auxilary Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 at least, I'm pretty sure it's the carwash. yesterday I walk out to my car (mazda3) and see something's odd. I see a small dent in the lower rocker panel, or, the area just above it on the passenger front door. No creases, no sign of damage, no paint scratches. It's below the protective strip, which has no marks on it at all. I'm puzzled, so I take a step back, and see that the entire protective strip on the door is bowed in. I know the car has thin metal, but come on! the whole door? It's not easy to see unless you look at an angle, but the entire door looks slightly pushed in. Again, no scuffs, scratches or anything. Only thing I can think of is that before I went to MSA I ran the car through an auto wash (that I've been going to once in a while, and yes, spare me the 'wash your car yourself' speeches, it's a daily driver), and the force of the roller pushed it in. I probably still have the receipt for it.... but what are my chances of actually proving this and getting it fixed? There's no other explanation for this except a gentle slow push. No marks, no scuffs, no scratches, gashes, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jknc90 Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I had a somewhat similar problem. I took my car (maxima) to the car wash I always use, pull up to the vacuums afterwards and notice a slice in the sidwall of my tire. Its not all the way through and the tire's still holding air but its pretty deep. I assume it was the rail type thing that the driver's side tires go through. I went over to one of the operators and told him, showed him my tire. And he said there was no way that could happen. I think he's just saying that to get out of buying me a tire. But before I can even say anything he says he'll show me. He goes over to the entrance and hits the emergency shut-off button and walked me through the entire car wash showing me the rail the whole way. And he was right, there's a protective strip that covers the rail and it couldn't have cut my tire. So basically, I'd just go talk to them about it. You might get lucky and have somebody like I did who will actually look into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
attworth Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 My mom has a Mazda3. She has dents EVERYWHERE on it. Kind of disheartening, cause they're pretty cool cars. I don't think you'll have much luck getting your repairs paid for. Had you noticed it prior to leaving the wash, you may have better chances, but there's been a few days since then, there's no telling where the damage came from (in their eyes.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Maudlin Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 You would be amazed at how many people find damage on their cars and try to blame the car wash. If you aren't sure, don't accuse someone. Just my $.02. BTW, I own a car wash. I had one guy claim damage which included scratches in recessed areas of the body. My wash is touchless. Unless water can scratch his car, it couldn't happen at my wash. I even went to the body shop with him. The body shop guy couldn't explain either how my wash could have scratched his car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxilary Posted May 1, 2009 Author Share Posted May 1, 2009 Well, this one was a touch wash, not a touchless wash. It had big spinning drums with foam strips on it. It physically touched my car. When I sat in it, I saw the foam strips slap the ♥♥♥♥ out of my car. Unless you can give me suggestion based on what could have caused a smooth giant impression into the entire door, I'm sticking with carwash. And as I said, there are NO scratches or cuts! Just a smooth pressed in dent. I'll take pics for reference. There's no way a car could have done this without leaving any sort of other damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Maudlin Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Well, this one was a touch wash, not a touchless wash. It had big spinning drums with foam strips on it. It physically touched my car. When I sat in it, I saw the foam strips slap the ♥♥♥♥ out of my car. Unless you can give me suggestion based on what could have caused a smooth giant impression into the entire door, I'm sticking with carwash. And as I said, there are NO scratches or cuts! Just a smooth pressed in dent. I'll take pics for reference. There's no way a car could have done this without leaving any sort of other damage. A bird, a possum, a stick. You are just guessing. A dog, a deer running into the side of the car. Neighbor kids playing ball that smacks your car. A football would do it easily, so would an animal. Just kind of silly to start accusing people hoping to get paid. That is a warped sense of entitlement. My car was damaged, so I am going to pick someone who should pay for it. I mean it would be different if you weren't just guessing where the damage came from. But you said in your original post that you don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxilary Posted May 2, 2009 Author Share Posted May 2, 2009 A football, a possum (possum don't run into sides of cars