Is this car wash damage?

**cascade** · 04-23-2015, 02:03 PM

Hello everyone,

My car has been under the cover all winter, and I stupidly decided to take the car through a car wash tunnel to clean the dust off. I am 99.999% positive this damage was not on my car before I went through the tunnel. After going through the car wash I stopped to get gas, and noticed the damage on my door immediately. The car wash is trying to say that it doesn't look like car wash damage, however I think that it is. Am I crazy, or is this clearly from the wash? The damage is on the door itself as well as the side molding on the door. A lot of it will buff out, but the prominent area is questionable. Any input would be appreciated.

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**1998 T/A** · 04-23-2015, 05:47 PM

That sucks...was anybody messing around in your garage or something on the inside of your car cover?

**theorangeguy** · 04-24-2015, 05:28 AM

Could it be...? Yes...can you prove that it is damage caused by a car wash...? pretty unlikely unless you have pictures proving it wasn't like that before it went through the car wash. They will deny deny and deny no matter if its the car wash's fault or not.

My father in law bought a brand new Black Silverado 1500 in like 2009 and ran it through a brushless car wash about a week after he got it and the piece that moves back and forth above the truck hit his bed when it was coming down to spray the back of the truck and the car wash denied it and denied it. He got a spray in bed liner a few days later and it covered up the marks the car wash machine left from hitting the top of the bed rail area.

**raynor139** · 04-24-2015, 05:46 AM

Hard to tell from the pic how deep the scratches are. But what from I can see a good bit if not all will buff out.

But the car wash is going to deny all day long. One took out the mirror on a tiburon my brother had several years ago and it took him 3 months of constant harassing to get them to fix it. Now you go there and there is a sign posted saying we are not responsible for mirrors.

**theorangeguy** · 04-24-2015, 05:54 AM

Originally Posted by raynor139

Hard to tell from the pic how deep the scratches are. But what from I can see a good bit if not all will buff out.

But the car wash is going to deny all day long. One took out the mirror on a tiburon my brother had several years ago and it took him 3 months of constant harassing to get them to fix it. Now you go there and there is a sign posted saying we are not responsible for mirrors.

Most car washes have a sign that states they are not responsible for chrome pieces, mirrors, loose body molding, loose trim, etc etc etc...the ones I've seen have at least 5 things listed on them.

**cammed goat** · 04-25-2015, 07:47 AM

Looks like someone was rubbing against that area and the cover wore away the paint. What kind/brand car cover do you use?

**speedyWS6** · 04-25-2015, 01:48 PM

Is this an outdoor cover or a more lightweight indoor cover we
are talking about?

Mine has to live under a full, tailored fit, outdoor cover and even with
our rubbish weather i can peel the cover off on a good day and it virtually
looks like it has been garaged!!

Unless you have wet and dry paper stuck to the inside i cannot believe it is
a cover that has caused this? Unless your "cover" is maybe a tarp??

All the scratches appear to go in one direction. Does this match any part
of the car wash machinery for height/rotation or anything?

**1998 T/A** · 04-25-2015, 04:41 PM

Was it a touch less wash i.e. laser wash? Or was it one with the spinning brushes?

**Firebirdjones** · 04-27-2015, 07:01 PM

I have an enclosed trailer that I keep covered with a very well made custom cover. We get alot of wind here and the cover leaves marks on the paint very similar to yours. However it's all buffed out in my case without much issue. I primarily use the cover to keep the sun off of it.
I have my flat bed trailer covered with a tarp and it didn't lightly scratch the paint, it has plum wore the paint completely off to bare metal, lol.

If you had the car covered outside, and you get some wind, I wouldn't rule out the cover doing that.

**speedyWS6** · 04-27-2015, 11:50 PM

Well...

I have to say if I bought a cover and it inflicted that
kind of damage to it I would bundle it into a pile and burn it!!

I bought a fully tailored cover from this outfit and I swear by their products.

Car Covers, Tailored Indoor & Outdoor Protection | Specialised Covers

I am on the third from them.

