Hello,

I purchased my new 2022 Defender 4 weeks ago. Has anyone actually taken their Defender to automatic car wash? I was reading in manual this was not recommended.

Thanks!

 

It’s a really good way to put swirls in your paintwork.

 

Take it to a car wash — it will look better after. Asking about car washes in this forum is like talking politics …

 

I would think one without brushes would be ok, a touchless carwash. One with brushes will put marks on every panel of the truck. At the same time, the pressure from a carwash may knock off a panel, mess with something electrical or force water inside the cabin through some unforeseen panel gap somewhere. So, with that said, do it at your own risk knowing that something could happen.

 

Paint problems aside be cautious if you go to one that pulls it along a moving track. If you get out (and most prefer you do around here) it may put itself in park and the transmission could be damaged.

 

I do it this way

 

If you go to a drag-it-through style carwash you need to disable the auto-hold feature of the transmission. Otherwise when you put it into neutral the transmission will still hold. I believe the magic sequence is "Apply Brakes -> Pull Electronic Parking Brake lever to the release position" this will disable brake hold until the next engine restart.

 

Invest in a good pressure washer and bond with your Defender. I like my Ryobi (@$150) from Home Depot. I also like Turtle Wax' Spray On Ceramic Wax and Ceramic Wet Wax.

 

What this guy ^^ said. If you got $75,000 to spend on a suv, get some supplies and do it yourself. It's not like you are washing an RV.

 

Get yourself a foam cannon for that new pressure washer too


FWIW you can watch tons of youtube detailing videos on how to detail, products etc...