Automated Car Wash? Yes or No.

Ridiculously stupid question from this new Tacoma owner/forum member. Just picked up my showroom new and washed '18 TRD Pro on Monday. I am loving it but it is now Saturday and 5 days worth of snowy/icy/salty road driving here in upstate western NY and we're ready for our first bath. I do not (yet) have a tonneau cover. Any issues/warnings/advice for taking it through an automated (with brushes) car wash? Does an open bed trap the water & soap and present a problem? I'm sure I'm overthinking this and should just take it through the carwash! Any thoughts appreciated!

 

NO to an auto wash with brushes. Those simply collect all the dirt from the car(s) ahead of you. Find a good auto touch-less wash....hopefully one that also has a good bottom blast.

 

Definitely try to find touchless if auto wash is your only option. Brushes will scratch that showroom paint up!

 

I advise against those car washes due to the brushes are dirty and can cause scratches.
The bed holding water is not an issue, it will drain. I would wash by hand and use a lawn sprinkler underneath to wash the salt off the frame.

 

I can certainly find a touchless wash in the area. Hand washing is out of the question until spring - too friggin' cold and my outside water is turned off! Will water from a carwash just drain out of the bed without any problem?

 

Thanks for the replies! NO brushes, and no big deal with an open bed. Gotta get that salt off today. The temps will finally climb into the 30's!

 

Yes, the water will drain out, unless you put a swimming pool liner in your bed for some reason.

 

I just go those self wash stations which are almost just as bad.
I get more scratches from rocks and dirt.. I gave up, figured I’d wax it once a year to revive the paint lol. But mine is white

 

No need to worry about the bed. Worry more about the high powered dryers bending your hood and high pressure water infiltrating through the 3rd brake light.

 

I LOVE CLEAN TRUCKS! but I love DIRTY TRUCKS too!

 

Yes.
It's a truck.
It sits outside.
The negatives are overblown.
At least it's getting clean.
It's going to get scratches anyway.
Can't have anything nice.
It's not a show car.

Something like that.

 

I have a good touch-less near me that I use regularly during the winter months. Watch out for those car washes that have the new-style foam rollers instead of brushes... they scratch just as easily.

 

I only do touchless or my detailer. I also have used the self service brushes to clean my skids after offroading....so don't use those haha

 

Nothing like a clean truck! Nothing like a dirty woman! Well, maybe a naughty woman!

 

Yes! If not, drill a few holes. J/K
There are factory installed drain holes already there.

 

Touchless washes are the bomb, but not always easy to find. When I do have to do one with brushes, I make sure to avoid the ones with those roller dryers at the end. Definitely have gotten scratches from those in the past.

They look like this



And I turn down the hand dry at the end from the pimple faced kid with the same dirty cloth he's been using all day.

Coming from someone who is embarrassed about keeping his truck so clean all the time.

 

DO NOT GO TO AN AUTOMATED CAR WASH during the winter months. I will not name the names but they all recycle their wash water which is loaded with salt. They are using high pressure soap and SALT sprays putting salt into places your vehicle didn't know it had places. Yes they do rinse with fresh water.... If you must wash go to a you squirt it where they don't recycle salt water. Filtering removes dirt particles but not soluble salt. My vehicle a gen 2 2008 has never been washed in the winter and has no rust. Has been oil sprayed every couple of years. GTS Bruce

 

After a week of ice/snow and temps in the 20’s, it’s going to be 60 tomorrow. First wash a coming! Hand wash only here.