Car Wash Horror Stories
Discussion
Just popped out to a generic petrol station car wash, usually the Eastern Europeans do a great job.
I was sat behind the car in front that was being done and saw one guy use the chami leather cloth, put it down on a dusty concrete floor then pick it up and start using again. Safe to say I left before my car was covered in small swirly scratches all over come my turn. Close call for me but it got me thinking; what is the worse car wash you've ever had and what if any, was the damage?
When I was younger I went through an automated drive through car wash and the mechanism tore my rear wiper off.
I was sat behind the car in front that was being done and saw one guy use the chami leather cloth, put it down on a dusty concrete floor then pick it up and start using again. Safe to say I left before my car was covered in small swirly scratches all over come my turn. Close call for me but it got me thinking; what is the worse car wash you've ever had and what if any, was the damage?
When I was younger I went through an automated drive through car wash and the mechanism tore my rear wiper off.
Edited by Henno196 on Tuesday 11th April 17:30
Edited by Henno196 on Tuesday 11th April 17:31
My father took his Impreza WRX through an automatic wash at the local garage a few years ago en-route to some F1 tyre testing at Silverstone...you know, the car needed to look good parked up at the track!
The machine started fine, but on winding the mechanism in to clean the alloys, it became obvious it would not stop on one side and the metal supports rammed hard into one of the wings and continued to push. Dad tried to get out but the machine was still running, so had to wind the window down and reach for the emergency stop - all whilst the car was being squashed!
It came out in a right mess - light smashed, bumper cracked, wing completely dented etc. BUT really really shiny! It was a very embarrassing trip down to Silverstone that day - it looked like we crashed en-route and carried on!
All of the "we accept no responsibility" signs aside, to be fair to the garage their insurance paid up and the car was repaired.
The machine started fine, but on winding the mechanism in to clean the alloys, it became obvious it would not stop on one side and the metal supports rammed hard into one of the wings and continued to push. Dad tried to get out but the machine was still running, so had to wind the window down and reach for the emergency stop - all whilst the car was being squashed!
It came out in a right mess - light smashed, bumper cracked, wing completely dented etc. BUT really really shiny! It was a very embarrassing trip down to Silverstone that day - it looked like we crashed en-route and carried on!
All of the "we accept no responsibility" signs aside, to be fair to the garage their insurance paid up and the car was repaired.
turboteeth said:
My father took his Impreza WRX through an automatic wash at the local garage a few years ago en-route to some F1 tyre testing at Silverstone...you know, the car needed to look good parked up at the track!
The machine started fine, but on winding the mechanism in to clean the alloys, it became obvious it would not stop on one side and the metal supports rammed hard into one of the wings and continued to push. Dad tried to get out but the machine was still running, so had to wind the window down and reach for the emergency stop - all whilst the car was being squashed!
It came out in a right mess - light smashed, bumper cracked, wing completely dented etc. BUT really really shiny! It was a very embarrassing trip down to Silverstone that day - it looked like we crashed en-route and carried on!
All of the "we accept no responsibility" signs aside, to be fair to the garage their insurance paid up and the car was repaired.
fThe machine started fine, but on winding the mechanism in to clean the alloys, it became obvious it would not stop on one side and the metal supports rammed hard into one of the wings and continued to push. Dad tried to get out but the machine was still running, so had to wind the window down and reach for the emergency stop - all whilst the car was being squashed!
It came out in a right mess - light smashed, bumper cracked, wing completely dented etc. BUT really really shiny! It was a very embarrassing trip down to Silverstone that day - it looked like we crashed en-route and carried on!
All of the "we accept no responsibility" signs aside, to be fair to the garage their insurance paid up and the car was repaired.
k````! Thats the end of this thread then.I left the tailgate button unlocked on an Alfa GTV6 once and the brushes pressed it in. On the return journey to the front of the car they then lifted the tailgate.
Luckily they dropped it again and no damage was done and the boot had no more water in it than was normal for an 80s Alfa. Just about enough to breed trout in.
Lesson learned there...
Luckily they dropped it again and no damage was done and the boot had no more water in it than was normal for an 80s Alfa. Just about enough to breed trout in.
Lesson learned there...
