Windshield Cracked in Car Wash

[drinkmorejava]

This made me laugh out loud. But not in a way mocking you at all! It sounds like you have a shoddy car wash near you!! Let’s take them one by one.
I’m looking at a trial master, so it will have a raised intake. Snorkels have never been a problem. How hard do you think the material pushes in the car? Most places will be using a foam material that cannot absorb water, so the weight of the material spinning next to the car is minimal. There’s very little force. You can stand next to it and fell them with your hand as they gently spin. Add to this the lubricity of the chemicals and the material glides gently over the car. The equipment is set to a certain pressure. For example, it can be set to 10psi. The brush will press against the car at 10psi regardless of the size or shape of the car. So if you have a narrow car or a wide car, the pressure along the side or top etc, remains the same.
No need for a leap of faith. Proven things don’t require such a leap. I can send you a video when I have one.
Underwash. No wash I know of will clean your wheel wells after mudding. In fact, if you come to us with a muddy car, we’ll turn you away. Yes if it’s muddy you need to spray it all off. But a dirty car and a muddy car aren’t the same thing. The underwash should be on for the whole car. If it’s not, they need help
I’m a fan of high volume, low pressure under washes. High pressure ones that are too high, could in theory knock wire harnesses loose. There’s no need. Again, it’s not meant to de-mud a car. It’s meant to wash it.
Useless features. Get the bottom, basic wash, or get the top one. Too many operators pack four to five packages that while, yes they do actually do stuff, it’s more of a marketing idea to get you to spec up to the top one and justify the increase to the top wash. Just look at the prices of each and you’ll see what I mean. We eliminated everything except the bottom and the top. No need for confusion or long explanations. No need for the middle stuff. I can promise you that the % of people that get the middle washes is so small, that I cannot comprehend why operators do this.
Pulling into town and hitting it with a sprayer will not give you a clean car, just a rinsed one.

Okay, so I'll give you that the friction of the brushes isn't going to hurt my cart, and the chemicals in a friction wash are safer, and that nothing should be smashing into my vehicle, but what about scratching from other people's detritus. I'm soooooo scared of some rock just gouging my car.

 

[HeavyFoot]

Okay, so I'll give you that the friction of the brushes isn't going to hurt my cart, and the chemicals in a friction wash are safer, and that nothing should be smashing into my vehicle, but what about scratching from other people's detritus. I'm soooooo scared of some rock just gouging my car.

The foam should be constantly sprayed with water, and they don’t hold water or dirt -Think wetsuit type material. And there shouldn’t be rocks on the car. Where are the rocks coming from? They shouldn’t have muddy cars going through with rocks stuck all over them. I’ll agree, if that’s the kind of place near you, I wouldn’t use it either!
I’d advise anyone that isn’t familiar with one they want to use, to walk through and look. Ask the owner or manager to show you and let you touch and feel. I do this all the time! I want people to use us and be as sure as I am of its gentleness and safety. We’ve repeatedly washed Bentleys, $250k+ Porsches, Shelby’s, C8 z06s, Huracans, McLarens, a Maybach years ago while the man lived near us and my lowly 4C that is washed weekly. Again, a shoddy place? Don’t go. But a good reputable place? Don’t be so quick to turn your nose up. It’s not dishsoap and water.

 

[drinkmorejava]

The foam should be constantly sprayed with water, and they don’t hold water or dirt -Think wetsuit type material. And there shouldn’t be rocks on the car. Where are the rocks coming from? They shouldn’t have muddy cars going through with rocks stuck all over them. I’ll agree, if that’s the kind of place near you, I wouldn’t use it either!
I’d advise anyone that isn’t familiar with one they want to use, to walk through and look. Ask the owner or manager to show you and let you touch and feel. I do this all the time! I want people to use us and be as sure as I am of its gentleness and safety. We’ve repeatedly washed Bentleys, $250k+ Porsches, Shelby’s, C8 z06s, Huracans, McLarens, a Maybach years ago while the man lived near us and my lowly 4C that is washed weekly. Again, a shoddy place? Don’t go. But a good reputable place? Don’t be so quick to turn your nose up. It’s not dishsoap and water.

Thanks. Yeah, most around here are just automated washes with no one around, so anyone can just go through. Even one of the good names is a franchise, so some are well run, and others have constant complaints.

 

[HeavyFoot]

Thanks. Yeah, most around here are just automated washes with no one around, so anyone can just go through. Even one of the good names is a franchise, so some are well run, and others have constant complaints.

