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Full Service Car Wash Won't Wash Cybertruck

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I see very nice cars go through the car wash I use all the time. They only use floppy ‘brushes’ and the pressure washers Tesla uses (seen countless times in use on Cybertruck’s at GigaTexas) are probably more abrasive than anything we or any car wash would use.

This isn’t your refrigerator stainless we are talking about, and if you don’t know that then you should go do a lot of due diligence. Tesla said that if someone would try keying a Cybertruck it would damage the key and not the truck.

I am struggling to agree with anything you wrote.
By all means, try to key your cybertruck and see if it scratches. The truck is very hard to damage, cosmetic scratches are not considered damaged.

Take 2 seconds to look at people's cleaning videos before you do though cause even things like road debris, sand, tree droppings etc can and will scratch your steel if rubbed against it. There's a YouTube video of a cybertruck content creator who scratched his hood by trying to clean it improperly.
If you see someone taking a nice car into a car wash, it's because they fall into one of the categories I mentioned before, ignorant or careless.
Everything I said was factual and not an opinion so if you don't agree, you just need to learn more about automotive detailing and cleaning. The "floppy" pieces of cloth you're referring to hold all sorts of sand and debris in them and are eternally more damaging than a pressure washer.
I've been cleaning Porches, Ferraris and Lamborghinis for 19 years and I've had to personally buff out the clear coat damage done to Ferraris and Lamborghinis due to being washed in a car wash or with dirty wash mits.
Tesla engineers also agree with me, that's why they say to go through a touchless car wash and not a normal automatic.
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DWdrum

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I think this is because the washer brushes get caught in the CT and rip off. If you're in Roseville area, we take ours to 5 Star off of Stanford Ranch. $35.00 All hand wash
 

krsherri

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I’m hand washing mine now after getting it wrapped but had a fine experience at Walnut Creek car wash on north main across from BevMo after I took deliver. High end place that has the soap and water sprayers in the drivethru but touch less. Essentially a hand wash. Little far from you but those guys do a great job.
Thank you for mentioning the place in Walnut Creek. I was looking for a car wash. I tried one before in concord but they did a horrible job. I was doing it by myself but then got so much busy. It’s hard to do now. So was looking for one. I am right now at Walnut Creek car wash. Let’s see how it does it 🙂
 

BabOne

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At first I was very concerned about going through an automatic car wash, but after trying it a few times I have not had a problem. Works great for me! I go all the time now and have not had any problems, in fact I went this morning and for the first time did not wipe the truck down after the wash. Drove about 1.5 miles to the office, parked and looked around the truck and saw very little spotting. I am going to Mister Car Wash, but I assume they are all similar.
 

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Is anyone else having trouble finding a full-service car wash to clean the Cybertruck?

Autopia Car Wash in Livermore, CA refused to wash the Cybertruck. The manager didn't know why and said I should email the owner (via the website). I did, and got a quick reply.

"Thanks for your inquiry. We have washed a couple and had issues. Water leaks as well as fine abrasions on the finish of the truck. Also, Tesla recommends not to use an automatic car wash for the cyber truck as stated in the owners manual. Sorry for any inconvenience this causes you. Please see attached screenshot."

I read the owner's manual again, and it does say "Tesla does not recommend taking Cybertruck through an automatic car wash." But then 3 sections below it talks about Car Wash Mode. Then it continues on to recommend only using a touchless car wash.

I checked what the owners manual for the S, 3, and Y said about automatic car washes. All Tesla vehicles have cautions against automatic car washes and recommend touchless: "If washing in an automatic car wash, use touchless car washes only. These car washes have no parts (brushes, etc.) that touch the surfaces of Model S. Some touchless car washes use caustic solutions that, over time, can cause discoloration of decorative exterior trim. Avoid exposure to soaps and chemicals above pH 13. If unsure, check the product label or ask the staff at the car wash. Damage caused by improper washing is not covered by the warranty." I pointed out to Autopia that they wash all other Tesla models even though a similar warning exists.

My wife's Yukon doesn't have the same caution, nor does a Mercedes C class.

Why is the Cybertruck HFS more delicate than paint? It may not be, but the warnings in the owners manual certainly indicate that this is Tesla's position.

Tesla advertised that the Cybertruck is "Durable and Rugged Enough To Go Anywhere" -- but apparently it's too delicate for an automatic car wash?

Has anyone else been able to overcome similar pushback? I'm too old to wash the truck myself.

Car Wash.png
I went through a touch less wash at Chevron on Bernal off 680. No issues.
 


MCraft99

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I use a popular drive through brushed car wash chain where you can vacuum yourself afterwards. Never had a problem with them. They sometimes mention they have to warn us about the lightbar which nobody thinks is factory.

Sometimes I find little pieces of the brushes that got caught up in the trim. I'm not wrapped and it's used as a truck. The manual is probably warning against the brushes making micro scratches and swirl marks. I have claw marks and horn scratches already from the farm animals and pets though.
 

The Tumbler

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Thank you for mentioning the place in Walnut Creek. I was looking for a car wash. I tried one before in concord but they did a horrible job. I was doing it by myself but then got so much busy. It’s hard to do now. So was looking for one. I am right now at Walnut Creek car wash. Let’s see how it does it 🙂
Not cheap but they do a good job. No brushes all hand love.
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