sungsg4 Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 I'm sure people on the board take their LGT to automatic car wash, especially during the winter months to spray off the salt. I tried couple of nicer "Touchless" carwashes around town, but they usually have trouble removing some dirt spots from the door & quarter panels. I used to take my truck to those Softtouch places - where they lock one of the wheels on the conveyor belt (usually the front left), while the other 3 wheels are free to spin, and kinda drag/pull your car along the line in neutral while it's being washed - my question is would that screw up your differentials? Wouldn't that tear up the gears? Heck, I've seen places that even lock one side of the wheels completely!!! My local Suby dealer suggested some "elbow grease"... p.s. - My LGT is an Auto p.s.s. - Any good recommendations for a good car wash near Newport News, VA?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawdaddy79 Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 If it's in neutral you have nothing to worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sungsg4 Posted February 23, 2007 Author Share Posted February 23, 2007 If it's in neutral you have nothing to worry about. but it's that like towing a AWD car by its front set of wheels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerboa113 Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 I've never been inside a legacy diff. but I dont see where it would be any different from a standard diff, the whole ring/pinion deals. I would think if its not bad for them, its not bad for our cars.. it is in neutral afterall, the diffs should be free to spin as they wish. generally the conveyer system (at least it appears to) work by having rollers in front of and behind the front wheel/wheels as they move along the tire rolls on it, so it shouldn't be much different than slowly coasting down a hill.. but I'll wait patiently for an Xperts opinion before I go to another one now one thing I bet its bad for is your painted rims.. they use some pretty rough looking brissles on their tire cleaners.. "The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." - Plato Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gitster Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 When towing by the front wheels, only the rears turn, and it ruins the front Diff. If all 4 wheels are allowed to spin, I.E. carwash, Youre Fine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawdaddy79 Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 When towing by the front wheels, only the rears turn, and it ruins the front Diff. If all 4 wheels are allowed to spin, I.E. carwash, Youre Fine! I find it hard to believe that there's no safeguard in place for towing a Subaru by its front wheels. Can someone else chime in on this (maybe even with a real story)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gitster Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Are you kidding me??? You can only tow a full time AWD vehicle on a flat bed. A regular tow truck the props the front wheels up and tows with the rears on the ground will ruin a Subaru. How can own a Legacy and not know that??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meier motor sports Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 i thought we where talking about a car wash and not a towing company? car wash ok for tranny, auto or manual. just make sure its in neutral car wash not ok for paint but its your paint not mine so knock yourself out. towing subaru. read the manual. flat bed or wheel lift with wheel dollies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gitster Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 i thought we where talking about a car wash and not a towing company? Same concept, all 4 wheels freely turning at the same time = ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bdubs Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 I don't care how crappy the touchless carwash does, it sure beats having those cloths touch my car. Who knows whats on them from all the other cars that have gone through there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawdaddy79 Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Sorry, but around here cars get towed all the time - front wheels off the ground. It's a little much to ask the tow truck drivers to know whether or not the car is AWD and to treat it as such so it only makes sense that the transmission/differential would take this into account at least when in neutral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meier motor sports Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 neutral seperates the enigne from the trans. not the front wheels to the rear wheels. if your turn have the wheels and not the other have your will cause major problems after a short while. it should be your responsibility to know if the tow truck driver is doing serious damage to your car or not. driver be wear. or rather "imnotdrivinganymoreer be wear" lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gitster Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Do you leave your car in neutral when you park it. I leave my 5MT in first with the ebrake on. I would like to think im not alone on this. If I am illegally parked and I get towed you better believe somethings getting ruined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meier motor sports Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 iv heard of a guy whinching a car up onto the flat bed and the car was in gear. it turned the engine enough to start the car and it drove up the bed into the light bar rack (headach rack). whops! a good tow driver will have ample lube to make your tires slip if need be. and with the winches he can easily drap your car up his bed even with all 4 wheels locked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VXCL Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Do you leave your car in neutral when you park it. I leave my 5MT in first with the ebrake on. I would like to think im not alone on this. If I am illegally parked and I get towed you better believe somethings getting ruined. same here. 1st or R if its down hill MAYHEM #122/22 STS NNJR SCCA AUTOX4U.COM XENON RETRO GUIDE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meier motor sports Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 and damn it this is a car wash thread!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gitster Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 My question is would that screw up your differentials? Wouldn't that tear up the gears? Heck, I've seen places that even lock one side of the wheels completely!!! ^^^^^^Original Post, All relevant, no? And according to some responses *Ahemm* this is Wonderful information for some..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawdaddy79 Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Do you leave your car in neutral when you park it. I leave my 5MT in first with the ebrake on. I would like to think im not alone on this. If I am illegally parked and I get towed you better believe somethings getting ruined. FYI towing companies are very versed in the way of breaking into cars. Example: 6 years ago I locked my keys in my Prelude. Called a locksmith. He spent 45 minutes trying to unlock it and couldn't do it. When my home office opened I got the spare key to my place, that held the spare key to my car and that's how I got in. Fast forward 3 years. I'm at crappy apartments outside of DC. I change my license plate from North Carolina to Virginia and I don't update my parking sticker. I hear my alarm go off at ~2 in the morning and I see my door open with a guy releasing my parking break (I always back in) - the front wheels are already up. He closes the door and drives off really fast (probably used to people hearing their alarms and running out). There was no damage to my Prelude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gitster Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Im referring to damage from 4 wheels not spinning at a free rate. Doesnt matter if they can get into my car or not. They cant disable my Diffs that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawdaddy79 Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 So we have to rely on tow truck drivers to know which cars are AWD and which are not (and even if they do know, they have to care... and I assure you the a-holes around here do not care), otherwise they will destroy it and we will be liable for it. Great system. I hope my Legacy doesn't get towed like my Prelude has several times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gitster Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 I dunno if its giving them ALOT of credit or not, And I dont know how you can prove if you were illegally parked or not, But I would think most tow truck drivers would associate Subaru with AWD with flat bed. Pickup trucks, or SUVs with 4WD wouldnt be parked with their hubs locked so they wouldnt have to worry about that. Theres alot more AWD cars, hybrid SUVs out there now so they have to be aware of it. If you are parked illegally chances are you void the right of damage to your car. But my thought is to avoid a law suit most companies would not tow you if they didnt have access to a flatbed, If there any question .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sungsg4 Posted February 23, 2007 Author Share Posted February 23, 2007 so seems like if I were to leave in it neutral - my wheels SHOULD spin freely, and would cause no damage to my diff and/or gears??? Come to think of it - those cloth does carry alot of "foreign substances" from other cars ahead of me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gitster Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Ive been through 1 "autowash" with my car. No damage, just pop it in neutral. ACTUALLY now that I remember, they took ym car through it, so they must have put it in neutral. I wasnt even thinking about it. Salt does alot more damage when you leave it on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
700watts Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Sorry, but around here cars get towed all the time - front wheels off the ground. It's a little much to ask the tow truck drivers to know whether or not the car is AWD and to treat it as such so it only makes sense that the transmission/differential would take this into account at least when in neutral. DUDE.....Towing your subie with two on the ground well trash your diff in VA too……. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iyalla Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 A suby towed with two wheels in the air - BAD A suby towed with all wheels in the air - GOOD A suby towed with all wheels on the ground in NEUTRAL - GOOD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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