New owner 2009 X5 3.0 Metallic Black

[motordavid]

Originally Posted by ezcompany

thanks for the warm reception guys!
looks like my main concern with the car will be keeping the black clean!
I'm sifting through the detail forum,,, i don't know if its worth leaving it to the professionals or doing it myself....although i'm sure it will be cheaper doing it myself! is there a basic step by step way of cleaning the e-70 with good brands of cleaning materials?

Not a detail xpert, but I keep 2 of my 3 cars, and all 3 m'cycles pretty
damn clean. I am a Zaino fan,(as are many here), but one has to buy into the
initial lengthy process if one goes that way.
See link:
Quick Order: Zaino Store

Many others here use Euro style "wax" systems and like them...while some just give
it a good wash and "wax" of some kind every once and awhile. It is up to you, time
& dedication-wise. Otoh, a twice a year pro detail is hard to beat, if time is a luxury
and you want to spend the dough.

You might give Phil The Detail Man's threads some reads, (in the Detail Forum), where
he shows a detailed detail, (no pun), the products and the process(s) that he uses.
He is a pro, however, so it may be beyond the usual driveway clean up, most of us do.
He is a Vendor/Supporter of the Board, too.

Hard to give "lessons" here, and few of us make a living at cleaning
a car; basics include:
-don't wait too long between washes
-skip automatic car washes if possible, esp w/black and the banging
your wheels will take in the pull racks.
-get some brand/system of good protection on your new car, soon!
-Use lots of water to "float" the crap when washing.
-less is more, imo, both in amount of suds, pressure used to clean,
apply polish, remove wax/polish.
-Keeping your wheels "waxed" with something/anything will provide
for easier brake dust removal, which is a cosmetic bugaboo. And,
clean wheels regularly do wonders to make the car look cleaner, imo.
-It's a car; so unless you are keeping it as a show piece, it is going
to get its share of dirt, road tar, gunk, junk, bugs, etc.
...My 50Cts is up and, all imo.
Enjoy the sumbitch!
GL,mD

[x5mad]

Originally Posted by apw2607

I think your a little confused.

The iphone can be connected to the "6FL option" .. or USB/Aux connector. They should have given you a Y-Cable.

If you also ordered option "6NF" Smartphone integration, then you can use a special iphone cradle, which will charge the phone, allow it to use the external shark fin antenna for better reception, and allow the i-drive to access the phone for music. Option 6FL started in 2009 MY.

Also, if you have BMW Assist, another new feature for 2009 is you can send google addresses to the car via google maps on your computer.

Yeh, sorry for the unclear post. What I meant was you won't be able to plug your normal iphone cable into the usb port and get it to integrate and work. And yes to get it to work you will need the options as apw2607 mentioned.

[x5mad]

[QUOTE=jamesboags;631686]
Yes me too ...never let my ride be washed at any car wash place.. although I use Zaino.. it needs some pretty bad at the moment...I've never been confident with the clay bar though...nor an orbital .... don't the orbitals put the swirl marks in or am I just misinformed...

The clay bar is a piece of cake and well worth it IMO. Go to the swissvax website where they have posted up a detailing guide - quite a good place to start for the beginner/enthusiast. After a good wash most people would think it looks clean - but go over it with a clay bar and you will be horrified at what still remains. The impotant points with a clay bar are: plenty of lubrication, check the clay bar surface for contaminants and fold over as required, only light surface pressure is required, never reuse if dropped!

With the random orbital, again very easy. It is with the R/O that you are less likely to cause damage. It is the ROTARY ones which you have to be more careful with. Preparation is the key - the surface must be squeaky clean with no contaminants, hence why clay bar is so important if you are going to polish. If there are contaminants on the paintwork whether you use machine or by hand then you are more likely to put swirl marks into the paint.

[Stevev]

Congrat on your new ride...post pictures when you can.

[ezcompany]

I was thinking, is it a good idea to dust off the car everyday? with say, a swiffer duster?
And would it be alright to wash the wheels with a bucket and a regular sponge used for dishwashing?
For the interior, are armor all leather wipes for the seat, and armor all protectant good for the dash?
There is also a car wash near me, where it is 100% brush free. It is an automatic wash with 4 stages, soak, soap, rinse, air dry. Question is will generic soap, and high pressure rinse damage the black? I am avoiding the premium wash because it uses cheap bristles to clean the wheels, in which i want to wipe and wash myself.

[BGM]

Originally Posted by ezcompany

I was thinking, is it a good idea to dust off the car everyday? with say, a swiffer duster?
And would it be alright to wash the wheels with a bucket and a regular sponge used for dishwashing?
For the interior, are armor all leather wipes for the seat, and armor all protectant good for the dash?
There is also a car wash near me, where it is 100% brush free. It is an automatic wash with 4 stages, soak, soap, rinse, air dry. Question is will generic soap, and high pressure rinse damage the black? I am avoiding the premium wash because it uses cheap bristles to clean the wheels, in which i want to wipe and wash myself.

Ok it sounds like you are kind of new to car washing, etc. I think most would agree that dusting a car off everyday is just asking for swirl marks no matter what you use--for me that is a big "no". As far as wheels just go get a sponge from AutoZone, etc. For the seats I would be cautious on using wipes as it's not really "cleaning" them. For that just use a good leather product every 2-3 months that has a clean and condition phase. I use Leatherique--Zaino has some good leather products as well. I would hold off on automatic washes unless it's so dirty you can't do it yourself. The water pressure and temperature at auto washes can sometimes damage paint over time. My $02 . . .

[ezcompany]

Is there a recommended detail/car wash retailer in socal? Detailers domain and Zaino are in NJ and I was wondering if there was any highly regarded place local.

[x5mad]

Originally Posted by BGM

Ok it sounds like you are kind of new to car washing, etc. I think most would agree that dusting a car off everyday is just asking for swirl marks no matter what you use--for me that is a big "no". As far as wheels just go get a sponge from AutoZone, etc. For the seats I would be cautious on using wipes as it's not really "cleaning" them. For that just use a good leather product every 2-3 months that has a clean and condition phase. I use Leatherique--Zaino has some good leather products as well. I would hold off on automatic washes unless it's so dirty you can't do it yourself. The water pressure and temperature at auto washes can sometimes damage paint over time. My $02 . . .

+1. I use Zaino Z9 and Z10 for the leather and can highly recommend it.

[ezcompany]

so should i just stick to Zaino and detailers forum? there's no reputable detailer in socal?

[jamesboags]

Lexol for leather is quite good too...!!!