Arc Car Wash Hell!

[beanitos]

As the queue for the jetwash was massively huge, i foolishly put the Leon through one of those ARC carwashes at my local super market.

now I have a couple chips in the bonnet and lots of tiny scratches on the rear bumper.

does the Leon R have particuarly vunerable paint? Or is it a common seat issue?

I went back and bitched at the guys at the carwash but they just shrugged their shoulders and said I should have said something straight away (unfortunately i didn't notice untill a day later!)

Any suggestions? Or do i just have to bite my tongue on this one?!?!

 

[Sisson]

Well you've learnt your lesson,

DONT USE CAR WASHES UNLESS YOU WANT TO DAMAGE YOUR PAINT!!!!!!!

Don't be lazy and wash it yourself!

 

[ZBOYD]

Yup lesson learnt. Dont use them, they will damage your car.

A professional detailer may be able to polish out the fine scratches if they are not too bad, and get it back to a nicer finish, then you can hand wash it in future.

If you dont have time to wash the car, its better to leave it dirty than take it through one of those monsters. And wash it properly when you do have the time.

 

[jenk]

Old mans Mint Mr2 had swirls put all down the one side by the jet wash they use before you go in. Hes learnt his leason.

 

[beanitos]

Yup i hold my hand up and admit it - lesson learnt the hard way!

The reason I asked if the paint was particuarly prone to this kind of thing was that my bro uses it all the time (he has a volvo c70), i said "don't those things do bad things to your paint?" and he swore it was brilliant and never caused any problems!

I'll be having some harsh words let me tell you!!!

 

[claudefrog]

i cant really see it making the chips on the bonnet... thats usually down to driving close behind other cars.

but the scratches, they may be able to get poilshed out with some compound.

glad you have learnt your lesson tho, sorry to hear about the damage

 

[sportbilly]

Mine is covered in that stuff SEAT call black paint, nooo way would I put it through a car wash - would add to the marks already on there.

 

[aphix]

horrible horrible things.. if you put the car under a secuirty light or something.. i can assure you it wont have just been the rear bumper.. i had near perfect paint on my old car... then me and my mate where bored and the car was dirty.. so we took it through the car wash.. later on you could see the swirl marks.

I wouldnt of thought it would of caused the chips on the bonnet either.

You might be able to get the scratches taken out providing you cant feel them with your fingernail. But from experience the SEAT clear coat seems to be very thin. My front bumper got wrecked by someone with a machine polisher... carefull of that middle hole below the seat badge.. catch thatg and it will peal all the paint off the bumper.

Rob

 

[minxycov]

I cracked my windscreen in one once...it went all the way across my screen....was only washin it cos i wanted to sell it.....

 

[225]

There will be an owners beware sign by the car wash as well. They are paint strippers for cars and I cant understand why anyone uses them TBH. SEATs black paint is frankly a joke, the wind changing direction marks it.

 

[jedi knight]

Have used those car washes since I got my car As most people have said not the best way to wash your car but with the fact that my car has been keyed twice and that I can't be arsed to wash it doesn't help. Would love to be able to put as mush effort into my cars as some of you guys but it is never going to happen.

 

[BHP Addict]

There was one of these on Top Gear the other day.

Went in it in a Renault Espace CONVERTIBLE (home made tho)

Ripped the roof clean off, but then caught fire and the car wash was fooked

served it right

 

[Rokerlad]

I used to use Arc car washes in my old white 306 Rallye and Silver Fiat Coupe with no porblems. Used it in my Mondial blue 172 Cup and was appalled to see the swirls which were extremely visible under street lighting. There's absolutley no way my Ebony LCR is going anywhere near one. If I can't wash it myself I go to a handwash place that doesn't use hydra-blades to dry.

 

[Sisson]

your white pug and silver will have been damaged, you cant notice the swirls due to the colours

 

[RickC]

ARC is for BMW drivers and women ONLY



lol

never use em

 

[Fidge]

ARC is the only car wash I use and have had no probs with them!

 

[Empi5]

My example is a good one, I have never ever used a car was in the LCR, its only ever been hand washed, I think about 10 times, its gone to our local car hand car wash,

I wash it every week, polish, wax, generally look after it. Had it detailed last week, and you would not believe the swirling. So if that swirling is as a result of hand washing, can you imagine what Car washing would do.

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=86781&highlight=detailing+lcr

 

[aphix]

Yellow sponges cause swirl marks too .. JFYI

And poor quality micro-fibre towels, and those crappy cloths you get from halfords that you have to cut into size with scissors.. the ones you cut and get little strands of towel go every where. Cant find a picture..

Rob

 

[Brucel]

No offence but you should know better than putting your car through a car wash....?

Hand wash only.... that is my view... Hope you get something sorted.

 

[mcintosh_98]

Arc wash over 36 million cars per year, they have prooved in court that they do not scratch cars. I was my car in one daily and the paint work is flawless. how ever i polish it every month. not matter how you wash your car it will eventualy end up with swirls. this is due to the deteriation and drying out of your paint work. but a good wax every 2-3 months will stop this. and here is another fact for you government stat show that as many as 80% of had car washes are illegal and cost us all money on our council tax due to the fact that they put there chemicals down the drain. Also 5th gear done a study and it proved that a machine wash is the best finnish for your car and that was just on a bog standard machine wash no pre wash like you get at ARC so IMOHO ARC is the best way to wash your car.