at high speed), a bird, a dog, or a deer do not leave a smooth 2 foot long convex indentation. Think of my ENTIRE door skin gently bent inward in a smooth convex shape, as if a giant soft roller was massaging it in. With no scratches, blood, paint scrapes, or rubber bumper marks. That's exactly what it looks like. You're just angry because you happen to own a car wash, and I pointed a finger at one that in this case has a high possibility of being a culprit, but as I have stated earlier, I will have a difficult time proving it. Just because your car wash doesn't damage cars, doesn't mean other car washes can't damage my car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators BRAAP Posted May 2, 2009 Administrators Share Posted May 2, 2009 at least, I'm pretty sure it's the carwash.… Being as the door panel is pushed-in, no scratches, creases, etc, could it possibly have happened while shopping/eating/apartment parking lot somewhere? Someone may have fell into your car backwards catching themselves on your door with their back/shoulders? At a party a drunk stumbles out tripping into your car? Kids playing down the street, chasing a lost ball, lost their balance into the car glancing across the door? It just seems rash to place blame on a car wash with the expectation of them accepting responsibility over a "hunch" it was the machines when you are not sure of "when" or "where" it happened? It may have been the car wash, but again, it may not have been? Can the interior door panel be removed and the dent pushed back out? Maybe a toilet plunger on the outside to pull it out? Just be careful it doesn't crease during the push/pullout process. Hopefully it's an easy fix with no lasting damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerryb Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Bottom line is ...you have no clue where this happened and as such you dont have a chance in hell to win a claim. Do you really believe this car wash is preferential to hurtin Mazdas? Its not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 I don't think the car wash will give you anything even if you have it on video that they employ little elves in wetsuits with little hammers to hold on to the foam strips and bang on your sheetmetal! A mechanical carwash has about a million signs at the entrance (ESPECIALLY in California) disclaiming any liability for damage that may be caused. Sue Mazda for making cheap sheetmetal doors. They have bigger pockets and are just as liable in this as a car wash roller set to industry standards that is functioning properly and which just maybe happened to rearrange your door profile. It didn't do it to 100 other cars that went through that day---so that kind of points to the car more than the car wash as the more liable culprit! Sucks to have thin sheetmetal. You should wash the car by hand. Perhaps your car is giving you the buttface because you threw it in the nasty abrasive foam strip cleaner. Left it at the elve's mercy. Ever watch Herbie? Buddy Hackett was on to something there... Go out and apologise to your car, take it for a nice dealership oil change and 30K service, get it hand washed and detailed...and maybe, just maybe it will unding it's door for you showing it the proper attention it felt it deserved. You masher! You probably use Wire Hangers on your clothing as well! Putting your car through an Automatic Car Bash. For shame! For SHAAAAAME! REPENT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Maudlin Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 The only reason I suggested a football is that one time I rented a buick skylard from enterprise. We were out in the yard playing football. One guy went for a catch and either he or the football bumped the car. It put a 2 foot long concave place in the car. It was actually a pretty good size dent since it was 3-4 inches deep and about 8 inches wide too. Fortunately, it was a rough winter. The car was white. Enterprise didn't even notice the huge dent when I returned it. That was nearly 20 years ago. Since they were located in a mall parking lot, they probably just chalked it up to a cart or person running into their car. Also, a deer hit the side of my car once while cruising down the highway. It made an 18 inch crease in my car. After washing the horn off my car, there were no scratch or scuffs, just an 18 inch crease. I went back to the ditch to check on the deer and other than being a little dazed and looking like a unicorn since he was down to one antler, he was fine too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc052685 Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Just pop the interior panel off and see if it will push out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Maudlin Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 You're just angry because you happen to own a car wash, and I pointed a finger at one that in this case has a high possibility of being a culprit, but as I have stated earlier, I will have a difficult time proving it. Just because your car wash doesn't damage cars, doesn't mean other car washes can't damage my car. Naw, I just think it is silly when someone says: 1. I just noticed damage that is hard to see except at certain angles. 