BMW X6 Alpine White - SS or 2 stage? Problems power washing

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paco

New member
Hey Guys,



I picked up a BMW X6 for an employee in Alpine White. Never having owned or even thought of owning a white car, I'm curious if there is something specific to BMW's Alphine white that may cause problems power washing it.



Yesterday I took it to a coin op for a quick rinse of some dust and power washing did absolutely nothing to the dirt. It's almost as if the paint was sticky. I thend did a finger swipe test and it come off really easily.



Being that the temperature is around 5C, I haven't Zaino'd it yet. We've had it for 2 months so far. There is hardly any protection on the paint either.



I know someone who had a drive through car wash and he says it may because of the pigmentation in the white paint and that while he had the car wash. He dreaded white cars going through cause it was common.



I'm not referring to the film coat that won't come off with a power wash that is typical.



This BMW paint literally hold on ... it's as if the paint is saying "Go ahead, make my day..."
 
Use a wash mitt and then clay it and see if it still does it. I'm thinking you just need a little more "aggitation" to get it clean. Never heard of BMW white being that difficult before. But in this business nothing suprises me anymore.
 
Ummm, well I may be wrong here, but if you are trying to completely wash the car touch free, I don't think that is essentially going to happen. My experience with white paint is that it shows the dirt in the sense that the white is dulled. It doesn't appear as spots like on dark paint. There is an article on here about how white cars when washed will almost also always benefit from a true paint cleaner every now and then, because it will dramatically brighten the paint.



I guess I couldn't tell you if the paint is literally holding onto the dirt, but If it passed the finger swipe test, bust out your mitt and buckets and wash it that way.



Hope that helps.
 
I would be very surprised if it wasn't clearcoated.. I take care of 2 white cars and I usually use a cleaner wax and maintain with OCW or OS. Seems to keep them pretty decent looking, and with little effort. Polishing doesn't make a huge difference like on other colors.
 
Hopefully it warms up soon. No wind and around 8 would allow for me to finally get to home detailing it. Hopefully soon.
 
paco said:
Hey Guys,



I picked up a BMW X6 for an employee in Alpine White. Never having owned or even thought of owning a white car, I'm curious if there is something specific to BMW's Alphine white that may cause problems power washing it.



Yesterday I took it to a coin op for a quick rinse of some dust and power washing did absolutely nothing to the dirt. It's almost as if the paint was sticky. I thend did a finger swipe test and it come off really easily.



Being that the temperature is around 5C, I haven't Zaino'd it yet. We've had it for 2 months so far. There is hardly any protection on the paint either.



I know someone who had a drive through car wash and he says it may because of the pigmentation in the white paint and that while he had the car wash. He dreaded white cars going through cause it was common.



I'm not referring to the film coat that won't come off with a power wash that is typical.



This BMW paint literally hold on ... it's as if the paint is saying "Go ahead, make my day..."
Click to expand...





Paco, I've been there buddy. Prior to getting the vehicle I have now, I had an Alpine White 335i E92 Coupe. Wonderful car. However, keeping it clean in the winter was a bear. The road grime seemed to "stick" to the paint. There was a really good touchless near my place, but it wouldn't remove the grime. The only way was a good, thorough hand wash. Many times, I had to thoroughly wash the car TWICE to get it clean! I've had many white vehicles, and nothing was like that Bimmer. Good luck!



EDIT: Didn't see your second question. Yes, it's clearcoated.



SECOND EDIT: I hope you didn't get the cream beige dakota leather interior. You want to talk about an interior that is impossible to keep clean. Oy.
 
Hey Bostonfavson,



Good to know others with White BMW paint have the same issue of "sticky" White Alpine paint. It goes without saying that a pressure wash at a coin op without some agitation would never get a car clean but this White Alpine on the X6 just grabs the dust/dirt in a way I've never seen. Yet, with a very very light pass with your finger or wash mitt, it scoots right off. Almost as if there is an ionic bond to the clear and dirt that high pressure water/soap can't break. I've never seen a paint hold on to dust that way. Normally you can at least rinse of loose dirt, some bugs and tar that are loosely bonded but with this Alphine white.. it just laughs at you. All 3 of us at the wash bay *myself, my employee (girl) and my cousin who previously owned a drive through wash just stood there dumbfounded at what was going on. During his training of car wash chemicals, there was something in the manual and sessions about white paint and how it tends to hold dirty more stronger then any other color.



Gotta admit, I'm a pretty avid detailer and been on Autopia for well over 5 years and never heard of it before but I never really paid much attention to BMW White paint so i thought maybe i missed something.



Didn't get the Dakota beige. Saddle brown. More of an orange brown color then the light beige. Really nice color on White. I have a really light cream color in my Lexus ISF and yeah... real pain to keep clean. Haven't regreted it... yet.



Paco
 
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