Is Touchless Safe? - Washing My Filthy BMW M3 Winter Daily (POV)
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- Winter Driving is fun, but corrosion from road salt is not. Although the M3 is made of a lot corrosion resistant materials, there's still plenty of steel underneath to turn to rust. Normal washing in the driveway isn't possible in below freezing temperatures and I'd never take it through a destructive tunnel. Let's talk options and why the Touchless wash may be the best reasonable option even if it uses harsh chemicals.
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#RespectTheDrive #BMW #CarWash
What's your preferred method of wash during the winter? We don't all have access to a heated garage at home or a budget for a proper hand wash. Remember to get 10% your Carly OBD2 Adapter with code "Tedward" @t . Special thanks to the Patreon Supporters for making this content possible!
I washed my CTS with my dad when it was cold out. We froze our asses off, but she was clean for.. like a week. 😅
I just take my car through a automated washer. its a 94 jeep xj and the paint is already not in fantastic condition so im not worried about scratches or anything
Waterless wash in garage
My car wash has the self wash bays. They are heated and I go around the vehicle with the wand. That way I don’t have to worry about the high pressure water killing my seals and panoramic on my X5.
I wash my uncle by hand on the summer so it is better when is hot outside. Not cold weather
touchless is fine. I don't have a show car my car is meant to be driven so I am fine with touches to stop corrosion.
As a detailer myself, i go to touchless car wash during winter. Most are using pretty safe soaps and won't even remove the cheapest wax.
Same... Cruising through one of those is FAR BETTER than not having it washed at all .. so 🤷♂️
The winters with ice/salt/snow really can be brutal on vehicles (obviously...) So yeah... I'm ok with going through an automatic wash a dozen times a year. Especially when it's 10 degrees outside (fahrenheit)
@Frank. T I have a gas powered pressure washer at home that is way more powerful than any touchless car wash and even my 8 years old paint won't strip off or be damaged. Just be sure your paint isn't already cracked and everything should be fine. Also, most touchless car wash offers different types of wash, and the better one offer liquid wash. This is what I pick. This isn't high quality wax, but at least it keeps my paint sealant intact all winter long.
9:30 that is so factual. I used to watch detailers on UA-cam a lot and it scared me to even do anything. They get super dramatic about how you have to do it exactly their way.
its paralyzing! Here you were having fun washing your car...now you want to do it alone and never let anyone see you for fear that a group of know-it-all men will scorn your every move haha
@@TedwardDrives Do you like the ceramic coat? I'm thinking about getting some applied on my civic and gt350. Sucks being in Wisconsin for now too cold to even go through a wash.
Unless a bigger expert tells them differently on their show !! And then - the expert is wrong too ! 🤦🏻 I have the BEST way because I’m afraid of liability from even a swirl. Use a coin-op - dry with waterless Wash spray toweled off -- don’t forget underneath as best you can.
I mean that’s why I try to do different methods or even combine a few UA-camrs ideas when cleaning a car
Going trough that thing is the most satisfying moment
i agree!
I tried paint correcting my black Golf over the summer but just gave up. Swirl marks for life!
my guy!
Dont give up! Its worth it!
😂 hell yea dude drive the bitch!
For some reason vw paints are a bitch to polish. I've spent way too much time trying to buff my tornado red mk7. But when someone tells you that it looks more red than a ferrari... it's worth it 🤣
@@PaulChoix55 German cars have the thickest clearcoat, that's why it's hard to polish them.
I have a E61. I put fluid film underneath and inside all the doors and cavitys. I wash it in brushless machine once a week because its discounted during winter. Then I polish and wax it in spring, and it looks mint even though it sits outside all year.
I too live in MA and I just took my e93 through a touchless wash cause my black paint had turned white with salt and I'm about to park it for 2 weeks. Turns out my e93 roof and window seals are not quite as good as I thought...
yikes thats rough my guy glad my mustang is a hardtop
@@RCXDerp e93 is hardtop
yeah, Im pretty sure all E93's seals arent the best, my driver-side one is fine but the passenger side always leaks
@@gofastskatkat my passenger side rear roof section leaks too, I tried everything 😂
Problem starts when you have a soft-top convertible. That’s why I take my car to the diy wand wash, and try to do the underside as best possible.
My 2016 miata has been good in the touchless carwash, the newer style woven fabric tops seem to handle it well. Back when I had an NA miata with the vinyl top though... yikes. It would literally spray water through the rear window seals in the top and wash your hair for you lol
Nowadays I wash my car at home, but I loved going to carwashes with my dad when I was a kid.
