Taking My Bronco Through a Automatic Wash

[JP59]

I’m forced to use my local automatic car wash to care for my 2025 OBX. I have read that I am supposed to unscrew the antenna and fold in the mirrors. What is everyone else doing in this scenario?

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[BulldogHI]

I would also recommend pressing the Recirculation Button, it closes the outside air intake.

 

[Quashish]

i only use touchless to knock some of the dust off. so i don't worry about mirrors or antenna.

@BulldogHI why worry about closing outside air intake? I'm sure there's a drain hole somewhere in the passage before it goes into anything important. plus the soap usually smells pretty tasty.

 

[lil moe]

I’m forced to use my local automatic car wash to care for my 2025 OBX. I have read that I am supposed to unscrew the antenna and fold in the mirrors. What is everyone else doing in this scenario?

I have stubby for my antenna

 

[RSH]

I've gone through automatic car washes with my Badlands and didn't remove the antenna or fold the mirrors in, have not had any issue's. I would be careful about how often you do it, so the clear coat doesn't end up getting damaged.

 

[DWG]

The dealer removes the antenna every time they take the car through their car wash. Not a fan of the whip antenna if I have to remove it every time I want to go through a car wash. Is reception actually better with the whip antenna or was this a cost cutting thing?

 

[Rockboz]

We do not remove the antenna, or fold in the mirrors on ours, it gets done about every 6 weeks.

My 12 year old MINI has a stubby and has never seen a drive threw car wash, hand wash only

 

[Ernest T]

Be careful. I used to take our Jeep Cherokee through the automatic car wash, but after about 5 years I started to see swirl marks in the paint so I stopped. A light buffing removed them and now at 11 years old the paint and plastic look new. It’s been parked indoors its whole life so the UV damage has been kept to a minimum.

 

[krcfldca]

My last car I had for 18 years, Toyota Scion XB. It had the same type of mirrors and the exact same antenna. When I first got it (2007) I lived in a bigger city in apartments and had only car washes to use. They (dealer and car wash) recommended I fold the antenna down. At the time it was a new type of antenna and so they probably had no real idea how it would do through a car wash. Over time (maybe a few years), I stopped and in all those 18 years I rarely had it affected: sometimes it would move a little.
I worry more now about micro scratches that I have heard happens here locally so I plan to hand wash.

 

[Monkey]

We run our '21 Badlands through automatic car washes all the time. Always touchless/brushless so don't bother with folding mirrors or worrying about antenna. Besides, if you fold the mirrors, they don't get cleaned...

I refuse to use automatic washes with brushes. Ended up with scratches one time because someone must have gone through with a lot of mud and crap on their vehicle that got caught in the brushes. Nope, not risking it.

 

[Bill G]

Run through the carwash every few weeks (parked outside all the time). They fold the mirrors and tape down the rear wiper. I have the stubby antenna (2” I think), so there’s pretty much no way for the “wiggly strips” to catch on it and do damage (also keeps it below the cross bars if I need to carry something). Cross bars have never gotten caught, but did get cock-eyed once as they’d come loose. I straightened/tightened and have had no further issues.

 

[TheX]

I use a hose and a bucket, but I also take mine off-road...like real off-road so touchless makes me laugh.

 

[Mrmike]

I have a stubby antenna on both of my cars. As far as the mirrors my OBX has been fine. However on my wife's Ecosport the high power dryers have blown out the mirror glass twice. I solved that problem by cutting the legs out of a pair of pantyhose. They stretch and form a tight fit over the mirror that prevent the mirrors from blowing out. Easy on and off!


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