[jopa489]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

Many people have had good luck using Chemical Guys VRT for more of a shiny dressing that doesn't seem to sling. Other than that, we don't have too many shinier dressing than Opti-Bond. To get them shiny, would require multiple coats, but you can do that with just about any dressing.

Might have to go old school silicone based dressing if you want that super gloss.

Looking forward to seeing your fall detail, I always enjoy seeing your work! Thanks

Thanks, will add this to my next order (tonight) and give it a shot. Sounds like a pretty versatile product.

Just need to find the time to do the fall detail writeup, but the car looks gorgeous. I've only driven it once since finishing the detail so the car has turned into a bit of a garage queen for the past week. The weather has been iffy and it's way to clean to chance in the rain (at least for a little while).

Edit: Ended up going with PB Bold N' Bright, just because it seemed to fit the bill based on the description. Seems like a new product though (no reviews on DI) so I'll be sure to add a review once I've had a chance to give it a shot. If it doesn't work out, I'll try the VRT.

[capo1m]

i have a rotary buffer and i have an aw car i have some swirls that do not want to come out swirls/fine scratches i have been using menzerna intensive polish followed by the finish polish and it has some good results with a red for intensive and the yellow pad for finish but i am not getting everything out that i would like... would you recommend getting m105 and what would be the best pad to use and where could i get this pad or a pad package to try for getting these out?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by jopa489

Thanks, will add this to my next order (tonight) and give it a shot. Sounds like a pretty versatile product.

Just need to find the time to do the fall detail writeup, but the car looks gorgeous. I've only driven it once since finishing the detail so the car has turned into a bit of a garage queen for the past week. The weather has been iffy and it's way to clean to chance in the rain (at least for a little while).

Edit: Ended up going with PB Bold N' Bright, just because it seemed to fit the bill based on the description. Seems like a new product though (no reviews on DI) so I'll be sure to add a review once I've had a chance to give it a shot. If it doesn't work out, I'll try the VRT.

Sounds like you picked up the Poorboy's Bold 'n Bright Gel, which is a new product. The original Bold 'n Bright formula is more liquid like and has very good reviews from our customers. Keep us posted on what you think of the B'nB Gel, I haven't had a chance to use it yet.

Sounds like the detail turned out successful

Originally Posted by Capo330i

i have a rotary buffer and i have an aw car i have some swirls that do not want to come out swirls/fine scratches i have been using menzerna intensive polish followed by the finish polish and it has some good results with a red for intensive and the yellow pad for finish but i am not getting everything out that i would like... would you recommend getting m105 and what would be the best pad to use and where could i get this pad or a pad package to try for getting these out?

Which brand pads were you using? Meguiar's? You could try M105 on say a Cyan HydroTech Pad or even Purple Foamed Wool if the IP / Red combo wasn't doing the trick for you. Keep in mind sometimes when you go as aggressive as M105 with either of those pads mentioned, you may need 2 follow up steps to remove all of the hazing, micro-marring, etc.

Be sure to read the following M105 articles:
Polishing How-To with M105
What pad to use with M105

Another option would be Menzerna Power Gloss as a heavy cut compound if you wanted the same "feel" of the Menzerna polishes. Same pads I recommended above could be used or even a yellow or orange pad.

Hope this helps.

[Corsa999]

I used 303 Aerospace protectant last wekeend on my interior dash and other plastic parts and I decided to also use it on all of the rubber seals on my doors (sedan) and wiped the excess off afterwards of course. The rubber was looking "dry" before applying and I thought this would be a good way to keep the rubber pliant and conditioned. The car was brand new in March and is a 2010.

Well starting the next day (last Sunday) there is a large amount of rubber squeaking sound coming from all four doors! It's relentless when going over broken pavement. It HAS to be the new "slippery" rubber, rubbing against the door jams, right? What is going to be my best course of action here to stop the squeaking rubber? Just buffing the rubber seals vigorously with an MF towel? Have I done something awfully wrong by putting 303 aerospace on these rubber door seals? Help!

Thanks a lot.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Corsa999

I used 303 Aerospace protectant last wekeend on my interior dash and other plastic parts and I decided to also use it on all of the rubber seals on my doors (sedan) and wiped the excess off afterwards of course. The rubber was looking "dry" before applying and I thought this would be a good way to keep the rubber pliant and conditioned. The car was brand new in March and is a 2010.