Touch less is my go to in the winter. My car is ceramic coated so im sure every wash weakens the coating, but getting the underneath washed is worth it.
lol i work at a car wash NO we do not wash out the brushes ur right brother
Love your M3 videos! Touchless is fine -- but depends on how sensitive you are about scratches. They are inevitable no mater how you do it so its every owners decision on how quickly they want to swirl their car. My M3 has never seen a touchless wash but I also hate washing it by hand so its dirty more often than it should be!
haha yes you've fallen into that "if its not perfect, I won't do it" scenario!
That moment when you use the wand wash. Freeze your ass off. Only to go back out and drive the car home in the exact same shit that trashed the car in the first place. Been a long time since I did that. Moved from hell a lonnng time ago.
haha yes it always looks exactly the same going out as it did going in after 7 dollar
I always have trouble pacing my car through the dryer... front of the car is nice and dry, back of the car still dripping wet (and in Canada, frozen soon after).
There are some systems that have an on-board dryer on that moves on with the wash arm. I think they're kind of rare but we have one place that has the on-board dryer as well as the stationary one that you have to drive through slowly. Although that one is tricky because the timer is too close to the door and back end of your car is still in the bay after the timer is out of sight.
I live in western Massachusetts and I use touchless on my 2019 Elantra GT N-Line. It’s the only way to get that awful road salt of the car. In the warmer I hand wash my car. The local touchless is like $12 for the mid tier with underbody wash. Not horrible and I’m only concerned with getting the salt off. This was a well timed vid as you’ll occasionally hear from ppl that “touchless is horrible for your paint!” But I feel salt is way worse. And sandpaper wash is definitely a no go lol.
Use gas station auto car wash (not touchless) on my 2018 Porsche Panamera sport Turismo every week. I don’t see why people don’t like auto car wash
never thought i would want a e92 as a winter daily but here we are
The more I watch Tedward's channel the more i want an e92 M3 so i'm with you on that
Definitely depends on the vehicle. One of the cars I own is a 17 WRX. Because of the hood scoop, if I take it for a touchless wash the pressurised water ends up soaking my entire engine bay; battery, ECU, ABS module included.
Car washes use a material called neoglyde. The material literally cannot collect dirt / sand / anything grainy. What they can collect is chemicals that dispense onto your car and turn hard. So if the car wash doesn’t clean then monthly they can scratch your car. But tunnel car washes do make your clear coat scratchy because of the friction onto your car, not your paint. Easily buffed out.
I use the touchless in the winter IF it's above the freezing point outside. I coat the car with Nu Finish prior to winter starting as it seems to stand up to the high pH levels in the soaps the car washes use. When summer rolls around I wash, decontaminate and seal the paint with Mothers for the shine.
As a Floridian... I cannot imagine living like that! I would totally look into ceramic coating it.
I'd take snow over deadly hurricanes all day😂
My local touchless is $40 per month . I have 3 cars that are daily drivers in the family so totally worth it
Oh I use touchless washes all the time. But then again, my car’s paint was crap when I got it anyway sooooooo...🤷♂️
I just got my car ceramic coated a few weeks ago, and now it's filthy from all the snowy conditions. I'm a little nervous about the touchless wash messing up the ceramic coat. Should I be?
I had a dude that works at the local car wash try to tell me the touchless is worse than the brushes. I just laughed. He was trying to upsell me. I know its not ideal but it's the only way I can keep it clean in the winter. Otherwise I hand wash it myself during the warm months.
I clean the rocker panels and door edges so my pants don't get filthy. And clean the windows. Otherwise, wait for a warmer dry day. Wash the car at 8am, get it filthy again by noon, what's the point ? The undercarriage Rumba that crawls over ice and steam cleans my suspension bushings in top secret.
Lately since it’s been well below freezing and snowy around here I just go to a self service wash and just rinse off the car and let the water freeze on it. Probably not the best thing but the way I see it, I’d rather have a layer of ice on my car that all the salt can land on rather than the salt landing on the paint
My preferred method is living in Florida! But in all seriousness when I’m up north I prefer to wash by hand wearing waterproof gear and using hot water also I’ll use Maguiars swirl X before waxing to keep my paint looking fresh.
(I don’t drive my 65 Mustang up north BTW my F-150 takes that burden)
I get my car krown Rust proofed every year and go through a touchless car was all winter to get the salt off it. I also put NuFinish on my car three times in the summer months. to help protect the paint for winter.
i cant believe Americans actually build their houses out of wood lol
Damn the town looks very cool when It's snowing. Gotta appreciate the scenery at 9:38
Great video as always without a doubt!
