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blnewt

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Seems like the paint is pretty good on the JLs, at least compared to the thin & fragile paint on our Infiniti. Not sure if it's a thicker top coat or the top coat is more pliable, but running through the touch auto wash seemed to be swirl free and not at all the case w/ our Infiniti :(

Also no chips anywhere on our JL and that's a lot of hwy miles on heavy truck routes.
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cjaama

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When I started this thread I had been considering getting into an unlimited car wash membership at a local chain. They had a promotion in March where the first month was only $10 (the price of the equivalent wash is $17), so I jumped on it and have stayed with it, but it’s due to renew in a couple days and I won’t be renewing since I just put my soft top on last weekend. I’ll admit to taking it through twice since putting the soft top on, but only because I can’t stand to not use up a couple more washes I’m still eligible for and I know the top won’t disintegrate from a couple laps through.

I’ve gotten quite used to having a sparkling clean Jeep. I can’t see a single swirl or defect after about 20 washes. It’s going to be tough not having it being completely immaculate, especially in the summer. It’s so hard to justify the effort of handwashing if you know that it’s going to rain within a few days, meanwhile I’ve taken it through the car wash knowing that it will rain the next day.

I do find the taillight issue concerning. I wonder if covering the gaps around it with masking tape or something could prevent it.
 

Ang1Sgt

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Being in NY State I understand the need to keep your vehicle washed and clean. I am not sure yet what my New to Me Jeep will do in the Winter. Being it is a third vehicle it really doesn’t need to come out. Not sure if I’ve said it before or not, but for “ME” this Jeep is my Corvette. So I’ve been treating it pretty well so far.

I have taken it through a “Royal Car Wash” which is changing over to a “GO Car Wash”. Little different pricing but basically the same. The newest one near me even has a rack of like 14 Vacuum stations which is very nice and is included in your wash price. Now I have used this place in the last two years with my 2020 Subaru Outback. The ONLY issue I have is that at one of the places it ripped off the back window wiper. They took care of it just fine after I presented them the bill for just the parts. I used to work for Subaru so I know my way around the car and the parts.

The paint on my Subaru as well as my new Jeep is protected with Chemical Brothers Jet Seal. When applied as per instructions, it is a very good paint sealant and protectant to be sure. There are no swirls on my Subi at all and this vehicle has been through 2 harsh upstate NY winters so far.

I am a DETAIL Freak and have most if not all of the equipment to buff, and paint correct most vehicles. Due to a Brain Tumor about 6 years ago I have slowed down, and then COVID came and it impacted me a little more. But I have gone back to hand washing my Jeep because of the excitement this vehicle gives me.
 

Dyolfknip74

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I am wondering if the Panamera will have any issues going through automatic wash. The low ground clearance and especially the wide rear tires concern me. Anybody have issues?
Did you bump an almost 4 year old post to ask a Porsche car wash question on a Jeep forum? That's a lot to unpack.

Edit, this is apparently just your thing I guess.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/water-leaks.94459/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...s-tires-on-a-sahara.6302/page-11#post-1836057
 

wibornz

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I have a subscription to our local car wash. $40 a month unlimited washes. It get my Jeep cleaner than I typically do if I do it by hand. The wash has three different types of wax as you go through. The only thing it does not get great is the tailgate behind the tire. The guys there power wash it before the vehicle enters the main wash, They scrub the bugs off and do the Windows and such or anything that has excessive dirt on it.

They know me well. I will bring the Jeep there FUCKED UP from a weekend of wheeling and they may spend ten minutes power washing it before they send it through. They often get dirty from spraying off the beadlock wheels. You would think that they would hate seeing me, but nope, they love the Jeep or they love the fact that if the Jeep is in need of extra extra attention, that I also bring the guys a couple of pizzas for the extra work. Hell they even tire shine the tires after hand drying it. I only run tires 12.5 wide so that I can ensure that the Jeep will fit in their wash.


They also have mirror on the wall so that when your wash is finished, you can see how clean your vehicle is. If you're not happy, they will run it through again.
 

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Mikester86

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I have a subscription to our local car wash. $40 a month unlimited washes. It get my Jeep cleaner than I typically do if I do it by hand. The wash has three different types of wax as you go through. The only thing it does not get great is the tailgate behind the tire. The guys there power wash it before the vehicle enters the main wash, They scrub the bugs off and do the Windows and such or anything that has excessive dirt on it.

