Preparing the car for winter

sardius · 10-27-2010, 12:37 PM

Hi guys, I am thinking of taking my car for the first time to a local reputable detailer and I have no idea about how to properly prep our cars for winter/salt/snow. The reason I ask these are because I would like to learn a thing or two so that I know the detailer is doing the right thing and only getting the services that I require.

My car: Alpine white, 5500km (~3400miles), no noticeable swirl marks.

The washing procedure is very straight forwared, as I've done it myself.

Now what gets me, do I ask them to wax the car? What about polishing, will they need to do that too or both? What about claying? More importantly, what should they do or NOT do or things I should be aware of?

Thank you very much guys for this. I've been learning a lot of good stuff here.

Sardius

Papa13 · 10-27-2010, 12:50 PM

Well, a standered detail consists of wash, dry, clay, polish and wax. So, that's a given but what you want to make sure of, is if they are going to treat the rubber inside your door jams and also the undercarriage and wheel wells. Those are the two areas that salt will eat up. If not you can do it your self, pepboys or any auto store will carry spray for your wheel wells that stops salt. Let me know if you have anymore questions. Hope this helped a little.

sardius · 10-27-2010, 04:13 PM

Hi Papa13 thank you for the info. I will certainly ask them about the door jams and the undercarriage.

The car is still new, will I still need claying? I read somewhere here that new cars don't need claying, maybe i misread the post, not sure.

So I will need both waxing and polishing as well? I was thinking of going with waxing alone. Should I ask them to hand wax or machine wax?

What about sealants?

I am sorry I have so many questions, I am trying to do this right from the start :-)

Thank you again for your time.

Sardius

Dackelone · 10-27-2010, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sardius

So I will need both waxing and polishing as well? I was thinking of going with waxing alone. Should I ask them to hand wax or machine wax?

What about sealants?

Sardius

Sardius,

What I do is a good car washing. Then I dry it. Then I clay the car with using a detail spray as a lube for the clay bar. After the car is dry and smooth. I use Menzerna Power Lock Sealant. I guess you could skip the claying, but I always do both. What I like about the Menzerna is that it gives you a smooth feel but more importantly when teh car gets dirty or it rains... the dirt just rolls of the paint. Kind of sheets of the car like Rain-X on glass windshield.

Menzerna Power Lock Sealant

http://www.detailersdomain.com/menze...ersealant.aspx

Dackel

sardius · 10-27-2010, 05:35 PM

Thank you kindly Dackelone, will look into that. :-)

Papa13 · 10-27-2010, 06:52 PM

If the car is new you wont need clay or polish, unless the vehicle was kept outside (assuming you didn't order it of course). I prefer a good hand wax, but machine makes it error free essentially and cheaper in the long run. There is not much difference anyway. So, either will do. Are you dead set on paying someone to do it? If not, and you have time, you should really do it yourself. Learning how to take care of your paint and interior is priceless =).

Nonetheless, for a new car just get a nice wax and seal the undersides and wheel wells for the salt and you will be great. You wont need to polish for 6months to a year.

sardius · 10-28-2010, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papa13

Nonetheless, for a new car just get a nice wax and seal the undersides and wheel wells for the salt and you will be great. You wont need to polish for 6months to a year.

@Papa13 thank you. I agree with you doing this myself and I would love to. Living in a condo with no suitable place to do the job just sucks :-(

vanbmw · 10-28-2010, 11:22 AM

I also vote for the Menzerna power lock sealant. I am very impressed with the longevity of this stuff. You definetly want a sealant instead of a wax for the winter. Do you have a garage at your Condo where you can do some of this yourself? If your car is swirl free I would just give a clay and some sealant myslef and leave out the professional detailer.

Greg@DetailedImage · 10-28-2010, 02:13 PM

Doing a winter prep is actually relatively easy and it involves almost all the same products you would want to use in a traditional detail, but their importance is more critical at this time of year.