Touchless wash is fine and way safer than brushes. But It’s not meant to be used on a extremely caked up dirty car paint. It’s great on maintenance wash for those who wash weekly and saves time. Using only a presoak, rinse and air dry is the better option not to strip off waxes etc. I detail cars and experimented all different methods of cleaning cars while preventing swirls and scratches. Touchless wash is the quickest, safest, time saver carwash.
PS always do a final wipe down after.
Love the interior color on this M3
I keep waiting after he says “thank you for all commenting liking and subscribing” for him to say “and now it’s time to spin the wheel off mythicality” 😂
Touchless is the way to go. Been using it for years, I was initially worried about how the soft top in my car would handle it but the cloth woven top seems to have no issue. I used to have a lot of problems with the high pressure spray with my older convertible with a vinyl top. It leaked at all the seams and especially around the rear window. The modern convertible top is much better.
I also tend to drive back and forth over the underbody sprayers as much as possible until they turn off just to eek out a little extra underbody cleaning XD
It’s not all about the chemicals. Many touch less washes recycle the water meaning small dirt and sand particles can be in the high pressure blast of water. This can also cause damage.
Clear coats are also getting thinner for many manufacturers as they’re looking to reduce costs.
But I agree, sometimes something is better than nothing. It can be a tough decision and really matters how you care what the car looks like!
Props to Tedward for actually driving his M3💯
Option 4: rinseless wash like optimum no rinse.
Option 5: hiring a mobile detailer (who will also use a rinseless wash)
I take my F80 to the touchless car wash bays during the winter and bring some things from my house. I try to go during slower times so that I can hand wash it with my microfibers at my own pace.
7:47 imagine time travelling from the 19th century into the future to then wake up to this
Interesting video! Car wash part was pretty soothing. Keep up the great work 👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
Your channel quickly became one of my favorite channels on youtube, keep up the great content!
If I’m correct, the E31 8 series had the drain hole in the gas door. I wonder why BMW didn’t keep that design with the E39 M5.
My ‘09 Jetta sits outside all year long. I replaced the front fenders last year because they were rusting. These Northeastern winters are no joke.
A touchless wash isn't perfect and maybe not even ideal, but when you live in a snowy climate where you are and where I am (Michigan) it's better than the alternative.
I'd rather harsh chemicals be used in my car vs having salt/brine eat away at it.
The undercarriage blast is probably the best/most important part of it for me.
What do you think about just using the self spray stations? I just did this the other day with high pressure water. I did get most of the car except the undercarriage. Should I go back and do laser?
Spray with high pressure on wand wash especially the undercarriage (I don't use their chemicals always bring mine) then spray rinsless on top of it, drive home (yes while having a wet with rinsless car) and do a rinsless wash at home, best way, might be a little cold but hot bucket with rinsless and warm clothes and your good to go. Best way and my car is the cleanest of them all.
There's a gas station with a touchless car wash near my house and I may be used it a little too often last winter(about every other day). The gloss black trim on my m3's doors got this rainbow like look in sun reflections now. I wonder if a ceramic coating would have helped keep it completely black. Man are those chemicals harsh, but it's better than risking rust I guess.
I use touchless on my celica, definitely the best option other than hand wash. I also have a fluid-film undercoating done. The one I use is $29.99 a month and includes under-body wash, and it's the cheapest monthly option. includes 1 wash per day.
Touchless are hard to find and do a poor job cleaning the car.
It's better than leaving it dirty, but usually not worth the money. Rarely, it is so dirty that touchless is a reasonable step. Not all of them even have undercarriage wash.
it needs to be touchless and railless, those rail systems screw up wheels and tires.
I haven't washed my car in a coupe of weeks :-(. It has salt on it but it's also been consistently in the negative degree temps.
Same here, hard to find a good day for a wash.
Washed several times when it was around -20 outside, just make sure you spend some time with doors open so the seals are dry, check your wipers and avoid using the handbrake for a day or two.
@@val_solooo But doesn't the water freeze on the body when you wash on those cold temps?
@@yousufzahid6949 they usually wipe your car after the wash so shouldn`t be a problem. Of course the wash itself must be done inside a building or some sort of.
@@val_solooo Ah ok, will have to do the same then 👍
Touchless plus an Optimum No Rinse wash once I get home seems to work good for me. I just started the ONR portion this winter and it works great. I love the Space Grey, one of the best M3 colors!
OMG I am so glad that you made this video! I saw a brand new Cadillac CT5 go though the spin wash and you could literally hear the water that froze on the spin pads banging against the car and it made me cringe as I was pressure washing my car in the bay right next to the automatic one. How I keep my car clean in the winter is I only use the pressure hose so that I can keep the salt off.
