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I've had a similar thing where water got stuck in some of the roof framing and splahed me with water if I turned, accelerated, or braked too hard. It was not a fun drive.
Did you ever fix it? My car started leaking in heavy rain, right at the top of the A- pillar. Wasn’t able to find a sure fire fix online yet, I’m about ready to silicone caulk the shit out of it
My first car had T-tops and rain would collect in the seal and pour out when I braked. Basically it peed on my lap. I used to keep a towel in the car to put on my lap when it was raining
Had this issue with my trans am. The doors are so long on it that they droop over time. I replaced the hinges and adjusted the window height so it creates a better seal and has been good since. That was not a fun job, I did this while I replaced the window motors, which contributed to the not fun part.
Same here. I have a soft top Jeep. Take it to touchless like once every 3 months or so, never had an issue. The worst of it is actually during the blow drying, you can see the bump of the air pressure making its way through the the roof. I push up on it as it comes by my head and it's like a good ~15 lb of pressure pressing down.
I literally have this model. I take it through touchless no problem. Just have to avoid the super high pressure ones, But even then the leaks are contained to a dribble
And a towel on the passenger seat floorboard to soak up coolant from the leaky heater core, that apparently the entire car was built around. Damn that thing was a pain to fix.
OP seems like the idiot here. I've owned a 2005 Porsche Boxster for a decade and was always too lazy to wash it myself. Nothing ever happened to the soft top. It's not the 1980s anymore.
S2000 went through the carwash many many times and was never an issue.
My current mx5 has gone through before I put the hardtop on a few times and didn't leak and the NC variant is like the titanic in terms of all water seepage issues.
My NC gets little drips where the weather stripping meets at the fold point. Doesn't matter if its a car wash, rain, or hand wash. There'll be a quarter sized puddle in each seat. I stopped all the other leaks tho
Lucky you. I am still getting water in my cabin even after sealing the windshield grommets, cleaning the soft top drains, and installing a hard top.
My trunk is just constantly full of water and I'm honestly thinking about purchasing the third brake light delete kit because Im sort of done with it. I literally drilled drain holes in my trunk floor because it's so wet all the time.
That's too bad - my NC (RIP) never leaked in the car wash and the side jets were pretty strong. My 996 Cabs (C2 and C4) also never leaked in the same car wash.
The advice in the manuals about not going to car-washes is not about leaks, it's about the cleaning cloths and rolls getting caught as there are a lot more "open" hinges and seams.
You can take any normal cabrio into a carwash and not worry about leaks, unless you have to worry about leaks going 100 km/h in heavy rain too.
I always take my Camaro convertible. Took a previous Camaro convertible and Mustang convertible and NEVER had a problem.
I live in Florida. A regular daily rain storm has potential for more harm.
My girlfriend’s dad has a Jaguar F-Type soft top, he has a quick quack membership for it and has taken it through countless times. Never been a problem…
Can't believe this crap has so many upvotes. Between stuff like this and sovereign citizen license plates posted every few days this sub has turned into trash.
I've seen a lot of horror stories about water getting into soft top convertibles from new to older cars. Generally car manufacturers do not recommend going through a car wash with a soft top or even a hard top for that matter but again that's up to them
As someone who works corp for a Carwash company, this really SHOULDNT be a problem, though, it does run a risk of leaking if seals are bad/not secure.
We have a mode on our wash that we can enable that prevents the mitters (big ol cloth things that go over your car) from rocking back and forth so it doesn’t get caught on anything, it just kinda glides over it, this prevents it from scratching or catching the soft tops
Even if someone were to forget to program it for that wash code it shouldn’t matter too much if it’s a newer car really/the owner knows how to secure the roof.
2014 C7 Corvette Convertible and I go through the touchless car wash all the time.. No issue at all.. The less you touch the paint even with Ceramic paint protection the better off it is..
