Exterior Detail: Carbon Black BMW X5

[alpha]

Let me first preface this writeup with the fact that I am not a pro; I am just a detailing enthusiast that likes to keep his personal vehicles clean.

I purchased this 2015 X5 a few months ago, and just had the opportunity to give the exterior a proper detail earlier this month. I took some pics during the process, but I could have taken more. I was trying to get it done since it was quite hot (ambient temperature of mid 90s to low 100s Fahrenheit) and I do not have a temperature controlled garage.

A summary of the products used:

Car Wash
Meguiar’s Rinse Free Express Wash (D114) diluted 128:1

Paint Decontamination
CarPro Iron-X
Nanoskin Fine Grade Clay Towel
Meguiar’s Clay Bar
Meguiar’s D114 diluted 256:1 as clay lube

Compounds/Polishes/Paint Cleansers
Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover 3.0 (TSR)
Wolfgang Finishing Glaze 3.0 (FG)
BLACKFIRE Gloss Enhancing Polish (GEP)

Polishers and Pads
Flex 3401 with 6.5” LC Hybrid Pads and 5” LC Flat Pads
Porter Cable 7424XP with 4” LC CCS Pads

Panel Wipe
15% IPA with 0.5oz of D114 added

Sealant(s)
Menzerna Powerlock (PL)
BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection (BFWD)

Wax
BLACKFIRE BlackICE

Wheel Brushes
Wheel Woolies
Swissvax Wheel Brush

Tire Shine
BLACKFIRE Total Eclipse Tire Gel

Rubber Protectant
Wolfgang Vinyl and Rubber Protectant

All Purpose Cleaner
Meguiar’s D103 diluted 10:1

Let’s start with the before pics:







And some holograms :





I first gave the car a rinseless wash using Meg’s D114 diluted at 128:1. After I washed the car, I drove over to the local coin-op to use Iron-X. I don’t have any pics since I forgot to bring my camera with me, but I didn’t find this step to be particularly exciting given the dark color of the vehicle.

Next up: the claying step. I used the following: a Nanoskin Fine Grade clay towel for the glass and paint, a Megs clay bar for the shadowline trim, and Megs D114 diluted 256:1 as clay lube.



After the decon stage, I inspected the car in the sun and made note of any paint imperfections. Luckily, and surprisingly, the only issues I saw were holograms on the driver side front fender and the hood. I brought the car back inside the garage and taped it up.





Now for the 50/50 pictures of the hologram correction:



The winning combo ended up being:

• a couple section passes using TSR on a LC hybrid orange pad with the Flex 3401 at speed 4.5
• a couple section passes using FG on a LC hybrid white pad with the Flex 3401 at speed 4

Note: The following pics are after TSR and before FG.





After doing the whole fender:



An IPA wipedown was performed after using TSR to check my work, and again after FG.

The same combo was used to correct the holograms on the hood. Unfortunately, I do not have any pics of the hood. I proceeded to do the rest of the car with FG using LC hybrid white pads and the Flex 3401 at speed 4.5 as a one-step. For the tighter areas, I used the Flex 3401 with 5” LC flat pads or the PC with 4” LC CCS white pads with the FG. I then followed this with an IPA wipedown.



The next step is one that is debated, and probably a waste of time, but I chose to do it anyway. I applied GEP. I chose to do this to make sure all the polishing oils were removed (for anything that I missed with the IPA wipe), and to promote LSP adhesion since I was planning to use BFWD on the paint. After this, I removed all the tape.





And the LSP stage:
I applied Menzerna Powerlock to the glass. I also applied BFWD to the paint and the shadowline trim. After letting the BFWD cure, I applied a second layer to ensure even coverage. After letting that layer cure for a few hours, I applied BlackICE.



While the BFWD was curing, I cleaned the wheels and wheel wells. Then, I clayed and sealed the wheels with Powerlock. I also cleaned up the engine bay with Megs D103 diluted 10:1, since it was just a little dusty and wasn’t really that dirty.



After all that was done, I applied tire shine and trim protection.



Now for the after pics:























Thanks for looking!

[Stokdgs]

Mark -
Great job !!!!!
Beautiful car but them I am so partial to Bimmers anyway...
Have always loved Carbon Black..
Your work is very good, but imagine how it might look if you ran that Flex 3401VRG at full speed...
Thanks for all that hard work, pics, and write up..

Had a new Topaz Blue, Dove Grey Leather, X5 in 2002, even that far back it was an awesome SAV, and ran thousands of miles between Seattle and Spokane for several years...
Dan F

[alpha]

Mark -
Great job !!!!!
Beautiful car but them I am so partial to Bimmers anyway...
Have always loved Carbon Black..
Your work is very good, but imagine how it might look if you ran that Flex 3401VRG at full speed...
Thanks for all that hard work, pics, and write up..

Had a new Topaz Blue, Dove Grey Leather, X5 in 2002, even that far back it was an awesome SAV, and ran thousands of miles between Seattle and Spokane for several years...
Dan F

Thanks Dan! I`m fairly new to the Flex 3401VRG. It`s my second detail with it, so I`m still learning and refining my technique with it. I`ll definitely try using it at full speed in the future.

Topaz Blue and Dove Grey is a fantastic color combo! And oh Spokane... I haven`t been there for a few years. I`ve made the Seattle / Spokane drive a few times. I could see an X5 making that drive a bit more fun..

[rlmccarty2000]

Is Carbon Black really blue, or is that my iPad? Beautiful work by the way!

[Ronkh]

Nice work !!!!

[tom p.]

Yeah, your finished product looks nothing short of outstanding, Mark! Well done

[Oldfordisbetter]

That came out great. Professional grade results

[alpha]

Thank you for all the compliments! I feel honored to receive such kind words from the folks on Autopia!

Is Carbon Black really blue, or is that my iPad? Beautiful work by the way!

Thanks! It`s not your iPad. Carbon Black has a lot of blue in it. It`s why I fell in love with this color. I tried to capture its personality in my after pics, and now I have to keep up with its maintenance in order to properly showcase its uniqueness.

Nice work !!!!

Ron, Thank you kind sir!

Yeah, your finished product looks nothing short of outstanding, Mark! Well done

Tom, Thank you very much!

That came out great. Professional grade results

Thank you!

[Broceratops]

Well done. Hack detailer holograms always make me

[jerry r]

Lovely result and as you said yourself you are just getting used to it,hopefully more to come from you Alpha.

[Pats300zx]

Beautiful job !!!!

[Mp0wer]

Wow great job, that paint looks dripping wet..

[GearHead_1]

Nice job, nice review.