Dealer washing

[Steven Read]

I drive a black '05 benz. Your Deep Crystal and Gold Class, monthly keep it looking good. The benz dealers wash it each time I stop in for repairs, about every month. The wax is always stripped off and the finish is spider webbed after their "service". They tell me I don't use good wax and should change brands. Any suggestions? (I've asked them to not wash my car but they always do it anyway.)

[Tom MacDonald]

Sorry to hear about your experience at your local MB Dealer. The Gold Class Wax you are using is an excellent product for your car, especially since it s black. We make all of MB products for them, so I think that the comment about the wax you use was not such good advice. As long as the detail shop is using a PH balanced wash when they wash the cars it would not strip any was from the finish. I had a neighbor that went through a similar experience and spoke to the service manager regarding his request for his car not to be washed. He found that seemed to work to prevent them from washing the car, but still had to remind them each time the car was brought in.

Try to wax the car at least every 8-12 weeks and keep it washed in between..

~Tom

[Murr1525]

What wax have you been using in the past? Did you mean deep crystal and gold class waxes, or washes? And what sort of device are they using to wash with?

[Mike Phillips]

My wife and I do this each time we take our black Pilot to the Honda dealership.

1. I wash and wax/detail the car so it's apparent that it doesn't need it

2. We sternly explain to the service manager that we just washed and detailed it, that I work for Meguiar's and we don't what them to wash the car.

3. We print out a sign on our computer says "Please do not wash this car"and tape it to the inside of the windshield.

4. On the work order forum, we ask them to note: Don't wash.

So far we've been very successful with this procedure.


The problem with letting anyone else wash your car is that they will never give it the love and attention you would because it's not their car. And if it's an employee that's not happy with their job, the quality of work they provide might really be bad.

A quick example would be this, when I wash our Pilot, I remove my grit guard and rinse out my bucket, I then rinse off my grit guard and place it back into the bucket and then add fresh clean water and a quality soap. I then use my best wash mitt, a Meguiar's sheepskin wash mitt that has never touched the ground, nor the lower parts of the car, only the upper panels.

Do you think this is the procedure that is used on your car whoever you get it washed?

I'm sorry but dealerships and the quality of work they put out don't have a good reputation on the Internet... In fact, most of the talk about the quality level of work done at dealerships as far as washing and detailing goes is comprised of horror stories and extremely mad customers often times with little or no recourse.

This is why the term, DISO exists... DISO stands for...

Dealer Installed Swirl Option

Keep using Meguiar's and get stern with the dealership and if they don't honor the saying...

"The customer is always right", inform them you will find a dealership that will.

Best of luck...

[Steven Read]

Thanks Mike, now I don't feel like the "Lone Ranger". I leave the dealers with the impression of being a "P.I.T.A." for expecting things to be done correctly.

[ebpcivicsi]

I do what Mike does except I have been using a grease pencil to write on the glass, "please do not wash." They think you are nuts, but what else is new. Bring your own fender guards in sometime and see how they act.

[gb387]

I also do not let the dealer wash my vehicle... I may have to borrow Mikes idea of using the "Do Not Wash Sign". I am always afraid that they are going to ruin everything that I have done to keep it looking better than new.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by ebpcivicsi
Bring your own fender guards in sometime and see how they act.

[Mike Phillips]

I actually like ebpcivicsi's idea of using a grease pencil...

Maybe someone should suggest this as a new product in the New Products Suggestions forum?

[roushstage2]

The dealership that I take my car to will not wash my car unless I ask them to.

[rusty bumper]

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
3. We print out a sign on our computer says "Please do not wash this car"and tape it to the inside of the windshield.

I was going to suggest this myself, but it looks like you beat me to it.

[BenP]

Well my dealer has just installed a swirl-o-matic so if they even think of "washing" my car they 'll get it driven straight back through the showroom windows!

Ben

[sneek]

i dont know what to think with my honda dealer all they do is pull out a preasuer washer blast the car for 2 mins then give it back to me at least they dont install DISO but i've almost given up on my 03 accord so many stone chips every where even on the trunk and im careful when im driving im thinking about a bra but that would just kill the paint even more. and on top of that all the touch up paint is a darker silver than the car

[Pete-FWA]

Lots of people think the "free" wash at the dealership is nice, but it's usually a sub-par job. It's scary, if you're an enthusiast.

We did business with a major dealer group who decided to install what I called a "Scratch-N-Rinse" in back of one of their facilities. It was about a 100' tunnel with those nylon bristle brushes and this awful detergent (lye soap?). They would run customers cars, used cars, even NEW cars through that beast. Didn't touch wheels and tires until they installed the metal wire brush rail a few years later. That was harsh on wheels.

It would squirt hydraulic fluid on cloth tops and leave soap oozing through the cracks of body panels because it wasn't metered right or the wash nozzles plugged and no water came through on rinse. It was killing the finish on everything, but it sure made a lot of money for us. Talk about "Goodwill account" claims right into our pockets

Eventually, management thought they were geting smart and installed cloth wash pads. Then they were going to save money by turning the soap way down, too. Good work, guys, dry washing cars Yes, it was a wild time when I walked by and actually saw one of those big wet cloths grab hold of a new Grand Am side mirror and just rip it off: not the glass, the whole mirror assembly. New ways to trash your car at the dealership.

[gb387]

"Scratch-N-Rinse"