Sponsored

Anything to know when taking your JL to an automatic carwash?

SABLE RHINO

Well-Known Member
First Name
Mike
Joined
Aug 15, 2019
Threads
0
Messages
7,670
Reaction score
55,370
Location
FL
Vehicle(s)
2019 JLU SPORT S 3.6L
Drain Plugs: REMOVE THEM

imagesX4W1KIYH.jpg
Sponsored

 

LincolnSixAlpha

Well-Known Member
First Name
Brian
Joined
Oct 26, 2018
Threads
15
Messages
350
Reaction score
277
Location
Arizona
Vehicle(s)
2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon
Vehicle Showcase
1
I was just wondering if there is anything to know when taking the JL to an automatic carwash. I believe I read something where I have to take the car out of Drive and put it in Park, then take it from 2WD and move that to Neutral. Is that the case?

Can I just not throw the car in Nuetral and leave it in 2WD?

Thanks in advanced.
Run mine through all the time! I'm off on the trails getting dirty, and getting too lazy to wash mine by hand. Anyhow, just run it through, slip it in neutral when the attendant says so, just move the lever one notch up and your good. When exiting, I slightly, and quickly throw my foot on the brake pedal so I can flip it back in D. No fuss, no muss.

FYI, I'm lifted, with 35x12'5s and don't care if my wheels fit or not, Just don't. But I found that the tracks seem wide enough to take 35's with no problems. Stubby antenna is the best too!
 

Schism75

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2019
Threads
2
Messages
221
Reaction score
268
Location
New England
Vehicle(s)
18’ JLU SAHARA
I run mine through the auto wash and no issues. It was a little unsettling running it it through with the brushes as I prefer the “touch less” more but that was down at the time. The stock antenna whips fierce into the
body from the brush wash and it’s MUCH louder than the “touch less”.
 
OP
OP

Alucard77

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2019
Threads
9
Messages
50
Reaction score
77
Location
New Jersey
Vehicle(s)
Jeep Cherokee
Got it, so for my needs, I will just remove the attena and turn the mirrors in.

Thanks all!
 

mgroeger

Well-Known Member
First Name
Mike
Joined
Feb 1, 2018
Threads
150
Messages
5,454
Reaction score
7,844
Location
Hurricane, UT
Vehicle(s)
2021 JLUR 2.0T, 1991 YJ rock crawler
Occupation
I make microchips for a living.
Vehicle Showcase
1
Got it, so for my needs, I will just remove the attena and turn the mirrors in.

Thanks all!
Welcome but I can't stress enough you will regret doing this if you have a black Jeep.
 

Sponsored

OP
OP

Alucard77

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2019
Threads
9
Messages
50
Reaction score
77
Location
New Jersey
Vehicle(s)
Jeep Cherokee
I have a grey Jeep. But why would I regret it? Does it scratch it up?
 

mgroeger

Well-Known Member
First Name
Mike
Joined
Feb 1, 2018
Threads
150
Messages
5,454
Reaction score
7,844
Location
Hurricane, UT
Vehicle(s)
2021 JLUR 2.0T, 1991 YJ rock crawler
Occupation
I make microchips for a living.
Vehicle Showcase
1
I have a grey Jeep. But why would I regret it? Does it scratch it up?
Black is the absolute worst. Yes, those car washes scratch your Jeep, they are fine scratches but scratches none the less. Black (especially in the sun) will show those scratches VERY easy. The metallic colors hide those scratches very well as does white. The darker the non-metallic color the easier it is to see the scratches. Sting Grey would be much better than black.
Don't EVER go to one of those self wash car washes and use those brushes. You might as well use sandpaper on your Jeep. I've talked to guys who own detail businesses and they don't even like the touchless car washes because they reuse water and have to filter it which means you will never get it pure again.
I have run our black Jeep through a car wash a few times and it NEVER gets everywhere. It won't get where the fenders meet the side, it barley gets the back and many other little spots.
Again, black is the worst for showing all of this. Regarding the paint it's death by 1,000 paper cuts. A black Jeep run through a carwash every week and one washed by hand will look different at the end of the year guaranteed.
Here's the irony... I will wash by hand to keep the paint as good as possible but we've pin striped the heck out of it on the trails :)
 

