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Car Wash with 20" Wheels

6K views 18 replies 11 participants last post by  ivyleeger 
#1 ·
Does anyone have any advice for taking an X5 with the 20" wheels to a car wash? I just picked up a 2011 X5 last month and am worried that the rear 315s are going to be too wide for an automatic car wash. I'm thinking they can seriously screw up the tires or the wheels.

Does anyone have any experience or insight?

Thanks!
Evan
 
#2 ·
I took my new 2011 with the 20 inch wheels through the car wash a few weeks ago. There wasn't an issue. I knew from previous experience that this particular car wash had a wide track and see many vehicles with different rims, wheels, etc. go through.

That said - its always good to ask FIRST vs. rolling out the other side and finding a mess.

And of course...someone will comment....it's always best to hand wash :)
 
#3 ·
Car Wash???? How can you sleep at night? There goes your BMW warranty not to mention the shame and humiliation.
 
#7 ·
Get real - it's just a car, it gets dirty, and I don't have the time to spend hours cleaning it !

I have a couple of little Turkish guys that will power wash it, and give a quick woosh round the inside for $30
Other wise the car wash costs $18
 
#5 ·
It is truly amazing at the breadth of the public's perception of "paint quality".

I'm on one extreme, but the idea that people will allow a BMW dealer to was their car, or run it through a car wash, just amazes me. They'll wonder why their paint has these 'little spider web' patterns in the bright sun, but never figure it all out..... I'll get told that my 7 year old car looks 'wet and shiny', and they'll ask "what can I put on it to make it look like yours?"

Sigh

Carry on-
 
#17 · (Edited)
it is truly amazing at the breadth of the public's perception of "paint quality".

I'm on one extreme, but the idea that people will allow a bmw dealer to was their car, or run it through a car wash, just amazes me. They'll wonder why their paint has these 'little spider web' patterns in the bright sun, but never figure it all out..... I'll get told that my 7 year old car looks 'wet and shiny', and they'll ask "what can i put on it to make it look like yours?"

sigh

carry on-
I've gotten similar questions.
 
#9 ·
ard, I do understand and agree with your comments but people are not grouped together with the same time commitments. Some work long hours or have three kids maybe playing sports or a host of other things or reasons that make taking the time to do maintenance on cars and houses difficult so sometimes it is a better use of time to pay people that specialize in their chosen craft like plumbers and electricians and detail guys to free you up for the things each of us deem most important. There is no right or wrong here just different circumstances.
 
#14 · (Edited)
No you didnt just say what you just said?! Let me guess, ard is an: ivy league educated young white exec on the up and up who's so used to having his point of view stuffed down the throat of other members of the organization he works for, and now he's extending that mentality into other aspects of his life, for example this board....... Pls don't respond with a two page smack down if I guessed wrong, cause I am just a lowly Yankee on the jersey shore. Wow, I just realized that you managed to make me put myself down! Man you are good Ard! Ari Gold has some fierce competition now doesn't he?! LOL
 
#19 ·
No you didnt just say what you just said?! Let me guess, ard is an: ivy league educated young white exec on the up and up who's so used to having his point of view stuffed down the throat of other members of the organization he works for, and now he's extending that mentality into other aspects of his life, for example this board....... Pls don't respond with a two page smack down if I guessed wrong, cause I am just a lowly Yankee on the jersey shore. Wow, I just realized that you managed to make me put myself down! Man you are good Ard! Ari Gold has some fierce competition now doesn't he?! LOL
No, you didn't just day that!!?? Okay, stop the Ivy League bashing! Some of us work for a living..or used to anyway.
 
#15 ·
Amazing the reactions that got !!!

The two guys (actually they work there with about 4) are of Turkish origin.
They work hard at running their little carwash business, and do a good job. in about 15 minutes, for approx $20 (cheap)
It's on my way home, and I'd rather stand there and have a smoke and chat to someone on the phone than do that job every week.

On the odd occassion that I do decide to wash it, it does take me about 2 hours to wash it, Chamios it, and vaccum out the inside, I can also spend a few hours cutting the lawn, but I'd rather drag the Harley out and go for a ride, or spend some time with my kids.

I'm not offended by ARD's comments, if his car is so precious to him that he worries about little swirls in the paint, then that's his right.
I would love to see my car perfectly clean, & shinny as he describes, but it just gets dirty all over again in the carpark at work.

cars are my life, and my work, I see 1200 a day when I walk around the plant. They really aren't that important to me anymore.
It will get dirty, it will get scratched, and it will wear out.

But it sounds like ARD really enjoys keeping his car cleaner than a new car.
and he does know a lot about all the other stuff too.
I'm assuming that he is a Garge tech, or Garage owner, or something, because he has a lot of hands on experience. most of which I leave to the experts in each of their diciplines.

I am more than capable of doing almost any job on a car, or Harley, but half of the time, I'd rather let someone else do it (lazy I guess) or just time management doing the things I enjoy ! have a nice day :thumbup:
 
#18 ·
You guys are both right. When I bought my 911, I got friendly with the dealer's son. The 911 had been the car of my dreams, so I was shocked (and a little offended) when he opined "it's just a car." I fit the Yuppie P-car-owner sterotype at the time (one of the books on my coffee table was "Perpetuating Porsche Paranoia"), and it took time for me to ralize he was right.

I still wash and detail the M3 because it's therapeutic. If I'm lucky, I break out the clay bar once a year. But half the X5's washes are done at the carwash. Like Marlboro, I'd rather kick a ball around with my kids. (Plus the M3 almost never goes out in the rain, so it doesn't get as dirty as the X5). Besides, more often than not I am cleaning the X5's interior with Lexol and VinlyX as we ride through the spray guns. Wish I could say I was having hot nasty sex with a 25-year-old hardbody instead, but that would be a lie.

Back in my club racing days, I used to do most of my own wrenching - changing the 911's oil weekly got expensive as did swapping out brake pads, adjusting the suspension and adjusting hte valves. But that was BC (before children) when I had a lot more free time (not to mention hair!) Nowadays, my wrenching is pretty much limited to doing the winter and summer tire swaps; let's me take a peek at the suspension and pad thickness, plus I know some monkey with an air gun didn't over-tighten the lugs.

So like Ard, I "can", but like Marlboro, I "choose not to." And if there was a Turkish carwash in MA I'd probably try it, if only to see if their towels were better.
 
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