Autec thoughts...?

[soonermajic]

anyone have Autec friction IBA thoughts?

 

[Kramerwv]

There’s one down the road from me and I’ve heard a lot of complaints about paint scratches on dark cars. Does not look busy on most days, but is part of a full serve tunnel on same property

 

[OurTown]

There’s one down the road from me and I’ve heard a lot of complaints about paint scratches on dark cars. Does not look busy on most days, but is part of a full serve tunnel on same property

Have you seen the scratches? Are they on the roof and hood as those machines have mitters instead of a top brush. One concern with mitters at an unattended wash is that they could pick something up in a truck bed like a lure on a fishing pole and cause damage to X number of cars afterward until you catch it. (or a customer calls you) Something I have noticed is that with us a having a touchless auto we get to hear all the damage claims from customers of the other friction washes around us. It is the downside to friction.

 

[DiamondWash]

The dealership that services my Jeep has a Broadway system which is identical to an Autec I always tell them "DO NOT" run my vehicle through that wash it beats the hell out of the vehicles.

 

[Kramerwv]

We hear it from customers as we run touchless. I have not seen them in person but they have mentioned top of suv in particular.

 

[OurTown]

The dealership that services my Jeep has a Broadway system which is identical to an Autec I always tell the "DO NOT" run my vehicle through that wash it beats the hell out of the vehicles.

Autec makes Broadway or are you saying they look the same because they use mitters? Is it the mitters that are beating cars?

 

[mac]

I dislike Autec because it uses hydraulics. No, I repeat no, hydraulic system has been built that will not leak at some time. And does anyone here really think a mitter will take bugs off a windshield?

 

[DiamondWash]

I dislike Autec because it uses hydraulics. No, I repeat no, hydraulic system has been built that will not leak at some time. And does anyone here really think a mitter will take bugs off a windshield?

That's where Autec hopes you spend more money and buy the combination unit to attack bugs and other areas the mitter won't clean.

 

[OurTown]

I dislike Autec because it uses hydraulics. No, I repeat no, hydraulic system has been built that will not leak at some time. And does anyone here really think a mitter will take bugs off a windshield?

I guess that's why they use water based fluid. The many times we have used an Autec they seemed to get the bugs off but we don't have those big juicy bugs you guys have down there.

 

[OurTown]

That's where Autec hopes you spend more money and buy the combination unit to attack bugs and other areas the mitter won't clean.

Actually what they want you to buy is the "bug buster" option but I can't remember if it hits the windshield or not. Maybe the high pressure would help get them off but the ones that are near us are the 425 models that are friction only but still seem to do a good job. A top brush would be better though.

 

[washnshine]

I agree that a mitter alone won’t get the bugs off a windshield, but in all fairness an inverted L touchless machine, without any extra bug pass or chemical is abysmal in that category also.

Best case scenario for cleaning windshield bugs without manual prep is a top brush and some high pH bug prep chemical before the wash. I would think that mitters assisted by a chemical bug prep would still be a step up from touchless.

 

[Greg Pack]

The appearance of the unit to me looks dated. That, in addition to no top brush makes the machine a non-starter at my non-attended sites. Having said that, they have done some interesting things to speed up throughput and if you are willing to commit to labor to bug prep the unit might have some real potential to move some cars through in their in bay express model.

 

[mac]

I operate an Istobal that actually cleans the bugs off the windshield and front. This time of the year we get a lot of winter residents who drove 1,000 miles down here, or who left their car parked outside for 6 months. And it cleans them.

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

Flex 3,5?

 

[mac]

Three brush. The five brush cleans the same,only faster.

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

if I replace my Radius and SoftGLoss it would be with a Petit 36o and Flex5

 

[mac]

I've always found sales intriguing. People hate to be "sold" things, but when they decide to buy something, it becomes fun.

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

I'm not the typical consumer.

 

[mac]

Still fun to buy new stuff when you can.

 

[Metro DSM Car Washes]

Went through an Autec today. Scratched the car a bit. I have hated Autec for a long time because of their stupid hydraulic pump noise and the soft cloth they use on their older models. Don't recommend.