Washing and Drying
It sounds like you have your process down but just in case you may want to consider one of our hose free washing and drying kits. You basically just need a bucket of water for this type of washing (includes Optimum No Rinse) which is safe and effective.
DI Packages Basic Hose Free Wash Package with ONR
DI Packages Complete Hose Free Wash Package with ONR

A full detail at a minimum consists of a wash, dry, clay bar, polish and sealant in my opinion. The wash removes the loose contaminants, while the clay bar removes the deeply embedded contaminants. The polish will remove the swirls, oxidation, etc. so the paint is more optically clear and shinny. Arguably this the most important step in the process to get the maximum shine possible. The sealant will enhance the way the paint already looks and provide durable protection. A quality sealant will protect the paint for 3 - 6 months. However a typical local car detailer will not use these types of products.

All of these steps are actually quite easy and I can almost guarantee you can do a better job yourself than a typical detailer. Top quality detailers are the few and far between and they usually charge a lot for their work. If interested here are some cost effective suggestions to give you top quality results if interested in doing it yourself. Additionally we have a step by step guide for you for each step here - detailing guide.

Clay Bar
DI Packages DI Clay Bar and Clay Lube Combo - easy to use and works great, awesome value here as well

Polish
Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 - Great one step polishing routine, just buff it on with medium pressure

Sealant
Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Sealant
or
Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger
Both sealants will add more gloss to the surface and protect for months to come.

Microfiber
DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel - These towels help you safely remove the excess product. I'd suggest 4x - 8x for this type of routine.

Interior

Protecting Fabrics
303 High Tech Fabric Guard - Simply spray it on the fabrics to help repel moisture and salt stains.

Protecting Vinyl, Rubber, Plastic, Leather303 Aerospace Protectant - great way to add a darker finish to the interior with valuable UV protection.

As always you can save 10% off these products (except sale items and package deals) with the coupon code 10offBMW1. If you have any questions or if you would like help with any step please don't hesitate to ask.

Greg @ DI

sardius · 10-29-2010, 01:07 AM

Seems like I could do the detailing myself. Thank you all for thorough explanations.

Dackelone · 10-29-2010, 04:49 AM

One thing no one has mentioned is when you install your winter wheels (IF you drive your 1er in winter!) is to apply some anti seize to the wheel hubs.

I did not do that when I mounted my summers back on my car and three days ago. I had a damm hard time trying to get my summer wheels off the hubs. They were welded onto the hubs! I used a good wire brush to clean the rust off the hubs and used plenty of high temp anti-seize on the hubs and bolt threads.

Greg@DetailedImage · 10-29-2010, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sardius

Seems like I could do the detailing myself. Thank you all for thorough explanations.

Yeah it's honestly not that hard. Most people are amazed at how good of a job they can do on their first try. Additionally no one is going to love your car like you will, no matter how much you pay them. Lastly you'll save a lot of money in the long run. As always if you have any questions please let me know. Enjoy your weekend1

Greg @ DI

TOGWT · 10-30-2010, 04:44 AM

See also “Winter Vehicle Preparation” (August) -An excerpt from The Art & Science of Detailing - http://togwt1980.blogspot.com

Maconer98 · 02-08-2011, 09:18 PM

Getting my car detailed (washed, clayed, waxed, sealed) right before the winter time has been paying me nice dividends because of the protection it provides against the harsh elements/salt. When I get a chance to wash my car in my building's garage, the dirt comes off real easy and the paint is smooth and shiny. Just my 2 cents.

