Can you take the Type R through a car wash?

[Zeffy94]

The question is fairy simple - my white paint has taken a beating and it needs a wash, but I haven’t had the time to do it... so I am almost debating just taking the lazy method and going through a car wash because my car is DIRTY.

There’s no issues with taking the Type R through one of the automated car washes is there? I highly doubt it in this day and age but would rather be safe than sorry (throwback to my parents old Pontiac Grand Am whose mirror was ripped off in a car wash...good times).

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[sysjl]

I take my car through a touchless laser wash every week. No issues so far.

 

[Ruckus]

touchless car wash is fine, otherwise id say probably a bad idea

 

[lawl]

improper washing is how you get swirls. this is improper washing to the extreme.

You're better off NOT washing the car than taking it to a wash like that. Or spend a little more and get a quickie wash at a legit detailing place.

The place near me charges liek 26 bucks but at least you know it's not getting scratched up with improper wash techniques.

 

[HondaReese23]

please don't take your R to an automated car wash. no matter how dirty it is....

 

[iLovePho]

The only automatic car wash I take mine to is the touchless, and that's only during the winter when it's too cold for me to wash it myself and the car wasn't that dirty (touchless car wash not very effective). Otherwise during the winter I take it to the local detail shop to have it hand washed.

During warmer climate I do it myself

 

[Zeffy94]

Alright, so what you guys are telling me is to get off my lazy behind and do it myself so I can avoid subjecting this car to torture. The temperature HAS warmed up finally so it’s just gonna take me coming home from work and spending the time on it. How long does it take you guys usually?

Or to look at detailing shops, which to be honest I haven’t done a lot of research on...

 

[17CivicTypeR_Brian]

I've done touchless and it's fine. I'm ceramic coated, so it turns out pretty good.

 

[Mick the Quick]

Ah, carwash-shaming is alive and well in any car forums.

 

[Civics4Ever]

I don't even own an R, and I only go through touchless.

 

[apk]

I see no issues if it 100% touchless, it just won't clean that well. I have always done touch-less, hand wash and garage. I will probably add professional detailing to my CTR once in a while.

 

[HondaReese23]

takes me anywhere between 3-5 hours per wash. it is well worth it at the end of the day. car is spotless, no swirls and peace of mind

 

[lawl]

Alright, so what you guys are telling me is to get off my lazy behind and do it myself so I can avoid subjecting this car to torture. The temperature HAS warmed up finally so it’s just gonna take me coming home from work and spending the time on it. How long does it take you guys usually?

Or to look at detailing shops, which to be honest I haven’t done a lot of research on...

It really is just up to you and how perfect you want the car to look. Even washing a car yourself has pitfalls. If you use the same wash mitt for the whole car you can pick up dirt early in the wash and possibly make little scratches all over the car. To minimize that, you can get 2 buckets, or a ton of mitts.

white hides swirl marks well, but swirls make a huge difference in how new a car looks. I never cared before (I've owned cars that were never washed ever), but this is my first new car in 20 years so I've been getting more into this part of the car hobby.

The rabbit hole can get pretty deep, but I'm not buying performance mods so I figure I can splurge a little on paint stuff.

I would go to a reputable detail shop and watch them wash the car so you get an idea. They should be happy to answer any questions. But if this doesn't matter to you, then a touchless wash should be fine.

have fun!

 

[MYTYPE]

Not everyone has 3-5 hours in a typical day when a car is in need of a wash. Touchless is fine but....like someone else said it doesn't get everything. You can go though a touchless and quickly follow up with a micro fiber cloth with a little bit of polish. It takes a about 20-30 minutes. For a small car, it seems as though there is a ton of surface area. Back in the day, I was smart enough to hoard a bunch on HONDA WAX and HONDA POLISH that I used on my street bike. HONDA doesn't make it any more, so I use it sparingly. Hand washing is ideal, but this method should work as well in between details.

 

[Dragnet]

I had mine in line at an automatic drive thru wash once. The owner ran out screaming and waving his arms right before I drove in. He told me that it'd probably tear my car up. So he had his wife handwash it for me instead.

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