Windshield Cracked in Car Wash

[SavGADawg]

Good afternoon! New owner here. As I mentioned in an introductions post, my local car wash cracked my windshield during my first pass thru with my Grenadier (less than an hour after owning it). I'm obviously hesitant to use an automatic car wash again but would like to hear others' thoughts. Have you and do you use the automatic (conveyor belt style) car washes or not? Anyone else suffer significant damage from a car wash?

Just for fun, here is a pic of me a few days ago. Broke her in as soon as possible.

 

[abbeyroad]

Have you and do you use the automatic (conveyor belt style) car washes or not?

View attachment 7907068

Only if it's touchless.

Welcome!

 

[Gaffer]

I understand that BMWs and Grenadiers don't do well in conveyor belt type car washes. There are special settings that overcome this, but I am too lazy to learn them. So I use in-bay car washes, sometimes touchless sometimes not.

 

[SavGADawg]

Thanks. It seems to me that the vertical windshield played a role in the damage. I may end up getting my own setup.

 

[HeavyFoot]

Hello. I’m new here and very interested in buying a grenadier in the next 12 months. I run a car wash. I can promise you the only way that windshield cracked is due to a prior chip being present. I’ve been in the industry for 26 years now. I’ll bet the crack runs from a chip, likely in the frit (black part along the edge of the windshield). Take a ball point ink pen, run along the crack and you’ll end up at the chip. When the chips are in the frit, you don’t see them when driving. A little cold water on a hot day or warm water on a cold day and chips and small cracks will run. It’s not the car wash’s fault. Had you sprayed the windshield with a hose that same day, it would’ve cracked anyway.
@Gaffer BMWs do just fine in conveyor car washes. Never had a problem and I couldn’t begin to count the thousands of them we’ve washed.
@abbeyroad Touchless is far worse for your car than a quality “friction” car wash with quality materials.

Sorry to stir the pot as a first post, but these are common misconceptions. I’ve learned so much from you all and look forward to learning more and joining the ranks.

 

[Jiman01]

Hello. I’m new here and very interested in buying a grenadier in the next 12 months. I run a car wash. I can promise you the only way that windshield cracked is due to a prior chip being present. I’ve been in the industry for 26 years now. I’ll bet the crack runs from a chip, likely in the frit (black part along the edge of the windshield). Take a ball point ink pen, run along the crack and you’ll end up at the chip. When the chips are in the frit, you don’t see them when driving. A little cold water on a hot day or warm water on a cold day and chips and small cracks will run. It’s not the car wash’s fault. Had you sprayed the windshield with a hose that same day, it would’ve cracked anyway.
@Gaffer BMWs do just fine in conveyor car washes. Never had a problem and I couldn’t begin to count the thousands of them we’ve washed.
@abbeyroad Touchless is far worse for your car than a quality “friction” car wash with quality materials.

Sorry to stir the pot as a first post, but these are common misconceptions. I’ve learned so much from you all and look forward to learning more and joining the ranks.

Why is touchless worse than a quality friction car wash?….And how do you, as a customer, know a quality friction car wash from a lesser one?

 

[HeavyFoot]

Why is touchless worse than a quality friction car wash?….And how do you, as a customer, know a quality friction car wash from a lesser one?

In order to remove the dirt from your car, a series of slightly low or slightly high ph (depending on the dirt in your area) chemicals will neutralize the cling of the dirt on your car, then allow for lubricated gentle foam brushes to remove the dirt gently. A touchless wash requires chemicals that are too strong so that water pressure alone will remove all the dirt. Dish soap is generally too strong for automotive paint, let alone touchless car wash chemicals. There are many chemicals that will give you a clean car, but in the long run, it’s best to use a gentle friction wash. They’re more gentle than a hand wash, unless you are crazy careful and use two buckets, and a screen, and have a specific order, and, and, and….and even then most people won’t have access to the proper chemicals to make it as gentle and effective as a tunnel conveyor wash. Even foam cannons that were all the craze recently are more show. Similar to your shampoo, bubbles make you feel good, but the foaming agents are often fighting the cleaning agents. I like my shampoo to foam by the way.
How will you know? Yea. Good question. Take a look. Ask if you can walk through and see and/or touch the cloth or brushes. What does the owner drive and is it really washed by their machine? Ask. I happily take any customer through our process and let them see and touch if they have concerns. I want them to know and be certain they can trust us. Most washes these days are safe places. Some cheap owners opt for cheap caustic chemicals that are awful for your paint. Look for the shine. Your car should sparkle.
Sorry. Too long.