2. I have no idea how long the damage has been there. 3. I have no idea what happened. 4. I did go to a car wash a week or so ago so that must be what caused the damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Maudlin Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Your other option by the way is to turn in the damage to your insurance company. They will send an adjuster out to assess the damage. They will also likely send the adjuster to the car wash to determine whether or not to pursue the car wash company's insurance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterZ Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Well, this one was a touch wash, not a touchless wash. It had big spinning drums with foam strips on it. It physically touched my car. When I sat in it, I saw the foam strips slap the ♥♥♥♥ out of my car. My one and only experience with the exact same car wash you described ripped my chrome side (rain groove) window trim off in front of my eyes... GASP!!!... omfg I freaked! I actually rolled down the passenger window and reached out between passes to keep if from getting wrapped around the drum. When I got out (wet) I was able to get the trim back on my car but it also got twisted in the process of being stripped off that it doesn't fit exact (bowed out slightly). Never again! I always hand-wash but it was the day I purchased the car and stopped to fill up on the way back; I got the car wash to clean off the road grime from the trip. The force I felt from those rollers going down my car was nerve racking (I could envision denting as a result)... maybe I was one of the lucky ones as I could see this happening to your car--as you suspect--if your metal is thin; but, if you're going to pursue this, I have to agree with Mr. Maudlin: Your other option by the way is to turn in the damage to your insurance company. They will send an adjuster out to assess the damage. They will also likely send the adjuster to the car wash to determine whether or not to pursue the car wash company's insurance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Maudlin Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Now that, I have seen a lot. Even in my touchless, trim will come off. I can't imagine what the friction washes do to trim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxilary Posted May 2, 2009 Author Share Posted May 2, 2009 Naw, I just think it is silly when someone says:1. I just noticed damage that is hard to see except at certain angles. 2. I have no idea how long the damage has been there. 3. I have no idea what happened. 4. I did go to a car wash a week or so ago so that must be what caused the damage. So, are you telling me there's no possible way a car wash could have damaged my car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Jerome was a kid that worked at our local Ace Hardware. He had a nice looking third gen Camaro (it had a wimpy V6 in it though). He always kept it polished and looking nice. One day I pull into the Ace parking lot and there's a big ol' dent in the front right fender. I walk in and ask Jerome what happened. "The neighbor's stupid *** labrador runs right out into the road and clocks my car as I'm cruising by at like 35 mph!" The dumb dog walked away with a bad headache but left this big smooth scratchless dent in the Camaro. My wife has an '06 Mazda 3. Sheet metal as thin as a Coke can. Hey Alex, maybe a drunk chihuahua stumbed into the the side of your car when you weren't looking? Sorry buddy. Just having fun with you. But you always have the screwiest things happen to you. When are you going to learn that it's an exercize in futility sharing those experiances with us knuckle-heads? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Maudlin Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 So, are you telling me there's no possible way a car wash could have damaged my car? No, that is not what I said, please read. The car wash could have done the damage. So could a million other things. The point is that you have no idea what did it, so you are just going to try to get someone to pay for the damage. The car wash could. A person in a parking lot could. A shopping card with plastic protetors could. A drunk chihuahua could. But I guess the neighbor's dog probably doesn't have insurance. Since you don't know where the damage came from, I agree, just pick someone with insurance and accuse them. Seems like the fairest thing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyc Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 i have an 08 legacy gt...super thin metal...i have to be really careful. above the body line..if i press too hard with my thumb i can leave a dent. i had a deer run into the side of my car...left a long crease and i couldn't open my door cause it pressed the front fender in enought the door hit. if it had hit the z i guarantee you wouldn't have been able to tell...cars arent made like they used to...thats what happen when performance, efficiency, and government regualtions all meet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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