[prakashbabu]

Hi All,

Although I am new to this forum, I am very confident to get some right advice here.

My car is brand new 335i xDrive coupe (black sapphire) and I need some advice on how to wash the car. It is looking dirty now with pollen deposits. I was told not to use machine wash. What is the best way to wash the car with out scratches? Any advice will be highly appreciated.

Regards,
Prakash

[Kensta335]

http://www.e90post.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13

[blue2fire]

You are fucked, there is no washing black sapphire.

[xg3]

if its brand new and assuming you are no professional car detailer..

buy a brand new MICROFIBRE cloths... buy two just in case you drop one on the ground..

buy 2 buckets.. some car soap (something from meguiar should be available at your local store)

mix one bucket of clean water with soap, and the other with soap.

use one towel to clean the top portion of the car, and the other to clean the bottom portion. and keep those two towel seperated. This will minimize swirl mark created by dirts from the lower portion of the car.

As u drive ur car more frequently in the future, it will require more attention, but for now.. i think it will be fine.

[twinturboa51]

always use a paint safe microfiber. i got MF wash mitts and towels from bjs and i think costco has them too for cheap. for wash i would get the Poorboys Super Slick and give it a nice coat of the Nattys Blue to keep it from getting the infamous swirl marks on black BMWs. Good luck it is tough keeping black saphire looking its best.

[ToadHollow]

Apply very light pressure to the paint when washing/drying. ALWAYS move in a forward to back motion when washing/drying as well. Think of it like this ....... you're moving with the grain of the paint (the direction in which the paint was applied) thus the paint is less susceptible to the dreaded swirls. Swirls are generally caused by washing/drying/waxing/wax removal in a circular motion.

You'll be pleasantly surprised with the results if you practice this technique.

[jopa489]

Good advice all around. You can also check out some of the tutorials over at DetailedImage. There's some very good advice there as well.

[ToadHollow]

Originally Posted by jopa489

Good advice all around. You can also check out some of the tutorials over at DetailedImage. There's some very good advice there as well.

All of the Jet Black owners eventually become exterior pros at some point ......

[Delta0311]

Originally Posted by ToadHollow

All of the Jet Black owners eventually become exterior pros at some point ......

HAHA I agree with you on that 100%. I took my car to the car wash a few times back in 07 when I bought it and boy was in for a shocker. Now I do the car myself, I'm still working on trying to remove some of the remaining fine scratches. You got any advice?

[ToadHollow]

Originally Posted by Delta0311

HAHA I agree with you on that 100%. I took my car to the car wash a few times back in 07 when I bought it and boy was in for a shocker. Now I do the car myself, I'm still working on trying to remove some of the remaining fine scratches. You got any advice?

If you have a machine polisher or access to one then that'll be your best bet in ridding the scratches. By hand just doesn't cut it. Menzerna products from DI would work very well for polishing. Start w/ Menzerna PO85RD http://www.detailedimage.com/Menzern...P217/32-oz-S1/ and then make a pass with the Menzerna Power Finish PO203S http://www.detailedimage.com/Menzern...P266/32-oz-S1/ . A good quality carnauba will give the finishing depth ..... Dodo Juice products are my fav. Purple Haze soft is great!


2 products, 2 passes and a good wax and she's wantin' to go for a ride.

Side Note: If the car has never received a proper machine polish then you'll absolutely want to have this doen or do it yourself. As always, be sure to clay bar thoroughly before going to the polishing!

[Delta0311]

Originally Posted by ToadHollow

If you have a machine polisher or access to one then that'll be your best bet in ridding the scratches. By hand just doesn't cut it. Menzerna products from DI would work very well for polishing. Start w/ Menzerna PO85RD http://www.detailedimage.com/Menzern...P217/32-oz-S1/ and then make a pass with the Menzerna Power Finish PO203S http://www.detailedimage.com/Menzern...P266/32-oz-S1/ . A good quality carnauba will give the finishing depth ..... Dodo Juice products are my fav. Purple Haze soft is great!


2 products, 2 passes and a good wax and she's wantin' to go for a ride.