Sgt Bills, Gillingham, Kent.
I never use these places, someone told me they have an under chassis wash, end of the winter do thought I'd pop in to get th crap off the underside of the truck.
While queuing a random bod walks by spraying liquid on my wheels, don't think anything of it at the time.
Paid for the 'best' spec, loads of bits missed - vacuum, glass inside and out, etc. I wasn't that worried because I only wanted the underside done properly.
Got home 20 minutes later, my wheels have changed colour, they have completely f**ked the paint finish spraying whatever the crap is was they use. Bad enough to warrant a refurb straight away.
Oh, and I'm struggling to get the smell of smoke out from the 'technician' that was smoking a fag whilst half heartedly wiping a dirty rag over my paintwork.
I never use these places, someone told me they have an under chassis wash, end of the winter do thought I'd pop in to get th crap off the underside of the truck.
While queuing a random bod walks by spraying liquid on my wheels, don't think anything of it at the time.
Paid for the 'best' spec, loads of bits missed - vacuum, glass inside and out, etc. I wasn't that worried because I only wanted the underside done properly.
Got home 20 minutes later, my wheels have changed colour, they have completely f**ked the paint finish spraying whatever the crap is was they use. Bad enough to warrant a refurb straight away.
Oh, and I'm struggling to get the smell of smoke out from the 'technician' that was smoking a fag whilst half heartedly wiping a dirty rag over my paintwork.
you get what you pay for with the £5 hand washes. I wonder how that thread is going about them? When I was a kid I always found the machine car wash cool (and a little scary. When I had my first car I used to take my gf (at the time) in them cos she found it fun. I always prefer to do it myself, £5 worth of car shampoo and car wash&wax and you'll get 10-15 washes out of it.
Following a complaint about some unsatisfactory work by a dealer, the complaint was rejected by said dealer, escalated to the manufacturer, who investigated and found on behalf of the customer. Shock horror probe, even though it should have been cut and dried.
The dealer then, by way of apology, offered to redo the work, sent a bunch of flowers to the Mrs, and offered to valet the car.
Except that the valet appeared to consist of washing and leathering the vehicle with sponge and leather that had been kicked round the yard by the apprentices during a lunchtime footy session. Car needed a respray, legals needed instruction.
No names, no pack drill, PH no name shame policy adherence.
The dealer then, by way of apology, offered to redo the work, sent a bunch of flowers to the Mrs, and offered to valet the car.
Except that the valet appeared to consist of washing and leathering the vehicle with sponge and leather that had been kicked round the yard by the apprentices during a lunchtime footy session. Car needed a respray, legals needed instruction.
No names, no pack drill, PH no name shame policy adherence.
I must admit i did go to one of the local soap chuckers now an again when the weather was to too cold to warrant freezing my nuts off with a sponge and hose. They did an ok job generally.
I made the mistake of using another 'valet' place and they used one of those poxy water blades and left two fking great big scratches down my bonnet. It was like a Kosovan version of racing stripes.
Thankfully i discovered detailing world and its all snow foam and 2 bucket method and avoid the quick wash n' scratch boys like the plague.
I made the mistake of using another 'valet' place and they used one of those poxy water blades and left two fking great big scratches down my bonnet. It was like a Kosovan version of racing stripes.
Thankfully i discovered detailing world and its all snow foam and 2 bucket method and avoid the quick wash n' scratch boys like the plague.
Edited by Section 8 on Tuesday 11th April 19:36
turboteeth said:
My father took his Impreza WRX through an automatic wash at the local garage a few years ago en-route to some F1 tyre testing at Silverstone...you know, the car needed to look good parked up at the track!
The machine started fine, but on winding the mechanism in to clean the alloys, it became obvious it would not stop on one side and the metal supports rammed hard into one of the wings and continued to push. Dad tried to get out but the machine was still running, so had to wind the window down and reach for the emergency stop - all whilst the car was being squashed!
It came out in a right mess - light smashed, bumper cracked, wing completely dented etc. BUT really really shiny! It was a very embarrassing trip down to Silverstone that day - it looked like we crashed en-route and carried on!
All of the "we accept no responsibility" signs aside, to be fair to the garage their insurance paid up and the car was repaired.
