ok, this may seem like a stupid question, but I'd rather get a definite answer from here rather than just think about it an assume something. I got an STi wing on my car on monday, and now my car desperately needs to be washed. I usually do it myself, but I'm sick and dont have the energy to do it. However, I dont know how safe it is to take a STi wing through a mechanical car wash. thanks.

 

Many automated car washes feature 'no-touch' wash, rinse, and dry. Those are safe for your car. These car washes use water pressure and detergents and nozzles which direct the water flow to clean as much of the body surface as they can reach. Not as good as a hand washing but nothing is.

--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush

 

took mine through delta sonic the other day with no problems.

 

cool, I'm just worried because places here are old automated ones run by people who dont speak english, or are really expensive.

 

it is most definitely not recommended- if you still have the car washes with the swinging "rags" versus the modern roller brushes.. then those may be a little safer.

the wing is designed to support many lbs. of downward force. i'm unsure of the stress that may be placed on the trunk- if a rollerbrush pushes back on it.
i'd be more worried about the finish getting scratched..

once you get the car clean, try a very good paint sealant (look @ www.corrosionx.com)... it will basically keep you car cleaner longer.



aloha from the summit of *-^-Mauna Kea-^-*

 

just wash it by hand so you know nothing will get damaged

 

If the spoiler gets damage they might not pay for it. Just pay a kid $5 to hand wash it.

 

If you absolutely can't hand wash:

First, your car will like you less..

And second, make sure you take it through a "touchless" setup. The kind with the rag curtains and whirlie brushes are guaranteed to scratch the h out of your finish. They don't EVER clean that fabric, so you will benefit from the rocks and crap that came from the guy who took his weekend mudder through there before you.

My dad used to sell carwash systems, and he never uses them for his car.

 

We have many touchless washes here that use no physical elements at all, just water jets. They seem to work very well, allthough any "wax" they supposedly spray on is a complete work of fiction -- there is no way you can spray on a water-based liquid wax and expect it to stick with any kind of consistency (and magically only stick to the painted metal, and not your windows).

What you have to watch out for is the BLOWER, not the wash -- many of these touchless washes use giant "vortex" fans to blow the car dry. When I go through those my entire hood flexes and my hoodscoop wobbles around like it is made of cardboard; I drive through fast and just go right onto the highway to dry the car. I think if you sat long enough under those blowers and they were aimed directly at your wing, you'd risk some cracking in the corners -- the wind they put out is most likely 200mph or more if it can flex the hood of my 02 WRX so easily.

 

yeah, the blowers make my hoodscoop go crazy...I guess I'll just wait for the high schools to have fundraiser car washes

 

I watch my STi hoodscoop go bounce, bounce, bounce in the drying part of the touchless car wash...pretty much the same as when going 90 mph plus (on the track only!).