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01-02-2012, 12:45 AM | #1 |
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New Car, How to maintain?
Hey guys, so I finally leased a 2012 Alpine White M3 Competition Coupe. Wondering whats the best way to maintain the car. I've had the car 5 days now and I've noticed some smog like dustiness all over the car. Any way to get rid of this besides washing?
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01-03-2012, 08:54 AM | #2 |
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Wash it... Trying a quick spray and microfiber towel is fine on smaller areas, but if the whole car is covered with stuff it's easier to just wash it.
You need to wash it properly though. A few searches around here and you'll find some good sites that can show you the details of a two bucket wash method. Good luck!
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01-03-2012, 11:36 AM | #3 |
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yea i saw some posts about it, but im really worried about not having enough water and winding up scratching the clearcoat but rubbing in dirt/grime. is it better to just go to a nice hand wash place and have them do an initial wash/polish/wax?
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01-03-2012, 11:37 AM | #4 |
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im guessing new cars dont have any coats of wax on the car? should i wax myself or take it to a car wash, or do a full winter detail prep. the car really isnt dirty, just light dust all over from driving. too cold to wash myself here in NYC as its 32-37 deg right now. ive just been cleaning the brake dust off the wheels so far
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01-03-2012, 11:39 AM | #5 |
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Well if it's dirty then wash it or have it washed. Just such an odd thread.
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01-03-2012, 11:57 AM | #6 |
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my question was more of HOW to maintain, not IF i should... lol
I dunno how it got turned around. Obviously I will wash it, but wondering if theres any tips/tricks/advice/how-to-best go forward on a brand new car for winter & everything else thereafter |
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01-03-2012, 12:11 PM | #7 |
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the best way is to obviously wash and wax the car. if you can't, try a detailing spray with some microfiber towels. BUT, you must dust the car off completely first with a California duster for example before wiping it down with a detailer spray. otherwise, you'll just be damaging your paint with a ll the grit.
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01-03-2012, 12:37 PM | #8 | |
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01-03-2012, 12:41 PM | #9 |
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Hmmm...I have friends who swear by them. I think anything can scratch the paint when you think about it. Hard to have contact with something and it magically pull away the dirt without some sort of friction.
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01-03-2012, 12:44 PM | #10 |
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ummmm...unless you know how to use a California duster the right way. as in the duster lightly touching the paint as you go through the car in one direction. the duster has a bad rep due to people not knowing how to use it properly.
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01-03-2012, 01:36 PM | #11 |
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back when i first got into detailing i wanted to know how to maintain my car w/out washing it since dust settled so easy. after searching i found out about qd's and the california duster. i think like tech said anything can cause scratches but i dont think the duster is the go to item for a professional detailer. hopefully one of them will chime in
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01-03-2012, 02:39 PM | #12 |
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I've had the same deliberations about the cali duster. I thought maybe on a car worth 30k, its useful and works well. But on a $80k m3, i'd prefer to minimize swirls marks in the clear coat. I like to drive a very very clean car, and wanted something to touch the car up with between washes.
im wondering if just a wash spraydown without soap would do the trick. (just bc its 25 here in NYC today) |
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01-03-2012, 02:42 PM | #13 | |
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01-03-2012, 10:19 PM | #14 | |
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ferrari or honda, you get the same treatment (If paid for obviously - its just more worth it to spend 1500+ on a full correction after 2 years of neglect on a Fcar compared to a honda) OP, you need to wash it, clay it, polish it, seal it (or coat it for better protection) and then get on a solid routine to maintain it! Here is what I recommend wash weekly wax bi monthly, strip and seal every 6 months polish every six month clay every six months protect the interior every month claying and polishing go hand in hand, same with sealing! Anytime you want to do those things, its smart to use a protection stripping wash solution to break down the waxes on top. Then you clay the whole car, then polish it. Then clean the paint and lay on a coat or two of a sealant wax. Then either next month, or next wash, whenever you want, throw on a coat of wax. I have some clients I maintain their cars with that same regimen and their cars ALWAYS look good! |
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01-04-2012, 02:34 AM | #15 | |
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http://paintcare-n-detailing.com/pinnacle.html |
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01-04-2012, 08:11 AM | #16 | |
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Any DRY item rubbing it will cause more marring than something lubricated with a shampoo and water (which also slightly lifts the dirt and dust off of the surface of the paint). This is just science. I have a california duster and I do use it, and yes it causes some light marring that is barely noticeable, but it DOES do it. No matter how "lightly" you dust the car, it causes a few small marks. Saying it doesn't at all if you know how to use it is slightly misguided. There is no magic item out there that will not mark up the car when you rub it against the paint when the car is dry and you're not washing it. Even when you wash it by hand, you're going to put some swirls in the paint (depending on your experience it might be a lot less than others). In order to truly remove the swirls and small scratches, the car needs the proper detail done and must be clayed, polished, and then sealed/waxed. Anything done to the top level of the car after that has a chance to add swirls and marks. @ OP, if you don't mind some minor swirls that you probably won't see (unless you look up close in direct sunlight), then just use a QD spray and microfiber towel or a California duster. Don't apply a ton of pressure, just enough to get rid of the dust. I recommend the full treatment though. Use the two bucket wash method with two different wash mitts, grit guards at the bottoms of the buckets, etc... You'll get a very good wash and you'll have very little marring of the paint. Then you can procede to clay/polish/wax.
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01-04-2012, 08:57 AM | #17 |
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01-04-2012, 09:01 AM | #18 |
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01-04-2012, 01:52 PM | #20 | |
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I completely agree that any pressure while the car is dusty/dirty will cause scratches. But my responses are based on the OP's situation and question.
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01-04-2012, 03:06 PM | #21 |
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Yea, but if he's going to wash it the California duster isn't necessary. He should just wash it. The soap/water will lubricate the car enough and lift the dustiness from the paint enough that he can safely use a wash mitt to wash it. The duster just adds an unnecessary step IMO, although for small areas of light dust in between washes they are just fine.
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01-06-2012, 10:56 AM | #22 |
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fantastic advice! thanks OPS & Templar
I think im gonna just do the washes like you said and use quick detail spray + microfiber cloth for the small areas that collect dust; most notably the rear lip spoiler, and bumper. ill post a pic later of the dust issue im talking about |
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