LW4000 for free. Should I go for it?

[HCW]

My dearest brother purchased an old gas station that he is converting to an auto shop. It has an older LW4000(see pics) that I can have for free. Unknown working condition but everything is there or at least it appears that way. We currently have an oasis monsoon that is still in working condition. I contacted a PDQ dealer in town to get an estimate on getting this LW4000 in shape, adding triple foam, the virtual treadle and removing the monsoon/installing the LW4000. There is a gas station less than a quarter mile away from our wash that operates a LW4000 but the majority of the time it's out of service. Very few complains from our customers on the monsoon performance but it's probably typical. With the info provided, what would you gentlemen suggest? Also any idea how much a project like this roughly cost?

 

[HCW]

More pictures. It only allows 3 pictures per post

 

[whitescout]

Before spending all of the money on vitual treadle, I would convert it to a Washworld. You would have the same benefits of virtual treadle, and would gain virtual attendant, remote access, and easier interface with the machine.

 

[PEI]

How old is your Monsoon? From the pump station this LW4000 is originally from the 1990's. The bay signs and the Rain-X decal are both a more modern upgrade.

A couple of things to check would be to open the door to the control cabinet (known as the J0) and look at the computer mounted to the door. If it is an A-4000 controller you will need to upgrade that. If it is an A-5000 controller then pull the cover off and look for a chip along the bottom left with the software version number. An A-5000 equipped with version 20 or higher, will have the laser minder programming installed and will not require a PDQ distributor to unlock the system option number. It will also already have the programming for Triple Foam. You may have to change the plumbing number to see it.

Just my 2 cents, but unless your Monsoon is older than the LW4000, I would not look to replace it. Have you considered selling it or parting it out?

 

[robert roman]

Equipment replacement decision is usually based on degree of functional and technical obsolescence.

“We…have an oasis monsoon that is still in working condition…..very few complaints from our customers on….performance….”

So, existing machine is not functionally obsolete because it can still do the job but it is technically obsolete simply because of the fact that it is old technology that has been eclipsed.

Plan is to replace it with a machine that is also technically obsolete (very old, $ for tri-foam, $ virtual treadle, $ install) and its functionality is unknown ($ working order).

Investment decision is usually based on risk reward. What’s the risk?

Let’s assume total improvements are $20,000. What reward do you expect from the change?

Will replacement allow you to wash more or less cars per hour, how much? Will it allow you to generate higher average per car revenue, how much? Will it clean, shine, dry and protect vehicles any better or less, how much? Will it cost less or more to operate, how much? Will it improve or decrease the market value of the business, how much?

Making it easy, assume no change in operating expense, no change in quality (no loss of customers either), no change in hourly capacity (which is generally true) and add tri-foam increases average sales by $0.50.

If you wash 12,000 CPY X $0.50 = $6,000 sales - $3,000 (COG) = $3,000 NOI

Risk reward = $3,000 / $20,000

Risk reward = 0.15:1

I wouldn’t consider upsetting the apple cart unless risk reward was 1:1 or greater.

Mostly likely there is more to gain by trying to modernize the existing machine with progressive marketing program.

Spend less, make more money.

 

[BBE]

Seems like a lateral move to me. I wouldn't think it would probably be worth the hassle.

 

[tdlconceptsllc]

hey have you thought of just leasing the automatic and get it running where it sits looks like it's never washed a lot of cars looks like it just needs to be running where it sits. Is it in a good location I would get a local welder to make a better treadle plate and put small clean looking guide rails in and price all Laserwashes at $5 and wash 1,500+ cars a month and get paid. I know someone that does this about 50miles from me that kills it and it's a way more ragged machine than yours. Do color polish/tri color foam through the arch and get paid man if it's in a good location. Just something to think about.

 

[HCW]

Before spending all of the money on vitual treadle, I would convert it to a Washworld. You would have the same benefits of virtual treadle, and would gain virtual attendant, remote access, and easier interface with the machine.

I'll check with WW dealer in town to see how much$

 

[HCW]

Seems like a lateral move to me. I wouldn't think it would probably be worth the hassle.

Last year we ran 8201 cars in the monsoon, we were hoping to increase traffic with the inverted L machine(we noticed some people back out when they see it is an old school IBA).

 

[HCW]

How old is your Monsoon? From the pump station this LW4000 is originally from the 1990's. The bay signs and the Rain-X decal are both a more modern upgrade.

A couple of things to check would be to open the door to the control cabinet (known as the J0) and look at the computer mounted to the door. If it is an A-4000 controller you will need to upgrade that. If it is an A-5000 controller then pull the cover off and look for a chip along the bottom left with the software version number. An A-5000 equipped with version 20 or higher, will have the laser minder programming installed and will not require a PDQ distributor to unlock the system option number. It will also already have the programming for Triple Foam. You may have to change the plumbing number to see it.

Just my 2 cents, but unless your Monsoon is older than the LW4000, I would not look to replace it. Have you considered selling it or parting it out?

Monsoon is a2001 model. Can these pics tell what controller is on the LW4000?

