How *clean* is your car before a mechanic touches it

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chefwong

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Final -in service:warranty-maintence- visit.

Generally, when I bring the cars in for service, I aim to bring it in as immaculate as possible.
I do have the usual laminated placards and hang tags for the Do Not Wash in Bi-Lingual Language already...:rolleyes:

But the cars even cleaner than if it was under normal weekly washes.
Engine is given a full wash. Underside of the hood as well.
I broke out the swabs for even area's u can't even see and this is not part of my normal cleaning routine.
While the main goal is to present the vehicle in the up-most up-keep, more-often that not, I suppose the guy who's wrenching it, it's just another flat-rate ticket to knock out.

Anyone else follow the same regimen.
 
I always try to have the car clean when I bring it anywhere for anything, to give people the idea that someone cares about this car.

That being said, I do everything I can to NOT be in a situation where I have to worry about other people touching the car.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
That being said, I do everything I can to NOT be in a situation where I have to worry about other people touching the car.
Click to expand...

It's just a covered brake flush. I even considered rolling into the shop on snow tires (even at these current temps), to mitigate potential damage to the summer wheels. DIY fluid easily doable.....but cycling the ABS module is a specific service program....which I probably should cough up the bucks and just buy the Apple app that will do that.
 
Sometimes clean and sometimes not but my dealership has washed my car twice when told not too and paid me to fix the damage both times. They know me by face and make sure to stamp all over the work order to not wash and I hang a placard just to be safe.
 
I try to make both vehicles clean and tidy, the Nissan goes to the dealer for service, but still comes back with fingerprints in weird places, and water marks where they've tested the wipers and squirters, at least they don't try to clean it up themselves. The FJ goes to a 4WD place with a gravel car park, so it doesn't really matter, but still manages to come back cleaner than the Qashqai.

I guess we all get this feeling, but I don't strangers driving my vehicle, when I get in after a service, I have to fix the seat, adjust the mirror, plug the dashcam back in, basically check everything is as it should be. It just feels weird knowing a stranger has driven my car. I don't know how people on Turo just rent out their cars to strangers.
 
VW Amarok goes to the dealership so i make sure it's clean i have giving up on keeping that engine bay clean, for the first 4 years you could eat off it and they the mechanic said it's a nice change to work on a clean engine, even though they did leave oil spots behind.

My car i do a basic service myself, but anything more than that I go to a shop. I keep it clean as usual but like Dave i really don't like strangers
driving both cars.

They get in with their greasy work boots and hands plus that dirty seat protector that should be disposable.

Side note- I hang a (Do not wash or apply tyre shine sign)
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I always try to have the car clean when I bring it anywhere for anything, to give people the idea that someone cares about this car.

That being said, I do everything I can to NOT be in a situation where I have to worry about other people touching the car.
Click to expand...
This is me too!!!
 
My car gets dropped off fully detailed, inside & out and engine bay clean. Tire pressure at proper psi, windshield washer fluid full, etc. They pretty much know I detail cars without me having to tell them. Lol.
 
....It just goes to prove....a clean car upon arrival may not merit anything...

One Fender Flare got some nicks in the PPF. It will need a redo as it's too deep.
Front Bumper Assembly (expected fingerprints) and sure got it....but there is this weird clear oilish 'film .
I washed the bumper 2X. Once was the initial clean. Seeing how I missed some sports, I washed it again.

The following day, I can see the oily film on area's where I did not make a good scrubbing contact *recess on grills, recess on headlights*, etc.
Will need another wash...but I wonder what product the tech may have wiped down with on the bumper...as this film seems to be specifically wiped on. The bumper may have been removed and reinstalled. I just can't envision what product would have been wiped on the PPF'ed bumper or why prior to assembly.....ahem, it ain't bumper Lube
 
chefwong said:
....It just goes to prove....a clean car upon arrival may not merit anything...

One Fender Flare got some nicks in the PPF. It will need a redo as it's too deep.
Front Bumper Assembly (expected fingerprints) and sure got it....but there is this weird clear oilish 'film .
I washed the bumper 2X. Once was the initial clean. Seeing how I missed some sports, I washed it again.

The following day, I can see the oily film on area's where I did not make a good scrubbing contact *recess on grills, recess on headlights*, etc.
Will need another wash...but I wonder what product the tech may have wiped down with on the bumper...as this film seems to be specifically wiped on. The bumper may have been removed and reinstalled. I just can't envision what product would have been wiped on the PPF'ed bumper or why prior to assembly.....ahem, it ain't bumper Lube
Click to expand...
Might have spilled some blinker fluid during a refill? I hear that's stuff murder on PPF.
 
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