Black LR3... scratch concerns at car wash

[Charles123]

My first post! Proud to be part of the Land Rover family.
Just bought a fully loaded 2009 LR3 HSE, Black.
I just love this vehicle.

My concern is scratches. Anyone experience problems at the car wash?
I know Black shows more scratches...
Do you hand wash or is the car wash safe?

Thanks everyone!
Charlie

 

[GeoRover]

Welcome to the club. Sorry, I purposely scratch my car and yes the car is Dish Washer safe LOL!

 

[Houm_WA]

I off-road my LR3 quite a bit, but I'd never let anyone else wash it. If you are REALLY that concerned just go to: www.zainostore.com and buy the starter kit (like $100) and follow the instructions.

 

[tmcgraw]

Keep in mind not all car wash's are created equal either. Some places offer some jet-spray washes that do pretty good.

You did buy into a pretty awesome off-road vehicle though. Many people here would rather scratch and dent if it gets them to where they want to go .

 

[tlt]

All sorts of car washes no issues with them. Plenty of issues with brush and thorns though. I good hand wash works fine with a decent microfiber sponge.

The clear coat or paint can / will get scratches. Some decent quality finish / scratch remover will help hide scratches. Finish it up with the best hand wax job with best wax you can afford.

 

[CMGRover]

I use a touch free wash if I can't hand wash my black one, but I use Surf City Garage products for basically everything.

 

[ncburch22]

I personally find car washed to be obnoxious. If you're going to spend that sort of money on a fine SUV, why put it through the torture of a touch-less car wash? I take about two to three hours weekly detailing my '05. The dealer and people who see the truck don't believe me when I tell them the car is seven years old. I hand clay, polish, and wax it every two months. Also, a good 20-25 minutes under the wheel wells with a good degreaser is a nice way to make it look fully detailed. And yes, to all of you thinking my LR3 is a mall crawler, I take it off roading monthly.

 

[CMGRover]

Touch free is way better than a touch wash with brushes...and better than having it look dirty. But I usually have time to give it a good once over weekly...

 

[Charles123]

What's a touch free car wash?

 

[CMGRover]

It's a car wash where no brushes are used...only thing that touches is the ground under your tires.
Quicksilver Touchless Carwash System - YouTube