UK Noob questions

T

tnoy66

New member
Sorry for asking dumb questions but........



I keep reading about using Dawn to strip the car of old waxes first, as we don't have this in UK what should I use instead?? Will any washing up liquid do??



Secondly, I have ordered some P21S Paintwork Cleanser. Is there any need to clay before or after this??



I have never used clay before, and until I looked on here I hadn't even heard of it! What would be the best clay to get if I need to use it??



My car is a 2 month old BMW, Mystic Blue color (sort of mid blue metallic), carefully covered in fine swirl/scratch marks by the dealer :angry





Tony :)
 
Hi mate,



Fairy liquid would be the equivalent, but to my mind this is way too harsh for automotive use.

The dawn wash is recomended for those applying Zaino, basically to strip any previous waxes/sealents so you have a clean base to work on and the Zaino to bond to.



The P21s will clean the paint and basically do the same job as the fairy, without being harsh on your finish.

You should clay after washing and then use the P21s. I bought the 3m clay and have been very impressed...It is a little expensive, but being stuck in blighty means we aren't really spoilt for choice.



Well worth it though IMHO.



All the best

Bryn
 
Clay? Buy some, you will not regret it.



As for the swirls, you will need a polish to remove them or a glaze, however a glaze does not last a long time.



What other products are you using?



Steven
 
Bryn, I was thinking of fairy, but as I've been 'brainwashed' into not using washing-up liquid, I was having a hard time telling myself to use it. So I'll continue not using it :)



Steven, the products I've got on order are,

Sonax Gloss Shampoo

P21S Paintwork Cleanser (as mentioned)

Klasse AIO

Klasse SG

P21S Carnauba Wax

Sonus Acrylic Spritz



As you've probably guessed........I've raided the store here :p



So all I need now is some good Clay. Time to start shopping again, www.heres.my.credit.card.again.com........:rofl
 
I did find out that Fairy is not the same as Dawn.



Tony, sounds like a good list to me, dont forget we can get a fair amount of stuff in the

UK



Steven
 
If my BMW was only 2 months old I would take it back to the dealer and show them the swirls and ask them to make it right.



I would not clay a 2 month old BMW, it probably does not even need it yet. I live right next to the Houston Ship Channel where all the Refineries are putting stuff in the air. The smog here is thick and there is no telling what is in the air. My Z4 is 9 months old and a daily driver, it does not need to be clayed, yet.



I did do the Klasse twins and top with P21S wax as you show on your list of products to use. You will be pleased with how it turns out.



AH
 
AH, I take your points. It would be wrong to say a brand new car needs clay, however newness is not a guarantee of perfect paint. Even if the paint was perfect, buying clay for future use is a good idea. I personally would clay, simply to ensure the prep is done to my standards



It is good idea to take the BMW back to the dealer to see if it can be fixed.
 
~One man’s opinion~



I think your ‘product list’ is fine and I think you’ll be pleased with the outcome( The only problem with the Klasse twins is that their not Made in England ;) )



Dawn / Fairy Liquid. They remove wax (and oils from the paint, dry-out vinyl and plastic trim) IMHO they belong in the kitchen and should be used for what they are made for, washing dishes. P21S Total Auto Wash is a biodegradable, citrus based cleaner made for this purpose.



The BMW dealer put swirl marks on the car finish before delivery, it’s likely that his operatives don’t know any better. I think we all have too much faith in the car dealerships. IMHO I’d get an estimate from a detailer for the removal of the defects and present it to the dealership and see what he’s prepared to do. He may then realize that you serious and either agree to the estimate or make sure his ‘detailer’ does a decent job this time.











Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/



justadumbarchitect
 
Do the clay baring .. I'll argue the "You don't need to clay a new car". New cars are delivered with all kinds of particulate and contaminants including rail dust imbedded in the paint. The clay will pull these particles out. There is no sense doing a Klasse sealant over top the patriculate. If you don't believe me .. clay bar the bottom of one door panel and see how it feels compared to the rest. Or if you like clay 1/2 the trunk lid ( boot ).



After 2 months your going to have a hard time convincing the dealer they did the swirls especially if anyone but them has washed the car. The time for that was on the delivery day. Also with a black car review your washing/drying protocol. A lot of swirls are induced then.



Get yourself a good non-filler polish and use it along with the clay bar ( some arguement on the order here ) and once your happy with what you see then sealnt/wax.



I haven't used it but doesn't AIO do the same as P21S Paint work cleanser?
 
Thanks guys, the car is back at the dealer for them to try and sort on Friday, I just hope they don't make it worse.



The fairy liquid will remain locked in the kitchen.



Plan of action now is to wash car, P21S Paint Cleanser and then do the bag test. If it feels it needs claying I will do it. If it's only small places that need it, I will just do those. After that, use paint cleanser again. How does that sound???



Before I do any claying of the paintwork though, I'll practise on windscreen.



Forgot to put on my list, Meguiars Scratch X (for slightly deeper scratches that appear) and P21S Total Auto Wash. The TAW I was going to for bugs, tar etc and in the engine bay when needed.



