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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Wash, Wax, Detailing and Cosmetic protection/repairs > Ask a Professional Detailer...



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      04-08-2015, 04:58 PM   #1849
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Hello,
Would you recommend few best detailers in Queens & long Island NY Area?

Thanks
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      04-16-2015, 01:01 PM   #1850
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Hello Greg and Ivan,

I'm sure the answer is in one of the 400 pages of comments.. but can you please give us a detailed answer on the differences between rinseless and waterless products and when to use each of the products and how.

if its okay to use a waterless product and dilute it to use it as a rinseless or vice versa.

Thank you.
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      05-12-2015, 08:52 PM   #1851
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Hi Guys - I want to give a big thank you to both Detailed Image, and Onsite Auto Detailing of Branford CT. My 07 335i was looking very tired. I had a local detailer take a crack at waxing and glazing her, but didn't get the results I was looking for. I came here to do some research, found this thread, and found Onsite on Detailed Image's website. I had seen a /Drive clean video of a pro polishing a nice Porsche that showed the before and after that I wanted. I sent the video to OnSite and Rick got back to me the next day. He wanted to look at my car before promising anything. He stopped by and examined her tip to tail with an LED light, and let me know very clearly what he could address (the spider webbing and some minor scratches) what he could improve (some deeper scratches) and what was not going to come out with a polish. Rick did the work today, and my car looks fantastic! Results exactly as promised, along with a recommendation on how to keep her looking great. If you are thinking about a service like this in the New England area, don't hesitate! You'll be happy you pulled the trigger. Thanks!
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      02-28-2016, 01:57 PM   #1852
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Hello, I have a 2 part question. Is it true that once you use leather conditioner on your seats, you must continue to use it on a regular basis or the leather will dry and crack? Secondly, If I chose to go this route; which leather seat cleaner do you reccomend using?

Sorry one quick last one, what about for the interior, im scared to use anything on the dash because i dont trust those off the shelf cheap cleaner / protectors, Do you recommend any?
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      02-28-2016, 02:14 PM   #1853
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Have a sapphire black that's starting to show many swirls,what is a reasonable price to pay for paint correction to remove them?
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      02-29-2016, 11:41 AM   #1854
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Quote:
Originally Posted by djessence View Post
Hello, I have a 2 part question. Is it true that once you use leather conditioner on your seats, you must continue to use it on a regular basis or the leather will dry and crack? Secondly, If I chose to go this route; which leather seat cleaner do you reccomend using?

Sorry one quick last one, what about for the interior, im scared to use anything on the dash because i dont trust those off the shelf cheap cleaner / protectors, Do you recommend any?
Most consumer grade leather is coated with a protective layer from the manufacturer... meaning what you are sitting on is not bare animal hide. This layer helps to protect the leather from normal wear and tear, but eventually any leather surface will begin to show signs of use such as creases/wrinkles. Well maintained leather should never really crack.

Using proper cleaners and conditioners will help to preserve your leather. I have never heard the myth that if you stop using a conditioner it will make your leather dry out faster or anything to that effect.

I personally use Sonax Leather Foam for routine cleaning. It also conditions and protects leather.


For interior plastic and vinyl components, I have a couple of products I like to use. 303 Aerospace protectant leaves a slight sheen and darkens the surface. Einszett Cockpit Premium leaves a matte, OEM looking finish. Both products are water based and will not leave a sticky mess like a silicone based product.



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Originally Posted by Needbmwpartzz View Post
Have a sapphire black that's starting to show many swirls,what is a reasonable price to pay for paint correction to remove them?
This depends greatly on your area as income levels, competition, etc will all play a part in the pricing in service based industries.

Unfortunately I do not personally know anyone in your area to recommend you to.

I would suggest getting referrals from other local car enthusiasts who have had correction work done.

Zach McGovern
Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog Author
www.AttentiontoDetailingPeoria.com

Last edited by Detailed Image; 03-02-2016 at 06:52 AM..
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      03-02-2016, 03:21 AM   #1855
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Thank you so much for your reply. I really needed help with these issues. I'm sure i speak for everyone on this forum when I say that you are a great resource and we are lucky to have you here to help us out!
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      03-02-2016, 06:53 AM   #1856
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Originally Posted by djessence View Post
Thank you so much for your reply. I really needed help with these issues. I'm sure i speak for everyone on this forum when I say that you are a great resource and we are lucky to have you here to help us out!
Happy to help!

-Zach
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      11-23-2016, 06:04 AM   #1857
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Hi Zach,

Had a search through the 85 pages or so but can't track what I'm looking for down.

