Col Lamb wrote: ↑Sat Dec 24, 2016 11:45 am
There have been quite a few separate posts asking the same question, should I get my car detailed?
It all depends on how fussy/OCD you are about your Macan, so if your are not bothered move on to another thread, if you are fussy/OCD read on.
OPC offer of Swissvax, Lifeshine or other wax based product
An offer by the SE at your OPC will and there is no doubt about it offer a treatment like Swissvax, Autoglym Lifeshine or a Gtechniq Light which would be a wash, dry and apply the sealant and buff it up when cured. The car will look excellent but they will not undertake correction to paintwork and they will only wash, dry and apply the treatment which will take 4 hours labour (£60) and a probable £20 in materials yet they will charge you between £300 and £600+VAT.
Wax based products
Waxing a car provides a sacrificial layer on top of the paintwork, as the car is washed this layer wll gradualy reduce until a reapplication is required. There is no doubt that wax based products give a superb finish, they are however labour intensive to maintain the finish. The cleaning technique will be similar to that described below and the equipment needed the same.
If professionally applied the paintwork cleaning technique will involve a Claying process to thoroughly remove surface contaminants. Then paint correction may be undertaken however this will be depending upon cost. Once the wax is applied the Claying and correction process will then only be required occasionally to essentially retreat the car. I have seen on other sites that Carnuba wax is a highly used product for a concours finish.
Pro Detailing
To get the best paint finish on your Macan I suggest that you consider getting it Professionally Detailed, and not a treatment offered by your OPC, discuss your requirements with the Pro Detailer and they will recommend a product like Gtechniq, which is a sealant and not a wax product. Depending upon the finish chosen the guarantee on these treatments can be up to 7 years.
You should weight up the Pros and Cons of Ceramic v Wax treatments.
The Pro Detailer will also recommend how they would like to receive the Macan, probably unwashed and direct from your pickup.
A Professional Car Detailer will follow a process something like:-
Wash and dry the car
Clay the car
Paint correct, note that this is the labour intensive element
Then either:-
Apply Gtechniq Crystal serum
Apply Gtechniq EXO top coat
Clean and apply G4,G6 and G1 treatment to glasswork
Remove wheels
Wash and dry them
Correct finish
Apply Gtechniq wheel armour
Let all coats cure for at least 24 hours
Refit wheels
OR
A similar process to the above but using a Wax product
Collection
IMPORTANT NOTE
The sealant coating will require a specific regime to maintain the finish, washing and drying may not be sufficient, with this in mind I suggest that prior to selecting the sealant you carefully read the information related to the product you are considering. For example, Gtechniq offers a top coating of a product called EXO which is essentially a wear layer to protect the Crystal Serum sealant, the EXO layer requires topping up to maintain protection, it currently has up to two years protection before reapplication will be required. There is a product called C2 which can be used after a thorough wash to maintain the EXO coating, again please read up on the product.
DO NOTE THAT AN ANNUAL RE-TREATMENT MAY BE REQUIRED TO SOME DEGREE.
Now if you go to the Gtechniq website you can build up your own cost for the work you want doing and then use this figure to negotiate a fixed price from your chosen detailer, they may want to see the car first to access the amount of pain correction they need to do.
My Pro Detailer had my car for three full days and it took all of day 1 to wash, dry, clay and paint correct my Macan. Day 2 was applying the sealants and doing the wheels. Day three the car just stood there curing and They put the wheels back on first thing on day 4 when I collected it at 09:30.
Paintwork correction
A new paint finish will have an irregualr surface and light swirls and very fine scratches. These may be difficult to see but they will probably be there on all new cars. The paint correction process involves decontaminating the car via washing and claying (Youtube ...... claying ...... to see the process) and then with the aide of a task specific polishing machine cutting and polishing compounds are used to buff the paintwork to a mirror finish. This element will account for the Lions share of the labour costs associated with the treatment.