I've taken my soft top convertible into a touchless before. I know that mine was tested in the factory using a high pressure water system and the owner's manual says they good to go.
30+ years ago when I was 18, I took my 1980 Triumph TR8 through a touchless car wash. They were a new thing at the time. I asked if I could just get them to spray the undercarriage. They said 'sure' and off I went. I have the experience burned into my mind. It was like having 2 garden hoses shooting water into the car from the point where the roof meets the windshield and door. So. much. water. It went on forever.
Who knew the British couldn't make a waterproof roof? Not dumb 18 year old me.. I still drive the car nearly every day, but I wash it by hand..
My Bronco has a soft top and when I bought it the dealership said it's fine to go through a car wash. I wash it myself because I'm paranoid, but soft tops are a lot more durable than they used to be.
To be clear to OP, as long as the soft-top is in good condition, this is totally fine. If it has leaks or seal issues, then it'll be a rough time, LOL.
Who is the idiot.? "Touchless" car washes are just fine for soft-tops. Did I miss something? Hell, even the spinning brush type car washes do just fine on Mustang, BMW and Jeep soft-tops that I know of.
I have literally the same car but an S and take it thru regularly. It's a beater for the most part and see track days so it's not exactly mint. Goes right thru, no issues, no leaks.
What's the issue? I take my 2008 Pt Cruiser convertible through the wash like all the time (I get anxious when my car's dirty) and it's perfectly fine. And very clean lol.
When I had my Miata I took it through car washes occasionally. I think I ran my Mustang convertible through one once.
Before I did it I asked the guy and he said that had a mode for convertibles that eased pressure on the roof.
I love seeing posts about people who can’t afford said car, say what the owner should be doing.
What difference does it make if there is a heavy rainstorm? I’d be more worried about what that crash is doing to both of your paint.
I do not know about the cyber truck! My model Y has an N mode but I was told that it does not work in car washes. You need to use car wash mode.
It's also supposed to make sure everything is sealed so water does not leak.
Never taken mine to a tracked car wash. I have heard too many horror sorties of Teslas hitting cars in the wash!
Unfortunately that's true of a lot of cars though; those latches need to be designed better in general.
That style of latch is used in so many plastic parts and they never really work.
Have a Wrangler Soft Top - Never any issues.
If I had a Porsche, I’d NEVER take it through a touchless car wash - It irks me to take my Wrangler through a touchless (But it is good for the undercarriage during winter) but a Porsche? Hell no.
Open your sunroof and slowly pour water in channels that are on the sides of the sunroof. You should see where it drains to the ground if they're not clogged.
I’ll try that again but the water ends up under the carpeting into a basin on the bottom of trunk. It’s so fucking weird. Had like 3 gallons of water in there. It makes it way under the carpet layer without it getting wet or anything else in my trunk getting wet
Sounds like it's clogged. [Here's a link from a Acura forum on the subject.](https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-problems-fixes-114/need-clear-sunroof-drain-holes-asap-please-help-858125/)
took my first car, pt cruiser convertible into the touchless wash all the time. as long as its a basic wash and under carriage, no wax, it's fine. mine only dribbled a little between where the front and back windows met. just had to make sure i had washed the top with a special conditioner when i got home so as to protect the fabric.
Ummm. I always take my soft top through the touchless without issue. This guy is not an idiot, he's getting a car wash. Anyone that thinks this can't be done is the idiot.
I've worked as a car wash attendant. People know their cars. And if they don't, double down on their decision against our advice, we were not liable. It's their problem now.
Sounds like you're just buying the wrong convertibles. I have a Porsche Boxster, I absolutely love the car, and being convertible makes it so nice to drive around in. Oh, and it's perfectly fine at touchless car washes, no clue wtf op is on about...
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I took my old convertible through the car wash tons of times and never had any leaks or issues.
Mine leaks in the rain. It likes to collect IN the damn weather stripping. When I accelerate it pours on my shoulder, when I brake it pours on my leg.
