[ASoftwareEngrIthink]

Hi, I just bought a 340XI msport and was wondering if car washes are safe for the car? I live in the midwest, and it's currently like 0 degrees everyday with snow on the ground (Feb 2020).

The manual kinda scared me, as it says "Damage can occur if the car wash guide rails are 4in/10cm or higher" and it says to "put the car in Neutral, and turn off the Engine", and of course you need to retract the side view mirrors....

I feel like I'm going to accidentally press the "START/STOP " button twice when turning off the Engine + ignition which will force the car to "park". Seems like so much work?

Are the car washes safe? So I just call them to find out? Why does the engine need to be off when in Neural per the Owners manual?

[Skyhigh]

You are asking why the engine needs to be off in a (semi-) closed environment? Isn't it self-explanatory?

Wash your new car by hand. For so many reasons.

[chowser51]

I've never taken my personal car into one of those that lock your wheel and drag you along. We have to do it with our police cars and it looks like crap and you can see fine scratches and stuff from the things.

Hand wash only for our BMWs.

I'm in Ohio and we have stupid winters too. What I just did yesterday since it was 25 degrees was grab a bucket of warm water, hook up the foam cannon to my battery powered pressure washer and do a quick rinse of my car. gets a lot of the crap off. once it gets a little warmer, i will do a proper hand wash.

[luckstr]

Originally Posted by Skyhigh

You are asking why the engine needs to be off in a (semi-) closed environment? Isn't it self-explanatory?

Wash your new car by hand. For so many reasons.

I don't believe the OP was questioning the issue of turning the engine off. I believe he was concerned about not having it in Neutral but accidentally having it in Park.
BTW, I agree 100% with Chowser51: WASH BY HAND.

[Gen13 F36]

OP... try it on the parking lot...when you put in N then turn off the engine, it say on N. Anyway my friend use auto wash on all his car, just keep the engine running. He least them so he doesn't care.

[amancuso]

I take my 428ix into an automatic car wash and have never had an issue.

[PhizzurpF]

I also live in Midwest. I hand wash mine once a week. Never been through a wash. Laser or not will leave swirls

[That340i]

I take mine through our local brush wash once every 2 weeks or so and I've never had a problem. Engine running as well. I mainly do it for the free floor mat clean and vacuum though.

[Wires]

I live in the cold north of Canada and use automatic car washes all the time. The ones where I live are just a flat concrete apron, and the wash mechanism articulates around the car.

From the owners manual, they are talking about the ones with the guide rails. Those are just brutal since you tend to "curb" a wheel no matter how careful you are.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by That340i

I take mine through our local brush wash once every 2 weeks or so

Don't do that, you'll ruin the paint. If you use a car wash only go to touch less. It doesn't do a great job, but it's sufficient to remove road salt and sand. When it warms up do it by hand. Keep using a brush wash and before long you'll be posting asking how much it's going to cost you for paint correction.

[frazervalley]

For our vehicles:

Preferred car wash method -gentle hand wash, two buckets with grit guards.
Optional - power wash/rinse with a wand at the local car wash.
Last resort - touchless car wash (never on my BMW) but will on our daily driver vehicles.

Car wash damage from the automatic car wash brushes will be clearly visible in bright sunlight when you look closely. Bring tissues when you inspect, you may need them.

Harder to see this paint damage on a white car, perhaps why you have not noticed.

[floydarogers]

Just use a car wash. My car made it 10 years using an automatic car wash. My 1995 truck got its front license plate ripped off. Yeah, lots of people advocate for hand washing, but if it's a daily rather than garage queen, an automatic car wash is entirely adequate.

[Lgb0250]

I just knew you were going to get flamed posting this question here. These people are called enthusiast for a reason! If I had bought mine new and paid the price these cost new. I would never take it to a car wash either!

But, since I bought mine used only recently, I look at it as just another piece of metal in my driveway. Haven’t taken it to an car wash yet, but I surely will, soon.

[Solidjake]

Enjoy your scratched paint.


Wash your car by hand and if it's too cold find a place that does washes by hand with a mitt.

[mecheng77]

Originally Posted by chowser51

I've never taken my personal car into one of those that lock your wheel and drag you along. We have to do it with our police cars and it looks like crap and you can see fine scratches and stuff from the things.

Hand wash only for our BMWs.

I'm in Ohio and we have stupid winters too. What I just did yesterday since it was 25 degrees was grab a bucket of warm water, hook up the foam cannon to my battery powered pressure washer and do a quick rinse of my car. gets a lot of the crap off. once it gets a little warmer, i will do a proper hand wash.