Well starting the next day (last Sunday) there is a large amount of rubber squeaking sound coming from all four doors! It's relentless when going over broken pavement. It HAS to be the new "slippery" rubber, rubbing against the door jams, right? What is going to be my best course of action here to stop the squeaking rubber? Just buffing the rubber seals vigorously with an MF towel? Have I done something awfully wrong by putting 303 aerospace on these rubber door seals? Help!

Thanks a lot.

Perhaps you over applied the 303? What I'd suggest doing is take a damp MF towel, mist a little bit of 303 on there and go over your seals. When done, I'd give it a light wipe down with another towel.

I can't see how the 303 would make it squeak though unless you really over applied it and left it looking glossy, it's the first I've heard of this happening.

Keep us posted if that does the trick, if not, I'd use a degreaser to remove the 303 and not treat it at all to verify it was the 303 in the first place.

[jopa489]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

Sounds like you picked up the Poorboy's Bold 'n Bright Gel, which is a new product. The original Bold 'n Bright formula is more liquid like and has very good reviews from our customers. Keep us posted on what you think of the B'nB Gel, I haven't had a chance to use it yet.

Sounds like the detail turned out successful

Will do. Thanks for the super fast shipping as always! Ordered very late (11PM) Tuesday night, and the box was on my doorstep at 9:30AM today (Thursday).

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by jopa489

Will do. Thanks for the super fast shipping as always! Ordered very late (11PM) Tuesday night, and the box was on my doorstep at 9:30AM today (Thursday).

Anytime, it's nice being in the northeast for fast turn around

Thanks again for your continued support, have a great weekend.

[Mors Inimicis]

I recently purchased a 07 Jet Black e90. I noticed when I washed it that there were areas that didnt seem to shine like the rest of the car. I thought maybe it just needed to be waxed. When I clayed over the dull areas the clay didnt go over it as smoothly as the rest of the car. I pressed on and waxed the car by hand (don't have a buffer yet). After waxing the car I can still see the dull areas. It almost looks like its oxidized but its not where I would expect it to oxidize (roof, hood, trunk). The dull spots are under the driver side mirror and behind the front wheel well and behind the fron wheel well on the passenger side. Any ideas of what this might be from? or how I should go about fixing it?

[MaximusJ]

I got three questions today;

1- Pressure wash or nozzle wash?
2- Chamoix or blower to remove the excess water?
3- Would you say that claying/polishing a car outside is safe; if not made under direct sunlight; for sure. I know that I have to wait until my paint cool down a bit.

[Corsa999]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

Perhaps you over applied the 303? What I'd suggest doing is take a damp MF towel, mist a little bit of 303 on there and go over your seals. When done, I'd give it a light wipe down with another towel.

I can't see how the 303 would make it squeak though unless you really over applied it and left it looking glossy, it's the first I've heard of this happening.

Keep us posted if that does the trick, if not, I'd use a degreaser to remove the 303 and not treat it at all to verify it was the 303 in the first place.

Thanks so much for the reply. Looking at the seals I can't see any excess product at all and I did not apply liberally the day of. I simply sprayed a mist of 303 on a MF towel and ran it along all the seals until that chalky white look was gone. The rubber now looks new and "healthy".

I've never had any sort of squeaking issues prior to the full wash/cleaning I did that day and the squeaking began later that evening so I have to assume that's what did it. Everything else I used and all procedures followed are the same as usual for any wash I've done previously on the car. I hadn't thought about going over the seals again lightly with more 303 but I'll give that a shot and ensure a very good wipedown/buffing of the rubber after as well as the paint on the door frame where the rubber makes contact. The noise is really annoying at this point. I waited about a week or so now to see if it would stop....it hasn't.

Thanks again. I'll update here with the results.