Vaguely similar thing happened to a black Clio 182 a few years ago. The rear-wheel-brushes on an automated carwash at a petrol station malfunctioned, rose above wheel height, and proceeded to spin furiously in one spot against the top of both rear wings for about ~2mins (but felt longer). Drove out to see two dinnerplate-sized, circular silver etchings on both rear corners. Looked a bit like those swirly bits on the cheeks of the Jigsaw puppet from the Saw horror movie, lol. Fair play to the garage, though. They took photos, admitted responsibility, and ponied up quickly for a respray.The machine started fine, but on winding the mechanism in to clean the alloys, it became obvious it would not stop on one side and the metal supports rammed hard into one of the wings and continued to push. Dad tried to get out but the machine was still running, so had to wind the window down and reach for the emergency stop - all whilst the car was being squashed!
It came out in a right mess - light smashed, bumper cracked, wing completely dented etc. BUT really really shiny! It was a very embarrassing trip down to Silverstone that day - it looked like we crashed en-route and carried on!
All of the "we accept no responsibility" signs aside, to be fair to the garage their insurance paid up and the car was repaired.
I always take my car to the car wash opposite the Tyburn House pub in Birmingham as they always do a good job and are really nice and polite, think they are poles.
Anyway wife has an Audi A4 convertible (an 05 plate) and she doesn't keep it very clean so she asks if I can take it there and get them to do the inside too.
(Recently the drivers window has been playing up, you know when you open the door and the window drops about a centimetre so that when you shut the door the pressure can escape, so it's easier to close, and once closed the window goes back up to seal.)
Anyway I rock up to the car wash and there is a bit of a queue as it's really sunny and everybody it seems wants to have a nice clean car. Whilst waiting in the queue I try the window switch (stupidly) and the window comes down half way and won't go back up, so I know I need to grab it with both hands whilst standing outside the car to pull it back up.
So there is no way I'm sitting in the car whilst they jet wash it in case it comes down and I get my face sprayed off!
When they signal me to pull up I do so and jump out the car (they recognise me as I take my Jaguar XE there each week) and I say "it's the wife's car, can you give the roof a good blast (it had not been cleaned for months and it had a green moss tinge to it) and be careful near the drivers window".
I then pulled the window back up and then walked to where all the other customers where standing waiting for their cars, it was really hot just last weekend so lots of people got out of their cars to stand in the sun.
Anyway as he started to jet wash the car the window magically wound down half way, as he was blasting it, so he shouted me over (so embarrassing) so I ran over and opened the door and pulled the window back up!
I head back to where the other people are waiting whilst looking at my phone as not to make eye contact.
Then when the guy started to wash it with the wool mitten full of soap the window goes down again, I head over and lift the glass up and then it falls down, it did this about 5 times and I'm dying with embarrassment as I can imagine the people laughing behind me.
At this stage I feel like just jumping in the car and driving off but it was covered in suds!
So I think to turn off the ignition and then pull the window up, but as I open the door to sit down I know that the seat will now be wet and I'm going to get a wet bum, which will look so obvious as I have karki brown shorts on!
Anyway I get out and say to the people smiling that "windows playing up, gonna have a wet bum now" and stand behind them so they can't see.
When they finish the outside I then jump in it (seat is proper soaking wet) and then drive it to the section where they clean and vac the inside.
This big fat pole then gets in the drivers seat with his little brush he uses to clean the air vents etc and I just watch him as the sensation of the cold wet seats works its way through his jeans, pants and then his bum and he looks at me as if to say you bd!
At this point I was with my back to him proper chuckling to myself.
So it turned from a nightmare to being quite funny.
Anyway wife has an Audi A4 convertible (an 05 plate) and she doesn't keep it very clean so she asks if I can take it there and get them to do the inside too.
(Recently the drivers window has been playing up, you know when you open the door and the window drops about a centimetre so that when you shut the door the pressure can escape, so it's easier to close, and once closed the window goes back up to seal.)
Anyway I rock up to the car wash and there is a bit of a queue as it's really sunny and everybody it seems wants to have a nice clean car. Whilst waiting in the queue I try the window switch (stupidly) and the window comes down half way and won't go back up, so I know I need to grab it with both hands whilst standing outside the car to pull it back up.