I have many small light scratches on the windscreen of my E90 - is there anything you can recommend to remove these? I've cleaned the windscreen and new wipers blades but cant stop the haze or remove the scratches.

Any ideas?

Thank you in advance.
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      11-28-2016, 10:04 AM   #1858
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Hi - unfortunately glass can and will develop light scratches from use of the wipers over time. There are glass polishing pads and special glass polish that some say can remove these very light scratches, however I have personally not had great results with these products in the one time I have attempted it (so I have little to no personal experience). Glass is very, very hard relative to what we are used to when it comes to correcting defects in automotive paint, so removing even the faintest of scratches can be a real challenge on glass.

CarPro Ceriglass
Glass Polishing Pads


Hope that helps! Let me know if I can answer anything else for you.

-Zach
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      12-29-2016, 09:59 PM   #1859
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Is this a reasonable price for a Ceramic Pro 5 yr coating

Hi guys,

New to the coating world and recently was quoted $975 for a 5 year Ceramic Pro 9H not including the paint correction which is offered as a deal for free.

Is that a reasonable price to have it done professionally?

Thanks in advance for the help!
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      01-03-2017, 06:31 AM   #1860
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Supacat View Post
Hi guys,

New to the coating world and recently was quoted $975 for a 5 year Ceramic Pro 9H not including the paint correction which is offered as a deal for free.

Is that a reasonable price to have it done professionally?

Thanks in advance for the help!
Pricing for these services can vary drastically depending on the market in your area... call around and see what other reputable shops are charging for similar services.

-Zach
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      05-15-2017, 10:53 AM   #1861
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Crystal Coat application fail

Zach—I would greatly appreciate any advice you can provide on a difficulty I had with a Blackfire Crystal Coat application.

I believe the car was well prepped with a citrus wash (2 buckets with grit guards), auto-claying with Nanoskin pad with orbital polisher, regular clay by hand, another citrus wash, polish with Klasse AIO, and prep with CarPro Eraser. At that point, the paint (BMW Space Gray, on a 2012 335i coupe) looked great.

When I did the Blackfire Crystal Coat application, I found that it was streaky and blotchy, and I could not get it to level off. I may have been using too much of the product; the label does not mention the amount to use, but doing more research afterwards I see that only 1-2 drops per panel are needed. Or perhaps it interacted with Klasse as well? After 3 hours of hand buffing I cannot get the streaks and blotches to improve.

What can I do to recover? I know this is very long-lasting product. I don’t want to ruin the paint and am willing to wait if needed, but I would like to get the streaks and blotches out.

At this point I certainly wished I had just spayed on some liquid wax after the AIO polish. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
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      05-15-2017, 11:16 AM   #1862
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I have not actually used the Blackfire Crystal Coating, however based on your description of your process, the one thing that immediately jumps out at me is your use of Klasse AIO for polishing.

KAIO is meant to leave it's own durable layer of protection on the paint (hence the term "all in one" which means it will polish and protect the finish). This is absolutely not the type of product you want to use before a coating because the surface of the paint needs to be perfectly bare. Free of any waxes, sealants, or polishing oils. If the surface is not completely bare, we have experienced difficulties applying coatings.

Unfortunately you will basically need to start over to make sure your coating works as it should. This means the car should be properly washed and dried. I doubt there are any bonded contaminates on the vehicle if you had properly decontaminated it recently, so you can probably skip the clay bar. You should then machine polish the entire vehicle with a traditional polish like Meguiar's M205. If you need something more aggressive to remove any streaks or defects, then consider a medium polish like Griot's Garage Correcting Cream or a cutting compound like Griot's Garage Fast Correcting Cream.

Once the entire vehicle has been properly machine polished, wipe the entire vehicle with CarPro Eraser on a clean, plush microfiber towel. Apply a liberal amount of Eraser to one panel of the vehicle, and use your towel to "Wash" the panel. Use another clean towel to buff to a streak free finish. Work your way around the car until you are certain the paint is perfectly clean and ready for coating. Now apply your coating. Do not over apply. You want a thin, even layer of product.


Let me know if you have any questions.

-Zach
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      05-15-2017, 12:02 PM   #1863
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Detailed Image View Post
I have not actually used the Blackfire Crystal Coating, however based on your description of your process, the one thing that immediately jumps out at me is your use of Klasse AIO for polishing.