Udi

Active Member
First Name
Udi
Joined
Jul 30, 2019
Threads
0
Messages
44
Reaction score
69
Location
Northern CO
Vehicle(s)
2020 JLR 2.0L, 2016 Cherokee Trailhawk
Black is the absolute worst. Yes, those car washes scratch your Jeep, they are fine scratches but scratches none the less. Black (especially in the sun) will show those scratches VERY easy. The metallic colors hide those scratches very well as does white. The darker the non-metallic color the easier it is to see the scratches. Sting Grey would be much better than black.
Don't EVER go to one of those self wash car washes and use those brushes. You might as well use sandpaper on your Jeep. I've talked to guys who own detail businesses and they don't even like the touchless car washes because they reuse water and have to filter it which means you will never get it pure again.
I have run our black Jeep through a car wash a few times and it NEVER gets everywhere. It won't get where the fenders meet the side, it barley gets the back and many other little spots.
Again, black is the worst for showing all of this. Regarding the paint it's death by 1,000 paper cuts. A black Jeep run through a carwash every week and one washed by hand will look different at the end of the year guaranteed.
Here's the irony... I will wash by hand to keep the paint as good as possible but we've pin striped the heck out of it on the trails :)
Agree 100%. My wife's gray Trailhawk paint looks horrible in the sun due to the micro-scratches from car washes. My new Rubi exterior is hosed off after a trail and hand-wiped on the inside. If I feel like cleaning it more thoroughly, after hosing it off, I get a bucket with water and some no-rinse soap and in 5 minutes the exterior looks like new. For me, rinsing it off and a quick go over with a rag takes less time than driving to the car wash. And I know that my soft top and my paint are safer this way.
 

Wabujitsu

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jeff
Joined
Jul 26, 2019
Threads
104
Messages
2,260
Reaction score
4,432
Location
Sarasota, FL
Vehicle(s)
2021 JLUR, 2020 JLU Sahara
Build Thread
Link
Occupation
Retired US Army
Vehicle Showcase
1
Welcome but I can't stress enough you will regret doing this if you have a black Jeep.
Mike, I have a black Jeep, and I wholeheartedly agree with you. But I have a really weird situation here. The car wash I use, by some miracle, doesn't scratch my Jeep, and it gets it pretty darn clean too! It's a newer car wash. I wonder if they are engineering them better now?
 

BrntWS6

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2018
Threads
12
Messages
1,243
Reaction score
1,482
Location
Land of the FOID
Vehicle(s)
2019 JLUS, 2002 WS6
Those scratches in the clear coat can be buffed out. Not hard but can take time, i have about 30hrs in my Trans Am when i restored the paint. Now i take the time to wash my cars the correct way. A bit time consuming but my paint stays swirl free and i really enjoy doing it myself.
 

Sponsored

00Sebby

Well-Known Member
First Name
Mark
Joined
Sep 5, 2019
Threads
4
Messages
256
Reaction score
439
Location
Knoxville, TN
Vehicle(s)
2020 JLUR
Occupation
Ex-auto quality engr & mgt. Now just enjoy life.
Close by we have a car wash that runs the vehicle through on a conveyor but there are attendants stationed inside. No auto scrubbers or flapping belts. I drive it through myself and I shift it into N for the ride. Before you enter the tunnel there is a guy that scrubs the bugs off the grill and windshield, then he runs a high-pressure wand around the lower body and wheels. Once entering the tunnel it goes through a curtain of soapy water, then 2 guys stationed inside hand wash the vehicle with mits, and that's followed with a curtain rinse and those high-powered blow driers. Lastly, you drive it out to a bay and they wipe it down to get any film that was missed and dry the vehicle. All for $8 and a tip. However, I haven't taken the Jeep through it yet because I'm afraid of the bug scrubbers they use and their effect on the grill paint and headlamps.
 

Pig-Pen

Well-Known Member
First Name
Steve
Joined
May 29, 2018
Threads
80
Messages
3,873
Reaction score
5,973
Location
Eastvale, CA
Vehicle(s)
2018 JLU
Occupation
jabroni
Clubs
 
i took my soft top granite JLUS through a conveyor belt car wash. no real issues except it did a mediocre job of actually cleaning the vehicle.
 

GGolds

Well-Known Member
First Name
Gerry
Joined
Sep 14, 2018
Threads
16
Messages
231
Reaction score
218
Location
Hartford, CT
Vehicle(s)
Jeep Wrangler 2019 JLU Sahara. 3.6, V6. Mojito with a black hard top. Tan leather. 2019 Jeep Cherokee Limited.
Occupation
Paramedic
I was just wondering if there is anything to know when taking the JL to an automatic carwash. I believe I read something where I have to take the car out of Drive and put it in Park, then take it from 2WD and move that to Neutral. Is that the case?

Can I just not throw the car in Nuetral and leave it in 2WD?

Thanks in advanced.
I have my Sahara in Full time 4wd, I do nothing. Neutral and foot off brake. Like any other vehicle. Personally, I NEVER go through automatic washes WITHOUT brushes of any kind. Just auto spray only.
Sponsored

 
 



Top