[mjq1602]

Ok just 7 days now until I get the thing but just wondering whether I should treat it straight away to a wax/sealer or will the dealer have used a good enough wax to last a couple of months or am I expecting too much from them?

 

[al the mini man]

When i ordered mine i told the dealer not to touch it,I have a friend who details for a living and he advised me not to let the do anything to it.Do it yourself or get it done by a profesional.

 

[mjq1602]

When i ordered mine i told the dealer not to touch it,I have a friend who details for a living and he advised me not to let the do anything to it.Do it yourself or get it done by a profesional.

Interesting. Unfortunately I get it on a Monday and won't have the time to do anything to it until the weekend so will have to let them do it initially.So just trying to decide if what they use is any good or whether I should just go at it at the Weekend and redo everything.

 

[Davyboy]

I got mine on a Thursday and had to wait nearly 2 weeks for my detailer but I'd rather wait then let the dealer do it.

I'd be surprised if the dealer does anymore than wash it anyway unless you pay the rip off fee for paint protection!

 

[Hat]

Dealer washes are pretty much always rubbish at best and damaging at worst. Leaving it even a couple of weeks until a detailer can get to it wont matter as it will have been at least that long in transit. I wouldn't advise doing it yourself unless you really know your stuff and have lots of products. It will likely need a thorough decontamination and paint inspection before applying any wax or sealant.

 

[mjq1602]

Dealer washes are pretty much always rubbish at best and damaging at worst. Leaving it even a couple of weeks until a detailer can get to it wont matter as it will have been at least that long in transit. I wouldn't advise doing it yourself unless you really know your stuff and have lots of products. It will likely need a thorough decontamination and paint inspection before applying any wax or sealant.

Well now I'm going to have to give this more thought than I thought!

Thanks for the replies and info.

 

[hotrunner]

Dealer washes are pretty much always rubbish at best and damaging at worst.

I AGREE more !.so very true !...
my car was damaged the first time they put it thru their car wash.
They had to remove scratches to the front and rear (same side) qtr panels.
They made good for it and fixed the scratches....guess what......whenever the car
goes in for anything, I write them a note and place it in the car and I tell my SA,
"do not wash my car"..thank you !

 

[Davyboy]

Similar here...

I have 3 A4 laminated posters saying, please do not wash. I put one on the dash, one on the seat and one on the steering wheel, I then not only ask/tell the advisor but get it noted on the job card with the advisor signing.

 

[donnaj1dlh]

Where are you in Scotland @mjq1602 ?


I know a few really good professional detailers ...especially if you want your paintwork chemically sealed.


As Hat said, your dealer will wash with a gritty sponge at best .... they won't decontaminate and wax. I'd certainly recommend a thorough decontamination before protection. For best results you don't want to rush this.


Don't be persuaded by any of their 'own' protection packages

 

[Hat]

it might cost anywhere up to £200 for a proper detail but when you weigh this up against a) the cost of the car & b) the cost of materials to do the job properly yourself, its not a huge outlay & your car will look 100% improved & stay that way for several months.

the in house protection packages are a complete scam. they will charge upwards of £250 to have their car wash people apply £5 worth of commercially available sealant & wax, plus an upholstery spray. The Autoglym packs that are generally used for these can be bought off ebay for £30 - i bought one & it lasted for at least 5-6 re-applications - & they won't give you the left over product either, you get one clean & that's it.

 

[jeremybingham]

Also depends on the dealer;and you of course-ie how ocd you are.Mine looked wonderful on collection and i was very happy(didnt pay for any treatment). I bought A glaze on ebay for £8 inc pandp; (deaer wanted £300 to apply this)this included a spray on carpet/cloth protector- VERY simple, a leather treatment-very simple-rub on leave then off and paint treatment-VERY simple-a cream which was applied then rubbed off and then a differetn solution which was applied then left to dry and taken off with water. Same for the glass. Really happy with the results. i do however apply wax when ever i feel the need to polish it.
Autoglym do a kit which is readily available on ebay too!

 

[jeremybingham]

Nb the beauty of having the kit yourself is there's some left; when as happened to us you get a teeny scratch (grrr ) from a clown in a car park you can t cut it out then reapply the protectant-managed this on our roadster boot that som e clot seemed to have decided was there to use as a platform for a handbag wth metal buckles-got em all out! Took some time though!

 

[mjq1602]

Also depends on the dealer;and you of course-ie how ocd you are.Mine looked wonderful on collection and i was very happy(didnt pay for any treatment). I bought A glaze on ebay for £8 inc pandp; (deaer wanted £300 to apply this)this included a spray on carpet/cloth protector- VERY simple, a leather treatment-very simple-rub on leave then off and paint treatment-VERY simple-a cream which was applied then rubbed off and then a differetn solution which was applied then left to dry and taken off with water. Same for the glass. Really happy with the results. i do however apply wax when ever i feel the need to polish it.
Autoglym do a kit which is readily available on ebay too!

Yeh like the look of some of the Autoglym stuff, the Super resin Polish and the Extra Gloss Sealant in particular get pretty good reviews. I do like to do as much as I can myself so won't be taking it to a detailer.