Soft Top car wash experience?

[chadk77]

I've taken mine through with the softtop on numerous times. The only thing I noticed was some minor scratches on the windows.

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[Opus]

Interesting. I was just getting ready to post a thread about this.

Today I took the Jeep through its second car wash. Both times have been at the same location (touchless, water jets only). The first time everything sealed well with no water intrusion that I could see. This time, though, I got leaks at both doors. The difference between last time and this time is the temperature today was 25F. Maybe the fabric contracts a bit in the cold allowing more water to get in? If so, it's going to suck because I'll be taking it in fairly regularly this winter to try to keep the road salt brine off it.

 

[MrGneissGuy]

There's a local car wash that seems to cater somewhat to the Jeep family (even gave out ducks to Jeeps) and they'll turn off the top brush if you ask. I went through there once, asking them to turn off the top brush. I have not been back through. Without the top brush, maybe my windows were protected, but my hood and tailgate were both still dirty, so I basically spent a lot of money and didn't get a clean Jeep. And the dyers felt like they were going to rip the top off.

I've been through a touchless automatic wash a couple of times, and will do that if it's really cold out and I need to get mud/salt off. But I don't expect it to get real clean, a small amount of water will come in (as others have noted), and I usually go to the bay where the dryer doesn't work.

 

[Soggybottomboy]

Thanks for the info and all the replies. I appreciate your experiences.

I'm not sure if I was trying to assure myself that it would be ok, or convince myself not to do it.

Whatever the reason, I have here real life experiences and most caused at least a small bit of damage.

At this point, I feel like the probability of damage to a brand spanking new jeep, (when I get it), is a greater risk than I want to chance. Err to caution as it were.

Thanks again for sharing your experiences and I hope to hear more on this thread.

SBB

 

[Opus]

Thanks for the info and all the replies. I appreciate your experiences.

I'm not sure if I was trying to assure myself that it would be ok, or convince myself not to do it.

Whatever the reason, I have here real life experiences and most caused at least a small bit of damage.

At this point, I feel like the probability of damage to a brand spanking new jeep, (when I get it), is a greater risk than I want to chance. Err to caution as it were.

Thanks again for sharing your experiences and I hope to hear more on this thread.

SBB

Yeah, I'd love to hand-wash the Jeep each time, but it's just not practical in a mid-west winter. I'll live with a little water seeping in if necessary. Part of the experience, I guess.

 

[Heimkehr]

Yeah, I'd love to hand-wash the Jeep each time, but it's just not practical in a mid-west winter.

A sunny, 29°F morning in the Northeast. When she calls for a handwash, I must answer.

 

[dragoneggs]

A sunny, 29°F morning in the Northeast. When she calls for a handwash, I must answer.

I like it... you're growing icicles for the holidays? How festive!!! ?

 

[MacJeep]

Have not been through any car washes with soft top. I either hand wash when i get a break in weather, not often here in Canada. I will take a bucket of warm water with soap in the jeep to a hand spray location and spray off all the salt etc and then hand wash in the booth followed by a spray off.. don't know if they have spray booths where you re but works well

 

[Xorak]

Leaving your stock antenna on in a car wash will cause more damage than anything else.

 

[Soggybottomboy]

A sunny, 29°F morning in the Northeast. When she calls for a handwash, I must answer.

You sir are a man among men!
Thanks for your reply and carry on.

SBB

 

[Opus]

A sunny, 29°F morning in the Northeast. When she calls for a handwash, I must answer.

Cloudy, breezy and 12 degrees here currently. So, as soon as you wrap that up, feel free to drop by. I'll pull it out of the garage for you.

 

[smw89]

I've been through both touch and non-touch washes. The touch washes haven't appeared to cause any swirling or soft top damage but I do hear/see the soft top ripple a bit with the jets and the dryers. The non-touch washes have a higher water pressure so sometimes I see a bit of leak-through along the seams of the top and feel a wet spot on my shoulder.

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