They know me well. I will bring the Jeep there FUCKED UP from a weekend of wheeling and they may spend ten minutes power washing it before they send it through. They often get dirty from spraying off the beadlock wheels. You would think that they would hate seeing me, but nope, they love the Jeep or they love the fact that if the Jeep is in need of extra extra attention, that I also bring the guys a couple of pizzas for the extra work. Hell they even tire shine the tires after hand drying it. I only run tires 12.5 wide so that I can ensure that the Jeep will fit in their wash.


They also have mirror on the wall so that when your wash is finished, you can see how clean your vehicle is. If you're not happy, they will run it through again.
The advantage of white paint for sure. It really hides imperfections well. Darker colors, not so much.
 

JeepViking13

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I prefer to pressure wash and hand wash. The only public car washers I would use are the touch less kind if needed in a pinch. I learned my lesson years ago taking my Black Chrysler 300 SRT8 through a touch wash with the spinning brushes. Totally destroyed the paint. Never again.

Those brushes in those car washes collect grime, dirt, and small stones from other vehicles and then spin and grind them right into your paint when you go through. No thanks.

As far as the touchless washes having strong soap that damages paint it's possible. But I doubt it. Most of them have protection additives. Which is why the water beads after the wash depending on what package you choose. Either way I personally would only use this method once in awhile. More so in the Winter when hand washing sucks.
 

Steph1

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If its just to get you through winter, just go in one of the car washes where they have pressure guns and do it yourself.

I go once a week and dont even use soap. I leave at rinse and use 2 cycles of 4 minutes which gives me time to spray the whole underside and body.

Water only is more than enough to remove salt and chemicals. No point in washing it perfectly as we jump right back into winter crap when we leave the carwash🤷‍♂️
 
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CreepyCrepe

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Any kind of contact washing, whether by hand or by the slap and scratch will impart some kind of swirling. It's just a matter of how much and what your tolerance for it is. Touchless washes do use harsher chemicals in the pH range to make up for the fact that they're not actually touching the paint. It shouldn't destroy the paint, but it will kill any waxes or sealants you may have had. I guess it could cause some wear and tear on the plastic/vinyl/rubber trims if you don't keep them dressed, but the sun will do that too.

Really the best way to keep a clean vehicle of any kind is to get it really clean once, apply a quality sealant, dress your trims/seals and then maintain. I've used two bucket soap wash, rinseless wash, and waterless washes and I think rinseless is one of the better ways to go for price per wash and ease of use. I can do it in my garage, out of the sun, summer or winter, it doesn't make a huge mess, I don't need any additional equipment other than a bucket and microfiber towels and it is super cheap ($0.81/wash if you only wash one car at a time). If you keep it clean and trims dressed, maintenance washes usually take 30-45min once a week or once every other week.

I enjoy washing my vehicles, so it's not a big deal to me, but as a parent of two under five the appeal of the autos is strong just for the time savings. In the end, any kind of washing is better than none. Just try to keep some kind of protective layer on the paint and trim and it will make cleaning easier.

Edit: That ended up being way longer than I had intended.
 

crackofdawn

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It's funny how this exact type of thread exists on every single forum for every single type of vehicle on the planet. I just got a JLURXR and as I've never had a jeep before I wanted to make sure it was 'safe' to take through a drive through car wash, not sure how the removable top/doors/etc works with water penetration etc.

That being said, we have the drive through full-touch car washes all over the place here, like one every 2 miles, and I've driven through nearly all of them numerous times with my black 4Runner, my wife has driven through them all numerous times with her Tacoma, I have a ton of friends and family that drive through them all the time, and not once has anyone ever gotten a scratch or swirl mark from any of them. I sold my 4Runner 5 days ago after running it through various touch car washes every other week for a year and there wasn't a single scratch or swirl mark on it. And that's just my current vehicles in my current area, I've been using touch based car washes for cleaning my vehicles for almost 20 years now as I hate washing my own car, never seen a single scratch or swirl mark from using them.

So, maybe it just depends on where you live, or maybe people are way too paranoid, not sure, but it feels like everyone that talks about how bad touch-based car washes will screw up your vehicle are just making stuff up or repeating what they've heard other people say. It's very weird and definitely nothing unique to Wrangler forums.

I personally always avoid touchless car washes, I had a 99 TransAm back in 99/00 with T-Tops and touchless car washes would force water through the seals into the vehicle, and since the Jeep has removable panels/top I'm not going to risk that.
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