Dealership wash/detail

[DC_Ms]

Did you ever asked the dealership before picking up your new motor to specifically NOT to wash the car ? What is your experience ? Is this a common thing , are they ok with it ?

I’m thinking about how poorly they would wash it anyway , and who knows with what brushes ……

[Roy124]

My dealer always asks if I want it washed 

[Jimota]

I politely ask them not to wash the car after a service. I’ve mentioned elsewhere in the forums that I have personally witnessed a well known national repair company using TFR (Traffic Film Remover) to clean cars without using shampoo.  They simply spray the TFR all over the car, wait a few minutes and then power wash it off.  Don’t get me wrong, it really is a quick and effective way to completely clean a car but TFR is extremely potent and will burn the paintwork if left too long.  I’m not suggesting that Toyota dealerships are doing this but I prefer to wash my car with reputable products that are user friendly with modern water based paints.

[TonyHSD]

Agreed, any free car wash that comes from a dealer or any other large chain car repair shops will cause more trouble than any good. My car been totally 3 times at a dealer for recall work and I always asked them not to wash, however they did washed on two occasions and was a terrible job, similar to these cheap £7 supermarket car park washes. 

[Dylanfan]

After having a window screen so badly scratched that it had to be machine polished, it was so bad it was close to having a new screen fitted. Just think what they had done to the paint work. Luckily I was in the process of changing the car at the time.

Ever since I tell them, (no ask) not to clean the car at a service. I also make sure the car is clean before I take it in so they know the car is looked after.

[Rhymes with Paris]

Hmm,if you can't trust a main dealer to wash a car properly, it makes me wonder what you can trust them with.

After all, washing a car is a fairly low tech, high labour thing.

So in essence, very simple to do, and ok they may get a "vehicular cleansing technician" or some other nonsense name for the employee on the lowest rung of the dealer career ladder to do it.

But when I think about it, if they cannot be bothered to do something as simple as this properly,ie supervise and teach ,and inspect to make a job of it, then there is no point in doing it at all.

I agree with the others, it is important to tell the dealer not to wash your car to avoid any further damage that they will do to it anyway, and make sure they write it down, you might get lucky, and someone in the service department can read.

I had my old Honda CRV into the local dealer for the famous Tacoma (sp) airbag recall, and they washed it, and scratched it, and generally messed it up.

I thought I could avoid all this by having a full professional valet prior to dropping it in.

I was wrong.

 

[paul9]

15 minutes ago, Rhymes with Paris said:

After all, washing a car is a fairly low tech, high labour thing.

 

 

Not if you watch some of the car cleaning/detailing channels on Youtube!😮

[Cyker]

It depends on expectations. I'm fine with mine doing it as I'm just expecting a standard hand clean as you'd get from any random car wash, but some people seem to be expecting a full detail, which is a whole different level of car cleaning!

[Rhymes with Paris]

34 minutes ago, paul9 said:

Not if you watch some of the car cleaning/detailing channels on Youtube!😮

Ok, not watched them, but I still think it's best to not let dealers wash your car.

[Hornet3D]

I have been asking the dealership not to wash my car for about six years of servicing and other work, first with Honda and my CRV and more recently with Toyota and my Aygo.  There has never been and issue with the request.  I have been asked on some occasions why I have made the request and the response I always give is it doesn't need it (I always valet my car before I present it) and that it has a special coating that will not take wax, some shampoos have a wax content.  That being the case it really is a waste of their time and mine.  The explanation has always been accepted with out  issue.

[DC_Ms]

11 hours ago, Cyker said:

It depends on expectations. I'm fine with mine doing it as I'm just expecting a standard hand clean as you'd get from any random car wash, but some people seem to be expecting a full detail, which is a whole different level of car cleaning!

I don’t think people are expecting a detailing service at all , is just that the hand wash that dealerships provide is very poor in terms of using the same washing accessories for multiple cars , not so sure about the quality of the products either and introducing swirls to the paintwork it can be very annoying.

[TonyHSD]

When you go to the dealer drive or walk around the premises and you will see the car wash, once you do that you will never want this particular free car wash for your car if you like and value your vehicle. 👍

[Gerhard_Corolla]

I'm sure the dealers have good intentions, and maybe for the majority of the clients a wash is nice detail, but nowadays you have to deliver a written list of whatever points you wish to be taken care of or have special attention to...

 

Nonetheless, I think they should know how to wash a car... 

[Hornet3D]

2 hours ago, Gerhard_Corolla said:

I'm sure the dealers have good intentions, and maybe for the majority of the clients a wash is nice detail, but nowadays you have to deliver a written list of whatever points you wish to be taken care of or have special attention to...

 

Nonetheless, I think they should know how to wash a car... 

I don't doubt that all dealerships know how to wash a car but the issue is if they deploy that knowledge.   For many dealerships they wash the car because it is expected of them but they want to do it in as little time, cheapest shampoo and with as little water as possible, not the best option for getting a damage free wash.

