Is outside paint so fragile ?

Hello all,

I was wondering concerning washing the car (outside). I read here and there that the painting is fragile and micro-scratches could appear after being washed in one of these automatic machine.

What do you think about that ?

Are you washing your car yourself with some special product and a piece of cloth ? Do you go to a wash auto machine ?

Any thoughts ?

Brice said:

Hello all,

I was wondering concerning washing the car (outside). I read here and there that the painting is fragile and micro-scratches could appear after being washed in one of these automatic machine.

What do you think about that ?

Are you washing your car yourself with some special product and a piece of cloth ? Do you go to a wash auto machine ?

Any thoughts ?

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I will say that the black plastic portions are incredibly easy to scratch, so I personally would ever put that part through a car wash that is touches. I think rest of the paint seems as durable as most cars. But then again I wouldn't put regular cars through a touch car wash either!

epirali said:

I will say that the black plastic portions are incredibly easy to scratch, so I personally would ever put that part through a car wash that is touches. I think rest of the paint seems as durable as most cars. But then again I wouldn't put regular cars through a touch car wash either!

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Yes, I'd second that. My last two pre-i3 vehicles were convertibles, so haven't used a car wash in years and never got back into the habit with the i3.

My black bonnet was slightly scratched after the windscreen had been replaced, but the BMW dealership repainted it for me. I have a small dent in one backdoor, where someone rammed their door into ours. Paintwork has not come off it though, so it's hardly noticeable. We also have a scuff mark at the door rim where it must have touched a wall or similar and the paint has clearly come off that one.

I also spoke to the sales manager at my local garage the other day, telling him that I like the Fluid Black, to which he replied, "Yes, looks great, but scratches very easily!".

Thanks a lot for your feedback guys ! Karcher it will be, at home.

There's an art to using a pressure washer on a car without damaging it...the sensors, lights, vents, paint, etc. don't like direct, high-pressure washing. Keep the wand a ways away, and you should be okay, but read the warnings in the user's manual first. The front storage space is not sealed well (also discussed in the manual), so be careful about that, too.

jadnashuanh said:

There's an art to using a pressure washer on a car without damaging it...the sensors, lights, vents, paint, etc. don't like direct, high-pressure washing. Keep the wand a ways away, and you should be okay, but read the warnings in the user's manual first. The front storage space is not sealed well (also discussed in the manual), so be careful about that, too.

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Indeed, thanks for the reminder. I know that the frunk is not waterproof but I'll have to force myself to think about it before and remove anything from that space. And I'll follow your advice for sensors, lights and vent.

I believe the manual says no auto car washes.

Thats said, the video for the upcoming 2017 i3 shows a family taking the car through an automatic car wash.