Let's just put it this way, they aren't "good" for your paint or your top. Some people don't have the choice, they either live in a place where they don't have access to a place to wash or they live in a place with water restrictions. If you have a choice, don't do it
I have a '00 GT 'Vert.
One time, many moons ago, I took my wife's Jeep to our neighborhood drive thru car wash. This was the Winter time and she never washes her car.
Anywho, I take it to this drive thru and when it finishes, I get out to dry it off myself. (Gone are the days of a COMPLETE drive thru car wash....)
Anyway, I notice that on the top of the Jeep going from front to back, ON BOTH SIDES, it has about 3 inch scrap markes extending downward. They were perfectly aligned about 4 inches apart. The manager told me that it have to have been my wife with an ice scraper that did that damage.
That is TOTAL
When I mentioned my lawyer, he "offered" to pay for the damages.
So, in short, I NEVER take my cars to a automatic car wash...yes, even in the Winter time! Brushless, my A$$!!!
In my 97 vert, going thru a carwash causes leakage right ontop of the speakers. The one's next to the steering wheel and just over the back speakers. Now they're all blown. Do'nt do the wash!!
Let's just put it this way, they aren't "good" for your paint or your top. Some people don't have the choice, they either live in a place where they don't have access to a place to wash or they live in a place with water restrictions. If you have a choice, don't do it
My feeling exactly, I get so many people that run their cars through automatic car washes and then ask me why my cars are shiny and theirs are not,
the automatic washes scratch the paint, and if you run through touchless, well they have alot of acid in the wash to remove the dirt that it isn't touching (so by hand is the only GOOD way)
I have done alot of auto re-paints due to automatic car washes
I wash all of my cars every to every 3rd day depending on the weather...
I wash them with a soft wash mitt and dry them with a synthetic chamois