Real Car Wash or DIY? - BMW 1 Series Coupe Forum / 1 Series Convertible Forum (1M / tii / 135i / 128i / Coupe / Cabrio / Hatchback) (BMW E82 E88 128i 130i 135i)

FIRST1 · 07-17-2012, 12:58 AM

How do you all like your cars to be washed? Professionally or in your yard?

FIRST1 · 07-17-2012, 12:59 AM

I always shell out the $ for the car wash, but now I have swirls on my trunk. :'(

ErvGotti · 07-17-2012, 06:16 AM

Yeah I learned the hard way that it's better/easier to keep the paint swirl free washing it your self. The only thing I'll ever pay for is for a professional detailing, because washing, claying, polishing, and sealing is a very time consuming job.

tccox · 07-17-2012, 09:09 AM

Either pro detailing or wash it myself. of course I live in a warm climate and I can handwash year round.

doublevanosrc · 07-17-2012, 09:42 AM

I always hand wash all my cars not just cause I do a better job but I enjoy it as well it's like therapy. During the winter months(1-2 months a year) I take it to those self serve car washing bays were you put quarters in. For a few months after getting my 1er I started taking it to a local Mr. Clean Car wash and all was good for a few weeks. They actually did a good job until they scuffed one of my wheels, when I complained they tried to say it was like that and that they would look into it. Never heard from them again so they never heard from me again and I tell everyone this as precaution. Will hand wash for the foreseeable future, nobody cleans your car like you do.

Section147 · 07-17-2012, 09:47 AM

My baby will never know the horrors of a drive-thru car wash!

bmw1racer · 07-17-2012, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Section147

My baby will never know the horrors of a drive-thru car wash!

Right on.

It's sacrilege to take a BMW to a car wash.

Section147 · 07-17-2012, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmw1racer

It's sacrilege to take a BMW to a car wash.

Yeah, prepare for the excuses to start flying...but there are no valid ones. None.

drinkcoke3 · 07-17-2012, 01:19 PM

my car only gets washed or detailed by my detailer, or washed or detailed by me ONLY. never seen a car wash, not even during winter when the car was filthy. i waxed it before winter and washed it when i could, but kept it dirty.

id rather a dirty clean car than a clean swirled car. JMHO

bmw1racer · 07-17-2012, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drinkcoke3

id rather a dirty clean car than a clean swirled car. JMHO

Yup.

Though I have let mother nature wash my car from time to time by pulling my dirty car out of the garage into the rain...

FIRST1 · 07-17-2012, 02:11 PM

I gotta go get the supplies to start cleaning the car on my own. No more swirls on my car... Gonna miss the Armorall tires though.

BrokenVert · 07-17-2012, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Section147

Yeah, prepare for the excuses to start flying...but there are no valid ones. None.

Especially for us.

But I will admit to going to a touchless in the dead of winter in Syracuse. A robot arm with pressure washers runs around your car basically

MM135 · 07-17-2012, 04:48 PM

I do car wash - but pay the extra to do the all hand wash so it never goes thru the drive thru part... 100% by hand :-)

Cemoto · 07-17-2012, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRST1

How do you all like your cars to be washed? Professionally or in your yard?

I like my cars to be washed by naked SI swimsuit models in the yard or anywhere for that matter.

Hand wash only w/ two buckets.

Gray_Panther · 07-17-2012, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cemoto

I like my cars to be washed by naked SI swimsuit models in the yard or anywhere for that matter.

Hand wash only w/ two buckets.

Plus grit guard for me

Everyone NEEDS to have one....it's a Godsend!

JDUni1 · 07-17-2012, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRST1

Gonna miss the Armorall tires though.

You can ALSO do this yourself.....

rps · 07-17-2012, 08:54 PM

I once sent my previous Z4 through a commercial car wash and wound up with a dent in the front facia. Since then either I wash it myself or it stays a little dirty. I don't make swirls in the paint or cause dents.

sonicbimmer19 · 07-17-2012, 09:39 PM

I have never once taken my car to a car wash place. $10 hand car washes are not worth it as I can do much better job and I enjoy washing my car anyway and $250 full details are too expensive not to mention I only need to do it once a year.

