When I lived in California, they use high pressure water. This, along with the soap that is dispensed, was the only thing that would ever touch your car. When it came through the dryer, I had my OWN detail towels in the car and had them use those towels only. It was fantastic. California had great car washes!

However, since moving back east, almost every car wash I've see uses the brushes that cause swirl marks. These are the car washes which are deadly to your paint. It's funny too, because many of them say, "100% brushless car wash" as you watch your car getting slapped all over with these mat flaps that just hit the car in all directions. What's worse, is when a dirty SUV goes in before you. There's no way that all that dirt and grime doesn't stick to those mat flaps, which then gets slapped on your car. Very bad.

Ooh err missus.... :P ;)

http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=...amp;hl=car+wash
try this for size

Well I just leave it to our 'Eastern European friends' and they only charge ?5 or ?10 for inside and out. But I don't use the hand car washes you see in supermarkets because there is no sign of fresh water and no hose pipe or pressure washer to wash the dirt off first.

With a wind chill of -5 to -20 F in the winter, there's not much of a choice. If you want it to look clean, you go through a good car wash.

Near my house they have the laser guided touchless stations. It works well in the winter in a pinch on my wife's car. The only problem is that any leftover water freezes before I can even get home. Now thats cold.

I took it to my state of the art car wash first week and won't look at it in the sunlight at an agle.

I had many cars that I hand washed only. Had a mercedes for 7 years that never saw on!

But I found that children and a business, and a house, and a life made for some sacrifice.

The new ones are great. I am weary of touchless as they use a harsh acid type (think "KABOOM") soap except for every once in a while applicatoins.

A clean car with some swirls is better than a dirty car. A swirless car is just too much work for me right now on a daily driver.

You just stole the joke I was going to post :mad: :mad:

:lol: o:)

I have the advantage of being in a 'earlier' time zone.

:thumbsup:

So what DID happen at the end of the final series of "Life on Mars"?

ABC