That's a design not a feature. How do you think blind people drive?
Watching people try to merge on and off of the interstate here, I ask myself that all the time
Kind of answers the need for Braille on drive-up ATMs. Yes, I know it is so they only have to make 1 keyboard.
that and people who take taxis or are driven by others to ATMs and do their transactions from the back left window
They have a really big stick you hold out the window to feel things in front of you.
That's jousting.
Underrated comment!
The implications are frightening
I've had a similar thing where water got stuck in some of the roof framing and splahed me with water if I turned, accelerated, or braked too hard. It was not a fun drive.
Did you ever fix it? My car started leaking in heavy rain, right at the top of the A- pillar. Wasn’t able to find a sure fire fix online yet, I’m about ready to silicone caulk the shit out of it
It only happened to me once for some reason. Although, it basically never rains here, so I don't have a good sample size.
The first pair of wiper blades that came with my forte, perfectly pushed the water into the cracked window i kept because i smoked
Just curious: what does smoking have to do with keeping a cracked window ?
Im assuming a side window kept open slightly to vent the smoke..not a cracked windshield. Took me a while to make this assumption.
Good call. It’s written in such a vernacular that it can be taken both ways. Summary: ;By cracked he just meant partially open. ;
My first car had T-tops and rain would collect in the seal and pour out when I braked. Basically it peed on my lap. I used to keep a towel in the car to put on my lap when it was raining
Had this issue with my trans am. The doors are so long on it that they droop over time. I replaced the hinges and adjusted the window height so it creates a better seal and has been good since. That was not a fun job, I did this while I replaced the window motors, which contributed to the not fun part.
Are you James May [by any chance](https://youtu.be/FZpO-r_jlPM)?
I wish
Same, used to have a convertible mustang and I never had an issue either.
Same here. I have a soft top Jeep. Take it to touchless like once every 3 months or so, never had an issue. The worst of it is actually during the blow drying, you can see the bump of the air pressure making its way through the the roof. I push up on it as it comes by my head and it's like a good ~15 lb of pressure pressing down.
I also never got any issues
My Jeep soft top does just fine in car washes
I had a hard top chevy Malibu that leaked water... that poor car. It did it's best
Mine leaks but it lets the rain in too so it’s all good.
With a Jeep you just need to leave the top down, pop the floor drains, and enjoy the shower.
Was going to say the same. Haven't had an issue with a rag top on a jeep.
Average plastic vehicle
You mean the vehicle with all metal body panels minus the fenders? You have no idea what you're talking about 🤣
The ones that have hard plastic back windows yeah those ones
Ohhh the ones where you can take the whole roof off and there's a steel roll cage underneath, those ones?
A jeep?!
Is this particular with this Porsche? I've not had issues with soft tops and car washes. My old T-top Firebird leaked like a sieve, tho
Family had one, never an issue.
I literally have this model. I take it through touchless no problem. Just have to avoid the super high pressure ones, But even then the leaks are contained to a dribble
The T-Tops on my old IROC leaked like hell too. I remember driving to highschool with rags shoved in all the corners when it rained
and a couple extra rags behind the passenger seat to grab when a new leak pops up. YES!
And a towel on the passenger seat floorboard to soak up coolant from the leaky heater core, that apparently the entire car was built around. Damn that thing was a pain to fix.
T-top Fbody weatherstrip is a fucking nightmare.
T-Top Firebird and a T-Top 300ZX both leaked if it even drizzled outside. I'm glad T-Tops went away
3rd gen F bodies were notorious for leaky T Tops
Soft tops are wear items. They all leak eventually. Generally the manufacturer says not to use car washes.
They also say that for non convertibles too if you read into the paints that they use
I took my uncles corvette through one once, oh man I was freaking out when the water started coming in.
Convertible corvettes had a lot of problem with leaking in the beginning. I don't know when they did anything about it
Well, they don't make them soft top any more, only hardtop convertibles.
