Soooooo.... I found a touchless car wash!

[paval3]

Had to take the Mountaineer to town anyway, so I thought I'll go through the touchless car wash I heard about... thought I'll test it out on the ole Moutaineer before I try on the Ranger. I like to get the undercarriage rinsed off a few times a year, other than that I hand wash (weather permitting).
Only cost $6 for the basic wash which included the undercarriage.... all was well, and THEN... I got drenched!! The 2003 Mountaineer has a power sunroof (which I don't think I've ever really used in all the years I've had it) and it has a sliding interior cover also. Evidently it was cracked open a bit! The control for it is really weird, makes it tilt up and down, forward and backward... you can never tell when it's in the fully closed position, you think it is, but it isn't.... and I think that's one reason why I never wanted to use it.

So there I am with my hair wet and the right side of my winter coat and jeans wet! Fortunately I was only going to Tractor Supply for my online curbside order pick up.

Oh well... now at least I know I can take the Ranger through!

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[IdahoRanger]

At least you won't have to take a shower later.

 

[VTRanger]

Had to take the Mountaineer to town anyway, so I thought I'll go through the touchless car wash I heard about... thought I'll test it out on the ole Moutaineer before I try on the Ranger. I like to get the undercarriage rinsed off a few times a year, other than that I hand wash (weather permitting).
Only cost $6 for the basic wash which included the undercarriage.... all was well, and THEN... I got drenched!! The 2003 Mountaineer has a power sunroof (which I don't think I've ever really used in all the years I've had it) and it has a sliding interior cover also. Evidently it was cracked open a bit! The control for it is really weird, makes it tilt up and down, forward and backward... you can never tell when it's in the fully closed position, you think it is, but it isn't.... and I think that's one reason why I never wanted to use it.

So there I am with my hair wet and the right side of my winter coat and jeans wet! Fortunately I was only going to Tractor Supply for my online curbside order pick up.

Oh well... now at least I know I can take the Ranger through!

That's like my worst nightmare, so glad my ranger doesn't have a sunroof. Those drain hoses always get gunked up and then they leak.

 

[paval3]

That's like my worst nightmare, so glad my ranger doesn't have a sunroof. Those drain hoses always get gunked up and then they leak.

My Ranger doesn't have a sunroof... I would never buy a vehicle with a sun roof again. Had one on my 1979 Capri too and was nothing but trouble leaking and latches breaking.

 

[paval3]

One thing about the touchless car wash I didn't like... it makes you dizzy!! There's a bar front and back that alternate going over the vehicle and spraying the front and back and then there are these huge pillar looking contraptions, one on each side of the vehicle, moving back and forth in unison while spraying... and then the track you're vehicle is sitting on shifts forward and backward every so often. When the huge side pillar things are moving back and forth, makes you feel like your vehicle is shifting back and forth, but it's not. I found I had to just look down or I would get really dizzy.

 

[Trigganometry]

Ah the ol mountaineer sunroof drenching, know it well. ? Another one of those l’ll never do that again! Always partially open and then close before entering car washes. Kids like to play with buttons when you’re not watching. ?

 

[VTRanger]

Question about car washes... in those car washes with the big rollers, not touchless, do you take off your tonneau cover? I have a soft cover, wondering if it will get destroyed.

 

[paval3]

Ah the ol mountaineer sunroof drenching, know it well. ? Another one of those l’ll never do that again! Always partially open and then close before entering car washes. Kids like to play with buttons when you’re not watching. ?

Yea, I may have accidentally hit that overhead button for the sunroof by mistake recently when reaching for the interior light button, they're really close together. I've taken the Mountaineer though fully automatic car washes on occasion (I really try to avoid them though) in the past to get the undercarriage rinsed and never had water come in from the sun roof, so I guess I must have accidentally hit the button sometime.

I hate that darn sunroof. I've fiddled with it in the past trying to figure out where the sweet spot it to have it fully flush and sealed. I've stood on the running boards to look at the roof to see if it's completely down and it appears to be flat, but you can't tell if it's slid all the way forward into closed position. I just hate it.

 

[Trigganometry]

Yea, I may have accidentally hit that overhead button for the sunroof by mistake recently when reaching for the interior light button, they're really close together. I've taken the Mountaineer though fully automatic car washes on occasion (I really try to avoid them though) in the past to get the undercarriage rinsed and never had water come in from the sun roof, so I guess I must have accidentally hit the button sometime.

I hate that darn sunroof. I've fiddled with it in the past trying to figure out where the sweet spot it to have it fully flush and sealed. I've stood on the running boards to look at the roof to see if it's completely down and it appears to be flat, but you can't tell if it's slid all the way forward into closed position. I just hate it.

I use to partially open mine. Then close it holding the button until I could see and hear it snap up into lock position. Then close the Sun screen.

 

[Dgc333]

Question about car washes... in those car washes with the big rollers, not touchless, do you take off your tonneau cover? I have a soft cover, wondering if it will get destroyed.

I have been going through the car washes with the spinning brushes since the early 90s with my trucks having soft tonneau covers and have never removed one. No damage has occurred. I did have one pull off the front license plate once. And the place I go makes you fold in the mirrors and remove any antennas.

 

[VTRanger]

I have been going through the car washes with the spinning brushes since the early 90s with my trucks having soft tonneau covers and have never removed one. No damage has occurred. I did have one pull off the front license plate once. And the place I go makes you fold in the mirrors and remove any antennas.

Nice, thanks for the info!

 

[got3fords]

 

[paval3]

I use to partially open mine. Then close it holding the button until I could see and hear it snap up into lock position. Then close the Sun screen.

Unfortunately mine doesn't work that way. There is no audible snapping sound. If you hold the button to slide it forward to close it, it's hit or miss... if you go a fraction of an inch to far, it then starts tilting up to vent that way.

 

[Hot Pepper Red Zeppelin]

 

[KJRR]

Pretty sure my 2010 Fusion, when the roof is slid back, I just hold the button for a second or so, let go and then it closes all the way. If I want to keep it open 1/2 way, I hit it again. Once closed, I need to hit the button again to lift up the back for ventilation. Press back again and it closes.
Been a while since I've used it but will check this weekend. Of course, the Mountaineer could be different.
I've had 3 vehicles over the years with sunroofs including a VW with a hand crank and with a little maintenance on them, never had an issue with leaks. I'd take one in the Ranger.

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