Side Note: If the car has never received a proper machine polish then you'll absolutely want to have this doen or do it yourself. As always, be sure to clay bar thoroughly before going to the polishing!

I already have the Menzerna products but what buffer would you recommend?

[ToadHollow]

Originally Posted by Delta0311

I already have the Menzerna products but what buffer would you recommend?

I switch out the Porter Cable 7424 to the Flex depending on the car. Flex would probably be the most versatile and capable with it's ease of use while the PC seems kind of "clumsy" at times with the handle positioned to the side rather than the top like the Flex.

[Gig103]

Most basic -- Get a bucket or two from home depot, and a sheepskin or microfiber wash mitt.

Then hit up Detailersdomain or Detailedimage for some good car soap, a grit guard, and a few microfibers: At least one waffle-weave for drying, and a bunch of regular ones for detail work like removing polishes.

Then it's just Lather, rinse, and dry!

[Delta0311]

Originally Posted by ToadHollow

I switch out the Porter Cable 7424 to the Flex depending on the car. Flex would probably be the most versatile and capable with it's ease of use while the PC seems kind of "clumsy" at times with the handle positioned to the side rather than the top like the Flex.

Ok I see what you mean.. I already got the products (as stated previously) but what pads should I get with it? This would be my frist time using a buffer and I don't want to screw up my paint, so would it be safe for a beginner. Basuically I'm looking to get those ugly fine scratches of the hood of my car.

[ToadHollow]

Originally Posted by Delta0311

Ok I see what you mean.. I already got the products (as stated previously) but what pads should I get with it? This would be my frist time using a buffer and I don't want to screw up my paint, so would it be safe for a beginner. Basuically I'm looking to get those ugly fine scratches of the hood of my car.

For the first step I would use the green Lake Country pad and then move to the white, blue and/or black. How deep the scratches are and how much polishing you do will determine which pads you'll use.

Green - Light cutting (this should be sufficient for light to medium scratches)
White - Polishing (typically this will be used for the moderate polishing)
Blue - Fine finishing pad (typically for the second polishing phase)
Black - This would be used for the final polishing pass

You really won't need to use all of these however, which pad you need will be determined by how the first polishing turns out. If the hood requires heavier polishing to remove the imperfections then it will ALSO require more fine polishing to remove the fine scratches left by the initial polishing.

If I were to guess, I would go with the white, blue and black pads. The green shouldn't be needed on a newer car but then again I don't know what type of scratches you have to know how much cutting/polishing will be needed to remove them.

[ToadHollow]

By the way, since I have experience in detailing/machine polishing; I am very comfortable with using the more aggressive polishes/pads. Until you feel comfortable with the equipment and different polishing techniques I wouldn't suggest anything more than what I mentioned above.

If you decide to go with the Flex (or even the PC for that matter) you will find it VERY easy to use. Don't use too much pressure and let the machine do the work. Keep the speed at about 1/2 or just a bit more and you won't have any issues. It's pretty tough to screw up the paint with the pads that are being used these days.

[Delta0311]

Originally Posted by ToadHollow

By the way, since I have experience in detailing/machine polishing; I am very comfortable with using the more aggressive polishes/pads. Until you feel comfortable with the equipment and different polishing techniques I wouldn't suggest anything more than what I mentioned above.

Thanks for your help. The scratches are the ones made by the damn car wash. You cannot feel them and they are only visible in direct sunlight when you get up close to the car.

[ToadHollow]

Originally Posted by Delta0311

Thanks for your help. The scratches are the ones made by the damn car wash. You cannot feel them and they are only visible in direct sunlight when you get up close to the car.

Ok. White and then either the blue or black pads will be sufficient for you. Top it off with a good carnauba wax afterward and you're golden. You might even apply 2 coats of the wax just for the added depth.

I know I seem to be long winded with this stuff but, it's tough to be too general with this process.

EDIT: Since this would be the first time for you with machine polishing you might want to also apply the Menzerna Final Touch Glaze http://www.detailedimage.com/Menzern...-P77/32-oz-S2/. Any swirls left after the finer polishing process will be filled in with the glaze prior to the waxing. This would really be to your benefit to use til you get a technique down.

[Craig@SupremePower]

blacks a biotch...good luck!!