303, water only, AIO or Plexus??

D

DantePasquale

New member
Hi Guys and Gals!



Just bought a 2003 525i with 12,900 miles. Its white with grey leather. Not crazy about the white color, but after washing, claying, IP and FP with PC, AIO x 2 and the first coat of SG, it is starting to grow on me;)



Now for the interior. It is leather, vinyl, wood trim, you know.



Fairly clean, was thinking about just wiping down with water and leaving it at that... then thought, maybe follow up with 303 (tested an area, no shine after buffing off, and that is ok with me)



Question, on the wood trim, would you use AIO or Plexus, or just plain water? I am leaning towards the Plexus, but would not mind the hard plastic around the shifter being a little darker (which I think AIO would do...)



Would like some opinions please!:xyxthumbs
 

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Nice steering wheel! Congrats on the new Bimmer. As for the wood trim, I don't like Plexus (in this situation) because it streaks on the things around it. I really like Plexus on convertible screens and headlights, etc. I sometimes use a QD spray like QS or FD to do wood trim and things like that, then treat the black vinyl stuff with 303.
 
Be careful the wood trim scratches very easily. I use some quick detailer spray on it after I do the interior.....works great.
 
I have a brand new 2004 Lexus with lots of dark wood. I simply use a clean, slight-water-damp microfiber cloth and gently wipe the wood down. That's it. No chemicals, no oils, just a damp wipe. That's all it needs in my opinion and anything other than that may damage the finish.



p.s. you may want to get some BLACK BMW floor mats from the dealer (rather than the matching grey carpet). The matching grey would look slightly better at first, but they will look so dirty so quick! I think black mats would add a nice contrast and not show the dirt. I think the black mats would still look great because they would match the black dash/wheel.
 
That is a good idea Gekko. I like to get new mats every couple of years anyway, best money spent to make the interior look brand new again. The black is a great suggestion. Thanks!:xyxthumbs :wavey
 
Wow, sweet interior!!



I think you've got the vinyl addressed properly so no need to comment on that.



On the wood I've tried the plastic cleaners/polishes and I hate the fact that they leave dust residue everywhere. I am currently using Corys Ultra High Gloss Piano Polish which has UV protection and leaves a beautiful glossy finish with no residue.



Nice car, good to see your going to maintain it properly.
 
My Lexus has what appears to be similar wood on the dash. I used AIO whenever I use it on the car or wheels (usually 1-2 times a year) and then just a damp MF for regular cleaning.



I like it because I have matte black plastic around some of the wood trim areas, and the AIO doesn't change the color/shininess of it if it gets on it.



best,

Andrew
 
Plexus is great on BMW's wood trim. It make the trim look better that it did brand new.
 
pwalk said:
That is a good idea Gekko. I like to get new mats every couple of years anyway, best money spent to make the interior look brand new again. The black is a great suggestion. Thanks!:xyxthumbs :wavey
Click to expand...





I have platinum carpeting in my car and I ordered custom cut clear vinyl floor mats from autoanything.com to place on top of my carpeted ones, I thought it would look crappy at first, but given the custom cut and quality of the vinyl, they don't look bad at all, my original matts are spared of wear.
 
I just bought an ls430 which has wooden interior. I'm thinking of using the piano polisher. We have a black yamaha piano an it has a similar finish. The only problem is that I can't find the bottle that comes with the piano. Looks like I have to stop by the piano store and see what they use to polish the piano.
 
CMA has a product called Blackfire Interior Protectant that is made speciffically for today's modern car interiors. By modern I mean various surfaces and materials (leather, vinyl, plastic, wood, aluminium, etc..). Blackfire Interior Protectant is designed to protect them all. They also make an Interior Cleaner that compliments the protectant.



I have an 04 TL with various materials in the cockpit. I use 303 on dash and vinyl parts of the door panels. Plexus on the plood (plastic wood). I switch between Zaino Z-10 Leather in a bottle, Blackfire Interior Protectant, and 303 on the leather seats.



I like Zaino to maintain the new car smell, Blackfire for the ease of application, and 303 for the UV protection. I alternate between the three. If I have the Blackfire out, I usually give everything in the cockpit a quick wipedown with whatever is left on the cloth after protecting the seats.



Try the Blackfire if you want an all-in-one product for the materials in your car.
 
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