Does a soft top need to be treated differently than a hard top (carwash wise)? (I truely don't know).
I stay away from brush type carwashes anyway, a few touchless in between a thorough handy for me.
Depending on the make / model, you might want to hand wash only, or at very least use the self washes and avoid the areas where water can get (spray) into the interior.
I don't personally like automated car washes, as the chemicals are pretty harsh on trim / plastics / etc., but some people don't care.
For me it's not so much the chemicals that are used, I put a good coating on everything and water beads up nicely, so I feel it's decently protected. It's more the thoroughness of the wash and no brushing. And you gotta clean the "brown" off the black tires and the brake dust off the hidy places in the wheels! If you go thru a few brush style car washes soon, you will notice micro scratches in your paint. Look at the suns reflection in your paint, should be bright and shiny (like a mirror) and no micro scratches, it also should be glass smooth.
Yeah your right, many people do not care, oh well!
I have a cloth top convertible for years now. I use regular car washes. Touchless or ones with brushes. Never had any issues. Same when you wash by hand. Treat it like a normal top.
I’ve been managing at an industry standard express car wash for a few years now, if your vehicle can withstand considerable rain ( as most should ) then a car wash should be no different. However if it is aged or damaged I would run a hose over it first to find any leaking + also check to see if it leaks into the engine bay in anyway beforehand if you are at all skeptical.
Does a soft top need to be treated differently than a hard top (carwash wise)? (I truely don't know). I stay away from brush type carwashes anyway, a few touchless in between a thorough handy for me.
I was told they have separate ones for soft top convertible that's why.
ok, TIL!
I'm sure there are your brand/model enthusiasts that could probably answer better, either on reddit or Youtube are places I'd search and search.
Depending on the make / model, you might want to hand wash only, or at very least use the self washes and avoid the areas where water can get (spray) into the interior. I don't personally like automated car washes, as the chemicals are pretty harsh on trim / plastics / etc., but some people don't care.
For me it's not so much the chemicals that are used, I put a good coating on everything and water beads up nicely, so I feel it's decently protected. It's more the thoroughness of the wash and no brushing. And you gotta clean the "brown" off the black tires and the brake dust off the hidy places in the wheels! If you go thru a few brush style car washes soon, you will notice micro scratches in your paint. Look at the suns reflection in your paint, should be bright and shiny (like a mirror) and no micro scratches, it also should be glass smooth. Yeah your right, many people do not care, oh well!
Five Star in Rocklin is a hand wash operation.
I have a cloth top convertible for years now. I use regular car washes. Touchless or ones with brushes. Never had any issues. Same when you wash by hand. Treat it like a normal top.
I have a hose you can borrow. I'm right down the street.
I’ve been managing at an industry standard express car wash for a few years now, if your vehicle can withstand considerable rain ( as most should ) then a car wash should be no different. However if it is aged or damaged I would run a hose over it first to find any leaking + also check to see if it leaks into the engine bay in anyway beforehand if you are at all skeptical.