KAIO is meant to leave it's own durable layer of protection on the paint (hence the term "all in one" which means it will polish and protect the finish). This is absolutely not the type of product you want to use before a coating because the surface of the paint needs to be perfectly bare. Free of any waxes, sealants, or polishing oils. If the surface is not completely bare, we have experienced difficulties applying coatings.

Unfortunately you will basically need to start over to make sure your coating works as it should. This means the car should be properly washed and dried. I doubt there are any bonded contaminates on the vehicle if you had properly decontaminated it recently, so you can probably skip the clay bar. You should then machine polish the entire vehicle with a traditional polish like Meguiar's M205. If you need something more aggressive to remove any streaks or defects, then consider a medium polish like Griot's Garage Correcting Cream or a cutting compound like Griot's Garage Fast Correcting Cream.

Once the entire vehicle has been properly machine polished, wipe the entire vehicle with CarPro Eraser on a clean, plush microfiber towel. Apply a liberal amount of Eraser to one panel of the vehicle, and use your towel to "Wash" the panel. Use another clean towel to buff to a streak free finish. Work your way around the car until you are certain the paint is perfectly clean and ready for coating. Now apply your coating. Do not over apply. You want a thin, even layer of product.


Let me know if you have any questions.

-Zach
Thanks so much Zach--that does make sense; I always think of KAIO as a polish and did not think that it is a sealant also. That, and I probably used too much product.

I will start over as you recommend. Given that the product is advertised to last for up to 2 years, should I wait a certain amount of time before correcting?

Thanks again.
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      05-15-2017, 12:54 PM   #1864
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Quote:
Originally Posted by claycourter01 View Post
Thanks so much Zach--that does make sense; I always think of KAIO as a polish and did not think that it is a sealant also. That, and I probably used too much product.

I will start over as you recommend. Given that the product is advertised to last for up to 2 years, should I wait a certain amount of time before correcting?

Thanks again.
Once the coating has been applied, the only real way to remove it is to use an abrasive on it (i.e. A polish, compound, sand paper, etc). This means that as long as you are able to keep your finish swirl free, and clean, there is no need to correct the paint in any way, however once you do decide you need to polish the vehicle to restore clarity and gloss, you will have to reapply the coating all over again.

I personally do a light polish on our vehicles every 1.5-3 years, and I will then reapply a coating of my choice. In between applications, I simply wash the vehicles regularly (especially important if you live in an area with harsh environmental conditions) and apply coating toppers such as CarPro Reload, GTechniq C2, 22ple VS1, etc.

-Zach
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      05-15-2017, 02:10 PM   #1865
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Detailed Image View Post
Once the coating has been applied, the only real way to remove it is to use an abrasive on it (i.e. A polish, compound, sand paper, etc). This means that as long as you are able to keep your finish swirl free, and clean, there is no need to correct the paint in any way, however once you do decide you need to polish the vehicle to restore clarity and gloss, you will have to reapply the coating all over again.

I personally do a light polish on our vehicles every 1.5-3 years, and I will then reapply a coating of my choice. In between applications, I simply wash the vehicles regularly (especially important if you live in an area with harsh environmental conditions) and apply coating toppers such as CarPro Reload, GTechniq C2, 22ple VS1, etc.

-Zach
thanks Zach-- I was not intending to use the term "correct" in the technical sense of paint correction. I just was not sure how soon I could try to remove this coating of the Crystal Coat. I assume it's OK to try to polish off this coating at any time?

thanks again.
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      05-15-2017, 09:24 PM   #1866
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Yes - the sooner the better!

-Zach
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      05-16-2017, 12:43 PM   #1867
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Detailed Image View Post
Yes - the sooner the better!

-Zach
thanks Zach--ordering some DI products and will work on it.
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      05-16-2017, 02:02 PM   #1868
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After I wash my car, often through a touch-less car wash, I usually wash my outside windows with window cleaner.
Is this a good method or should I leave the wax on there to build up?
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      05-17-2017, 08:41 AM   #1869
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After I wash my car, often through a touch-less car wash, I usually wash my outside windows with window cleaner.
Is this a good method or should I leave the wax on there to build up?
The "wax" sprayed on the car via a touch less car wash is not something that is particularly durable. It will make no difference if you leave it on your glass or not in my opinion.
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      06-01-2017, 11:31 AM   #1870
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In between annual trips to the detail person, I usually visit my local wash bay and spray down the car. I never use the wash brush as I want to avoid swirl marks on my freshly resprayed front end. The result is a fine layer of grime that is never really washed away.

Is there a product that I can spray on while using the power washer at the car wash that will actually get the car clean and not leave behind dirt while I spot dry the car?
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