10-27-2010, 12:37 PM	#1
sardius Second Lieutenant 23 Rep 270 Posts Drives: 2011 135i Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Toronto, Canada iTrader: (0)	Preparing the car for winter Hi guys, I am thinking of taking my car for the first time to a local reputable detailer and I have no idea about how to properly prep our cars for winter/salt/snow. The reason I ask these are because I would like to learn a thing or two so that I know the detailer is doing the right thing and only getting the services that I require. My car: Alpine white, 5500km (~3400miles), no noticeable swirl marks. The washing procedure is very straight forwared, as I've done it myself. Now what gets me, do I ask them to wax the car? What about polishing, will they need to do that too or both? What about claying? More importantly, what should they do or NOT do or things I should be aware of? Thank you very much guys for this. I've been learning a lot of good stuff here. Sardius __________________ MY2011 135i / 6MT / Alpine White / Navigation / Premium Pack / BMW Performance Exhaust / aFe Pro Dry S
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10-27-2010, 12:50 PM	#2
Papa13 Go Gators! 90 Rep 1,621 Posts Drives: e82 / e90 / e53 / e46 Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Tampa / SoCal iTrader: (5) Garage List 2009 135i [0.00]	Well, a standered detail consists of wash, dry, clay, polish and wax. So, that's a given but what you want to make sure of, is if they are going to treat the rubber inside your door jams and also the undercarriage and wheel wells. Those are the two areas that salt will eat up. If not you can do it your self, pepboys or any auto store will carry spray for your wheel wells that stops salt. Let me know if you have anymore questions. Hope this helped a little. __________________ e90 M-Tech 330i JB/Terra / e82 n54 135i AW/CR 420rwhp 444rwtq - RIP e53 X5 4.8is M///BLUE/M///SUEDE - 357whp 369wtq - The Snow Beast! n54 135i JB/CR JB4 FBO - Tc Kline D/A Coils - 11.5 @ 122mph 1/4 mile 18' Blue/Black SEL Premium R-Line 4 Motion Tiguan - Mods on order
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10-27-2010, 04:13 PM	#3
sardius Second Lieutenant 23 Rep 270 Posts Drives: 2011 135i Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Toronto, Canada iTrader: (0)	Hi Papa13 thank you for the info. I will certainly ask them about the door jams and the undercarriage. The car is still new, will I still need claying? I read somewhere here that new cars don't need claying, maybe i misread the post, not sure. So I will need both waxing and polishing as well? I was thinking of going with waxing alone. Should I ask them to hand wax or machine wax? What about sealants? I am sorry I have so many questions, I am trying to do this right from the start :-) Thank you again for your time. Sardius __________________ MY2011 135i / 6MT / Alpine White / Navigation / Premium Pack / BMW Performance Exhaust / aFe Pro Dry S
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10-27-2010, 05:35 PM	#5
sardius Second Lieutenant 23 Rep 270 Posts Drives: 2011 135i Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Toronto, Canada iTrader: (0)	Thank you kindly Dackelone, will look into that. :-) __________________ MY2011 135i / 6MT / Alpine White / Navigation / Premium Pack / BMW Performance Exhaust / aFe Pro Dry S
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10-27-2010, 06:52 PM	#6
Papa13 Go Gators! 90 Rep 1,621 Posts Drives: e82 / e90 / e53 / e46 Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Tampa / SoCal iTrader: (5) Garage List 2009 135i [0.00]	If the car is new you wont need clay or polish, unless the vehicle was kept outside (assuming you didn't order it of course). I prefer a good hand wax, but machine makes it error free essentially and cheaper in the long run. There is not much difference anyway. So, either will do. Are you dead set on paying someone to do it? If not, and you have time, you should really do it yourself. Learning how to take care of your paint and interior is priceless =). Nonetheless, for a new car just get a nice wax and seal the undersides and wheel wells for the salt and you will be great. You wont need to polish for 6months to a year. __________________ e90 M-Tech 330i JB/Terra / e82 n54 135i AW/CR 420rwhp 444rwtq - RIP e53 X5 4.8is M///BLUE/M///SUEDE - 357whp 369wtq - The Snow Beast! n54 135i JB/CR JB4 FBO - Tc Kline D/A Coils - 11.5 @ 122mph 1/4 mile 18' Blue/Black SEL Premium R-Line 4 Motion Tiguan - Mods on order
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10-28-2010, 11:22 AM	#8
vanbmw Major 130 Rep 1,101 Posts Drives: 2015 Black 335i Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Vancouver iTrader: (0)	I also vote for the Menzerna power lock sealant. I am very impressed with the longevity of this stuff. You definetly want a sealant instead of a wax for the winter. Do you have a garage at your Condo where you can do some of this yourself? If your car is swirl free I would just give a clay and some sealant myslef and leave out the professional detailer.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-28-2010, 02:13 PM	#9