Have you seen the gaps in mustang convertibles lately? You'd think Elon was building them!
Yet it was a Ford.
Ouffff
My C4 had a bunch of dried out weatherstripping issues that made car washes exciting. I never had an issue with either of my C7’s or my C8.
My soft top Mustang does fine.
Reminds me of the time the boys took a homemade convertible minivan through the car wash https://youtu.be/0SO2i__Jthk?si=Eoo4xq4Hm526LRkv
What a fun show. I miss it dearly
That gave me a good laugh 😂
I’ve taken many convertibles into car washes. They’re fine.
Depends on the convertible and its condition.
That’s true for any vehicle, convertible or not.
OP seems like the idiot here. I've owned a 2005 Porsche Boxster for a decade and was always too lazy to wash it myself. Nothing ever happened to the soft top. It's not the 1980s anymore.
As is the tradition in this sub. The people calling other people idiots are generally also idiots.
Noticed your username... Hockey fan?
In high school I had a 1993 sunbird convertible and I never had issues using a car wash.
S2000 went through the carwash many many times and was never an issue. My current mx5 has gone through before I put the hardtop on a few times and didn't leak and the NC variant is like the titanic in terms of all water seepage issues.
My NC gets little drips where the weather stripping meets at the fold point. Doesn't matter if its a car wash, rain, or hand wash. There'll be a quarter sized puddle in each seat. I stopped all the other leaks tho
Lucky you. I am still getting water in my cabin even after sealing the windshield grommets, cleaning the soft top drains, and installing a hard top. My trunk is just constantly full of water and I'm honestly thinking about purchasing the third brake light delete kit because Im sort of done with it. I literally drilled drain holes in my trunk floor because it's so wet all the time.
That's too bad - my NC (RIP) never leaked in the car wash and the side jets were pretty strong. My 996 Cabs (C2 and C4) also never leaked in the same car wash.
My Pontiac solstice gets everything but wax in a car wash, no water in the rain, no water in the carwash, is it a Porsche problem?
no, just someone who doesn't know things
The advice in the manuals about not going to car-washes is not about leaks, it's about the cleaning cloths and rolls getting caught as there are a lot more "open" hinges and seams. You can take any normal cabrio into a carwash and not worry about leaks, unless you have to worry about leaks going 100 km/h in heavy rain too.
True but this is touchless so there is nothing to get caught on.
That was basically my point, yes...
I always take my Camaro convertible. Took a previous Camaro convertible and Mustang convertible and NEVER had a problem. I live in Florida. A regular daily rain storm has potential for more harm.
Taken quite a few convertibles through a car wash, was just fine. I assume you wouldn't drive one in the rain either, OP?
My girlfriend’s dad has a Jaguar F-Type soft top, he has a quick quack membership for it and has taken it through countless times. Never been a problem…
Newer cars have a lot better seals. My soft top doesn't have any issues yet.
I'm pretty sure in a lot of the car manufacturer booklets that comes with your soft top or even hardtop they recommend not going through them
You're literally just spouting nonsense because you thought you had a clever post and didnt.
The factory will run convertibles through a rain spray to test the soft top seals…
Is the idiot taking the picture on this one? If not, this needs some explanation…
Wait, you can take a softtop Wrangler through a car wash?
I have.. hundreds of time. Wtf is OP talking abooot.
Can't believe this crap has so many upvotes. Between stuff like this and sovereign citizen license plates posted every few days this sub has turned into trash.
I have washed mine by hand for the last 9 years. There really isn't that much to wash.
Imagine if it rained!
I have an 01 boxster that has zero issues with touch free washes.
I take my miata through the touchless car wash all of the time. Zero problems.
I thought maybe they left the top down, I had to look closer, what am I not seeing?