I wash my car every two weeks with wash and wax and full detail my car (wash, tar treatment, deironize, clay wax, compound/polish if necessary, and liquid wax) once a year.

FIRST1 · 07-23-2012, 03:49 PM

So can you guys suggest to me any good or special products/supplies that you use to wash your car? Including obviously exterior, interior, rims, tires, etc... Thanx

Dackelone · 07-23-2012, 03:56 PM

This might be of interest...

drinkcoke3 · 07-23-2012, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRST1

So can you guys suggest to me any good or special products/supplies that you use to wash your car? Including obviously exterior, interior, rims, tires, etc... Thanx

the problem with that, is that everyone has their own preferances.

For example - i use mostly Mother's products for car washing, waxes, and stuff like that. Rim cleaner i have two - one is for rainy days when the rims have seriously caked on brake dust (mostly my mom and sisters cars) and for that I use Meguiar's Wheel Brightener - but be very very very careful with this, as using too much and not diluting correctly, and impropper use will result in "spotting" on the rim. for more frequent use, i use P21s rim cleaner and it works really well.

FWIW i use autogeek.net to purchase most of my stuff. they usually run all sorts of promotions on microfibers, porter cables, etc, so its a great tool.

Section147 · 07-23-2012, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drinkcoke3

the problem with that, is that everyone has their own preferences.

Exactly. Just do your due diligence by lurking around this forum. There are some MAJOR experts here. I thought I knew a lot,
but I've learned volumes here since November. Chemical Guys, einszett, Wolfgang and many other goodies I had never heard
of are now residing in my garage. You will learn more than you ever would have thought!

View Poll Results: Would you rather get a car wash or wash your 1er yourself?
Car Wash	3	5.45%
Wash it myself	52	94.55%
Voters: 55. You may not vote on this poll

07-17-2012, 12:58 AM	#1
FIRST1 Lieutenant Drives: '08 135i Titanium Silver Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: LI / Bronx Posts: 421 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 BMW 135i [0.00]	Real Car Wash or DIY? How do you all like your cars to be washed? Professionally or in your yard? __________________
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07-17-2012, 12:59 AM	#2
FIRST1 Lieutenant Drives: '08 135i Titanium Silver Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: LI / Bronx Posts: 421 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 BMW 135i [0.00]	I always shell out the $ for the car wash, but now I have swirls on my trunk. :'( __________________

07-17-2012, 09:42 AM	#5
doublevanosrc Loves Runflats. Drives: 2011 135i M Sport Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Austin. Tx Posts: 1,566 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2011 BMW [0.00] 2011 BMW [0.00]	I always hand wash all my cars not just cause I do a better job but I enjoy it as well it's like therapy. During the winter months(1-2 months a year) I take it to those self serve car washing bays were you put quarters in. For a few months after getting my 1er I started taking it to a local Mr. Clean Car wash and all was good for a few weeks. They actually did a good job until they scuffed one of my wheels, when I complained they tried to say it was like that and that they would look into it. Never heard from them again so they never heard from me again and I tell everyone this as precaution. Will hand wash for the foreseeable future, nobody cleans your car like you do. __________________ 2011 135i M Sport manual in Space Graywith Coral Red leather, Harman Kardon, and Ipod -Mods- BMW PPK,3M Tint,OEM Aluminum pedals,CPE Towplate OEM tires for sale http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=746421 Last edited by doublevanosrc; 07-17-2012 at 09:49 AM.

07-17-2012, 09:47 AM	#6
Section147 Good To Be Alive! Drives: 2012 135i *Convertible* Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: The North Coast Posts: 587 iTrader: (2) Garage List 2012 BMW 135i E88 [0.00] 2014 Ford Mustang [0.00] 2013 Subaru XV [0.00]	My baby will *never* know the horrors of a drive-thru car wash! __________________ Vermillion Red • Boston Black • Walnut Trim • DCT • M Sport Pkg. • Premium Pkg.• PPK1 • PE 18" 313s • Michelin PPS • LUX 5k • Blackline LCI Tails • CF Diffuser & Mirrors • XPEL Ultimate *"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers" - W. Shakespeare*

07-17-2012, 06:16 AM	#3
ErvGotti Major Drives: 2008 135i 6MT Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,082 iTrader: (5) Garage List 2008 135i [3.00]	Yeah I learned the hard way that it's better/easier to keep the paint swirl free washing it your self. The only thing I'll ever pay for is for a professional detailing, because washing, claying, polishing, and sealing is a very time consuming job.

