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      12-28-2016, 05:17 AM   #1
shiner
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Polishing and waxing

Hey guys,
Time has come for a bit of a polish and wax on my 535D. I am no longer getting any water beading on it.

Now, what routine should be used on it? It was my understanding that BMW body shop put lacquer on the top of the paint. So would using clay bar etc on any debris impregnated into the finish wipe of the lacquer? If you polish the car are you actually just polishing the lacquer and not the underlying paint?

What routine do you use?

Thanks.
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      12-28-2016, 05:32 AM   #2
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I do the following for a total cleanup

wash
clay bar
polish (optional)
wax

in between , I just wash and when necessary , additionally wax.

many opinions here on best products, so leave that for another thread!
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      12-28-2016, 06:37 AM   #3
shiner
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Does using a clay bar take the lacquer off the paintwork applied in the factory?
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      12-28-2016, 06:39 AM   #4
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Anything abrasive will, but we are talking tiny amounts here.
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      12-28-2016, 11:20 AM   #5
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If you use a claybar make sure you wash first then use a suitable lubricant when claying

Then wash again and use a polish followed by a wax

I use Zaino Z5 as a polish followed by Collinite 476s which is easy to apply and remove and leaves a great finish
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      12-28-2016, 01:10 PM   #6
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If your car is 3-4 years old and never been machine-polished it is almost certain to have a lot of fine scratches on it. Look at it under the canopy lights in a petrol station at night to see if it has swirl-marks on it. If it has, it might be worth getting a detailer to machine-polish it and apply a ceramic coating. For the next 18 months or so you just need to wash it carefully and periodically apply something for shine (I use SONAX BSD). It's quite incredible how much cleaner the car stays and it's much easier to wash. Mine is Azurite Black which doesn't look much under cloudy skies but when the sun comes out it looks fabulous. The only downside is that you are committing to washing the car yourself (or pay the detailer) as mechanical and £5 hand-washes will put all the scratches back on in a couple of sessions.
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      12-29-2016, 02:28 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrPogle View Post
If your car is 3-4 years old and never been machine-polished it is almost certain to have a lot of fine scratches on it. Look at it under the canopy lights in a petrol station at night to see if it has swirl-marks on it. If it has, it might be worth getting a detailer to machine-polish it and apply a ceramic coating. For the next 18 months or so you just need to wash it carefully and periodically apply something for shine (I use SONAX BSD). It's quite incredible how much cleaner the car stays and it's much easier to wash. Mine is Azurite Black which doesn't look much under cloudy skies but when the sun comes out it looks fabulous. The only downside is that you are committing to washing the car yourself (or pay the detailer) as mechanical and £5 hand-washes will put all the scratches back on in a couple of sessions.
Agree with this, I had mine done recently and had a clay bar, followed by a machine polish and two coats of Gtechniq (ceramic seal and glossifier) applied. My AW F10 stays so much cleaner than before and the majority of swirls have been removed. I wash it myself in summer and get my detailer to wash in winter . I intend on adding a coat of HD wax every 4-6 months...

Last edited by The Beast; 12-29-2016 at 02:39 PM..
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      12-29-2016, 05:28 AM   #8
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yes worth adding.
Washing is when most damage to the paintwork occurs. Do it your self, don't use sponges (they trap grit and will just scratch the clear coat) and don't allow anyone else to do it including the dealers.
No machine washes and certainly no cheap hand wash places for £10 / $10.

I find I have to wax about 3-4 times a year. I use autoglymm HD wax myself - obviously loads of other good products out there as well. Just a thin layer is all thats required.
Once a car is waxed, it is much easier to wash and in general will not attract as much muck as an unwaxed one will.
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      12-29-2016, 10:30 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shiner View Post
Does using a clay bar take the lacquer off the paintwork applied in the factory?
No, only the contaminates on the surface. This provided that you use it correctly as described on the instructions.
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      12-29-2016, 11:23 AM   #10
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yes use plenty of lubricant so you dont scratch the paintwork. if its been a long time since it was last clayed (or never) it is amazing how much muck it removes.
seen a youtube video where they day put a plastic bag on your hand and run over the paintwork, it will amplyfy any grit found so you can hear and feel it much better.
and also stating the obvious, if you drop any clay, don't reuse it.
plenty of videos out there on how to do it.
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      12-30-2016, 02:55 PM   #11
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This might help with the correct order to do it.
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      12-31-2016, 05:28 AM   #12
shiner
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Thanks. Been looking at the clay mitts that are very highly regarded. Some videos on Youtube show a guy washing his car with one of these and they remove all manner of gunk.

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/car...prep-clay-mitt

I have lots of tar spots on the front of the car, bonnet, mirrors and the sides of the doors. It is time to clay it for sure, certainly on those areas and I might as well do the whole car followed by a polish and a wax. The F11 does not need deep cutting, just a very fine polish will do it. Then a good wax on top of it. I will do one panel at a time to experiment.

I am thinking of getting a DAS6 Pro polishing machine. My Z4 needs to be deep cut to restore the paintwork so the machine will be well used. I might do that car first to test out the procedure since it is my garaged summer run around and only worth a few grand so it does not matter so much if I seriously mess something up.
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      12-31-2016, 07:16 AM   #13
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The usual advice is to get a panel from a scrap-yard and practice on that before going near real cars.

My own piece of advice is this. It will seems obvious now but, trust me, at the time it will not. If you do mess up and you have somehow added scratches rather than removed them, don't try and fix it. A decent pro can almost always recover one misadventure with a machine polisher. Trying to fix it yourself can result in repainting being required. Think of Father Ted's dent. Good luck.


Last edited by MrPogle; 12-31-2016 at 07:43 AM..
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      12-31-2016, 01:57 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AP View Post
I do the following for a total cleanup

wash
clay bar
polish (optional)
wax

in between , I just wash and when necessary , additionally wax.

many opinions here on best products, so leave that for another thread!
I also use an iron fallout remover as part of a full detailing.
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