Originally Posted by chowser51

I've never taken my personal car into one of those that lock your wheel and drag you along. We have to do it with our police cars and it looks like crap and you can see fine scratches and stuff from the things.

Hand wash only for our BMWs.

I'm in Ohio and we have stupid winters too. What I just did yesterday since it was 25 degrees was grab a bucket of warm water, hook up the foam cannon to my battery powered pressure washer and do a quick rinse of my car. gets a lot of the crap off. once it gets a little warmer, i will do a proper hand wash.

^^^ This

I do something even simpler, when it gets above freezing I just use a garden hose and spray all the salt and dirt off, including wheel wells and underbody. I don't 'wash' the car all winter as its been snowing every few weeks and there is more chances that you will scratch the paint. Main thing is to remove the salt

[Wires]

At the end of the day, these are just cars, that are mass produced. Not sure why "owning a BMW" makes this something so unique. I could have bought a F150 pickup that cost more than my loaded 340 did.

Personally, I hit the touchless car wash every week or two, and try to hand wash in the summer to get that film off that builds up form clay dust on the roads. In winter, there is no way a garden hose would ever clean the crud and salt that builds up on my paint, and it's never above freezing enough to every hand wash it.

I'm more concerned about the build up of salt and other ant-ice agents in all the cracks and undercarriage than scratches. And you know what's a million times worse than any swirls the touchless gets you? People and bags rubbing the salt encrusted grim down the body panels. Regardless on how careful you try to be, it just happens.

Every spring I just do a machine applied wax treatment after a clay bar. It looks fine, with minimal swirls before treatment.

I do have to say having your paint ceramic coated is one of the best things you can do for it.

My 2 cents worth...

[Fliplegend]

Originally Posted by amancuso

I take my 428ix into an automatic car wash and have never had an issue.

+1. I go to one with the bristles. I don't care what it does to the paint (public parking lots are so much more dangerous to paint) and salt in my opinion is worse and the touchless ones don't work. I never turn the engine off, simply put it in neutral and let it drag the car through the wash.

[PhizzurpF]

Originally Posted by Fliplegend

+1. I go to one with the bristles. I don't care what it does to the paint (public parking lots are so much more dangerous to paint) and salt in my opinion is worse and the touchless ones don't work. I never turn the engine off, simply put it in neutral and let it drag the car through the wash.

How is a public parking lot more dangerous to the paint? That's foolish. You're entitled to your own opinion but let's not lead OP to believe a brush wash won't damage the paint.

[Gen13 F36]

This is a forum, so most people here have plenty time on their hands.

OP do your own thing... like everyone said just keep the engine running and put it on neutral and let the rail drag the car through the wash.

[Fliplegend]

Originally Posted by PhizzurpF

How is a public parking lot more dangerous to the paint? That's foolish. You're entitled to your own opinion but let's not lead OP to believe a brush wash won't damage the paint.

Because the likelihood of a scratch is higher in a public parking lot? And I'm talking about a real scratch from a metal shopping cart, door, keys, kids toys, etc as opposed to a rubber bristle.

What's foolish is waiting until conditions are good enough to hand wash and leaving the salt/dirt on the car due to an irrational fear of car washes.

[chowser51]

OP will do as op wants in the end. It’s his car.
I installed a hot water tap in my garage specifically for winter hose off.
Not sure why last person only installed cold. Next house I will build and will make sure I have heat, air, hot/cold water and a lift.

[Skyhigh]

Originally Posted by Wires

At the end of the day, these are just cars, that are mass produced. Not sure why "owning a BMW" makes this something so unique. I could have bought a F150 pickup that cost more than my loaded 340 did.

You are absolutely correct there. This is not BMW-specific. It is valid for every car and boils down to the personal attitude towards one's belongings. I have taken good care of all cars, from the first one I bought with my own money, irrespective of the brand and value. To me they are not "just cars". They are my cars. And I hate scratched and neglected cars or belongings in general.

You could also say a phone is just a phone. And you'd be absolutely right. Yet most of us respect them enough to put them in protective covers and/or put screen protector on them. Should you respect and take care of your phone to a higher extent than for your car (worth quite a few phones)? Or should you just use them? If yes - why even bother washing?

Food for thought

This said - I know plenty of people who don't care about their cars. Neither of them considers himself/herself a car enthusiast though.