Auto car wash with wraps?

[Seano]

Ok, don’t want to touch off a big argument - wondering if anyone has had success using auto (and not touchless) car wash with wrapped vehicles?

The reality of our life is I use an auto car wash 1-2 x per week and will continue to do so. Just don’t want to spend on a wrap if it wouldn’t last in the wash.

The only threads here and on a few other car boards all focus on detailing and bucket wash etc. We occasionally use mobile detailer, but for the week in, week out washing - it’s a quick run through the car wash.

Is anyone else as crazy as me and willing to admit it (with the car wrapped?)

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[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Let’s just say there’s no chance your installer will think you’re a genius upon learning that you took your car through a machine wash. PPF film manufacturers even say touchless or hand wash only. And PPF is generally thicker than typical wrap films.

 

[mkhuffman]

Yes, I did.

My wife's Jeep Grand Cherokee is wrapped. It is the first vehicle I have ever had wrapped and I didn't understand the consequences until after it was done. It looks beautiful, but it must be hand washed. I did the same research you did, AFTER I got it wrapped. And I got the same results you did.

After about a year of washing it by hand (or just neglecting it) I got fed up and ran it through a car wash. It didn't cause any peeling probably because the wrap guy did such a good job wrapping around the edges. He disassembled much of the body to get it wrapped properly.

After the automated wash it looked good but when looking carefully I could see tiny scratches on the surface in some areas. After a few washes I imagine those tiny scratches accumulate and make the finish look dull.

So I have not run it through again. But I did just get it detailed and he buffed the surface, removing all of the tiny scratches. It looks new again. Going forward I plan to have it detailed yearly.

Coincidentally I just discovered a local car wash has a touchless option on the screen, which I am definitely going to test out in the near future. If that works, it will be what I do in between yearly details. Otherwise, I am just going to bite the bullet and wash it by hand. Grrr.

 

[tate16t]

When I had PPF done on my wife’s Tesla the installer recommended not to use any auto car washes. Three years later and I still wash by hand. Also, in my opinion PPF makes hand washing easier.

 

[LivingInKaos]

Ok, look at this from this perspective- why did you wrap it? Was it to beautify your rig with a new color or sheen or did you do it to protect the paint? If you did it for beauty, then likely car washes are not for you - BUT, if it was to protect the paint, go thru the car wash as much as you like because the wrap is doing it's job. If you've taken your other vehicles thru the car wash, then the result is not something that apparently bothers you anyway. Don't be worried about what others think, do what makes you happiest.

 

[JCRiver]

I have matte PPF and was told by the installer that it can handle anything the paint could handle and it has a ten year warranty, so I've run it through the auto car wash about once a week for last 6-8 months or more with no issues.

 

[natcc99]

I installed the front bumper PPF wrap from TWRAPS. It's the one that does not wrap over the edges.
I've taken my vehicle off roading and multiple gas-station-carwashes. The wrap is still on there. I don't even think about it. Hope it helps.
Cheers

 

[TTedP]

I have matte PPF and was told by the installer that it can handle anything the paint could handle and it has a ten year warranty, so I've run it through the auto car wash about once a week for last 6-8 months or more with no issues.

Yeah, I have no interest in hand washing salt off during cold northeast winters.

 

[Rivian Owner]

Clear coat is a lot harder than PPF and I've seen what car washes do to paint and things like the acrylic headlights after years of washing. The car washes are very hard on finishes whether PPF or not. Keep in mind too, matte finishes are going to show less scratches than a glossy finish.

As LivingInKaos mentioned, do what you are comfortable with. Worst case, you have the old wrap/PPF taken off and apply new stuff. On the brighter side, after a couple of years you may enjoy a change of color.

 

[twraps]

If the wrap was installed well so no edges are lifting up, and if the PPF is good quality, there are no issues using automatic car washes. 99% of the time this is what I do, and I've been doing it for a while now with 0 issues.

Notice that these are our own pre-cut wraps that we make & sell:
https://twraps.com

 

[mkhuffman]

If the wrap was installed well so no edges are lifting up, and if the PPF is good quality, there are no issues using automatic car washes. 99% of the time this is what I do, and I've been doing it for a while now with 0 issues.

Notice that these are our own pre-cut wraps that we make & sell:
https://twraps.com

I thought the matte finish would be damaged by the wax car washes use? Do you skip the wax, or do the full deal?

 

[twraps]

I thought the matte finish would be damaged by the wax car washes use? Do you skip the wax, or do the full deal?

I go all in, with wax. No issues whatsoever.

 

[mkhuffman]

Ok, look at this from this perspective- why did you wrap it? Was it to beautify your rig with a new color or sheen or did you do it to protect the paint? If you did it for beauty, then likely car washes are not for you - BUT, if it was to protect the paint, go thru the car wash as much as you like because the wrap is doing it's job. If you've taken your other vehicles thru the car wash, then the result is not something that apparently bothers you anyway. Don't be worried about what others think, do what makes you happiest.

From what I understand, not being a wrap expert, some wraps are more resilient than others. I think high gloss wraps will get scratched by a car wash, like mine did. Paint does not get scratched like that from what I have seen. I have always used an automated car wash on painted cars and never had an issue other than losing a windshield wiper or two. LOL.

Oh, and I did lose one of my orange tow hook covers when I used a car wash with my R1T. Never got it back because I didn't realize it was gone until after the car wash threw it away. Bummer.

Edit: the wrap on my wife's Jeep is not PPF.

 

[LivingInKaos]

My truck is wrapped (obviously) and I run thru a car wash 2x's a week. Hasn't really bothered me. I have the wash "swirl" but unless you are close you don't really notice. I'm not going to car shows, so - meh.

 

[electruck]

I've been running my XPEL ppf through the car wash about once a week for 2.5 yrs now without issue. no scratches, haze, etc - still looks brand new.

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