Dude - after the drying - spray it with a”waterless car wash” like Rain-X. Then a drying towel. That will finish it properly. And still technically be a touch-less wash - except for drying- which is WAY BETTER than nothing - it’s the best way period.
I would avoid car washes like this, if I were to go to a car wash probably would go to a self serve one with the power washers, but if I was driving a daily instead of a supercar or premium car like a Beamer, I’d just take it through a car wash
Some Touchless Car Wash owners recommend towel drying a car after going through a touchless wash despite having with dryers there.
Watching from south Boston, I feel your pain with our snow.
Try the ryobi ez clean and it's a cordless power washer and I been washing my car in the winter with just a 5 gallon bucket of water and I rather have a winter beater to drive when they put salt down and I found out that baking soda and water kills road salt just like it do with battery acid and that winter is just a season that you cant wash anything outdoors and the salt looks more nastier then just dirt alone that it looks like mold
I've been using Ammo Frothe and Optimum No Rinse to wash my car this winter! The undercarriage is a little tricky, I've pulled out the pressure washer with the undercarriage attachment once or twice this winter. I plan on getting it fluid filmed before next winter! Thanks for another awesome video Tedward!!
This is a great review! Truly enjoyed it. Just some info on the chemicals that touchless washes use. The first chemicals are called Presoak, you may have seen it on the sign. That is an acidic base designed to eat away at organic materials (salt, bugs, etc). Being it’s designed to eat away at organic materials, it’s unlikely to damage any existing paint protections on the car. Also the final rinse of the wash are reverse osmosis water (specially treated water designed to not leave spots when dried hence the name). Also it’s common knowledge that brush washes scratch, when they most likely don’t. If you want damage free don’t go to tunnel washes, they use colors brushes (which many people ironically prefer) but those absorb water, rocks, etc. If you go to a non tunnel brush wash and feel the brushes they are actually foam! If you don’t have a non tunnel brush wash near you go buy some crafting foam from the crafts store, they feel almost identical. Those are closed cell foam meaning that it will not absorb water or dirt, therefore no scratches! People usually refer brush washes to those harsh tunnel washes with the cloth that absorb rocks, but in truth non tunnel brush washes are very safe! Hope this helped anyone reading, if you have any questions I’d love to answer them!
Do you give head?
Loving the winter M3 content
Nice video, Massachusetts snow has been crazy this week lol
A water ban? Like what specifically does that mean? You can’t use water in any way or you’ll get fined?
Nice video! I live in NY and I go through the touchless carwash multiple times a month during the winter. Soon as spring comes along I complete a very good detail. The biggest thing is that undercarriage spray. My 2015 GTI and 19 STI has clean underbodies thanks to the touchless.
Our touch free washes do a shitty job and never went to over again. I only go to a car wash with brushes that wash dirt off better.
That’s some sweet drifting ;)
What year is she ?
Thanks! 2010
She 😅
When I lived in Sweden I took my E90 through the touchless car wash like three times a week during the winter months. It cleans the car body very poorly, but I did it for the undercarriage power wash. In a climate like that, especially in regions where they salt the roads, it's so important to clean the undercarriage out frequently.
May I request that someone educate me on how Road Salt homogenizes with the car??”
dude this is crazy I know what car wash this is right across from a five guys and you also have the same car as my friend
Honestly I don't really have much of an opinion on touchless washes since I just hand wash my Q50 (gives me something to do on the weekend lol), but I also live in Phoenix so I don't have to worry about snow and road salt ... yet. I am moving soon to somewhere that does have snow so next winter will be interesting and I'll probably end up using the touchless car washes at least until it warms up.
Let me know how that hand wash goes when its 15 degrees lol
@@TedwardDrives Exactly haha. It barely ever gets below freezing here. I pretty much know that I'm gonna have to give it up when I move, but honestly the snow itself will be well worth it.
Can we do more videos like this? I loved this sooooo much. I love all your vids too so don't worry
What was your favorite part?
@@TedwardDrives just the whole thing haha, was full attention thru the whole vid.
This is the kind of condition where I love to ride my bike!
There’s literally no point washing your car during winter
Youre not allowed to wash your own car in your own driveway?? What?
As someone who's possibly moving from Central California to Seattle this fall, this video has perfect timing. Good thing the PNW doesn't usually see as much snow as you do, or I'd be a little more stressed about it!
Looking to buy an E92 soon in MA, where do you get your car serviced?
