. So here is the rest of the story. I have never run any of my 911's through an auto-wash until today. Like I said, paint and finish aside, what could now wrong. Well how about a mis-fire on cylinder 1. I turned the engine off half way through thinking, I bet if I turn it off there will be less water going into the air-intake (stock btw). Get to the end of auto-wash and dry and turned her on and drove to the side to take a gander underneath (hoping most salt was gone which it was). I did not realize my check engine was on at the time. Went to look underneath her in the rear and heard thump, thump, thump misfiring. I know this sound because it happened to a previous 996 after a hand wash. I turned it off and let it sit for an hour and all is good except check engine light still on. Took it to my indy and hooked up his pc and it came back misfire on 1. So we cleared the codes and cleaned the MAF just to eliminate things and all is good.
The only thing we can think of is water some how making its way to coil pack on cylinder 1 and perhaps it needs replaced. We all know those crack from time to time. Can't see it from underneath and will have to look when changing water pump or putting new motor mounts on this spring. That said my plan is to run her through the wash again in a few weeks and see what happens. I love her so much she needs the under carriage rinsed several times throughout the winter.
I have always just did the wash with my own bucket & soap (at self wash in the winter) and their water but was never able to get underneath. Perhaps I could back her up on some blocks and spray her down at the self wash my self?
Would Porsche really have a massed produced car that is unable to car through a car wash. I would argue a thunder storm shoots as much water around as a car wash. Hell there aren't even rear wheel well guards on my C4S so the engine stays cool. Imagine how much water & gravel flies into the muffler area at high speeds. I'll keep you posted about how my next wash goes. At the end of the day my car is cleaner.

5CHN3LL

One thing to consider - I cannot take my 996 through the auto car wash because the wheel lips extend past the sidewall on my tires (which also makes my car very susceptible to curb rash). Running it through a car wash with a drive chain and guide rails would wreck the wheels on the guide rail side.

The rear tires on my Corvette are too wide for the guide rail channel at some car washes, so they both get washed at home.