Cleaning your X5 inside and out
 

- I would like to solicit some great ideas on how you keep your X5 clean and forever gorgeous
- Some cleaning dos and don'ts (based on your experience)
- Cleaning tips
- Cleaning brands that works well (this is the most I am interested in)
- Etc.

Thanks.

You may want to check out the Detailing Forum, accessible from the Forum tab.

Best tip is reduced dust brake pads, IMO. I used Axxis, but not sure if they are available for the E70 yet.

I am a fan of the Porter Cable RO polisher, Meguiar products, regular vacuuming, and drive-through touchless car washes. Others will have very different regimes.

I stay away from the touchless car washes, the pressure is too high and the soap strips the wax. I only hand wash mine, and keep it protected with Xaino.

Dont use an automatic car wash
Dont let bird crap (or bugs) sit on your paint for too long.

Fair comment, but I don't think that all touchless car washes are created equal. I have used ones that are harsh (not going back there) and ones that seem much gentler. We don't have to recycle water where I live, but that would be a deterent to me if my local wash did so.

I do want the high pressure spray on the undercarriage.

I should also qualify that cars that I had as hobby/collector vehicles didn't go through the automatic wash, but the X5 was a daily driver.

I'm sure you are correct, just had a few bad experiences...the main problem I have with the brushless, besides the harsh detergents is the pressure and/or hard water leaves water marks on the painted trim around the windows that has to be buffed off

To keep your X5 clean and forever gorgeous?

Don't eat or drink in the vehicle.
Don't allow anyone to smoke in the vehicle
Don't put feet on the dash board
Don't put books and other things on the dash board
Don't put plastic or paper cups in the cup holders. ( get a decent cup please)
Don't park in compact parking places
Get rubber mats for the floors
Don't use Dawn detergent to wash your vehicle
Don't use cheap wax
Don't use cheap air fresheners
Learn how to hand wash the vehicle (There really is a right and wrong way to do this)
Do not affix bumper stickers
Do not apply dumb stickers on the windows.
Do not install a 120 DB bass speaker.
Do not get any spinner wheels

Well that's enough for now but I'm sure
this list will get longer as others think
of the dumb things others have done to
destroy the looks of an otherwise beautiful machine. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

:rofl:

It's the bane of my wife and kids, but this alone keeps my car 90% cleaner than any of my friends cars..

I am psychotically anal about keeping it clean too... I use static dusting cloths to keep the dust off the dash, as well as compressed air bottles. I also use a damp (and well wrong out rag) wetted with high quality drinking water to wipe down the interior surfaces.. A bit of Lexol leather conditioner on the seats once in a while. Lastly, for the exterior, I go to those cheap $1.25 coin washes and use the high-pressure wax for cleaning, and the spot free rinse for final rinse.. I do the wheels, and wheel wells often, and I do the undersides of the car as well. ..and the car is like-new inside and out.

So, you just use the the high pressure wax and no car wash detergent for your actual wash ? And you don't dry it off with a good microfiber towel (water stains can be bad for the paint) ?

That's what they make the spot free rinse for.. works great. And by not applying the rag to the car I diminish the swirls and other contact related risks.. Usually ends up costing me about $6-7 to do the whole car.

+1 on the wife and kids...my wifes car is a mess, the kids hate to ride with me because I dont allow food and drinks, but my X5 always looks great!

I'm just surprised you don't have water drying somewhere on the paint--especially if you have to drive home in the sun from the coin wash place. As long as you use a good towel and use good technique when drying you are ok--I've had my e53 for 7 years now, wash it every week and paint looks like new--and it's jet black which is one of BMWs softest paints as it can show marks pretty easily.

believe it or not i take mine to a local brushless car wash!!

i've never had a problem with any of my vehicles in the past...(but i'm also not that anal about them either...)

my routine looks like this.....

i usually wash her every Friday night... and after drying her off with those white terry cloth towels from costco....i apply Meguiars NXT 2.0 Generation Tech liquid/paste wax and let it dry for a few minutes while i do the interior with a carnuba leather conditioner and restorer using an applicator mit..

by the time i'm finished doing the interior, I then swap to one of those yellow polishing rags to polish off the exterior..(no hard rubbing required with these cloths and the meguiars nxt wax is pretty awesome!)

I don't do the tires cause i'm not too crazy about the armorall tire look...but i do clean & polish the running boards and wheel wells!

I get excellent results each time!! and all this for about an hours' worth of work!! (give or take a few minutes!;) )

Only Zaino!! Been thru a lot of brushless with no problem. Tried many waxes but settled on Zaino and never looked back. If I see something better I'll go but so far....Zaino!! Have to admit been too busy to Zaino the E70 but will do it next week. Worked great for years on Jet Black on E53's.

Here in Phoenix, with the extremely dry air, after I do a thorough spot free rinse.. and drive off at about 40-50mph for not more than a mile or two to get gas.. the car i 95% dry... I then touch up the few spots as I gas it up with a towel... As I see it, NO towel, no matter how soft is better than air dry.