07-17-2012, 09:09 AM	#4
tccox Private First Class Drives: 2012 BMW 128I Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Charlotte, NC USA Posts: 123 iTrader: (0)	Either pro detailing or wash it myself. of course I live in a warm climate and I can handwash year round.

07-17-2012, 01:19 PM	#9
drinkcoke3 Lieutenant Drives: 135i + Subaru Legacy (DD) Join Date: May 2010 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 594 iTrader: (3) Garage List 2011 BMW 135i [0.00]	my car only gets washed or detailed by my detailer, or washed or detailed by me ONLY. never seen a car wash, not even during winter when the car was filthy. i waxed it before winter and washed it when i could, but kept it dirty. id rather a dirty clean car than a clean swirled car. JMHO __________________ 2013 135i Coupe / LMB on Oyster / 6 Speed / BMW Performance Front Bumper, Side Skirts, Front & Rear Rotors, Suspension, Electonic Steering Wheel V2, and CF Rear Spoiler / Dinan Stage 2 / VMR VB3 HyperBlack / Michellin PSS / BMS Intake / Hardwire V1 / ActiveAutowerke Axelback, Intercooler, Strut Bar / BMS CDV Mod / F30 Performance Shift Knob + Bimmian Alcentara Boots / SWS8x Subs + Amp

07-17-2012, 02:11 PM	#11
FIRST1 Lieutenant Drives: '08 135i Titanium Silver Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: LI / Bronx Posts: 421 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 BMW 135i [0.00]	I gotta go get the supplies to start cleaning the car on my own. No more swirls on my car... Gonna miss the Armorall tires though. __________________

07-17-2012, 04:48 PM	#13
MM135 Private First Class Drives: 2009 135i M-Sport Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Carlsbad, CA Posts: 160 iTrader: (1)	I do car wash - but pay the extra to do the all hand wash so it never goes thru the drive thru part... 100% by hand :-) __________________ 2009 AW 135i M-Sport - 6MT - The "PANDA BEAR" BMW Perf. Exhaust - Procede Tune - APEX EC-7's - Eibach Pro-Kit springs/Dampers - Ground Control Camber Plates - Exoticstuning Front Splitters - iCarbon Rear Diffuser - BMW Perf. Spoiler - Matte Black Grills and Emblems - ER Charge Pipe - Tial Q BOV - Macht Schnell 3" Catless Downpipes - ETS FMIC - BMS DCI - Matte Black Roof

07-17-2012, 08:54 PM	#17
rps First Lieutenant Drives: 2008 135i Join Date: May 2009 Location: Pace, Fl Posts: 365 iTrader: (8)	I once sent my previous Z4 through a commercial car wash and wound up with a dent in the front facia. Since then either I wash it myself or it stays a little dirty. I don't make swirls in the paint or cause dents. __________________ K4RPS 2006 Z4, 3.0i-gone but not forgotten. Replaced with a 2008 135i, Premium, Nav, M Sport Etc.

07-17-2012, 09:39 PM	#18
sonicbimmer19 Lieutenant Drives: E88/F10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 416 iTrader: (0)	I have never once taken my car to a car wash place. $10 hand car washes are not worth it as I can do much better job and I enjoy washing my car anyway and $250 full details are too expensive not to mention I only need to do it once a year. I wash my car every two weeks with wash and wax and full detail my car (wash, tar treatment, deironize, clay wax, compound/polish if necessary, and liquid wax) once a year.

07-23-2012, 03:49 PM	#19
FIRST1 Lieutenant Drives: '08 135i Titanium Silver Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: LI / Bronx Posts: 421 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 BMW 135i [0.00]	So can you guys suggest to me any good or special products/supplies that you use to wash your car? Including obviously exterior, interior, rims, tires, etc... Thanx __________________

07-23-2012, 03:56 PM	#20
Dackelone Moderator Drives: 135i Silber mit/Rot 6MT N54 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Bayern, Germany Posts: 13,029 iTrader: (0)	This might be of interest... __________________ Dackel's European Delivery Museum Guide 1addicts at Stelv1oPass

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