My owner's manual advises me to not use automatic car washes. I just tried one for the first time and I think I now see some scratching of the paint where there was none before.
I see transverse scratching above the driver's door. Not bad, maybe I can buff it out, but it shows a lighter color undercoat than my surface dark blue.
Is my car's paint this delicate? Does anyone else have any experience or advice on the subject. Should I only hand wash my car with cashmere?
I used a pretty new car wash location with whatever the most recent technology must be.
P. Smith

 

Are you sure it was the car wash that scratched your car? I never use them myself but they wouldn't be in business if they scratched car paint to the undercoat. It has to be a pretty serious scratch to go through the clear and color coats. No, our paint isn't any more fragile than usual, which is poor compared to cars of past. Try a light polish on the area first and hope for the best. If it goes down to the under coat there's not much you can do other than fill it in or repaint.

 

What you are probably seeing is a "haze" where the clearcoat has been abraded and makes it look lighter. Its probably due for a full Saturday, four-step, claybar, medium cut compound, fine polish and then topped off with a paste wax to bring it back.

Two things about the automatic car washes to consider. One, the kinds with rotating brushes can pick up debris from the 4x4 that just returned from a week in Moab that went through a couple of cars ahead of you. We have a couple of these units at work for our large buses that'd take too long to wash by hand but we don't have to worry about mud, rocks and cactus needles from off-roaders. And two, the "touchless" kinds use hot water and harsh detergents instead of agitation with brushes to remove the dirt. Those detergents also strip off your waxes and/or sealants. That technology has its place too. It's perfectly fine for Toyota RAV4 and Honda Accord owners; they aren't ever going to wax their cars anyway. But if you want to keep your Jaguar looking good, then hand-washing IS recommended.

Now you can read in the F-type subforum about some really obsessive-compulsive washing techniques like using the two-bucket method with grit guards and exotic textiles, but assuming your XF is a daily driver and not a show car, a single bucket and ordinary wash mitt with a mild car wash soap is fine (no detergents). The key in my opinion for the daily driver is "protecting the paint" rather than trying to maintain a show car gloss at all times. Minimize the wear and tear, keep it waxed (frequently, I like Mequiars Ultimate Quick Wax) so that bird droppings, tree sap, acid rain, etc. don't etch it. Then when you get the urge to go on the Jaguar Club's winery tour, its easy to polish out the swirls and lay on some carnuba paste in a few hours work instead of polishing off half the thickness of the clear coat over a three-day weekend. I hand wash weekly, apply quick wax monthly and once a year in the spring, do a clay bar followed by a machine polish with a light swirl remover.

 

BEFORE you do anything. post PHOTOS. It's impossible to accurately describe paint damage. What you call scratching of the paint may be entirely different from the understanding of anyone reading it. It could be anything from minor clearcoat abrasion to base coat damage or even down to bare metal. Each level requires a different approach.

Would I use an automatic car wash? Absolutely NOT if it was the type with brushes that rotate against the vehicle. The totally contactless type - maybe.

Graham

 

Thanks, guys, as usual.
I applied Mequiar's Scratch Remover and reduced the visual impact by 75%. I won't use the automatic car wash again.
I got 5 washes for the price of 4, so maybe the other 4 washes will be a xmas gift card for someone.
P.

 

The spray from a touchless car wash is typically on the paint for like 30 seconds (at least the one near me, which I use rarely). Not sure how much stripping it can do in that short a period?

My issue with touchless washes is the poor drying, which I find always leaves water spots.

 

no response to this

 

You only have to look at rental cars, which go through auto car washes between every rental, to see that the clear coat is covered with tiny scratches. I never use them for that reason.
I have found paint (or at least the clear coat) on the XF/XE to be a bit softer than on some other cars I've owned and now always use a microfiber wash mitt to clean it, and microfiber cloths to dry it.

 

crazy how that works huh? "dont do this" yet does it. id say thats a DOPE moment from the simpsons, A lesson well learned if your guide says dont do it maybe DONT DO IT lol.