Hi, I have a question for M5 owners... and M3 owners too for that matter. With the trickiness of the SMG for first-time users, how do you do valet parking and get car washes? Do you do these things yourselves? This may be a stupid question but I'm wondering what you do in these situations.

 

I would assume most don't let their Ms near a car wash...

 

Very stupid question... Who in their right mind would take a M5 or M3 through a auto car wash? Even yet, who would let any valet drive any of their luxury or exotic cars?

There have been a few in the past, those few are usually the ones posting horror stories of valet damage.

 

I had an M3, took a touch-less car wash about twice a week and would never have done different

Very stupid comment - read above post - also took my 911TT X50, 911TT cab, all my AMG cars and would take my 360 as well, but it's too low... so i can't

there is nothing wrong with an auto touch less car wash, please explain what's wrong with it?

The wheels will get damaged? no, be careful pull in slowly... the wash is great and fast, no problems, people always talk about how car washes are terrible heinous places, yet can never justify why they are so

 

interesting question. i guess you would have to explain simple smg functions and reverse and how to start the car if the valet doesn't know it. i'd assume not many of them are familiar with smgs yet...like me.

 

Nine times out of ten when someone refers to a car wash they're referring to a tunnel full of brushes with a bunch of illegal immigrants out front using a wheel brush on your entire front end and fenders then pressure washing prior to entering. In addition to another group of imbecile illegals out front using a dirty bath towel to dry your car, followed by spreading everyones dirty germs from car to car by wiping down ever cars interior with the same dirty bath towels - you get the point.

Don't even mention the "hand wash" car washes, those are terrible too. The same dirty mitt is used on every single car there, proper technique is not used, cars are washed bottom to top, or however the illegal wants. Nobody with any respect for their vehicle would take their car to either the tunnel or the bogus hand wash joints.

As for your cars, good luck. Most auto touch less car washes use very strong solutions with recycled water (great way to get nasty water spots and dry out epdm seals and wiper blades). They also do absolutely nothing to clean your car, it's actually a joke, you're paying $5 to get your car soaked in soap and then rinsed and blown dry. Soon as you pull out all the water pours out of ever crevice on the car leaving nasty water spots. Not to mention the car is not clean, there is still a thin film of dirt which can only be removed by actually touching the paint. There is absolutely no point to it except maybe desalting your car in the winter. You're better off just pulling into a coin op and pressure washing it yourself then.

If you can afford a 360, 996TT, M5, E55, w/e then you can afford a proper detailer. I suggest you check out Autopia.org or 6speeds own detailing forum. Sounds like you're in the dark when it comes to proper interior and exterior care and what a "detailed" and "dirty aka carwash clean" look like.

 

lol - you got me laughing a few times with the illegal comments, that was good and know exactly what your talking about

by the way, no m5.. M3

Regardless, hand washing my cars myself takes A LOT of time - the Ferrari itself is a 2-3 hour ordeal every time, yet with that car i enjoy it immensely, and usually detail the interior and hand wax it (zaino) after every other wash as well.. plus just last monday just had it professionally detailed inside and out

But i stand true to my touch less car wash, have been going to same place for over 10 years now and will continue going

 

Ah fair enough. By the sound of your first post, I was thinking you just took all your cars to the touch less and called it a day, even the 360. About the M5, I was referring to the OP, I know you hate the E60 .

As for detailing, I agree it's a pain. It takes a good 3 hours like you said to hand wash a small car like the 360 which most likely is never extremely dirty. Takes even longer to detail it. Props for washing yourself though and not taking it through the brushes. I have a friend in Michigan who runs a car wash and all kinds of ignorant people try to take Bentley Azures, Lamborghini Murcielagos, Rolls Royce Phantom and Corniches through the tunnel full of brushes... He turns most of them away with silly excuses because it hurts so bad to see them go through.

 

 

My cousin took his M3 SMG to the car wash, and he asked the guy if he should pull it in.
and they guy said no, i can do it.
1. the guy didnt know how to put the car in gear.
2. when he finally did, he pushed the gas to hard(and it was wet out) so the tires spun and he almost rear ended my dads A6.
My cousin was so pissed

 

I took my car to get state inspection and the Mechanic couldn't move the car. I figured if a Mechanic who deals with cars all day long can't operate an SMG, valet and Carwash staff sure as hell won't.

 

That doesn't make sense. If a tunnel wash can do it in 5 minutes and hand car wash guys can do it in 10-15, why does it take you 2-3 hours? I can wash and dry my M Coupe exterior in under 10 minutes, double that for cleaning the interior. Only a full detail takes me 2 hours, 3 if I remove the wheels.

 

just take it to valet park it yourself and pay

 

I have 2006 m5,when I take my car for a wash I keep the smg in D mode and I never had a problem.

 

The brush car washes are, imo, the worst - i would never take any of my cars through one of those (i.e. turtle wax) even more so with a bunch of high school kids pulling it in, out and "cleaning" it after it rolls out

As for the m5, i had a chance to get some wheel time and after sitting behind the wheel my opinion has changed on that car, and actually considered one before i bought my X50 911TT back in October, still one aspect of that car kills me... it's looks - otherwise a pretty great car

I dunno how you do it that fast, the wash alone (by myself) takes at least 30 minutes, i do each of the wheels first and go behind the outside of the wheels to get the brake dust from the inside, all 4 wheels take about 15 minutes and then wash the car which is another 15 minutes... 2-3 hours is for wheels wash/car wash/dry/clean EVERY window inside and out/vacuum/interior wipe down/something i'm probably forgetting/other...