Equipment and products suggested to maintain the finish (applicable to wax and sealant coatings)
The kit you will need:-
- Power washer, a Nilfisk 150 is the recommended unit
- Snow foam lance, compatable with the fittings on your powerwasher
- Two Fleece wash mitts (one long fleece for upper and one short fleece for lower body panels)
- A set of "Wheel Woolies" wheel brishes, Google the name to find suppliers
- A microfibre wash mitt specifically for the wheels
- Drying towels (no chamois is allowed near your car), do buy good quality ones with Waffle Weave for best drying. I can recommend Meguirar's Water Magnet Drying Cloths, at least 2 of them
Cleaning microfibre cloths (for glass and internals), do take note that not all microfibre cloths work effectively.
A de-ionising water filter inline with a water softener/filter
0ppm water softener/filter (Raceglaze or Aqua Gleam or similar) plumbed into your water supply if possible
- A TDS water test meter will show the effectiveness of the water softener/filter by giving a readout of the ppm as it leaves the unit, Kasfranks99 writes in a later post that he using a TDS-3 which will cost around £15-£20.
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- Sealant maintenance products
- Snow Foam or/and Citric Wash, recommended products are Valet Pro PH Neutral and Ultimate Finish Snow Foam
Washing your car:-
Spray wheels with Fallout remover
Leave 5 minutes
Power wash off
Spray snow foam onto car wheels
Leave 10 minutes
Power wash off
Two buckets, one with just water (Rinse) and one with the shampoo (Wash) that is mixed in the correct ratio to water
Using wheel woollies clean each wheel, once in contact with a wheel the wheel woolie is rinsed and shaken before it goes back into the shampoo bucket for the next bit of cleaning
Once each wheel is clean hose it off with the softened/filtered water before moving on to the next wheel
Wheels done for now
Spray snow foam onto car body
Leave 10 minutes
Power wash off
If there is still visible dirt residue repeat three prior processes
Clean out bucket and refil with fresh water and shampoo
Using a wash mitt clean bodywork from top down only working in straight lines, but once the mitt has been on the body it goes into the Rinse bucket and given a shake, then shake it again out of the Rinse bucket and put it in the Wash bucket, (the one with the shampoo)
Repeat this until the whole car is clean, using the second wash mitt on all body panels below the sideblades.
Hose off car including the wheels with the softened/filtered water, this will limit water spot formation in locations that are difficult to dry.
Towel dry by patting.
You can then apply a Quick Detailing spray and lightly dry the surface to maintain the sealant product.
Stand back and admire your labours
General Notes
A domestic power washer is not likely going to achieve a thick foam, the foam applied by these models may function OK and as a consequence a second application may be necessary.
Water filters/softeners are useful and if you are sparing in the use of the water they should last a reasonable amount of time. These units undertake a chemical Ion Exchange process between the water and resin. With usage the resin becomes less effective and requires replacement or replenishment, as the resin is quite dense it will also act as a filer to remove the debris that is present within the water supply. I have costed both the Raceglaze and Aqua Gleam units and for my useage and location the Aqua Gleam is more economical but only just, in a harder water area and the economica spin around to the Race Glaze unit.
I suggest that you only use the filtered/softened water to rinse off the car, using it via the power washer will considerably reduce the life of the filter material.
Do take note regularly of the colour of the water in the buckets and change it at the first sign of any quantity of dirt in the water, especially change the rinse water 2 or 3 times during the washing process.
The kit needed may seem excessive but the water from the softener/filter will minimise the risk water spots forming on the paintwork although it may not stop spots entirely.
This is not a definitive method but a process that works for me.
Also read up on the washing process related to the product applied to your car so you can follow the manufacturers recommendations.
Join the "detailing world" forum where more definitive advice can be found.
HARD WATER AREAS
If you live in a hard water location then a professionally installed system with a brine backflush may well be more economical over the course of a few years and you would have the benefit of softened water in the household. and softened/filtered water for all car washing. The only costs involved in these pro units are for bags of salt and an occasional resin change. I have installed quite a few of these within industrial situations where the water is intended to be used in steam boilers and as you can image hard water scale and a steam boiler are not ideal companions.
FINAL SUGGESTION, make sure the sunroof, doors, hatch, bonnet and windows are closed prior to commencing your washing process.
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See my post dated 24th March 2019 for my latest views.
Updated Col Lamb, 2019-03-24
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