[Rick328]

Dealership + detailing = Bad news coming...

[dsb335]

Originally Posted by AMG KLR

Jeez. My dealer is awesome at detailing

Same here. When I picked up my car, it looked great. I DIY at this point.

I enjoy the Junkman videos. He knows his stuff but the poor lighting makes it tough to see what he's trying to demonstrate. The Drive Clean/AMMONYC YouTube videos offer just as much learning and it's easier to see the results.

[hockeyplayer]

OP, if you're worried about swirl marks just wax it by hand & don't use one of those electric buffers.

[335BOY]

My car was delivered NEW with more swirls and holograms than I had ever seen....ever. They tried to fix it to no avail. They paid for it to be fixed at a Detailers for about $350. Every dealer is different but I wouldnt waste my dough there.

[PINeely]

Originally Posted by hockeyplayer

OP, if you're worried about swirl marks just wax it by hand & don't use one of those electric buffers.

There's nothing wrong with a buffer. If you use a rotary buffer you risk burning through the paint with a polish but an orbital buffer used properly will yield much better results than hand.

[AzureHaze]

Let me tell you this:

Would you go to a Chinese restaurant to eat Japanese food if they had it on the menu?

There's your answer for stealership detailing.

[Fillyo75]

If you are leasing, who cares!

[335BOY]

Originally Posted by hockeyplayer

OP, if you're worried about swirl marks just wax it by hand & don't use one of those electric buffers.

Wow.

[FXMR]

Originally Posted by hockeyplayer

OP, if you're worried about swirl marks just wax it by hand & don't use one of those electric buffers.

Doesn't make a difference. I've been using my Porter Cable on multiple vehicles for years now and I can firmly attest it does not make swirls.

OP, don't go to the dealership. If you ever look at a typical dealer wash bay you'll understand all of our concerns. I'm not implying all dealerships are like that; however, you'd be hard pressed to find a dealer that practices semi-decent car care techniques.

[hockeyplayer]

Originally Posted by PINeely

There's nothing wrong with a buffer. If you use a rotary buffer you risk burning through the paint with a polish but an orbital buffer used properly will yield much better results than hand.

I'm not saying there is anything "wrong" with a buffer. I'm saying that in inexperienced hands it can cause problems.

[JetBlackBMW3]

Originally Posted by Fillyo75

If you are leasing, who cares!

... ... Really?

[iBoost]

DIY I have a sweet package listed in the for sale section!

[Fillyo75]

Originally Posted by JetBlackBMW3

... ... Really?

Yep, really! What's your argument?

[Ao1]

When I purchased my first used BWM from a BMW dealer I made the mistake of buying their detailing package. The car looked brand new, but after a couple of cleans I started to notice scratches appearing and some damage to the clear coat on the bonnet, which appeared to be a result of bird lime. Bottom line is the "detailing" package conveniently hides defects and by the time they become evident it is easy for the dealer to say it was nothing to do with them.

When I purchased my next used car from a BMW dealer I refused to get the detailing package. They could not hide anything and when I went to pick it up there was road rash all over the bonnet and spoiler. I made them re-spray the bonnet and spoiler before I would take the car. Chances are that if I had fallen for the detailing package it would not have been evident until it was too late.

If you care about your paint finish do not let the dealer touch it. Learn to do it yourself (which is quite satisfying but can end up leaving you with an OCD problem) or get a professional detailer to do the work.

Alternatively just wrap the car and save yourself a whole lot of trouble.

[Ao1]

Originally Posted by hockeyplayer

OP, if you're worried about swirl marks just wax it by hand & don't use one of those electric buffers.

A wax will only hide swirl marks and it won't be long before they start to show through again. BMW paint is quite hard. An orbital polisher is safe but you need to use the right combination of polishing compounds and pads. If you don't do that you can end up with no improvement or even make a bad situation worse. With a little practice and reading up on the subject it is easy to get really good results.

[Ao1]

My E92 after a detailing session and two coats of Sio2 (nano coating). Much easier to keep clean and swirl free, but still hard work.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resi...t=photo%2c.jpg

The same car but wrapped.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resi...t=photo%2c.jpg

After a couple of weeks with no washing.....wrapping wins hand down and the paint work is left in perfect condition underneath.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resi...t=photo%2c.jpg