[c^2]

Hi everyone,

I got really lucky and received a brand-new 2011 328xi coupe (black sapphire finish) for my birthday. All nice things aside, I am in need of help about cleaning. I’ve been looking around the forums for a week now and picked up on the how-to and what-to-buy but I still need some help.


Background about the car:
When my folks bought the car from the dealer, they had bought a paint sealant warranty with it. By the time I found out, it was already time to pick up the car, so it was already prepped and sealed (exterior + interior). The sales manager at the dealership told me that the sealant would be reapplied every year by their service department for up to 5 years on the paint, leather, and interior.

I received a kit as well to do my own touch ups, called their “protection 8” package, which consists of the following bottles…
-environment paint sealant
-enviromental paint sealant reactivator
-car wash concentrate
-spot and tar remover
-window sealant
-vinyl and leather conditioner/protector
-fabric and upholstery protector
-new car cleaner/deodorizer

^ Looking at the corner print, the company that distributes this is “Empire Chemical Sales,” which is based out of Gloversville, NY.

I’ve had this car for about 2 weeks now and have been driving it rain and shine. I don’t have another car anymore (folks asked to take it in exchange for the new car), so this will be my only car that I will drive year-around. I live in Massachusetts, so it’s going to be exposed to everything… snow, ice, dirty rain, etc.

Currently, the dealership-applied paint sealant seems to be holding up okay – after driving it in the rain for the majority of the 2 weeks, it still has a nice deep black gloss… though if I look in sunlight I can spot swirls on the clear coat.

My question:
I am at the point where I would like to wash my car to clean up the dirt. Since there is already sealant applied to the car…

-For a quick clean, would it hurt much if I took it through a touchless wash? The kit I got doesn’t have any instructions (neither is there online the manufacturer’s website), so I was thinking about doing a clay bar after the wash, and then using the paint sealant reactivator?

-For longer term, would anyone be able to point me in a direction as to where to search to get my car exterior detailed professionally? I’m pretty new to the world of cars (I only know how to drive, fill up gas, and take it in for maintenance) and I have very limited time because of my job at a hospital, so I rather not make an attempt at detailing on my own as I know it will end up badly. Google seems to just give me big companies that do detailing as a bonus part of doing maintenance service with them, which doesn't sound to be anything special.


Thanks in advance for all of your input!

[OrangeHooligan]

I'm on the run now, but you should take care of this car from the start. It would be easier to talk via email rather than the mobile version of this forum, my email is 12berke@gmail.com

[335xi_zer0]

I personally don't like going through any type of washes that aren't with my own bare hands as it opens the door to micro scratches and you know no one is going to care for your car more than you (except pros of course).

If you just want a quick wash, i would suggest Chemical Guys Maxi Suds if you have time to buy it online. If not, i would also go with Meguiar's Gold Class. These won't strip your paint of all the detail work thats been put on it.

I would also invest in quick detailer, especially with all the weather your baby's about to go through. Personally I use Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Detailer. Work's great.

I wouldn't clay bar your car right away considering it's still brand spanking new. I would wait until maybe spring time. You should clay bar about twice a year, before winter and summer. This also depends on the conditions of where you live. If there's a lot of dirt and all, you might want to do it now.

Now would be a good time for you to invest in some detailing supplies if you haven't done so before. The how-to guide here makes a pretty good list, I don't necessarily follow it to the tee but everyone has their own methods and products. Most importantly, MICROFIBER IS YOUR FRIEND.

As for detailers, look in this forum for your region. There might be people there who would offer to detail for you. If you were in VA I would help out.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

[c^2]

^Sounds good to me

Thanks to you both!