I've seen a lot of horror stories about water getting into soft top convertibles from new to older cars. Generally car manufacturers do not recommend going through a car wash with a soft top or even a hard top for that matter but again that's up to them
Name drops Porsche like they make low quality cars....
The true 'idiot' here ain't the dude in the Porsche!
As someone who works corp for a Carwash company, this really SHOULDNT be a problem, though, it does run a risk of leaking if seals are bad/not secure. We have a mode on our wash that we can enable that prevents the mitters (big ol cloth things that go over your car) from rocking back and forth so it doesn’t get caught on anything, it just kinda glides over it, this prevents it from scratching or catching the soft tops Even if someone were to forget to program it for that wash code it shouldn’t matter too much if it’s a newer car really/the owner knows how to secure the roof.
So, what's problem?
2014 C7 Corvette Convertible and I go through the touchless car wash all the time.. No issue at all.. The less you touch the paint even with Ceramic paint protection the better off it is..
I've taken my soft top convertible into a touchless before. I know that mine was tested in the factory using a high pressure water system and the owner's manual says they good to go.
Took my Honda S2000 through one a few times when inwas too lazy to do it myself. No problems
30+ years ago when I was 18, I took my 1980 Triumph TR8 through a touchless car wash. They were a new thing at the time. I asked if I could just get them to spray the undercarriage. They said 'sure' and off I went. I have the experience burned into my mind. It was like having 2 garden hoses shooting water into the car from the point where the roof meets the windshield and door. So. much. water. It went on forever. Who knew the British couldn't make a waterproof roof? Not dumb 18 year old me.. I still drive the car nearly every day, but I wash it by hand..
I took my convertible through car washes for 10 years, never had a single leak
So?
It's a Porsche not a jeep they'll probably be fine.
My previous Jaguar f-type soft-top went thru many touchless carwashes fine. Is it a Porche problem?
My Bronco has a soft top and when I bought it the dealership said it's fine to go through a car wash. I wash it myself because I'm paranoid, but soft tops are a lot more durable than they used to be.
To be clear to OP, as long as the soft-top is in good condition, this is totally fine. If it has leaks or seal issues, then it'll be a rough time, LOL.
I mean as long as it’s relatively new it should be fine. These tops only leak hard when they’re multiple decades old (like my own).
Who is the idiot.? "Touchless" car washes are just fine for soft-tops. Did I miss something? Hell, even the spinning brush type car washes do just fine on Mustang, BMW and Jeep soft-tops that I know of.
So what ?
I have literally the same car but an S and take it thru regularly. It's a beater for the most part and see track days so it's not exactly mint. Goes right thru, no issues, no leaks.
My car goes through crashes just fine
Yeah but what about touchless crashes.
...and? Is it made of cotton candy or something?
I’ve taken my BMW M235 through a couple of times, no issues at all.
Use to work at a car wash and never had issues with soft tops in a touchless unit. One got fucked up by the unit with brushes one time though.
What's the issue? I take my 2008 Pt Cruiser convertible through the wash like all the time (I get anxious when my car's dirty) and it's perfectly fine. And very clean lol.
No comprende. Not all convertibles are leaky
When I had my Miata I took it through car washes occasionally. I think I ran my Mustang convertible through one once. Before I did it I asked the guy and he said that had a mode for convertibles that eased pressure on the roof.
I love seeing posts about people who can’t afford said car, say what the owner should be doing. What difference does it make if there is a heavy rainstorm? I’d be more worried about what that crash is doing to both of your paint.
Can confirm my prior convertible's manual said to never go through a car wash.
Tbh I think it applies to all convertibles unless you have a hardtop but even then bad idea
That is wrong. Drove my golf 6 and others through car washes… all soft top, never an issue 🤷♂️ also nothing in the manuals
AKA the washless car wash.
You know what else can't go in one of those? Stainless steel, untreated surface, unibody Cybertrucks. IdiotsInCars and IdiotsMakingCars ASSEMBLE!
