Car Wash

craig245_98549352

Can the car be configured to go through a car wash that pushes the car though using a tire? If so what needs to be done? I went to a car wash last week and they wouldn't put it through. They were worried that the doors might open while going through.

Thanks Craig

MX Build date 9/20/19

craig245_98549352

PS: It has V10 software.

NoMoICE

Good question. I'd like to hear that too.
Also:
I anyone running the X through car washes OTHER than touchless?

freemarket

Do you mean the car wash had a conveyor that pulls the car through using the front or rear tire to pull it?

We have a local car wash that does that and pushes it via the rear tires.

If you are in neutral, there should be no assumed risk that the doors will accidentally open.

My MX was delivered 9/27/19. For now I’m hand washing it with Chemical Guys wash. I’ve got it down to about 45 minutes and am hoping I can save the clear coat on this one. It’s white so it is easier to justify going to car washes IMO, but it is still so new I just can’t bring my self to go that route.

Uncle George

I though all car washes have the conveyer that your tires go into? I’ve been to a few different car washes. One that is touch-less where you drive into the middle until it warns you to stop. Put into park and enjoy the wash. The other one is a conveyer (scrub a dub).

NoMoICE

Manual recommends hand washing or a touchless over others. Seems like the touchless is the easiest on the paint. No worries about water going into the handles? Manual says do not train high power wash nozzles on handles, cameras etc. Touchless has that but it's at least 12" away from the car.
Everyone good with that?

freemarket: mine is white too, worried about clearcoat??!! What's that about?

freemarket

Clear coat is what goes over the paint. All cars have it. When you look especially at dark colored cars, you can see swirl marks in the clear coat if the cars been through a car wash. Little pieces of dirt essentially cause abrasion to the clear coat regardless of water and soap being used. It doesn’t go deep enough to harm your paint, but on black cars you can notice this easily just walking through a parking lot. Seeing how light reflects off a car as you walk by it shows you how the clear coat is holding up. My 2014 MS Midnight silver has held up surprisingly well even though I’ve run it through the car wash a few 100 times over the years. You can still see swirls, but not as bad as I’ve seen on other paint jobs. It can happen just as easily on white, you just have to look more closely.

NoMoICE

Got it. So you run yours through the brush/sponge washes even with the rear spoiler and no problems?

freemarket

I have not run the MX through the wash since I got it. I’ve washed it about 3-4 times in the last 6 weeks. I’ve used a waterless system that my buddy with a blue BMW recommended. After I saw his car I was shocked at how good it looked and was sold on trying this product out. It actually does what it says it does. It’s the Chemical Guys Eco wash and wax. There’s a 4 minute video worth watching on YouTube. For the glass I use Meguiar's Perfect Clarity Glass Cleaner. This product alone has been amazing to use on all the cars. Even when all I want is a perfectly clean windshield. Having that on the X is especially nice since it’s HUGE. I’m 6’2 and still can’t reach the top center of the MX so I use a chair along side the car. I’m sure one day I’ll succumb to the car wash with it, but I wouldn’t be worried at all about the rear spoiler. Plenty of cars have those.

yabouzaid_98199533

Mine 11/18 went though regular car wash like 20 times , nothing unusual happened,

zhaot92_98549532

I actually asked the sales about it and he said it should be okay as the doors are in lock position and any pressure from outside on the handle can not open it and the sales center wash their car at touchless car wash too.

liftsrock

I've been through both types of car washes with my Pearl White June 2018 Model X . . . the touchless washes do not get the car clean enough. However, before I started going through the newest wash with flaps and rotating brushes, I had already applied 4 or 5 coats of OptiSeal after hand washing. I think that there is enough water volume with the newer "brush" type car washes that the risk of scratching is minimal. I often apply OptiSeal after a car wash to maintain the protective film and bugs rarely stick to the front facia as they did before those treatments, I've had no problems with water pressure on door buttons . . . just have to get accustomed to carefully shifting a single click into Neutral when the tires are on the belt/conveyor system . . . not good to shift into Reverse or Park. I would never take my car through an older car wash. I only use the newest design washes . . . Blue Falls Car Wash, Pearl Road, Strongsville, Ohio is best one near me.

stegerfarmsgail_98544165

Thanks for the info,I really appreciate it. I purchased my Pearl White Model X in June 2019 in Colorado, picked it up in Tampa, Florida June 30th. Drove it back to Colorado via my farm in Kentucky. Talk about a learning curve! First time I went to a car wash, couldn't find neutral, then as the car proceeded to enter the car wash the automatic wipers started to work...panic again to find the OFF. I have been using a referred car wash - Express Wash that has brushes they can retract, but have to do a lot of wiping off of dirt. Sometimes use the brushes (they say its okay) and there are a lot of Teslas going thru there. I do want to have a glass cleaner applied, and I have heard of having the vehicle clear coat wrapped to protect it from rock chips, etc from our harsh winters. Has anyone done this, and what do you think? Worth the cost?

liftsrock

@stegerfarmsgail Just my 2-cents: I know that lots of Tesla owners spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on paint protection film and ceramic coatings, but as much as I love my Model X, I decided that it is a car and not a museum piece. I'm not doing that. I really like the OptiSeal product in lieu of traditional wax and I do use a wax product (Turtle Wax Bug & Tar Remover) with a microfiber towel for stubborn bug and tar spots on the facia. I decided that if 6 or 7 years from now, the car starts to look less than beautiful or if it gets dinged in parking lots, I'll just spend some money getting paint work done. Not going to try to keep it looking like a museum piece. If I'm lucky in a few years, I may want to trade it in for a newer Tesla with newer drive train technology. You can go the route of ceramic coating if you wish . . . not sure I'd do the paint protection film (wrap) however. I don't know if any of that has been on the market long enough yet to know for sure what it will look like in a few years. Maybe someone else has more experience with it.

liftsrock

@stegerfarmsgail Also, Yup, gotta remember to turn the wipers "Off" and I also usually fold my side mirrors in. Finding Neutral is pretty easy after a couple of practices . . . you'll get to Neutral by putting your foot on the brake and quickly moving the directional control lever up one detent. Moving it up two detents which is all the way will put you in Reverse.

NoMoICE

Hey, Thanks for all the info on the washing and polishing my Mar.'19 X Pearl White. Good stuff.

To stegerfarmsgail; on this forum a recent Vinyl wrap post you may want to read, the talk a product called X-pel

sbeggs

I can't help myself. Every time I see your title, music from the movie Car Wash starts playing in my mind!

ncwfsunshine_98384341

I have used Prime Shine and have had no problems. Now it’s call Mister Carwash

Drfredlee_98632617

I just got my X90D, ran it through the car wash (with brushes) and everything went fine. No problem.

BossHoss

For anyone who is going through an automatic carwash, please note that that is a very bad time to dust off the top side of the dash.

I know a guy (very well) who did that and as soon as I, uh as the guy stretched to dust the passenger side of the dash, and his weight lifted off of the driver's seat, the car shifted out of NEUTRAL and into PARK. (Since found out there is a safety-minded Sensor in the bottom seat cushion programmed to do just that.)

When PARK happened the conveyor belt "block" that pushes the tire to move the car forward lifted and ran under the tire--the car did not move.

I processed, I mean my friend processed what was going on quick enough to reacquire NEUTRAL and again be pushed forward by the very next "conveyor belt block."

He and I can are just beginning to be able to laugh about it now.