[tomppa]

First - thanks for a great thread. Nice to ask things when you know it's the best possible advice you get
My 2006 midnight blue is in bad condition; never waxed, neither handwashed. I'm living in polluted area and park my car on the street. Needless to say washing will not make it clean anymore so clay is my next step. Should I use soft or coarse clay bar? (mothers?)
Can I wash my car when it's raining? What's the minimum temperature to wash a car outside? Water freezing point? Would a tiny 1-led uv-flashlight be sufficient to reveal swirls and marring on paint, or do you need more powerful devices?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Mors Inimicis

I recently purchased a 07 Jet Black e90. I noticed when I washed it that there were areas that didnt seem to shine like the rest of the car. I thought maybe it just needed to be waxed. When I clayed over the dull areas the clay didnt go over it as smoothly as the rest of the car. I pressed on and waxed the car by hand (don't have a buffer yet). After waxing the car I can still see the dull areas. It almost looks like its oxidized but its not where I would expect it to oxidize (roof, hood, trunk). The dull spots are under the driver side mirror and behind the front wheel well and behind the fron wheel well on the passenger side. Any ideas of what this might be from? or how I should go about fixing it?

Sounds like they are some areas that are in need of being polished out to remove the dullness. If it's oxidation, then you could get away with a non-abrasive chemical polish, something like Klasse All In One. If it's dullness due to improper polishing in the past, wet sanding or anything else similar, then you'd need to use an abrasive polish to restore the gloss. If you plan on doing this by hand, then I'd suggest trying Meguiar's M205 to see if that helps. This would be applied with a foam applicator and some elbow grease.

Beyond those two options, your next step would be to invest in a buffer and try to polish it out that way. If either of those first products puts a dent in restoring the gloss, then just continue to use it until you get the results you are looking for, a buffer would just get you there that much faster.

Keep us posted what you end up going with and how things turn out for you.

Originally Posted by MaximusJ

I got three questions today;

1- Pressure wash or nozzle wash?
2- Chamoix or blower to remove the excess water?
3- Would you say that claying/polishing a car outside is safe; if not made under direct sunlight; for sure. I know that I have to wait until my paint cool down a bit.

Depends on your needs, but most of the time a nozzle wash is all you'd need.

I'd suggest a waffle weave drying towel over a chamois, but you can use a blower to help remove water from between panels, trim, lug nuts, mirrors and other places that seem to continuously drip water.

Claying and polishing can be done outdoors but it's certainly not ideal. With wind and dust as a factor it can alter your results. Also, as you mentioned, you want to avoid doing any work in direct sunlight as it can effect the performance of many products. If you do have to do it outside, try to do it during dusk or dawn to minimize the sun exposure.

Originally Posted by Corsa999

Thanks so much for the reply. Looking at the seals I can't see any excess product at all and I did not apply liberally the day of. I simply sprayed a mist of 303 on a MF towel and ran it along all the seals until that chalky white look was gone. The rubber now looks new and "healthy".

I've never had any sort of squeaking issues prior to the full wash/cleaning I did that day and the squeaking began later that evening so I have to assume that's what did it. Everything else I used and all procedures followed are the same as usual for any wash I've done previously on the car. I hadn't thought about going over the seals again lightly with more 303 but I'll give that a shot and ensure a very good wipedown/buffing of the rubber after as well as the paint on the door frame where the rubber makes contact. The noise is really annoying at this point. I waited about a week or so now to see if it would stop....it hasn't.

Thanks again. I'll update here with the results.

Makes sense, I was just thinking of the first thing that came to mind, I still don't see how the 303 could cause the squeeking. You could shoot an e-mail to 303 and see if they have any thoughts, this is the first I've heard of anything like this. Keep us posted if it eventually stops and if there was anything you did to help it stop so we all know for future reference.

Originally Posted by tomppa

First - thanks for a great thread. Nice to ask things when you know it's the best possible advice you get
My 2006 midnight blue is in bad condition; never waxed, neither handwashed. I'm living in polluted area and park my car on the street. Needless to say washing will not make it clean anymore so clay is my next step. Should I use soft or coarse clay bar? (mothers?)
Can I wash my car when it's raining? What's the minimum temperature to wash a car outside? Water freezing point? Would a tiny 1-led uv-flashlight be sufficient to reveal swirls and marring on paint, or do you need more powerful devices?

If you car is more contaminated than what a wash can handle, then your on the right track with using the clay bar as your next step. You want to remove as much contamination as you can before moving on to polishing or protecting your paint.

