My trip to the dealership

[rlmccarty2000]

It was time to take my 370z to the dealership for its 15000 mile checkup. They looked at my car and said "you dont want it washed do you? I said no, of course. They may have remembered me from my other visits, but as I got in my car two different mechanics told me how great my car looks. I thought my car needed a bit of quick detailing, but I guess not. But then I remembered the new GT-R in the showroom and how bad it looked (dust! and fingerprints) and my car did look a lot better than theirs. They are lucky I dont run the showroom (only two cars).

[David Fermani]

The only way Id have my car washed at a dealership is if I was the one doing the washing!

[LEDetailng]

It was time to take my 370z to the dealership for its 15000 mile checkup. They looked at my car and said "you dont want it washed do you? I said no, of course. They may have remembered me from my other visits, but as I got in my car two different mechanics told me how great my car looks. I thought my car needed a bit of quick detailing, but I guess not. But then I remembered the new GT-R in the showroom and how bad it looked (dust! and fingerprints) and my car did look a lot better than theirs. They are lucky I dont run the showroom (only two cars).

You must have really impressed upon them how much you didnt want the car washed last time. That is cool they remembered.

[Red Orc]

Im not sure what the Kia dealership did to my Sportage but when they drove it around it looked fantastic. The guy got out and wiped it down in a few spots with what looked to be a very soft cloth.
No swirl marks or any thing else.

[rlmccarty2000]

You are lucky. Take a look at their wash area. At the dealership I go to I walked around their "detailing" area. I found buckets full of black water and rags that would have been dirty shop rags to me (the red ones). I dont even let them wash my wifes car anymore, I would rather do it right myself. The "free" wash may come with a cost. I do let them vacuum, sometimes.

[Red Orc]

You are lucky. Take a look at their wash area. At the dealership I go to I walked around their "detailing" area. I found buckets full of black water and rags that would have been dirty shop rags to me (the red ones). I dont even let them wash my wifes car anymore, I would rather do it right myself. The "free" wash may come with a cost. I do let them vacuum, sometimes.

Oh man I think Id run away screaming. We pay way too much for these veheclaes to have guys like that trash the paint.
The rag this guy was using almost looked new.

[Lonnie]

The only way Id have my car washed at a dealership is if I was the one doing the washing!
Or teach and train them on the proper methods, car-care chemicals, and tools/equipment needed to wash a car by the Detail Zen Master himself.
Maybe if they watched you they could up a few tips and pointers, but dealership management would tell you they would never make money doing it that way, but forget that it is satisfied, paying, repeat customers that allow the opportunity and ability to "make money." Time IS money, but no returning customers means no money next time. Just saying..................

[Swanicyouth]

Lolz. When I was wrenching, if we got grease on someone`s paint we would wipe it off with a greasy shop rag using Ardex solvent or Brake Kleen.

In fact, there was nothing we couldn`t clean off a customer`s car using these two wonder products...

Greasy seat or carpets? No problem. Pour like a cup of Ardex solvent on them and scrub them with a shop rag.

This Ardex stuff was pretty amazing. It wasn`t a detailing product or APC - but a chemical solvent for mechanics to degrease stuff.

We used to have these wands hooked up to the air hose that would spray this stuff out like a pressure washer. You could have wheel bearing grease smeared all over a wheel or paint, and 15 seconds of spraying with this stuff would just make it disappear.

I`m not sure exactly what it was, but people used to say it would shut your kidneys down for a while. I breathed tons of this stuff in for years...

Dunno if they even make it anymore - but this is what it is:

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160503/2d40be2a82197bd9f4d3b53c7d9e2a9d.jpg

Oil spilled all over the engine? No problem. Get like 3 cans of Brake Kleen and justs spray it all over - so it drips on the floor. Then start the car while its soaking wet - so it dries faster.

You had to watch it though. Set a few engines on fire drenched in Brake Kleen using Roloc discs grinding away gaskets (sparks).