Are they safe to use without damaging my Jag's paint?

 

Generally no, but use the touchless ones if you must, avoid the brushes.

 

Echoing the above - never let anything touch your car, that isn't being done by your own hand. You never know if the guy that went through before you was washing off a pickup truck covered in mud and rocks, which will get stuck in the brushes and potentially damage your paint. This same thing just happened to a woman here at work last week, scratched all down the side. And most places have a version of "use at your own risk" signs somewhere, so it becomes very hard to get repaid for damages.

I always hand wash mine, though during the winter, I will use the hose-bays to hose off salt or grime. I'll also use them to knock off heavier mud if I need to, but the actual wash is always by hand.

 

For drive through one, they are cloths brushing your paint, so no. The touchless laser washes are better, but often they use quite strong chemicals than can reduce the lifespan of your wax/sealant. I use the wand wash in the winter on my XJR since it's definitely better than nothing!

 

I wouldn't go to one with brushes.

There is a drive through one nearby that is touchless, and uses high pressure water. It does a great job, been using it for years on numerous cars, never a problem.

I find I do need to hand wash occasionally, though. It gets dirt off that the car wash leaves, and you need to do the door shuts etc.

 

Generally both the wands and the touchless forms use "detergent" in order to break up the dirt and grime without the agitation of the brushes. Unfortunately, I have not found any wax or sealant that will withstand these detergents. And its critical to keep the wax intact. When the wax is gone, everything in the atmosphere and stuff falling from the trees, birds, bugs, etc all attack the paint. You've no doubt seen X308s by ten years old the clearcoat started to peel. Ultimately all these things eat microscopic pinholes in the clearcoat allowing moisture underneath, eventually causing larger and larger sections to fail.

If you absolutely can't hand wash your car with a gentle car wash liquid, (some people live in apartments and don't have facilities to wash their own car) I suppose the touchless car washes are better than nothing, BUT its critical to put that wax/sealant protection back ASAP. I don't like the idea of paying the extra few dollars for the machine to spray some stuff on the car as a last step. I think it needs to set out in the sun for half an hour to an hour to dry first (but then find some shade to cool down before applying anything else). I have been using for the last ten years Meguiars Ultimate Quick Wax. Its not really a "wax" but its so easy that I actually do it. You just spray it on the car and wipe it down with a microfiber towel. It will take all of 10 minutes, (you can do it in any apartment parking lot) and last till the next car wash. If you hand wash, you only need to apply it every other car wash. It doesn't create a show-car shine like a paste wax, but does do a good job of protecting the paint from the environment. My x308s paint, other than a few chips and scratches, still looks showroom new.

 

The coat failure you're talking about is due to UV from the sun, and I'm pretty sure that wax is not going to help with that in the slightest. It does protect against bird droppings etc.

 

In a word, No.

I wouldn't trust any automatic car wash on my Jaguar, in the handbook it even says not to use them. As others have said you don't know what has been in there previously, and I seriously doubt car wash maintenance is on the list of responsibilities of the petrol station employees.

In the UK there are Hand Car Washes everywhere, anything that used to be a petrol station is turned into a hand car wash. Normally staffed by eastern Europeans, for £5 they will hand wash your car and normally apply a "fast wax" using good quality cleaning products. But I wouldn't even go to these guys because of the number of cars passing through daily and the zips and buttons on the clothes they wear.

I think if you're in a position where you can't physically wash the car yourself, then there are plenty of companies out there who will come to you and wash your car. More often than not these Mobile Valets or Detailers are self employed and will often give you a good price for regular bookings, plus it's in their best interests to look after your car.

 

That's a good point made, I know a few good quality detailers up here that will do everything you need, or as little as you need. It might cost a little more but you'll have assurances it'll be done proper, and with lasting protection.