Can you wash the car when it's raining? Yes, can you dry the car when it's raining, no. If you are prone to a lot of pollution in the air or acid rain, then you probably don't want to wash during the rain.

I wouldn't suggest much detailing when it's under 50 degrees, especially out doors.

Depends on the light itself, hard to say. I can see imperfections in nearly any type of lighting, but you have to have a trained eye and know what to look for. It takes a lot longer to view them in certain lighting and sometimes you can't see them at all. Ambient lighting usually plays a big factor when using smaller light sources.

Hope that helps.

[Alpine328]

Can't believe I did but, I did...

Got 2 large Latte's and was bringing them home to my wife in my 2008 328i when...

HIT THE BRAKES...Latte went FLYING!! Coffee wave flew from the center console holder across the gear shift, front portion of the console, and into the passenger floorboard carpet.

What I did:

1. Soaked up as much of the Latte as we could from the carpet.
2. Completely removed the center console.
3. Cleaned all the exposed carpet with the only cleaner I had. (Blue Coral )
4. Pulled back the passenger carpet just enough to get air under the carpet and let a fan blow on it for two days.

RESULT:
I don't see any stains, but I'm afraid of what will happen later...

QUESTION: Seems "ok" now, but what happens to coffee (with milk) when soaked into such a heavily padded BMW carpet? Is there more that I "should" do to keep it from turning soar smelling??

Should I just wait it out?

Thanks!!

[Corsa999]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

Perhaps you over applied the 303? What I'd suggest doing is take a damp MF towel, mist a little bit of 303 on there and go over your seals. When done, I'd give it a light wipe down with another towel.

I can't see how the 303 would make it squeak though unless you really over applied it and left it looking glossy, it's the first I've heard of this happening.

Keep us posted if that does the trick, if not, I'd use a degreaser to remove the 303 and not treat it at all to verify it was the 303 in the first place.

Well first I'd like to thank you for your suggestions and ideas. After doing some more investigating last week the issue has been resolved after two very annoying weeks. On a very warm 80 degree evening last week I had all four windows rolled down and eventually noticed that there was zero "squeaking" happening. So I rolled them up and the squeaking was back. All four slightly down...no squeak. So I had at least isolated it to the windows as opposed to the rubber seals/weather stripping in the door jams.

This was a relief but also posed a new issue. I didn't see any sort of residue on the actual window itself (especially checking on the edge that recesses up into the door frame when the window is closed). The rubber all around the window frame seemed dry as a bone.

I decided to run the car through a touchless car wash on Thursday night.....and afterwards the squeaking was completely 100% gone. I left for the weekend Friday and drove the car this morning over all sorts of chassis-flexing terrain and bumps...no squeak.

I may be uneducated when it comes to cleaning products but my theory here is that the extreme pressurized water somehow shot up into the exterior window rubber trim and removed whatever it was that was causing the windows to squeak when closed. I know the soaps etc that are used in these touchless washes can be pretty harsh but it somehow saved the day.

Thanks again for the help. I cannot say for sure what the cause was, but I apologize for casting a potentially negative light on any 303 aerospace product if I did so. I'll still be using 303 for my interior plastics/rubber!

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Alpine328

Can't believe I did but, I did...

Got 2 large Latte's and was bringing them home to my wife in my 2008 328i when...

HIT THE BRAKES...Latte went FLYING!! Coffee wave flew from the center console holder across the gear shift, front portion of the console, and into the passenger floorboard carpet.

What I did:

1. Soaked up as much of the Latte as we could from the carpet.
2. Completely removed the center console.
3. Cleaned all the exposed carpet with the only cleaner I had. (Blue Coral )
4. Pulled back the passenger carpet just enough to get air under the carpet and let a fan blow on it for two days.

RESULT:
I don't see any stains, but I'm afraid of what will happen later...

QUESTION: Seems "ok" now, but what happens to coffee (with milk) when soaked into such a heavily padded BMW carpet? Is there more that I "should" do to keep it from turning soar smelling??

Should I just wait it out?

Thanks!!

