Auto Dealer wash

[LT1_Hawk]

Hey guys, took my wife's 4Runner to the dealer (Jim Norton in Tulsa) earlier today for the 10k service. I know, I could have done the oil change and everything else myself, but hey it's free and, it's a service record which is great. Anyway, they washed my wife's car and I had just applied paint sealant two weeks ago! After I realized they washed, I asked if their wash is ph-balanced. Of course the service dept rep checking me out didn't know and I told him not to worry about it bc I didn't want to stir up anything. Not like anything would have been accomplished. Anyway, decided to hit it with some guard and gloss when I got home. Besides it probably being their easiest car to wash of the day, anyone have any idea if it's typical of them to use something ph-balanced and soft on the paint or do they use something that's cheaper and more economical?

 

FWIW, the car looked great when I picked it up, but then again it just had a super light dusting of pollen (love/hate this time of year) over a freshly fully detailed car when it went in.

 

Thanks guys

Edited April 2, 2016 by LT1_Hawk

[PacificNWBuckeye]

I don't know the particular dealer or their service department, but I would be surprised if it was ph balanced. Most likely it was run through some sort of automated wash bay with scratch-o-matic brushes. I worked at a place doing customer car washes in college and they used a soap that worked fine, but it stripped everything off.

[LT1_Hawk]

That was my assumption based on the touch. Fingers didn't just glide. Felt smooth but I just did a clay.

[BrianT]

Paint sealant is some pretty strong stuff. I always seal the paint in the fall and YES, i do drive through the automated car wash during the winter. I'd rather spend time in warm weather to fix what the car wash did taking off the nasty nasty salt off the vehicles.