Yea, unmanned equals unwatched

 

[HereinDaRockies]

This made me laugh out loud. But not in a way mocking you at all! It sounds like you have a shoddy car wash near you!! Let’s take them one by one.
I’m looking at a trial master, so it will have a raised intake. Snorkels have never been a problem. How hard do you think the material pushes in the car? Most places will be using a foam material that cannot absorb water, so the weight of the material spinning next to the car is minimal. There’s very little force. You can stand next to it and fell them with your hand as they gently spin. Add to this the lubricity of the chemicals and the material glides gently over the car. The equipment is set to a certain pressure. For example, it can be set to 10psi. The brush will press against the car at 10psi regardless of the size or shape of the car. So if you have a narrow car or a wide car, the pressure along the side or top etc, remains the same.
No need for a leap of faith. Proven things don’t require such a leap. I can send you a video when I have one.
Underwash. No wash I know of will clean your wheel wells after mudding. In fact, if you come to us with a muddy car, we’ll turn you away. Yes if it’s muddy you need to spray it all off. But a dirty car and a muddy car aren’t the same thing. The underwash should be on for the whole car. If it’s not, they need help
I’m a fan of high volume, low pressure under washes. High pressure ones that are too high, could in theory knock wire harnesses loose. There’s no need. Again, it’s not meant to de-mud a car. It’s meant to wash it.
Useless features. Get the bottom, basic wash, or get the top one. Too many operators pack four to five packages that while, yes they do actually do stuff, it’s more of a marketing idea to get you to spec up to the top one and justify the increase to the top wash. Just look at the prices of each and you’ll see what I mean. We eliminated everything except the bottom and the top. No need for confusion or long explanations. No need for the middle stuff. I can promise you that the % of people that get the middle washes is so small, that I cannot comprehend why operators do this.
Pulling into town and hitting it with a sprayer will not give you a clean car, just a rinsed one.

lol how many people have walked into a working auto car wash bay to experience first hand?

In a self service bay I squat down and aim the sprayer into the nooks n crannies around the rocker panel and throughout the vehicle. I take along as I need to cover all aspects. driving thru a blast of water shooting upward is paltry coverage by comparison

Would be interested to see your demo videos

Saying all that - I haven’t washed my grenadier since March… lol only wash regularly during winter.

 

[HeavyFoot]

lol how many people have walked into a working auto car wash bay to experience first hand?

In a self service bay I squat down and aim the sprayer into the nooks n crannies around the rocker panel and throughout the vehicle. I take along as I need to cover all aspects. driving thru a blast of water shooting upward is paltry coverage by comparison

Would be interested to see your demo videos

Saying all that - I haven’t washed my grenadier since March… lol only wash regularly during winter.

No matter how hard a car is used and dirtied, I love me a clean car

 

[Empire Glass]

I wish I had the time to...

Where did you get your windshield replaced if I might ask and are you satisfied with the installation?

 

[SavGADawg]

Where did you get your windshield replaced if I might ask and are you satisfied with the installation?

I went back to the Ineos dealer and yes, I was satisfied. ~ $2k to replace

 

[lucasoren]

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 from resources like cdcautodetailing.com, and I look forward to learning more and joining the ranks.

I personally avoid automatic car washes for that reason. Hand washing or touchless washes are much safer for newer or specialty vehicles. Damage like cracked windshields or scratches isn’t uncommon, so it’s understandable to be cautious. Your Grenadier looks great, though. Definitely a fun way to break her in!

 

[HeavyFoot]

I bought my Grenadier a few months ago and wash it several times a month in the car wash we run. No issues. And no issues for the other Grenadiers we’ve washed as well. It being a “specialty car” holds no importance to its wash-ability. It can be washed just like every other car. Mine was washed this morning.

 

[Granite Deer]

Nah, our customers have his and hers and we’ve washed them many times. Mine (when I get it) will be washed at least weekly through our automatic car wash. The grenadier is so tough, but can’t go through a car wash? Come on. A high quality car wash won’t be a problem at all. It’s the lie that keeps perpetuating. “I just got my new mustang. It’s a special edition. I only want a touchless car wash.” If I had a dolllar for each time I heard this, I’d be a rich man. Yet our customers that also have special edition mustangs and wash them 2-3 times a week still look as new as they were when bought and don’t have issues, ever. I get it - People get worried and act accordingly. But I stand by high quality places. I’ve been in the industry 26+ years

@HeavyFoot, I suspect a big part of the perception vs. reality about automatic car washes is experiences people have had in bad car washes. I'm fortunate to have a conveyor-belt car wash in my area that I have been using for decades. I know the owner, and he really cares. Drying and interiors are done by hand. Never an issue.

You've got some valuable industry insights. Would you mind offering some suggestions for finding trustworthy, high-quality automatic car washes? What things do you look for, and what are the red flags that you avoid? Thanks!