Wile Motorsport in Walpole takes care of my car. Eurotech in Natick is also great
@@TedwardDrives awesome, that’s only a few minutes from me! Thanks!
@@TedwardDrives Farley at Eutotech is the man.
Summertime I do the self serve car washes with the bays and pressure washers, cheaper, and you can be thorough. Its hard to get underneath with those but that doesn't matter so much in the summer. During the winter the touchless wash is definitely the way to go, while more expensive, its worth it solely for getting the underside hosed off. My car is a certified beater and the paint was already swirled to hell when I got it. All I'm looking to do is keep rust away as long as possible and make it look halfway presentable.
I always ran my X5M through the touch less, even got two large cracks in windshield from something when it was ran through the dryer
Massachusetts winter road treatment is the worst for some reason
For the past 2-3 years I've been using Kwik Trip's touchless car wash in winter. You can even buy multiple at a time for a discount. I get the "Ultimate" which comes with the undercarriage wash. It's only $6 a wash when you buy 10 at a time. It's perfect.
Paint is easier to correct then rust. Remember that kids
Never been this early!
Why not use waterless spray washes? Turtle wax waterless (cheap and smells out of this world) and 2 newish micro fiber get the job done easily. Last about a good 2 weeks too
It’s 20 degrees. It’ll freeze
i like to watch tedward now because of how interesting his videos are lol
haha I saw the pre edit version of this comment! Sorry...no speed in this one =p
@@TedwardDrives haha it’s ok
Boy, you should apply Rain-X to your exterior windshield and windows! Anyway, I prefer a 100% hand wash and a brushless car wash automated because I have ceramic coating applied to 2 of the vehicles in the household.
american automatic car washing places are so dumb. In Europe they have a rail that pulls your car through so you just have to put it in neutral. touchless car washes in here also don't use harmful chemicals. it is just the regular car wash without the spinning things. Its just like washing your car with car shampoo an a pressure washer and it does a decent job most of the time.
Lol both of those things are exactly the same here
nice
eh. i hand washed and ceramic coated my old ass rusty f250, t was probably a waste. i just want the undercarriage as clean as possible so i’ll go through one of these:)
Local Touchless car wash during the winter months and by hand during the spring/summer for the 1er. I will say though the pressure has been enough to flake off a small portion off the front bumper, but oh well
You don’t dry off the water with a towel?
Do you recommend pulling over after the car wash and use the Turtle Wax | Wax and Dry Spray Wax with a Micro Fiber towel to wipe the car down and add a little wax protection for a quick wash and go jobs like this .
What I want to know is, even with the undercarriage wash, wouldn't it start freezing up fast since car washes don't dry under the car ?
Also most car washes long dry the very back of a car well leaving for example my 2022 Elantra wet on the back tail light are which means I'd have too go out and dry off the water each time.
It's also a good idea to open your doors right after the wash and dry down in-between the doors and drive home if you live close with all winters and sunroof open a finger length or two to avoid freezing if it's really cold!
Hey idk what part of MA youre in but Prestige Carwash in Stoughton has a $20 monthly subscription for a touchless wash that has undercarriage wash too. I imagine other Prestige's do aswell
Touchless is beter than nothing, in the winter I normally spray of the dirt at the diy carwash . And as n Englishman who drove a prewar Bentley in every season and weather type : They are made to drive sir, it's either driving and maintenance or let it rot away. On a sidenote I like your Styling 219 wider wheels with a bit of sidewall looks good on sportscars.
Touchless washes are ok if you don't have 30 different detailing brushes. If the car has some caked on dirt on it, that's when washing it by hand is needed.
Touchless is cool but every 6 months I get my car fully detailed and paint corrected or I simply do it myself if I got the time. I live in Florida so Im good but sometimes I dont have the time to spend 2 hours washing and making sure my car is completely clean
I work at a body shop. And with all the work that goes on. I only have so much time to wash vehicles. So I use the pressure washer and a few ash Bruch on a broom handle. Not the safest way for your paint. But it’s better that nothing. I’ll washing my car in the bay sometimes in the winter. But in the summer, I’ll of my professional equipment comes out. I’ll even take my family’s cars to work sometimes in the winter to rinse the salt off the undercarriage.
I don't get why it seems like most car washes in the US needs you to drive through them. In Norway, we only need to get inside, wait until it's finished, and get out. Simple. Just a genuine thought
Here in most of California, there is no winter! Lol but still I go to the mountains a lot and here we use rock salt, every time I head Back down into the city that’s when I go to a manual car wash and clean the wheel bays and stuff even though my car only sees salt a few times a month for only a day for only 4 months of the year