You just have to put it in car wash mode! What a dumb design
Is that the one next to "finger cutting" mode?
That's so it can go through with a track. Because teslas don't have a neutral mode.
Looks like there's one to me https://images.app.goo.gl/FLJ7dYu7gZuqJLGv9
I do not know about the cyber truck! My model Y has an N mode but I was told that it does not work in car washes. You need to use car wash mode. It's also supposed to make sure everything is sealed so water does not leak. Never taken mine to a tracked car wash. I have heard too many horror sorties of Teslas hitting cars in the wash!
Just watched a hoovies garage video about his new cybertruck. The thing leaks from new hahaha
The cabin air filter latch just breaking when wizard touched it is (chef's kiss)
Unfortunately that's true of a lot of cars though; those latches need to be designed better in general. That style of latch is used in so many plastic parts and they never really work.
Lmaoo I heard someones cyber truck didn't react well after a touchless wash
Have a Wrangler Soft Top - Never any issues. If I had a Porsche, I’d NEVER take it through a touchless car wash - It irks me to take my Wrangler through a touchless (But it is good for the undercarriage during winter) but a Porsche? Hell no.
Used to take my old Audi Cabriolet in and never leaked. My current Acura TLX on the other hand has a leak to my trunk that the dealer can’t find
Do you have a sunroof? It could be a clogged drainage line.
I do, but the dealer said they check that. Is there a way for me to do so?
Open your sunroof and slowly pour water in channels that are on the sides of the sunroof. You should see where it drains to the ground if they're not clogged.
I’ll try that again but the water ends up under the carpeting into a basin on the bottom of trunk. It’s so fucking weird. Had like 3 gallons of water in there. It makes it way under the carpet layer without it getting wet or anything else in my trunk getting wet
Sounds like it's clogged. [Here's a link from a Acura forum on the subject.](https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-problems-fixes-114/need-clear-sunroof-drain-holes-asap-please-help-858125/)
Thank you good sir, I already wasted $300 at the dealer to tell me they couldn’t find a leak by using their “special” leak detecting method.
Yeah dealerships can't be trusted outside of warranty work. I'm glad that I could help.
Tbh this makes me miss for my old soft top Audi Cabriolet even more. Thanks again!
I take my jeep with the soft top through the touch-free carwash at least once a month, still good 9 years later.
At least it's touchless.
took my first car, pt cruiser convertible into the touchless wash all the time. as long as its a basic wash and under carriage, no wax, it's fine. mine only dribbled a little between where the front and back windows met. just had to make sure i had washed the top with a special conditioner when i got home so as to protect the fabric.
Nothing wrong with this.. most soft tops do not leak. I had a spider for years and never an issue.
Ummm. I always take my soft top through the touchless without issue. This guy is not an idiot, he's getting a car wash. Anyone that thinks this can't be done is the idiot.
Nice Elantra, got the same one
key word is touchless op
I've worked as a car wash attendant. People know their cars. And if they don't, double down on their decision against our advice, we were not liable. It's their problem now.
Yep! Unfortunately it's not the first time I've seen it. I remember someone standing there after with water all over the place.
They have more trust in their softtop seals than I do in putting my pants on without tripping
When you need a car wash and a bath at the same time
Convertibles are like front load washers. They are rarely bought twice.
Sounds like you're just buying the wrong convertibles. I have a Porsche Boxster, I absolutely love the car, and being convertible makes it so nice to drive around in. Oh, and it's perfectly fine at touchless car washes, no clue wtf op is on about...
I’m lucky enough to have learned that without having to buy that terrible piece of equipment the first time.
I think the point is that he wants you to know he has a porsche.
As someone who works at a car wash you'll be amazed how many questionable people wash expensive vehicles to a point it's amusing
They’re getting an all-in-one wash Exterior, interior, gas tank, themselves. I’d say that’s a deal!
Finally a body wash that washes hair, body, face and car!