**Firebirdjones** · 04-28-2015, 04:34 AM

Originally Posted by speedyWS6

Well...

I have to say if I bought a cover and it inflicted that
kind of damage to it I would bundle it into a pile and burn it!!

I bought a fully tailored cover from this outfit and I swear by their products.

Car Covers, Tailored Indoor & Outdoor Protection | Specialised Covers

I am on the third from them.

There is no cover made that would allow paint to survive the winds we get in Arizona. Anything that is constantly rubbing and beat against the car from the winds will eventually wear the paint. No way around it. When it comes to something I'm really worried about the paint job, it stays in the garage, usually covered in there. When it's outside, it won't have a cover on it, better off without it.
Click on your link, check out the trailer covers. Exact same thing I have on my trailer. Very nice covers, so far the cover hasn't torn however it is starting to wear around the edges. Yet it still wears the paint on the trailer leaving "polished" areas with light scratches, that buff out of course. It's not the covers fault, it's the winds here that constantly moves the cover around. It's the reason why I don't recommend covering anything you care about that sits outside, at least not here in Northern Arizona anyway. Better off building an awning to keep the sun off of it and leave the cover off.

**theorangeguy** · 04-28-2015, 05:19 AM

Originally Posted by Firebirdjones

Originally Posted by speedyWS6

Well...

I have to say if I bought a cover and it inflicted that
kind of damage to it I would bundle it into a pile and burn it!!

I bought a fully tailored cover from this outfit and I swear by their products.

Car Covers, Tailored Indoor & Outdoor Protection | Specialised Covers

I am on the third from them.

There is no cover made that would allow paint to survive the winds we get in Arizona. Anything that is constantly rubbing and beat against the car from the winds will eventually wear the paint. No way around it. When it comes to something I'm really worried about the paint job, it stays in the garage, usually covered in there. When it's outside, it won't have a cover on it, better off without it.
Click on your link, check out the trailer covers. Exact same thing I have on my trailer. Very nice covers, so far the cover hasn't torn however it is starting to wear around the edges. Yet it still wears the paint on the trailer leaving "polished" areas with light scratches, that buff out of course. It's not the covers fault, it's the winds here that constantly moves the cover around. It's the reason why I don't recommend covering anything you care about that sits outside, at least not here in Northern Arizona anyway. Better off building an awning to keep the sun off of it and leave the cover off.

I imagine you guys have a lot of sand floating around in the air as well. Thats a nightmare scenario for a car cover.

**Firebirdjones** · 04-28-2015, 05:27 AM

Originally Posted by theorangeguy

I imagine you guys have a lot of sand floating around in the air as well. Thats a nightmare scenario for a car cover.

I'd say yeah, but I don't really feel it. What I do see and feel is dust. Lots of dust, gets under the covers eventually no matter what. Then the wind blows and the covers move around no matter how tight you get them. Leaves marks in the paint.

However I only use a cover outside on the car trailer because keeping the sun off is most important on something that sits outside. Sun does more damage very quickly to all rubber and plastic parts, and paint can fade in just a few short months, tires dry rot, the plastic vent actually cracks and wind blows it off (had that happen twice).
The cover keeps all that from happening, so I can live with a few scratches in the paint vs all the other problems that would occur without it. Cars I care about are all stored in the garage and would never leave outside. I wouldn't even consider a cover on a car with expensive paint when left outside for any length of time.

I only brought up this scenario because from the original post, it's somewhat unclear whether the car is outside or not but I got the feeling from what he said that the car is sitting outside.

**speedyWS6** · 04-28-2015, 10:01 AM

Alas no garage....

But i will concede that we don't get crazy sand laden winds either.....

Obviously we do get high winds but these covers fit so tight to the car
and for the odd times that it may buffet the car well.... it stays on! I have to park
near to a big pine tree and that just adds to the fun!!!

It's a given that i care about the car but i have no option.

**cascade** · 04-28-2015, 12:59 PM

Cover is a nice soft covercraft custom cover, and it was stored in an indoor garage. Just got the car back yesterday, the car wash paid for a wet sand/polish from a local body shop that fixed the damage.