So there is no way I'm sitting in the car whilst they jet wash it in case it comes down and I get my face sprayed off!
When they signal me to pull up I do so and jump out the car (they recognise me as I take my Jaguar XE there each week) and I say "it's the wife's car, can you give the roof a good blast (it had not been cleaned for months and it had a green moss tinge to it) and be careful near the drivers window".
I then pulled the window back up and then walked to where all the other customers where standing waiting for their cars, it was really hot just last weekend so lots of people got out of their cars to stand in the sun.
Anyway as he started to jet wash the car the window magically wound down half way, as he was blasting it, so he shouted me over (so embarrassing) so I ran over and opened the door and pulled the window back up!
I head back to where the other people are waiting whilst looking at my phone as not to make eye contact.
Then when the guy started to wash it with the wool mitten full of soap the window goes down again, I head over and lift the glass up and then it falls down, it did this about 5 times and I'm dying with embarrassment as I can imagine the people laughing behind me.
At this stage I feel like just jumping in the car and driving off but it was covered in suds!
So I think to turn off the ignition and then pull the window up, but as I open the door to sit down I know that the seat will now be wet and I'm going to get a wet bum, which will look so obvious as I have karki brown shorts on!
Anyway I get out and say to the people smiling that "windows playing up, gonna have a wet bum now" and stand behind them so they can't see.
When they finish the outside I then jump in it (seat is proper soaking wet) and then drive it to the section where they clean and vac the inside.
This big fat pole then gets in the drivers seat with his little brush he uses to clean the air vents etc and I just watch him as the sensation of the cold wet seats works its way through his jeans, pants and then his bum and he looks at me as if to say you b
d!At this point I was with my back to him proper chuckling to myself.
So it turned from a nightmare to being quite funny.
Edited by craste on Tuesday 11th April 20:51
Henno196 said:
Just popped out to a generic petrol station car wash, usually the Eastern Europeans do a great job.
Safe to say I left before my car was covered in small swirly scratches all over come my turn.
If this was a concern then you shouldn't be considering these hand car washes full stop, regardless of how 'good' they are!Safe to say I left before my car was covered in small swirly scratches all over come my turn.
Great for the masses who want their car free of dirt so they can see what colour it is again. Not so great if your a bit of a perfectionist or even less than that, just care about swirls and marks and random scratches appearing after every wash, and also the nasty TFR and over aggressive wheel cleaner that seems to eat through wheel finishes. Think about the wash mitts that were used on the twenty cars and vans before you which were probably absolutely hanging.
i'd rather leave my car get filthy and do it myself once a month even two properly, rather than take it to a hand car wash weekly to let it get hammered.
I was sat in a car park opposite this automatically car wash, it is a franchise.
I watched a VW UP exiting then parked up with a smashed back screen. it was interesting watching her complain to the guy who worked there, who was basically on 6 pound a hour and couldn't speak English.
Buyer beware I think the term is.
I watched a VW UP exiting then parked up with a smashed back screen. it was interesting watching her complain to the guy who worked there, who was basically on 6 pound a hour and couldn't speak English.
Buyer beware I think the term is.
Edited by The Spruce goose on Wednesday 12th April 04:16
So, car goes to main dealer for a couple of warranty things. 'please dont wash the car' was on the email when booked in. ' Thats fine sir, we wont, if thats what you wish' . So, I pick the car up, all wet and er........washed. The magical broom the usual reprobates had gone over it with had marred all the panels . Pretty pee'd off to be honest. Sent photos of damage to the boss there and he said that I probably wouldnt wish their 'valeters' to correct it. I said no, so I have started mopping and sorting myself , but have a free service when its due.......Sometimes the places that just service your car are better and none of this cleaning and floor paper crap. Yes, its black and shows every blemish.
I watch them cleaning cars in Salisbury's car park...they spray some water over the car with one of those sprayers you use for misting plants, and then wipe the car over with a cloth. Yes it's clean, but the paintwork is ruined.
I guess people are just stupid and just don't care or understand the implications?
...and it costs £8.
I guess people are just stupid and just don't care or understand the implications?
...and it costs £8.
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