[bmw_guy]

hello,

Can you guys help me out with cleaning the bodywork and alloys of my first bmw.

i have got the smartguard clean protection (PAINT & ALLOY WHEEL CLEANER) when i bought car and have been given a got a products for cleaning alloys and the bodywork (in addition to other products for cleaning the leather and bird poop).

i have gone through the forums and came back with the following instructions


1. remove excess dust with a DRY soft cloth. It comes off amazingly easy and leaves the alloys clean and shiny.
can i use kleenex tissuepaper? any soft cloth you recommend. i have got a two color brush, not sure if this can be used on the alloys?

2. clean with a car shampoo
i guess the stuff i got from smartguard is a car shampoo, would the shampoo be the same for the body and the alloys?

3. When alloys are clean make sure you give them a waxing. Do this regularly and you build up a protective layer.
where do i get wax for the alloys?


I am reluctant to go to the local cleaners (tesco/asda) as i am not sure if they are the guys whom i should go to. any recommendations where i can get the car cleaned.


The instructions on the back of the "alloy and wheel cleaner are the following:

1. Shake well before use
2. spray on to a small area of the paint surface/alloy wheels at a time
3. for excessive dirt and grit particles allow to soack in, and then reapply
4. buff the bodywork with a clean dry cloth
5. buff the surface with a finishing cloth
6. repeat as required

this noob would really appreciate your help

[DV]

I would skip step 1. You wouldn't wipe dirt or dust of of your car's paint with a dry cloth (I hope) as it will scratch the finish. Same goes for the wheels. Just wash with car wash soap and a separate sponge.

Everything you need to know is here:
How To Properly Wash and Dry a Car

They also sell everything you could possibly need.

[bmw_guy]

thanks for the advice and the link,

i did use kleenex to take of the black stuff of a small part of one of the wheels then decided to ask for advice. hope i have not caused too much damage

would car wash soap and the car shampoo i got from smartguard be the same?

i guess i can use a chamois cloth for drying after step 2 and step 3 is needed once in 4 months or so

[DV]

I'm sure it will be fine. Just stick to the advice in the guides from now on. The car shampoo you have should work just fine. Invest in some nice waffle weave microfiber towels for drying your car's paint. I have some smaller microfiber towels that I use for the wheels only.

[bmw_guy]

thanks for the advice,

would a chamois leather cloth be equivalent to waffle weave microfiber towels.

why smaller microfiber towels for the wheels?

i went through the link that you posted and the link describes use of a brush to clean the wheels. wont this brush scratch the alloys? i guess i can use a sponge instead of a brush., correct?

i have come up with the following steps after going through the link. have i understood the clean process correctly

after going through the link, i have come up with the following steps to clean the alloys
1. wash with water to get dirt of.
2. use shampoo to break down all of the grime, brake dust and other contaniments
3. use sponge to clean each wheel.
4 rinse the sponge in rinse bucket before going to next wheel
5. wash with water, (spray ?)
6. dry with microfiber cloth/ chamois cloth

[jopa489]

In simplest terms, treat the wheels as you would the paint.

Using a grout sponge works well on the wheels - that's what I use. Your process above looks pretty good to me. You might need a dedicated wheel cleaner if the wheels are really dirty, as regular shampoo isn't strong enough to clean caked on brake dust.

[Envious Eric]

you dont wipe the car before washing it, so why would you do it to the paint?

wash the car with a dedicated car wash soap with lots of suds (lubricity)
wash wheels in the same manner. If they are really bad with lots of brake dust, get a gel wheel cleaner that is PH balanced and let it sit. Agitate with wheel brushes, and rinse off (repeat as necessary).
once clean, apply a synthetic sealant wax to the wheels to make future washing easier!

[bmw_guy]

hello,



After i cleaned my car i discovered that the silver paint on my cars wheel's base is flaking away and in many places has been replaced by red color. i guess this is a rust. i thought the whole wheel was an alloy and after browing for info on the net, have a feeling that the wheel base is steel and some how it started rusting. the car is under 3 months old, surely it should not have rusted this fast. could it have been a combination of the recent bad weather in the uk and brake dust. the rust is more widespread on the rear wheels. i have tried to take a picture whoing the rust behind the spokes (attached) to show my misery

if it is not natural to rust so quick, can i go back to the bmw garage and ask them to fix the rust on the wheel rims (?). if i am to fix it, do i need to fix it right away. would this rust spread to other parts of the wheel if i dont fix it right away.

[Jamese93]

Hello mate.

Have you seen the UK section of the site yet? Have a look under the UK region where you'll find some good local advice.

Anyway, I live in London and as I live in borough with an underground car park I have to use the local car wash chaps - I know the good ones in my area so if you need some rec's the give me a shout. Be careful though for gods sake as some of them are awful!

The red you see is, unfortunately, rust. The rotors as our friends form the big country say rust on the centre hubs - see the UK forum on this. Unfortunately this time of year there's nothing you can do with the salt on the UK roads save don't drive it which obviously ain't gonna happen!

Most members have found that getting the rust off and then painting with something like silver hammerite is easiest.

Good luck!

J

[Envious Eric]

this was a car of a member here that I did a few months ago...takes care of the rusting issue!!!

http://www.autopia.org/forum/pro-det...black-bmw.html

[bmw_guy]

thanks for the replies jamese93, eric

I will look under the Uk region of ths site. i live in west london. any recommendations for good car washes in the west side? i guess taking the rust off involves taking the wheels off in the first place, which looks difficult. if i were to leave the rust as is would the rust spread and and would it then affect any of the other parts of the car? would washing the salt/git of the underbelly with a hose alleviate the situation.

[Jamese93]

It's not too hard to tkae the wheels off - you just need a suitable jack, a wire brush and some hammerite. Washing the hubs will slow the process down, and no, it won't spread to any other parts!

unfortunately don't know any in the west side - know plenty borough way - good way to check is to see the quality of the cars going in and out.