About 3 weeks ago I turned in my Graphite 2007 328xi for a 2009 335i. What a ride the 335i is!! I have a couple of cosmetic maintance questions. The car is Alpine White with Beige Dakota leather. I think I realize now that a white car is not for me. I see every little tar spec and bug gut on it. I'm very anal about how my car looks. So I wanted to know what is safe to use on the car for bug and tar remover and how often can I safely do it? I don't want to take off the laquer. It's another lease but I want to [again] turn in a pristine car for some BMW lover who wants a CPO. Also, when I do the tar removal, should I wash the car first, use bug and tar, and rewash and then wax? I'm in a panic over this. Also, for the interior, what can I use to clean and maintain the interior leather? Thanks for your help. I can see I'm gonna be very busy these next 3 years (for this lease) on maintaining this car. I hope I don't take the paint off it!!
Sounds like you know the routine already. Bug and tar remover, used very sparingly, after washing, then wash off the bug and tar stuff, then wax. Regarding interior, I also have a Dakota Beige interior. I use Lexol Leather cleaner then Lexol Leather conditioner. For Rubber and vinyl use Lexol Vinylex. BTW, the wheels on a 335 are easy to keep clean. Gotta love big 5 spoke wheels. dhc3
Detailing methods run the gamut from quick & easy to many hours spent on multiple levels of caressing & finessing the paint and trim. Spend time at some of the detailing forums or suppliers' sites to gain the info on the (too many!) various products and approaches. http://www.detailuniversity.com/forums/ http://www.detailedimage.com/Pro-Detailers/Articles/Esoteric/ http://www.autogeek.net/detailingtips.html http://carcareonline.com/howto.aspx http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/index.php http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=147 http://forum.e46fanatics.com/forumdisplay.php?f=30 http://forums.roadfly.com/forums/detailing/
Thanks! I've been waxing with Zymol and cleaning the wheels with PS21 (the 5-spoke wheels are a dream to clean) and typically dedicate an afternoon (4 or 5 hours) to a full detailing. I had recommendations for Meguiars for inside but will look into Lexol as well. I never had this problem with the old car given the color (Graphite) but now with white and a light leather interior (old car was black) I'm worse than ever on keeping it clean. The bugs and tar just stand out now so I'm just concerned about the use of the remover as I predict more frequent use now.
I use mineral spirits instead of bug and tar remover...I am hesitant to recommend as have never researched impact on paint but have been using for over 10 years, wash after of course.
I also have an Alpine White vehicle and am probably as anal as you are about keeping it clean. Down here in Florida it is Love Bug season and they are an abomination to clean off. I make sure that I have an extremely good coat of premium wax on the front of the car and mirrors. I am currently using Girots Garage Best of Show Wax. Very easy to apply, but a little more difficult to remove. I have also been using "Wet Paint" on the front of the car between waxing's to make the front very slippery. The product allows me to remove the bugs with little effort when the kill is new. If love bugs spend more than a day on the paint, they are permanent.
3Mâ„¢ Adhesive Remover (Catalog Number 6041, 24 fluid oz) does a great job on tar, and is paint-safe: Ready-to-use blend of petroleum solvents designed to remove adhesive and tar deposits from exterior vehicle surfaces. To minimize the possibility of staining, do not apply in direct sunlight or onto a hot surface. Directions for Use: 1. Soak cloth with 3Mâ„¢ Adhesive Remover and apply onto the surface. 2. Rub thoroughly with a soft cloth and remove the excess material with a clean, dry, soft cloth. Repeat as necessary. 3. For stubborn deposits, apply material, allow to soak for one minute and scrub. Tips:- For tar stains on fabric apply 3Mâ„¢ Adhesive Remover, scrub, and clean using 3Mâ„¢ All Purpose Cleaner and Degreaser or 3Mâ„¢ Multi-Purpose Cleaner.
You guys rock!! I'm starting to feel a little better about the next 3 years with a white car. I think that 3M Adhesive Remover (gotta find a way to buy it.....but that's what Google is for, right? ) may be my savior as well, it appears, as will be several 3M products. Given that I wash my car at least every week (and wax monthly) I was really worried about damaging the paint/clear coat. I've even got hot water piped to my hose bib so I can wash my car in the Northeast below-zero winter temperatures. I'm hopeful on Girots (my Dad lives in North Port, so I've heard of those Love Bugs) and "Wet Paint". I'll be doing some research this week on where to get these products locally and give them a try.