Sounds like you already took some good steps on making the best of a bad situation. The only other thing you could do down the road if the milk turns sour and you begin to get odors is to use/rent a carpet extractor. I think you'll probably be fine if you simply give it another go with the cleaner and perhaps some hot water and vacuum (which can essentially simulate what an extractor will do to some extent). I'd just wait it out and see if anything happens. If you want to help prevent some odors from forming you can put a plate of baking soda near the spill and that can help absorb some of the odors. Just make sure you remove it when you're ready to drive so it doesn't go all over the place.

Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by Corsa999

Well first I'd like to thank you for your suggestions and ideas. After doing some more investigating last week the issue has been resolved after two very annoying weeks. On a very warm 80 degree evening last week I had all four windows rolled down and eventually noticed that there was zero "squeaking" happening. So I rolled them up and the squeaking was back. All four slightly down...no squeak. So I had at least isolated it to the windows as opposed to the rubber seals/weather stripping in the door jams.

This was a relief but also posed a new issue. I didn't see any sort of residue on the actual window itself (especially checking on the edge that recesses up into the door frame when the window is closed). The rubber all around the window frame seemed dry as a bone.

I decided to run the car through a touchless car wash on Thursday night.....and afterwards the squeaking was completely 100% gone. I left for the weekend Friday and drove the car this morning over all sorts of chassis-flexing terrain and bumps...no squeak.

I may be uneducated when it comes to cleaning products but my theory here is that the extreme pressurized water somehow shot up into the exterior window rubber trim and removed whatever it was that was causing the windows to squeak when closed. I know the soaps etc that are used in these touchless washes can be pretty harsh but it somehow saved the day.

Thanks again for the help. I cannot say for sure what the cause was, but I apologize for casting a potentially negative light on any 303 aerospace product if I did so. I'll still be using 303 for my interior plastics/rubber!

Greatly appreciate the updates. I didn't think the 303 would have caused the squeeking, but there's a first for everything. I'm glad to hear that the situation has been taken care of and hopefully you don't run into that again!

Take care,

George

[tpabimmer]

good day !!! have been reading a gazillion posts .... and im sure that i have read the answer at least that many times ... im picking up my first BMW this friday ... a 07 328i ... and its "sapphire black" .... i would say that im a "regualar" driver ... work .. commute ... evenings out ... not a "showing" kinda person ... although i do wish to step up the look of the new ride .... have read many pros and cons about this color ... more pros than cons ... the condition of the car is better than average ... but i want to take it to the next level ... my experience in taking it to this level .???? well ...not much past dumping out the buckets .... after the wash !! might you point me in the right direction ??? threads i could read about this color ... ??? your thoughts ???? i live in florida ... were coming out of the rainy season ... it wont be so deadly hot anymore .... thx

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by tpabimmer

good day !!! have been reading a gazillion posts .... and im sure that i have read the answer at least that many times ... im picking up my first BMW this friday ... a 07 328i ... and its "sapphire black" .... i would say that im a "regualar" driver ... work .. commute ... evenings out ... not a "showing" kinda person ... although i do wish to step up the look of the new ride .... have read many pros and cons about this color ... more pros than cons ... the condition of the car is better than average ... but i want to take it to the next level ... my experience in taking it to this level .???? well ...not much past dumping out the buckets .... after the wash !! might you point me in the right direction ??? threads i could read about this color ... ??? your thoughts ???? i live in florida ... were coming out of the rainy season ... it wont be so deadly hot anymore .... thx

Congrats on the BMW pick up. Black can look amazing when properly detailed, but it can also be an eye sore if there are tons of swirls in the paint.

The first thing you'll want to do is invest in quality washing and drying products and learn the proper washing and drying techniques. Swirls and other imperfections typically occur due to improper washing and drying techniques or using dirty or ineffective equipment. A good starting point for you would be this wash kit paired up with a couple of 5 gallon buckets if you don't already have them.

If you want to ease into detailing without investing in a buffer to remove swirls but still want to add more depth and gloss than you currently have, I'd recommend going a glaze then topping it with a sealant. This is easy as applying both products thinly and removing them with some quality microfiber towels. I'd suggest going with Chemical Guys EZ Creme Glaze then topping that coat with some Blackfire Wet Diamond.