[TonyHSD]

That’s right , plus the people who wash these cars knows that it’s a free wash and has no motivation to carry a good work at all. 

[Gerhard_Corolla]

17 hours ago, Hornet3D said:

I don't doubt that all dealerships know how to wash a car but the issue is if they deploy that knowledge.   For many dealerships they wash the car because it is expected of them but they want to do it in as little time, cheapest shampoo and with as little water as possible, not the best option for getting a damage free wash.

Indeed, a simple solution would be to just rinse the car with jet wash to guarantee that the employees work with a decent vehicle, and everything above should be requested and payed for...

 

I've always delivered the car to the dealerships spotless, so they would leave the car alone, but the last time they cleaned the windshield and all the windows from the inside, removing the treatment I applied against fogging. Maybe it's way easier to just ask explicitly for what you want and don't to be done... 

[Hornet3D]

11 minutes ago, Gerhard_Corolla said:

Indeed, a simple solution would be to just rinse the car with jet wash to guarantee that the employees work with a decent vehicle, and everything above that should be requested and payed for...

 

I've always delivered the car to the dealerships spotless, so they would leave the car alone, but the last time they cleaned the windshield and all the windows from the inside, removing the treatment I applied against fogging. Maybe it's way easier to just ask explicitly for what you want and don't to be done... 

I try to deliver my car spotless but that is the done side in that they can negate the benefit of some expensive treatments without knowing what they are doing. 

[Hibird]

I sense a real concern that a Toyota main dealer can not be trusted to wash a car without causing £££ss of damage.

I assume that the same comments may apply to non Toyota dealers as well or is that not the case ?

Clearly there is something very very wrong here as we have to rely on these 'experts' to service our vehicles in a way that keep us all safe and mobile in a cost effective way. The posts here suggest that even the free gift is far from cost effective.

I have no reason to doubt the views expressed here but as you drive away from your service in your "free wash" damaged vehicles are you also concerned if the wheels are tight, brakes working and the correct oil is being used.

I don't think you can seperate the car washer from the service manager or his staff they ARE the dealership experience and thats what we get. I guess all we can hope for is a competent trustworthy dealer who want's to a good job with trained capable accountable and supervised staff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hybrid21]

trained capable accountable and supervised staff ?

Not in the real world Mike 😃

[davidif]

18 hours ago, Hybrid21 said:

trained capable accountable and supervised staff ?

Not in the real world Mike 😃

I would hope/expect that a qualified technician would take some pride in his work, the 'valeters'  as unskilled and probably significantly worse paid perhaps less so.

 

 

[TonyHSD]

21 hours ago, Hibird said:

I sense a real concern that a Toyota main dealer can not be trusted to wash a car without causing £££ss of damage.

I assume that the same comments may apply to non Toyota dealers as well or is that not the case ?

Clearly there is something very very wrong here as we have to rely on these 'experts' to service our vehicles in a way that keep us all safe and mobile in a cost effective way. The posts here suggest that even the free gift is far from cost effective.

I have no reason to doubt the views expressed here but as you drive away from your service in your "free wash" damaged vehicles are you also concerned if the wheels are tight, brakes working and the correct oil is being used.

I don't think you can seperate the car washer from the service manager or his staff they ARE the dealership experience and thats what we get. I guess all we can hope for is a competent trustworthy dealer who want's to a good job with trained capable accountable and supervised staff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You are 100% right 

I never trust anyone especially dealer or estate agent. 

[Vainona70]

Any contact wash (using sponge or mitt & appropriate shampoo) will mar or create swirls. The amount of care taken can limit this to only being visible under close inspection with lights.

We drive Toyotas, not car show queens so I don't advise chasing perfection. 

[Hibird]

20 hours ago, Hybrid21 said:

trained capable accountable and supervised staff ?

Not in the real world Mike 😃

Unfortunately acceptance that poor service is a given will only perpetuate the problem. And it looks like acceptance is the winner here ... not a great hope for the future but each to their own.

[Hibird]

3 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

You are 100% right 

I never trust anyone especially dealer or estate agent. 

It must make servicing or repair that requires a main dealer input a traumatic experience. I guess your exposure is now low as the age of your vehicle does not require main dealer service to maintain warranty. But all old cars were new once as were we, I guess I was lucky not to be looked after by a main dealer !

My vote is for dealers we can trust to at least wash a car but of course self cleaning cars may be the next big thing ! I would still vote for better service rather than accept a poor imitation

 

 

[AndrueC]

I'm fine with mine washing the car. To be honest it's about the only time it gets washed. But I've sat and watched cars being cleaned on the forecourt (including mine on one occasion) and I see no reason to object.

I don't think they 'detailed' mine but they jetted un-soaped water to wash off the grime then soaped it then hand wiped it then jetted unsoaped to wash it off.

Seems pretty reasonable to me.