 

[tdlconceptsllc]

I'll check with WW dealer in town to see how much$

WashWorld no longer sells that kit I beleive where they did 5 or 10 years ago I tryed to get it for mine and they didn't offer it it wash virtual attendant the JO cabinet everything off a high velocity. They are pushing selling machines now instead of a upgrade kit for a PDQ product. My freind on this form just went through the same thing a year ago. He bought another laser with virtual treadle for 3-4K and made one good machine. Because all you need is another JO cabinet and the upgraded eyes and sonars pretty much. Cost him around 45K and I did the same thing new paystation total facelift ECP paneling ect ect about 85K two years ago. It was not the easiest process. Looking back on it now I would just buy a WW razor or a used WW high velocity for 35K and pay someone to put it in and be done. You going to have a lot of money in it either way. That's why I would try to do something where it sits now it looks like its never been hurt if it's in a good location. I mean what do you have to loose parts & Time I am sure the brother in-law would work with you on the lease untill you got it figured out.

 

[HCW]

hey have you thought of just leasing the automatic and get it running where it sits looks like it's never washed a lot of cars looks like it just needs to be running where it sits. Is it in a good location I would get a local welder to make a better treadle plate and put small clean looking guide rails in and price all Laserwashes at $5 and wash 1,500+ cars a month and get paid. I know someone that does this about 50miles from me that kills it and it's a way more ragged machine than yours. Do color polish/tri color foam through the arch and get paid man if it's in a good location. Just something to think about.

Good idea but he needs this bay for a quick lube so the IBA must go.

 

[tdlconceptsllc]

1998 model. Is also how old the laserwash is. PM me if you want to sell any parts covers spray ach anything of that nature I would be interested in thanks man.

 

[PEI]

Monsoon is a2001 model. Can these pics tell what controller is on the LW4000?

The sticker on the door tells you that the machine was originally installed in February 1998, the system option number is a locked one which makes sense (in 1998 PDQ hadn't unlocked the controller), the plumbing option # tells you that the machine originally was set up with 3 low pressure soap/wax passes. This plumbing option # means that with the right chip in the controller and plumbing for the triple foam pods your pump station already has everything it needs. The controller will be a black or silver box mounted to the back of the door. It should be beside the sticker in the picture.

 

[HCW]

The sticker on the door tells you that the machine was originally installed in February 1998, the system option number is a locked one which makes sense (in 1998 PDQ hadn't unlocked the controller), the plumbing option # tells you that the machine originally was set up with 3 low pressure soap/wax passes. This plumbing option # means that with the right chip in the controller and plumbing for the triple foam pods your pump station already has everything it needs. The controller will be a black or silver box mounted to the back of the door. It should be beside the sticker in the picture.

Is that it?

 

[whitescout]

There is an operator in St. joe that just did 2 washworld conversions last year. I believe that they are still available, perhaps your distributor wanted to only sell new machines.

 

[whitescout]

It appears from the picture, that it is an a5000 controller. If you can power up the unit, and print off a configuration report, it will tell you the version number that is on the eeprom chip. As long as it is NOT 18 or 19, you will be able to change the hardware options, without the assistance of PDQ.

 

[soapy]

I recently sold on wash location that had 2 ryko OHD 2001 with all the options like trifoam, rocker panel blasters, tire clean, 3 fan dryer, rain x, wax digital sign. stop go light etc. I offered 1 for free to another forum member and this is the break out of what it would have cost to remove and reinstall according to the Ryko distributor. They figured $6500 to remove in such a matter that it could easily be reinstalled and $10K to install it at the new site. You would still have to have some electrical work done and incidentals like fork lifts, tranportaion etc. I figure it would have run around 25K total to do this project. In the end it was not feasible for the member to move the unit. I ended up stripping both units of parts that i can use on my other OHDs and probably got 10K in parts off each machine that i can use in the future.

 

[HCW]

There is an operator in St. joe that just did 2 washworld conversions last year. I believe that they are still available, perhaps your distributor wanted to only sell new machines.

FYI I haven't met with any dealer yet and haven't gotten any quotes either. I am meeting with PDQ distributor on Tuesday at the LW4000 site to see if it's a decent IBA, also I contacted a WW distributor and he is suppose to take measurements and put a quote together. If you can share the St.Joe contact here or by PM I'll appreciate it.

 

[PEI]

WhiteScout is right, you have an A-5000.

Try powering it up and printing the Configuration and Hardware Reports. To print the Configuration Report type in 80 Enter(#) on the keypad on the front of the door. Then press Enter(#) 8 times. The screen should read Print Configuration Report. Press the 1 key and then Enter(#). The Configuration Report should print. To print the Hardware Report type 1905 Enter(#) on the keypad on the front of the door. Then press Enter(#) 7 times. The screen should be asking if you want to print the Hardware Report. Press the 1 key and then Enter(#). The Hardware Report should print. If the Owner's Password has been changed from the default then this will not work.

If you can not power up the unit, then remove the four nuts holding the cover on the A-5000 and pull the cover off. In the lower left hand corner of the motherboard should be a chip with a version number sticker on it. That is the software version number.