# Car in getting fixed - should I let them wash it?



## rmac86 (Jun 6, 2013)

Just left my car in to the dealership for some minor repair work. As I was leaving they gave me leaflet saying a “complimentary wash” is part of every service – should I let them do this? Car is a VW Golf so I’m thinking the paint is pretty hard, but from what I’ve been hearing here, so too is the wash methods used by most dealerships! Nasty things like pressure washer “cannons”, TFRs and floor brushes being used, I doubt even the strongest paint would stand up to this!

Didn’t really get a chance to look properly at the wash bay and equipment but from what I could see there was some form of pressure washer and some spray bottles, maybe a couple of buckets. Presumably they use some pretty tough degreasers/TFRs and some dirty old sponge?

So should I stop them washing it? I’ve had this request ignored in the past and the dealers (not the same one as this time) ended up stripping most, if not all of my freshly applied Collinite and induced some really bad swirl marks. Granted, the swirls may have already been there and they just exposed them, but in my mind I spent 4 long hard days perfecting the paintwork, only for them to completely reverse it and ultimately making me start all over again. I have a fear that even if I request the car not be washed, it will just be ignored so why bother in the first place?

So what would you guys do?



Thanks,

R.


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## Naddy37 (Oct 27, 2005)

I wouldn't let them touch it with a barge pole.

Get one of those 'window hangers' for next time.


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## SPARTAN (Nov 20, 2014)

I think you already know the answer to your question bud.


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

No.

Just no.


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## cossiecol (Jun 29, 2014)

What would I do? Simple:

Explicitly tell them NOT To touch it!

Then hang a (great) DW DO NOT WASH hanger from the mirror.


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## fethead (May 12, 2007)

Better....get one of those white dealership pens and write on every window...DO NOT WASH.

Rich


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## Kimo (Jun 7, 2013)

lol no

even the big expensive car branded dealerships use ****ty wash methods


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## WO-WO (Jun 29, 2015)

Clark @ PB said:


> Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
> 
> No.
> 
> Just no.


This!!


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## VXR_midlands (Sep 24, 2015)

I took my old corsa for a service/mot! Honestly came back worse than when I took it in! I complained on the survey and they rang to offer me a free valet.....really haha!


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

Didn't someone say they used persil to wash the cars and brick acid for the wheels ? or was that the hand car wash types?


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

Our local Peugeot dealer washed mine yesterday.
Never mind, it still seems to work.


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## Coddy20 (Dec 26, 2014)

My mate had his A1 corrected by swissvax last year, He had a service last week and said DO NOT wash it. But they did, the result was shocking, marring and swirls he was not happy.
Don't nt do it


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## rmac86 (Jun 6, 2013)

Thanks for all the replies folks. Just as an update I rang the dealers and told them specifically not to wash the car, no matter how dirty it comes out of the workshop. The guy then rang me back about an hour later to let me know they had diagnosed the fault (broken window regulator) and that parts had to be ordered so it would need kept in over the weekend. So I took this opportunity to again remind him the car must not be washed, making it three times in total now. So if I get ignored I will be more than angry!

I suppose I'll have to wait until Monday to see the damage! lol


Thanks,

R


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## obelix1 (Jun 14, 2015)

Told my dealer not to wash my A3 even put a sticker inside the car and mirrow!
They still washed it , took me 3 weeks of phone calls with the dealer and Audi uk til they payed for a 2 stage polish from a proper detailer coast 450 pounds !
It's unreal how bad they are you can't do more damage with sandpaper &#55357;&#56883;!


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## stevehayward90 (Nov 24, 2013)

After working at various dealerships (before I got in to detailing properly) I can advise that almost all of them have awful wash techniques so don't let them touch it.


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## Zetec-al (Feb 28, 2011)

From experience I can tell you that the reason cars still get washed even if you tell the dealership not too is because most of the washers are eastern European and can't read or speak the lingo. No offence so anyone that's eastern European.


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## harrisp (Aug 11, 2008)

I asked bmw not to wash mine when it went in for a recall, but they still washed the wheels, and it came back with damaged paint on the rear bumper. (I was away and the missus picked the car up and didn't notice it
it.)


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## packard (Jun 8, 2009)

Never ever ....


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## Maniac (May 20, 2012)

No matter which car I take in, they never wash it. I've left that instruction on the account!

I learned the hard way years ago. That cloth brush and water is several cars old...


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## rmac86 (Jun 6, 2013)

Well guys, got my car back today and guess what - THEY DIDN'T WASH IT!!! 

On top of a superbly quick service to fix the problem (busted window regulator) and a few bulb issues sorted, the overall experience was very good. My heart initially sank whenever I first walked in to pick the car up as it was sitting out on the forecourt and looked like it had been washed, plus one of the salesmen was washing a fairly new looking BMW M3 with what can only be described as a floor brush :doublesho but on closer inspection there was a nice healthy layer of general smeg left on the motor, all ready for me to wash it myself at the weekend!

So all in all, a good result!


Thanks,

R.


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## ffrs1444 (Jun 7, 2008)

I normally wash the car before servicing so any marks or damage will stand out and when they look around the car before work it will be immaculate so No nasty supprises like chipped wheels or damaged paint etc


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