Just washed my X5 and found some scratches!!!!

[ard]

Originally Posted by ABMW

Microscratches do not need to be a part of life. It all starts with preparation.

To remove them, you'll need to use an orbital buffer. A professional detailer will be needed for this and it should cost no more than $200.00.

Steps to avoid the scratches in the future:
1) wash the car with water (need not be distilled)
2) use separate towels (terry cloth) and a separate bucket to clean the wheels first
3) use another set ( of microfiber towels and another bucket) to clean the lower portion of the car using a high quality car wash.
4) Use a final set of microfiber and yet another bucket to wash the remainder.
5) Rinse and dry with clean microfiber towels moving in one direction only. Never dry in a circular fashion.
4) wax with a high quality wax that contains no polishing compounds, whatsoever.

Though, if you've not clayed your car, you'll need to do that before even starting the orbital buffer. Given your expertise, I would leave that up to the professional detailer. It's easy to avoid scratches on even the most delicate finishes. Swirl marks are evidence of improper cleaning, nothing else. They are caused by humans, not mother nature.

The best place to read more is Autopia Computer Products Inc. or you can purchase several books from that site. It's also a great place to buy product. Remember the brake dust is made up of microscopic iron particles coming from your rotors and pads. They are very sharp and will scratch your paint on contact, if you use the same towels for wheels that you do for paint.

That right there is the most common cause of swirls.

Best of luck and don't freak. I could remove them and provide you with a factory fresh finish in less than 1 hr. if with a $100.00 orbital buffer and some high quality product, as can any professional detailer.

(used to own a shop, back when I was a kid)

Good advice.

IMO, **ANY** towel can cause microscratches. If you rinse with hard water, stuff in the water will deposit in the towel AND on the surface- when you use a towel to avoid water spots you've just distributed the residue that would be in a spot over a larger area to make it less noticeable.

With a black car, it is almost a requirement to have DI water.

Arguably, you can do a clean/clay/buff/wax with DI- the trick is to protect and maintain a pristine surface until you can protect it with wax- and then be a *bit* more relaxed once there is some wax (or Zaino) on the surface. Then 'maintenance washes' can be with regular water, but you will have slight dulling if the water is hard.



To add, I wash a car in 5 stages-

Stage 1: first soap up the whole car. You can use a foam gun, or just take a sponge and fling soap/foam from the bucket (I've never seen the need for the foam gun myself.)

Stage 2: Wheels and wheel wells. After doing the wheels and wheel wells, I rinse the whole car- the foam has sat on the dirt for a few minutes at least.

Stage 3: I then wash the roof and windows- allowing the foam to run down. Once this is done I again rinse.

Stage 4: Next with a fresh mitt I do all the "high visual areas: hood, sides above the fold.... then sides to the belt molding, then rear upper. Rinse.

Stage 5: Then the lower part of the car.

I'd NEVER, EVER own a black car! The darkest I have is a Slate gray TT and that makes me crazy...even the bronze on the X5 I can see microscratches if I look...so I try not to.

A