Unanswered Questions about Detailing

S

silvergray

New member
Hey guys,

I have been visiting this forum for several months now, and I have learned massive amounts of information. (I found the Click and Brag particularly helpful) Still, a few thoughts linger in my head.





I have a 2004 BMW with Leatherette interior. (Fancy way of saying vinyl) I have been using Vinylex on the seats and 303 on the dash. What would you do for cleaning and protection?



I will be storing this vehicle for the winter. Do you have any recommendations I follow. I'm thinking of putting some Baking Soda in a pie tin, but I don't want the car to smell funky in the spring. Anything else I should know?



Finally, I had a hell of a time making my friend's 530 look great. Swirls were a PAIN to remove. Usually, I use the Menzerna line and have yellow, orange, white, black and red pads. Please give me some insight on this.





Thanks for all your help, and putting up with me!
 
on the seats I thik you need to be sure if they are vinyl or leather

(vinyl just does not sound correct to me , but it could be)



baking soda works ok but, home depot/lowes sells an item called damp rid

that works great and is only about $5



also add a fuel stablizer

and think about a battery tender
 
Also inflate the tires to 50/55 psi to keep from getting flat spots if you leave them on the car.



The battery tender that BigJimZ28 mentioned is a very good idea, it will save you money by prolonging the life of your battery.
 
silvergray said:
I will be storing this vehicle for the winter. Do you have any recommendations I follow. I'm thinking of putting some Baking Soda in a pie tin, but I don't want the car to smell funky in the spring. Anything else I should know?
Click to expand...



Make sure to run the ac for like 30-45 min at least once a month. keep mildew and mold from forming.
 
Thanks for all your replies. I actually found a pretty good article on e46fanatics about storing the vehicle. But on the detail side of things, what are your thoughts.



Would 303 look nice on my black vinyl seats?



Is PowerGloss with a yellow pad a bad idea? Should I use an orange? So far, I'm leaning towards Intensive Polish on a yellow for defect correction on a 5-Series.



Finally - In the spring, I will be fully detailing the BMW with ZPC on a white pad, several coats of Z2, etc. I also plan to remove the wheels and fully clean them. Would ZPC on a white pad along with several coats of Z2 do the trick? They are in near perfect condition right now.



Again, thanks for your time!
 
I am sure you got the low down on storing your BMW for the winter. Here are some things I did when I store my Ford mustang LX 5.0 for the winter.

1) through hand wash and detail

2) fill gas tank with fresh fuel I only use a fuel stableizer if the car is being stored formore than a year.

2) fluid changes radiator, transmission rear end differnal . Oil & filter blake fluid

3)put suspension on jack stands inflate tires to 40 pounds

4) moister packs in front and rear of interior

5) take battery out store and trickle charge.

6) plug exhaust pipes keep rodent out

7)sqirt some engine oil down spark plug holes

8) grease & lube hinges and linkage.

9) two car covers and acouple of blankets under the cover to soften the blow if any thing God for bit falls

10) notify my car insurance company to make adjustment to the policy for that car.

11 Roll up windows shut the doors and say good night !
 
silvergray said:
Thanks for all your replies. I actually found a pretty good article on e46fanatics about storing the vehicle. But on the detail side of things, what are your thoughts.



Would 303 look nice on my black vinyl seats?



Is PowerGloss with a yellow pad a bad idea? Should I use an orange? So far, I'm leaning towards Intensive Polish on a yellow for defect correction on a 5-Series.



Finally - In the spring, I will be fully detailing the BMW with ZPC on a white pad, several coats of Z2, etc. I also plan to remove the wheels and fully clean them. Would ZPC on a white pad along with several coats of Z2 do the trick? They are in near perfect condition right now.



Again, thanks for your time!
Click to expand...



For cleaning the seats, a simple all purpose cleaner will do, the more gentle the better. For getting rid of stubborn stains in plastic/vinly, I like Soft Scrub (the stuff in the home cleaning aisle), its like rubbing compound for plastic. :cool:



I like 303 for exterior panels (except on larger panels where it doesn't seem to stay uniform). For interior Meguiars #40 is just vastly superior. Makes stuff look factory new with a deep richness and probably the least shine of any real protectant.
 
Bob G said:
I am sure you got the low down on storing your BMW for the winter. Here are some things I did when I store my Ford mustang LX 5.0 for the winter.

1) through hand wash and detail

2) fill gas tank with fresh fuel I only use a fuel stableizer if the car is being stored formore than a year.

2) fluid changes radiator, transmission rear end differnal . Oil & filter blake fluid

3)put suspension on jack stands inflate tires to 40 pounds

4) moister packs in front and rear of interior

5) take battery out store and trickle charge.

6) plug exhaust pipes keep rodent out

7)sqirt some engine oil down spark plug holes

8) grease & lube hinges and linkage.

9) two car covers and acouple of blankets under the cover to soften the blow if any thing God for bit falls

10) notify my car insurance company to make adjustment to the policy for that car.

11 Roll up windows shut the doors and say good night !
Click to expand...



Hmm, I'd think it would be better to start the car once a week or every two.

Also, if you're putting the car up on jack stands, why the increased tire pressure?
 
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