 

Good point. UV also does a number on paint for sure and together with all the other stuff in the air it all adds up to deterioration. Like you, I'm not sure how much waxes or sealants do to protect against UV damage so I didn't mention it. The sunscreens you put on your skin work not by blocking or reflecting the UV, but rather by absorbing the UV and converting it to heat. However, your skin absorbs quite a lot of the stuff by comparison to the amount of wax left on a painted surface.

UV is particularly bad for tires, weatherstrip and vinyl and some types of plastic trim. These surfaces are a little porous and DO absorb a good bit of whatever you put on them. To that end, there are products that may be able to claim UV protection like Sonus Total Eclipse vinyl, plastic and rubber protectant.

 

The sunblock is an interesting and apt comparison. I used to work at an Estee Lauder counter and it amazed me how many women would want a miracle cure but acted like sunscreen was a scam. UV damage on cars can be repaired with a strip down repaint, skin less so lol.

The best way to slow the signs of aging on people and cars is minimizing UV exposure, with protectants or otherwise. I take the attitude that I do what I can on my car, enjoy it, and prepare to either periodically repaint it and replace what gets sunbeaten, or make it a night car lol. UV protectants help to a point, so they are definitely worth using, but just like skincare, are not a magic bullet.

BTW - about my wand wash comment earlier, winter driving in MI means epic salt, so sadly my XJR is getting heaps of exposure there and the wand wash helps to remove some. I spray transmission fluid with a pesticide pump on the suspension before winter and it helps a LOT. Oddly, it has no rust on the body, and undercarriage pieces are like new because it was summer only driven; what shocks me is how many loved cars in England end up all rusty due to what I guess might be salt air?

 

It's actually more down to the fact cars are seen as disposable items in this country nowadays. With the ever increasing amounts of technology in vehicles now, people don't want to keep a 4 year old Fiat 500 when the new version has an extra USB port or a better way to play music. Most cars now are available on attractive and tempting lease or hire purchase packages. Then the used market is oversaturated with stock so many people buy cheap used cars to run into the ground then buy another.

People like myself are becoming less common, and from time to time I even catch people laughing at me or looking in my direction with bemused looks on their faces because they can't understand why I give a 14 year old Jaguar so much care and attention.

 

All I use is a cloth carwash, I have a specific place here in Orlando that I know changes its brushes regularly. There are no 4x4's or such there, the line consists of Jags, Mercs, Beemers, Porsches (the owners in particularly)...etc. They also hand wipe it down afterward, cleaning the jams and returns, including the wheels.
Laser washes are junk IMHO...they leave a film of residue and when you go to polish/wax the car, you micro rub it into the paint. The sprays don't do anything for getting the brake dust off the rims or for the finish other than spray real hard on it and depending on the sprayers, can remove or semi-degrade your fine line pin striping...it did that to my Expedition (blew part of it off).
For the UV statements, like stated, less exposure, less deterioration. Mine is garaged whenever not in use.
For Stu's comment about caring for his 14yr old. I understand (as most you) and do the same with my 17yr old and my reward is when filling up at the gas station and having someone come over and compliment me on how sweet she looks and well maintained. Heck, the guys at car wash compliment me all the time.
The lack of other folks doing the same is what society has become. A throw away society, ..no respect for craftsmanship or detail, just use it and get the next shiny toy. If they actually had a parent who taught them to earn what they got, they might respect what they owned, ...then there may be more of us Stu

 

Only hand wash mine. Not in direct sunlight. Pull into garage dry, then wax. I wash every week. Wax every 2 to 3 weeks. I use a clay bar every 4 months followed by a waxing. All Meguires stuff. Only use the instant spay on wax after washing and in a hurry. Everyone has their quirks. Mine is I take a soft towel. I toss it on the hood. If it doesn't slide off, time for a wax job. If the towels slide to the floor. I'm good.