Greg@DetailedImage 125 Rep 3,515 Posts Drives: clean and protected Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: NY iTrader: (0)	Doing a winter prep is actually relatively easy and it involves almost all the same products you would want to use in a traditional detail, but their importance is more critical at this time of year. Washing and Drying It sounds like you have your process down but just in case you may want to consider one of our hose free washing and drying kits. You basically just need a bucket of water for this type of washing (includes Optimum No Rinse) which is safe and effective. DI Packages Basic Hose Free Wash Package with ONR DI Packages Complete Hose Free Wash Package with ONR A full detail at a minimum consists of a wash, dry, clay bar, polish and sealant in my opinion. The wash removes the loose contaminants, while the clay bar removes the deeply embedded contaminants. The polish will remove the swirls, oxidation, etc. so the paint is more optically clear and shinny. Arguably this the most important step in the process to get the maximum shine possible. The sealant will enhance the way the paint already looks and provide durable protection. A quality sealant will protect the paint for 3 - 6 months. However a typical local car detailer will not use these types of products. All of these steps are actually quite easy and I can almost guarantee you can do a better job yourself than a typical detailer. Top quality detailers are the few and far between and they usually charge a lot for their work. If interested here are some cost effective suggestions to give you top quality results if interested in doing it yourself. Additionally we have a step by step guide for you for each step here - detailing guide. Clay Bar DI Packages DI Clay Bar and Clay Lube Combo - easy to use and works great, awesome value here as well Polish Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 - Great one step polishing routine, just buff it on with medium pressure Sealant Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Sealant or Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger Both sealants will add more gloss to the surface and protect for months to come. Microfiber DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel - These towels help you safely remove the excess product. I'd suggest 4x - 8x for this type of routine. Interior Protecting Fabrics 303 High Tech Fabric Guard - Simply spray it on the fabrics to help repel moisture and salt stains. Protecting Vinyl, Rubber, Plastic, Leather303 Aerospace Protectant - great way to add a darker finish to the interior with valuable UV protection. As always you can save 10% off these products (except sale items and package deals) with the coupon code 10offBMW1. If you have any questions or if you would like help with any step please don't hesitate to ask. Greg @ DI
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10-29-2010, 01:07 AM	#10
sardius Second Lieutenant 23 Rep 270 Posts Drives: 2011 135i Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Toronto, Canada iTrader: (0)	Seems like I could do the detailing myself. Thank you all for thorough explanations. __________________ MY2011 135i / 6MT / Alpine White / Navigation / Premium Pack / BMW Performance Exhaust / aFe Pro Dry S
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10-29-2010, 04:49 AM	#11
Dackelone European Editor 10539 Rep 22,992 Posts Drives: N54 e82 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Bayern, Germany iTrader: (1)	One thing no one has mentioned is when you install your winter wheels (IF you drive your 1er in winter!) is to apply some anti seize to the wheel hubs. I did not do that when I mounted my summers back on my car and three days ago. I had a damm hard time trying to get my summer wheels off the hubs. They were welded onto the hubs! I used a good wire brush to clean the rust off the hubs and used plenty of high temp anti-seize on the hubs and bolt threads.
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10-30-2010, 04:44 AM	#13
TOGWT Captain 11 Rep 770 Posts Drives: 630i Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Ponte Vedra Beach, FL / London, UK iTrader: (0)	See also “Winter Vehicle Preparation” (August) -An excerpt from The Art & Science of Detailing - http://togwt1980.blogspot.com
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02-08-2011, 09:18 PM	#14
Maconer98 Second Lieutenant 26 Rep 293 Posts Drives: 2010 BMW 135i AW/CORAL RED MT Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: NYC - Brooklyn iTrader: (5)	Getting my car detailed (washed, clayed, waxed, sealed) right before the winter time has been paying me nice dividends because of the protection it provides against the harsh elements/salt. When I get a chance to wash my car in my building's garage, the dirt comes off real easy and the paint is smooth and shiny. Just my 2 cents.
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