The car paint is literally show room condition, with only the coat of wax applied every 3-4 months to supplement my washing.

Where's the fun in that? ;) I guess "to each his own..." Me and my wife always go on road trips and we always eat in the car/SAV. Of course I clean the interior after we get back home and thats not a biggie as long as we had fun. We'll be having our first baby in the next few weeks and Im pretty sure there will be alot of feeding and diaper-changing inside our vehicle after that! And Im looking forward to it!!!:beerchug:

I guess you fart in the seats too huh?:nanana:



:yikes:

Have at it............;puke;

No need to be sarcastic about my comment ;) I did say "to each his own..." right? I was just brought up to value family over "stuff", that's why I buy things not only for my own enjoyment but for the enjoyment of my family. Don't get me wrong, I love my "stuff" esp cars, but I wanna be remembered by my family as someone who spent more time making wonderful memories with them. Life is short... but then again, that is jusy my 2 cents...;)

no problem Lobster, its just that when I want to spend time with my family eating, I do it at a dinner table or at a restaurant...my kids dont remember much about the good times spent staring at the back of my head.

Try 12 hour/1200 km drives with two kids under the age of eight. You will remember the good times when they got snacks, it is a great distraction. This was pre-DVD era. Cheerios down the back seat was just not something worth losing sleep over. Spilled drinks wipe up. It is a car. After it is sold, there will be another one. Just my $0.02.

Thats not what I posted my comment for. I was responding to your post when you said "the kids hate to ride with me because I dont allow food and drinks". I want my kids to enjoy riding with me. And if there's a restaurant they wanna eat at, we'll stop and eat there. But with 8-10 hour drives, I dont want to be stopping every 2-3 hours just for a snack.

And yes, i do fart on my seat once in a while...dont you?:thumbup:

Has anyone installed this in their 2nd row?

http://accessories.bmwusa.com/ItemVi...&productId=832

It's the BMW Cotton Poly Seat Savers. Wouldn't that solve the problem of making a mess inside while allowing the "little ones" to enjoy themselves in the car? :)

I might need to buy that for when my baby rides in the back, but i just cant get over for how hideous that looks. Then again jelly and soda stains on leather seats will be worse.

I have a poor mans version of that back there for the dusty/dirty shoes that wind up all over the seats..

On the topic of eating in the car... I've taken long road trips several times, and when we get hungry, we stop at a road side gas station, top off on gas, and partake in snacks at the tailgate.. then it's back in the car with maybe a drink and that's it... I too don't see a problem with keeping the kids from eating in the car, it's about taking care of your stuff for me and it's the lesson they take from it too.

lets get back on point here please.. so how do we clean up after we let life happen in the X the right and efficient way???

How do you clean the dirt and grime on the carpeted portion of the floor anyway, man i think mine's starting to stink a bit..miss that new BMW leather smell already..

y5, to be honest if my car gets to where its that bad, I pay a visit to my local reputable auto detailer and have him shampoo and thoroughly clean the interior. You can also always throw the floormatts into the washer and let airdry.

JCL, where did you have your Axxis brake pad installed here in Vancouver?

Thanks,

Manny

Best for dash ?
 

:dunno: I was just wondering if any bodys got a real good suggestion for what to use on the dash for detailing? Should I use the leather conditioner I use on the seats? or something more like the "shiny wet stuff I use on the tires"

Thanks in advance

NO!! STOP!!! :wow:



DO NOT! repeat, DO NOT! put anything AT ALL on the dash! Just clean it with a warm damp (well wrung out) microfiber or high quality cotton towel.. The foremost detailers that I know.. the ones that get paid $100's to do a car, NEVER use greasy, "Armorall" type crap on ANY surface... You want to restore that nice new looking "matte" finish, not create a mirror! DON'T DO IT! :thumbup:

Water is your best friend... use it in place of most solvents and you'll be in good shape, as will your car. Only the REAL Leather needs a product to keep it from cracking, and even that should be used sparingly and not evey time.. I strongly recommend Lexol for that.

ATTN Phil...

wouldn't that cause the dash to crack over time?

Armor all will do that.... a damp cloth to keep it clean will do nothing at all but keep it clean.

As for cracking... if you're going to keep the car for a decade, then use a window screen (reflective folding one) when you park outside.. otherwise, it's not going to crack (and I live in Phoenix AZ).

Phil is the "X5 detailer", I'll be interested to see what he thinks.

Thank you for the reply.... Ive been lucky so far I havent ever put any thing on it (the Dash) in the past even though I've felt kinda guilty. As far as the seats Ive only use a leather conditioner on them (I think I used black magic 2n1 leather conditioner the last time ) about twice a year. I should have thought about the lexol. I have used it on my saddles hundreds of times back in the day :) Im not a big fan of armor all either ! but I will use a brand equivalent on the tires ;)