TOGWT:I know the Klasse twins aren't Made in England, but they should feel at home on a BMW :)



One more thing I will need.........good weather :p Can anyone work miracles????? I just want it warm and overcast, that's not too much to ask for......is it??? :lol



Tony :)
 
Warm weather, it has been a nice day in Cumbria, perfect for washing cars.



The P21S Total Auto Wash, this stuff looks similar to the items sold by Iauto.
 
If you want clay at reasonable cost speak to Alex at Serious Performance. He's quoted me £10 for 3M clay although I've yet to order as I've got just enough Griots for another session.



I've used Fairy (gulp!) and found it to be OK providing you are going all the way with wax, sealant etc. A good pal of mine works in the chemicals industry (his co makes a lot of Halfords own brand products) and he told me that Fairy etc all attract dirt & dust - it was all a bit scientific and we were doing our best to get through 36 bottles of Bud Ice after the rugby so I'm a bit hazy but it started as a "you spend far too much time your car mate..." sort of debate.



This weekend however I washed car with Fairy and dried but it started to tain so abandoned until the Sunday then washed with Megs GC shampoo, clayed, polished, sealed and waxed. Didn't like leaving car overnight with nothing on paint at all but it didn't seem to do any harm.



I've found playing with different combos of products, and listening to people here, is the best way to achieve better results. Alex is starting to bring in a lot of products and he's a top bloke to point you in the right direction. Steve (Lowejackson) and others are all well worth listening to - Steve's advice to me in particular to use sheepskin mitts has made a huge difference to my wash process.



As fas as speaking to the BMW dealer is concerned - good luck and I hope they're better than Renault! Let us know how you get on.
 
Fairy could be a useful tool every now and then. Remember though, it is a mixture of harsh chemicals. Using a polish will also remove any old wax. Be nice to your paint.



As Andy said, let us know what happened at BMW
 
Update



So I dropped the car off Friday at 8.30, all they had to do was re-align my mirror glass (3rd attempt to correct it...another story) and buff the paintwork as agreed. Not too difficult is it??????



I was due to pick car up at 5, so about 4 i set off.....10 mins later, whilst driving, I got a phone call on my mobile

"can you pick up your car in the morning?"

"no sorry I'm working, I'm doing 7 till 7 Sat Sun and Mon"

"ok,I'll sort something out and call you back"

So I parked up and waited for the call back. I will say at this point that the dealer concerned is at Wakefield and not my local one. After waiting for over 30 mins I call the dealer and tell them he'd better call me on my mobile again. Eventually he called, and his first words were......

"We've had a job finding your mobile number, its not on the computer".....well it was there 2 weeks ago and he'd already called me on it earlier the same day! Anyway, he then proceeded to tell me that they hadn't even started to do any buffing on the car. I was not impressed and made sure he knew it!!



So this morning i went to get my car.....my mirror glass still wasn't aligned correctly and the car had been left out overnight as the waterspots showed. I told him I wasn't happy with mirrors and drove off. I was not in the mood to even inspect the paintwork!! There was also white dust over my black leather!!



Later I gave the car a wash to inspect the supposed buffed areas.......:down :down :down I can still see most of the marks and there's some new ones. The marks they put on mirror housings last time are also still there also. I don't know what they did do, (not a lot by the look of things!) but they are not getting another chance.



As they say....if you want a job doing right, do it yourself......and I will sort the marks out myself. As for the mirrors....I filed a complaint with BMW and I'm waiting to hear back from them.



For now, I'm just waiting for my orders to land.....it'll be like xmas come early then :)



sorry for making this so long......wake up at the back there!:p
 
Guys - we are lucky at the moment - the weather has been relatively mild (considering winter this time last year was really cold!) :cool:



I put on a coat of S100 on the other week when I knew damn well that I should have layered a few coats of Extra Gloss :o :D
 
Unbelieveable!



Actually, scratch that. Sadly, it's all too believeable - doesn't seem to matter what your car is or where you buy it, most dealers are generally pretty poor with little or no understanding of paint problems in particular.



It's a shame but at least you can now have some fun yourself, safe in the knowledge that whatever you do is better than your dealer.



Plus if you're in Huddersfield, you've got a whole maze of roads across the top of the moors where you can have plenty of fun anyway (I regularly travel that way as I look after Italia Autosport in Meltham amongst other sports car specialists)
 
AndyC said:
Unbelieveable!



Actually, scratch that
Click to expand...



Pleeeeeaaaaaassssseeeeeeee don't mention 'that' word :p



Just seen my car under the lights in supermarket car park :( At least most of it is only very light. Then I started looking at other peoples cars......yuck...yuck...yuck...yuck...etc. They made mine look scratch/swirl free!!!



Ah the roads over the top :D lovely, apart from the suicidal sheep :scared !!! How often do you have to come all the way to Meltham??? I used to live 5 mins walk from Italia Autosport, and I just drove past there tonight, then towards Hudds, first time I've had a clear run on that road in my new car..... I was :D all the way
 
I would make a formal complaint to BMW UK and then try and find a emial address for BMW Germany. Also write a letter to the person in charge of the dealership. Keep copies of everthing. After this there is a great deal more you can do but at this stage start your letter writing and enclose some pics if you can.
 
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