Car Washing during winter

I just bought a black 2000 C4 with 18" sport design rims. The car is going to be my daily drive, even in winter. I plan on buying some used 17" rims and putting winter tires on. I've searched the archives about winter tires and car washes and I'm now quite concerned. Is everyone exaggerating when they say car washes will tear up rims. Even 17's? Is the car wash that moves while the car remains stationary any better? Will brushless car washes scratch the paint? Is there any good alternative other than parking it in the garage for 4 months? Questions, questions, questions! I feel like that little kid that keeps asking "why?". Thanks for the help.

For carwash questions try autopia.com and go to autopia university forum. Great board for car lovers. Do becareful, they will turn you into one of THEM in no time. Now I will NEVER take my baby to carwash, now I spend countless hours trying to get out scraches that you can't even see other then in direct sunlight. and I spend hundreds of dollars buying the right towels, right wax... Peter Liao

Porsche problems with automatic car wash are twofold. First, the wheel edges are flush or stick out of the tire. When the car goes down those "tracks" at the wash, those metal bars will scrape the wheel edges. Other cars tires stick out more and are taller therefore protecting the rims. The front and rear have diff track widths, particularly on the C4S and turbo. If you fit one front and one rear on the track at the wash, the car will be partially sideways and crab down the line. I'm not so sure those big fat rear tires willl fit into the tracks anyway. I garage the car for the winter. But, on those days when I am too lazy or pressed for time, I take the car to a "touchless" car wash. In the one I go to, as in most of these types of car wash, the car sits in the middle of a service bay, and a hanging series of showerheads go around the car. It is these series of shower heads that go on a track, not the car. And there are no dirty brushes or cloth drapes or what have you scraping the car. Nothing beats an owners hand wash and detailing, but these car washes get most of the grime and, more importantly in your case, salt off the car. BTW, "brushless" can mean they don't use brushes but use discarded carpets instead on those rollers . OTOH, I think a Porsche deserves a heated garage with hot and cold running water .

as far as a car wash, take your car to a free standing hand car wash. the c4 does fine with winter tires in the snow, as long as it isn't deep.

I plan to drive the C4S this winter. As I've done in the past, I'll just have the car hand washed at an indoor detail shop once every couple weeks and waxed every 1-2 months. In the meantime, a good coat of wax + a coin-op car wash + a day over 32 degrees goes a long way. It is going to hurt to see the car all dirty, but I didn't buy it so I could drive a Jeep for six months I actually road tested my car last winter in the snow on the P-Zeros (by accident!) and it performed very well, except for stopping. I have no reason to believe that a C4 with proper tires will do just as well as any other AWD car.

I simply wouldn't trust a car wash that isn't controlled by me! The ones you pull in, get out, and wash with the jet and wand will work just fine throughout the winter...especially getting a jetstream of soapy water under the wheel wells, etc. But don't take it to any automatic place. I would second that a good set of winter tires will do wonders for the cars traction. But you've already got a great base with the C4. I'm very jealous!

Thanks Doug. I've always dreamed of owning a 911. It's truly an amazing machine.

You will not want to spend that much money on a car and run it through a mechanical car wash...............at least I cannot imagine it. The first time one of thost things hurts your car you will swear off them forever.......There are lots of reasons for avoiding these things......I wouldn't let a 12 year old wash either of my cars, for similar reasons.........

I drive my tt thru the winter but only go to a hand wash place when the temp is above freezing, since I fear icing the locks. It looks dirty for a while, but always drives great, and there's the extra thrill of seeing it revitalized by the wash. I drove an 80SC Targa thru Chicago-area winters for 60,000 miles, and a 91C4 for 100,000. Both cars are now owned by friends, and neither shows any adverse effects of the usage. ( and the guys who bought them are still friends) The tires help ( I used Dunlop M/S on the C4 year-round) but aren't essential, contrary to the assertions of most. AS

alexander, i can tell you, from owning 3 different awd porsches, that putting winter tires on will increase driveability markedly.

What do you guys suggest as far as a good all season tire and will it cut the mustard as far as winter handling? Dazed and confused and waiting for my C4S cab.