Just purchased my first bmw in August. Really wanted a diesel and went back and forth between the e250 before finally going with the 535d after months of deliberation.
It's been 12 years since purchasing a new car so I started researching this forum for detailing advice. My experience is best summed up as, "The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know” - Einstein. I had no idea how much goes in to prepping and keeping the exterior of a car looking flawless. New found respect for all those detail shops out there that do it right.
I'm thankful for great resources like this forum and leaned heavily on two sources, highly recommended for those prepping a new or lightly used new car.
http://f10.5post.com/forums/showthre...ight=detailing
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...ocess-bmw-550/
Here are my steps, I'll post before & after pictures soon:
1. Cleaned the wheels & tires: rinsed, sprayed with degreaser, brushed then rinsed again (Meguiar's D10801, EZ Detail Brush, Mothers Wheel Brush). Did each wheel individually until all complete.
2. Sprayed degreaser on lower areas of car and select spots.
3. "Snow Foamed" the car (Foam Lance, Chemical Guys CWS_110).
4. Let it sit for a bit, then rinsed.
5. Two bucket wash (Chemical Guys CWS_301, grit guard, microfiber wash mitt). Dry car with blower.
6. Remove iron (Carpro Iron X). Spray on Iron X, rinse, dry then repeat.
7. Clay entire car (Meguiar's G1016).
8. Polish (Menzerna Micro Polish SF 4500 with Lake Country black finishing pad).
9. Clean paint (Chemical Guys Extreme EZ-Creme Glaze).
10. Protect (BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection).
11. Wax (BLACKFIRE Midnight Sun Ivory Carnauba Paste Wax) two coats.
I did all this over two days. The first 6 steps went fairly quick, under two hours. Steps 7 - 11 took about ten hours. May have taken me a bit longer than most given I'm a newbie and it was hot outside (even though I was out of the sun, was sweating a lot).
This is not for the faint of heart, it's a lot of work. It's worth paying a reputable detailer, I didn't have the option in my area.