 

I'm younger (30) but see a lot of people my age with that attitude. I think part of it was the evolution of technology imbued the idea of 2-4yr replacement cycles for things. I work in tech, but we have PLCs from the 1980s still in use because a newer one would offer nothing other than newer hardware and allow newer interfacing. I started in facilities maintenance as a software engineer on a heavily customized computerized maintenance management system. It was amazing seeing some assets in the system with purchase dates in the 1960s that had religious service and excellent reliability; and items bought in the 1990s that had different managerial approaches to maintenance that led to top tier equipment having bottom of the barrel reliability.

The golden numbers we always shot for in terms of Facilities and Manufacturing Maintenance were 85/15 or 80/20 depending on the person. 85 percent of the stuff you do being proactive and preventative maintenance, and 15 percent reactive and repair work. It led to the best uptime, lowest LONG TERM running costs, and longest service life of equipment.

I could buy a late X150 XKR, and probably will one day. I still like my cars and appreciate what they are. I like my X308 and X100. They cost a relative pittance to run compared to really any depreciation on a newer car. I don't care that they don't have bluetooth or infotainment. I like that I have a CD changer, since my previous cars didn't even have players, that's neat. They're comfortable, quick, stylish and easy to live with! The newer Jags are great, but being happy with "less" isn't a bad thing.

Everything I own is capable of daily use. Even my 22, 42 and 44 year old motorcycles. Amazing what proper PMing allows lol.

 

I started my Jaguar ownership a couple years ago (27yrs old) and I am thrilled to say I am part of this small percent of society who shares this same mindset. Keep it nice and it will stay nice. If I am a snob in any way, it is in that I look down on people who don't take care of their stuff.

 

I agree. And you know when your XJ is nice when you park your 02 car in the dealership car park with 2017 demonstrators, and the staff come out to look at your 15 year old machine.

 

I was recently in Scottsdale on a trip. My nephew was car shopping, so we drove my Jaguar to various dealerships. Every place we stopped, the salesman or other staff came out to look at the Jag. Not to brag (excessively), but that pristine black XJR looked incredible next to all those nice new cars! To me, that's what's fun about owning a unique, classic vehicle. Sure got a lot of attention.

To stay on topic: I agree with those who advise not to use contact car washes. I take my car to a local wand wash a few blocks from my house. I drive home quickly and dry it off with an air blaster (I highly recommend one of those). Then I use Meguiars quick wax or quick detailer. Every once in a while I wax it to restore the protection.

 

Having recently bought an XF, its day and night. Since the day I bought it in 2011 the XJ8 hasn't gone more than probably ten days at most between comments/compliments from complete and total strangers. The XF hasn't gotten a single notice in its first two months, not counting comments from friends and coworkers who noticed I'm driving something different. And they all follow up by asking me if I sold the XJ8. Wondering how old will the XF have to be before it's a "classic" or if it will ever be. Guess I'll keep hand washing it and waxing it regularly and check back in about 10 years.

 

Here's a photo taken of my XJ with my Pal's XF at the local Jag dealership. It was raining heavily, but because my friend and I wax our cars after each wash, the rain beads off straight away. But I like this photo because it shows how big the XF is compared to the X308. It's an inch shorter than the X308 but a lot taller, and people used to say the XJ was a big car. The new XJ dwarfs the X308, and it's certainly a lot longer in SWB format.



When I wash my car, I begin with a comprehensive rinse down of the bodywork with the hose on a powerful setting. I then fill two buckets with grit guards in them, one with Autoglym Body Shampoo mixed in and one with clear water. Then starting at the top of the car I begin washing using a pure lambswool wash mitt, rinsing it off in the clear water after every half a panel. After I've finished the last panel I rinse off with the hose on shower following where I went with the mitt. Whilst I let the heavy water run off I use Autoglym Custom Wheel Cleaner on the wheels and use an old mitt to wash them with before rinsing off again. I normally finish with Autoglym Aqua Wax which you spray onto the wet body and use a microfibre cloth to apply, this dries the car as you wax it. I'll use Autoglym Glass Polish on the windscreen, and every few months give the car a going over with Autoglym Super Resin Polish. Takes about an hour from start to finish, although it's longer with the Resin Polish.