# Car Washing Danger? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [February 6, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-washing-danger/26134 "2009-02-06T22:10:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lbiederstadt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@lbiederstadt](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lbiederstadt)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-washing-danger/26134/1 "2009-02-06T22:10:06Z")
A friend told me that, after a long drive, taking the car through an automatic car wash can damage the car. Is that true? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-washing-danger/26134/2 "2009-02-06T22:13:05Z")
But, that same car, driven through that same car wash after a short drive, would NOT be damaged? I would love to hear the reasoning behind your friend’s theory. ---
**Author:** ![lbiederstadt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@lbiederstadt](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lbiederstadt)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-washing-danger/26134/3 "2009-02-06T22:14:44Z")
I think the reasoning was that it was the sudden colder water on the hot inner parts. I dunno! ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-washing-danger/26134/4 "2009-02-06T22:14:58Z")
The only dangerous thing you can do after a long drive is spay the engine block with COLD water, causing possible cracking. Please ask your friend his “REASONS” for making such a statement, report back to us please. I have washed my cars numerous times after long drives with no ill effect. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-washing-danger/26134/5 "2009-02-06T22:22:58Z")
If it’s the ‘water shock’ effect, then folks better not drive into a rain shower! ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 10:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-washing-danger/26134/6 "2009-02-06T22:29:37Z")
What Texases said…and especially around my neighborhood lately. We’re having a sudden heat wave…it’s almost up to freezing! What your friend said is myth. It will not crack the engine. Besides, your engine will run at the same temperature regardless of the length of your drive. The cooling system makes sure of that. But those brushes sure do a job on the paint. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 10:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-washing-danger/26134/7 "2009-02-06T22:37:21Z")
Ask your friend if he puts a knife underneath his bed when he has a headache. According to old wives, this “cuts the pain in half”. Your friend’s theory is almost as laughable as this old wives’ tale. Incidentally, don’t take any investment advice from him! ---
**Author:** ![rocketman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@rocketman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rocketman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 12:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-washing-danger/26134/8 "2009-02-07T00:44:00Z")
No, it’s not true. If it were true . . . you would wreck your car if you drove it through a rainstorm. Rocketman ---
**Author:** ![americar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/americar/32/42_2.png) [@americar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/americar)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 1:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-washing-danger/26134/9 "2009-02-07T01:43:17Z")
Conversely I have washed my cars using a warm bucket of water in 30 degree F winter weather with no ill effects. ---
**Author:** ![jcompto14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@jcompto14](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jcompto14)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-washing-danger/26134/10 "2009-02-07T02:05:35Z")
i worked at a car wash and have seen cars jump the rail and hit the wall or fall in the pit and the brushes put light scratches on your clear coat and can rip off mirrors and antennas especialy auto electric antennas if it’s a full service car wash where someone drives ur car don’t take your eyes off ur car ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-washing-danger/26134/11 "2009-02-07T03:34:58Z")
Somebody wrote here that he would always stop at a pressure hose wash place on his way home from a long trip. He would wash his car and the brakes would pulsate for a short time afterward. We (not me) figured that the cold water on the outside of the rotors would cause a temporary warpage. The car wash should be OK. ---
**Author:** ![Cal\_Learner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cal_learner/32/387_2.png) [@Cal\_Learner](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cal_Learner)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 12:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-washing-danger/26134/12 "2009-02-07T12:06:39Z")
It’s never a good idea to take a car through a mechanical car wash; they’re very hard on the finish. But taking a car through and putting chemical cleaning products on hot wheels seems like a particularly bad idea. Aluminum alloy wheels will stain from some chemicals, and particularly if the wheels were hot when they came into contact with these cleaners. Maybe that’s what your friend had in mind.