That would cover your paint, beyond that, you'll want to pick up some stuff for your glass, wheels and tires, and interior. Some of my go-to products for those steps are...
Chemical Guys Window Clean
Optimum Protectant Plus (cleans and protects vinyl, rubber, leather and plastic surfaces)
Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner (great degreaser and works outstanding on cleaning carpets, tires, wheel wells, engine bays and virtually any other stained surface when diluted properly)
Poorboy's World Bold 'n Bright Gel

That should be a start for you. If you have any other questions or would like any other suggestions for specific areas of your car, please do not hesitate to ask.

George

[Alpine328]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

Sounds like you already took some good steps on making the best of a bad situation. The only other thing you could do down the road if the milk turns sour and you begin to get odors is to use/rent a carpet extractor. I think you'll probably be fine if you simply give it another go with the cleaner and perhaps some hot water and vacuum (which can essentially simulate what an extractor will do to some extent). I'd just wait it out and see if anything happens. If you want to help prevent some odors from forming you can put a plate of baking soda near the spill and that can help absorb some of the odors. Just make sure you remove it when you're ready to drive so it doesn't go all over the place.

Hope this helps.

UPDATE: The sour milk smell does EXIST! Looks like it showed up. Took your advice...called a local carpet cleaner. He doesn't usually work on cars, but said he'd like to use a product called MICROBAN. Looks like it's an antimocrobial and the thought is that the sour smell is caused my the milk and the subsequent bacteria growing from the spill.

Thought: Kill the bacteria...kill the smell. There's no stain. I took care of that. Everything's fine until the car is shut up in the sun.

What do you think?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Alpine328

UPDATE: The sour milk smell does EXIST! Looks like it showed up. Took your advice...called a local carpet cleaner. He doesn't usually work on cars, but said he'd like to use a product called MICROBAN. Looks like it's an antimocrobial and the thought is that the sour smell is caused my the milk and the subsequent bacteria growing from the spill.

Thought: Kill the bacteria...kill the smell. There's no stain. I took care of that. Everything's fine until the car is shut up in the sun.

What do you think?

You got it right, you need to kill the bacteria which is the source of the smell. I think the extractor should do the trick. Sounds like the guy knows what he is doing. I'd recommend removing the seats for thorough extraction under the seats if some got under there.

From there you can maintain with regular cleanings using something like Chemical Guys Fabric Clean which will help clean and deoderize.

Appreciate the update, keep us posted how the extracting goes.

Good luck!

[tpabimmer]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

Congrats on the BMW pick up. Black can look amazing when properly detailed, but it can also be an eye sore if there are tons of swirls in the paint.

The first thing you'll want to do is invest in quality washing and drying products and learn the proper washing and drying techniques. Swirls and other imperfections typically occur due to improper washing and drying techniques or using dirty or ineffective equipment. A good starting point for you would be this wash kit paired up with a couple of 5 gallon buckets if you don't already have them.

If you want to ease into detailing without investing in a buffer to remove swirls but still want to add more depth and gloss than you currently have, I'd recommend going a glaze then topping it with a sealant. This is easy as applying both products thinly and removing them with some quality microfiber towels. I'd suggest going with Chemical Guys EZ Creme Glaze then topping that coat with some Blackfire Wet Diamond.

That would cover your paint, beyond that, you'll want to pick up some stuff for your glass, wheels and tires, and interior. Some of my go-to products for those steps are...
Chemical Guys Window Clean
Optimum Protectant Plus (cleans and protects vinyl, rubber, leather and plastic surfaces)
Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner (great degreaser and works outstanding on cleaning carpets, tires, wheel wells, engine bays and virtually any other stained surface when diluted properly)
Poorboy's World Bold 'n Bright Gel

That should be a start for you. If you have any other questions or would like any other suggestions for specific areas of your car, please do not hesitate to ask.

George

thank you george !! appreciate your time and reply .... picking up the new family member tonite around 7 ... tomorrow we will begin the "stepping it up" process !!!! thx

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by tpabimmer

thank you george !! appreciate your time and reply .... picking up the new family member tonite around 7 ... tomorrow we will begin the "stepping it up" process !!!! thx

Enjoy the car, let me know if there's anything else I can give you a hand with.

[BMW.FTW]

thanks for all the tips! i'm going to try out some ideas on my 328i monaco blue.