[BMW786]

Hello,
My car just arrived a few days ago and the dealer had it detailed. This is my first "real" car and I was wondering how to get started on cleaning it. How long should I wait before I should have it waxed? Is there a beginner's thread somewhere? Thanks.

[marcus330i]

You're going to have as many opinions as people who answer your post. I did read once that at the factory tour in Munich someone was told that you shouldn't wax the car for 3 months from date of production.

I'd just browse the detail forum here...lots of good info.

[zippo]

You're going to have as many opinions as people who answer your post.

HAH. Ain't that the truth..

I asked the Zaino folks about the issue of "waiting" for the paint to cure, etc.....Sal Zaino told me that the BMW paint is fully cured within 48 hours after application. [I had heard you should wait a couple of months, too which prompted my question to them] I'm not saying this is the last word on this, just passing along what I was told.

[AW330i]

huh, thats interesting because I was putting some serious thought into using a lighter polimer based wax for the first few months so as to let the paint cure/ breathe...

[HRC]

I dawned/clayed/polished the car the first weekend after delivery, up to 6 coats of zaino so far, the car looks so much better than the day I got it.

BTW, I asked my zaino rep about waiting for the paint to cure and he told me the same thing sal zaino said.

Danny

[BMW786]

Thanks for the tip guys...unfortunately, my first car wash experience didn't go as planned - i got water spots up the a$$!! :mad: they are an itch to clean btw. They even got into the kidney grille and I can't even reach those spots! You all must be more dedicated than I, because I'm not going to have time to spend half a day applying coats and coats of Zaino.

[nocturnal]

So it's OK to go ahead and wax once i get it??
IT's gonna be damn cold when i get it.... can i still wax when it's cold?
Should I risk riding out the winter with the car without waxing it??

OH, and 1 more: Can anyone give me the skinny on using Zaino? What do i need, and how do i use it? I"m new to "real cars" too. thanks!!

[ga-bmwdrvr]

I washed and waxed my car the day after I got it. After reading threads at autopia.org, meguiars.com and mothers.com, it seems the consensus is there is no need to wait. The paiint is fully cured by the time the car reaches the consumer. I also do not have the dedication needed to Zaino multiple coats so I:
1. washed & dryed- used Meguiars gold class car shampoo
2. clayed - used mothers clay bar kit, this does make a difference even on new paint. It removes unseen dirt and contamination leaving the surface smooth as glass and ready for wax/polisher
3. waxed - one coat of Meguiars Gold class wax
See the pictures below. The car is in the shade but you can see some decent reflections and the paint was a lot sleeker than with the dealer detail. After these pictures I washed and tried a different wax the next week (Mothers Reflections) and it looked even better than with the Maguiars. I'll try to post pictures tomorrow with the Reflections coat.

[ivanwibi]

I drop into a delaership a while ago, they have a car in the washing bay ready to be clean. It was placed under the shade to ensure that the surface of the paint is not hot (car paint is softer when they are hot).

This is what I have learnt and since adopt. The car was spray with detergent/water to soften the dirt (cuase it was parked at the dealership yard and had 'gather dust'), this is specillay usefull for buildup dirt areas and flat horizontal surfaces, leave it for 2-3 minutes to give the detergent mix time to react with the grime/dust.

Blast it with 1400+Psi spray (including under the mud guards and around its nooks and cranies) but never directly at a rubbber seal (cause it weaken it and be carefull arround black/paint transition edges - wrong angled spray might strip paints off bumper edges etc). Then shampoo it (at this stage the car is 90% clean) to remove finer film of dirt.

Regularly dip/wash the sponge in the bucket (never dip your sponge past 2/3 of the bucket cause the grit sediments are left on the bottom). Thus now the wet part of the process is finish.

The car delaership use wax whilst you dry (silicon/petrolium based) to give your car the wet look (but must evenly applied otherwise it will have swirly effect) and applied it (spray thin mist) whilst the water residuals are still on the car.

Then dry it with deep pile clean towel or car rubbery polymer fabric (we call its shammy in Australia), at this stage your car will be free from dirt/grime, and looking like a million bucks, whilst all the dirts are on you (from blasting it with 1400 psi pressure). Then do the tyre shine, and I used foamy spray car cleaners (silicon based yet again) inside the mud guards (makes it looks black and clean)

With proper equipment and prep you are looking at half hour max for the wet process/drying (1 person washing), then you can vacuum the int. and wipe the dash etc, say it takes you another 25 mins, for under one hour you have brought your car to a 'showroom condition', and of course your GF/wife will take it out and park it under a tree and it will be covered by bird dropping etc or at least soil the front wheels from braking (braking is good to stop the car ).

At present in Sydney we have water restriction, so I can't use the high pressure cleaner at home, I have to go to 'car lover' to use their equipment, I only clean my cars once every fortnight. Gets pretty yucky with those brake dust at the front wheels.

Good luck is washing your cars!, I found it to be relaxing cause me and my car is spending 'quality time'.