| A6MDX |
Comments Welcome :)
Supplies:
- 5 gallon bucket
- Wheel Wooly
- Cotton Chenille Wash Mitt (2)
- Cotton Chenille Wash Pad
- Microfiber Towel (2 bath size)
- Microfiber Glass Cleaning Cloth
- Microfiber Optical Cloth
- 100% Cotton Flannel Polishing Cloth
- 100% Cotton Bath Towel
- 100% Cotton hand Towel (3)
- Cotton/Foam Polish Applicator Pad
- 303 Aerospace Protectant
- Lexol Leather Cleaner
- Lexol Leather Conditioner
- Stoner Invisible Glass Cleaner (or Eimann Fabrik Clear Vision)
- Meguiar's Final Inspection #34
- 3M Swirl Mark Remover
- Meguiar's Endurance High Gloss Tire Gel (or One Grand Exterior Rubber and Vinyl (ERV))
- Zaino Z1, Z2, Z5, Z7
- California Duster
- Eagle One Tire Swipes
You can get many of these products at an AutoMart, Pep Boys, etc. or from the links below. The Zaino you have to get from the web site or a local distributor. The best microfiber towels I have found are either the Viper brand or any of the ones listed in the microfiber web links below.
Steps (in order) ->
1. Tires and Wheels
I always do the tires first because I can leave them wet while washing the car without worrying about water spots forming. This doesn't seem to work the other way around. :)
I start by filling my bucket with water and add a cap full of Z7. I then go over each tire with the Chenille pad. For the wheels I use either the Chenille pad or my Wheel Wooly.
I purchased the "Wheel Wooly" from Pep Boys a couple of years ago because I was having a difficult time cleaning the small spokes on my Audi. This neat little tool is an 8" cone of synthetic wool attached to a plastic handle. The wool is thickest towards the handle and it tapers to a pointed tip. This works great getting into the little nooks and crannies that many wheels have. The MDX Touring wheels are much easier to clean so most of the time I just use the Chenille cotton pad to do both the tires and the wheels. If you have wheels with hard-to- get places I recommend the Wheel Wooly.
Once I've finished cleaning the wheels I dump the water bucket and clean it. I then apply a little Meguiar's Endurance to the Eagle One Wheel swipes and gloss the tires. The Endurance is a low gloss gel that doesn't run. Many people I know won't use it because it contains silicone that can deteriorate the tires and turn them brown over time. Personally, I've never encountered that in almost 3 years of using it. If you are one to worry about those things, I've been told One Grand Exterior Rubber and Vinyl (ERV) does not have silicone and is recommended...
2. Exterior Wash
Starting with a fresh bucket of water I add 2 caps full of Z7 to the bucket to get plenty of suds. Then I use one of the Chenille mitts to clean the vehicle above the beltline. My pattern is:
- clean the top, rinse
- clean the hood and front fenders, rinse
- clean the passenger doors, rinse
- clean the passenger rear quarters and rear door, rinse
- clean the driver doors, rinse
- clean the drivers rear quarter, rinse
Next I take the other mitt and repeat the sequence below the beltline.
I also take care to wipe in a horizontal motion (not circlular) along the vehicle. You can visualize the pattern by thinking how air would flow from the front of the vehicle to the back. This helps prevent swirl marks and any micro scratches that might be put in the finish would only be in the horizontal plane. To help prevent scratches of any kind I rinse the mitt after each wipe with the hose before I put it back in the bucket. This forces any large dirt particles out of the mitt and also prevent them from getting in the wash bucket.
I have my hose nozzle on a quick disconnect that allows me to pop off the nozzle and run a stream of water over the vehicle. Since the car always has a nice polish on it, the water sheets off of the vehicle leaving a minimal amount of water to dry. The drops that are left are usually large and take a long time to dry so the chances of water spots forming before I can towel it off is minimal. I use one of the bath size MF towels and go over the windows first. This minimizes any streaking on the glass. I then use the same towel to go over the rest of the vehicle. This gets the majority of the water off. I then use the second bath size MF towel to go over the vehicle again to complete the drying. As a final touch I use the edge of the towel to wick any water that collects between the rear window and the body. This usually streams down the rear quarter panels leaving streaks if I forget this step. I also open all of the doors and wipe down the doorsills and interior door metal.
3. Interior Cleaning
I use one of the cotton hand towels to wipe down the interior with 303 Aerospace Protectant. I do all of the interior plastic except for the gauge plastic and the DVD screen. I then use the same cloth to wipe down the exterior plastic.
To clean the gauges and the DVD screen I just lightly dampen the optics MF cloth with water. I use as little pressure as possible since the plastic is easily scratched.
I then use another cotton hand towel and Lexol Leather cleaner to clean all of the leather. I take care to clean in all of the seat creases where most of the dirt collects. I then use the last cotton hand towel to wipe down the leather with Lexol Leather Conditioner.
Next, I remove the mats and vacuum the interior. I use a broomstick to beat the mats and knock out any dirt before replacing them.
4. Glass
Next I do the interior then exterior glass. The glass is really simple as the Stoner glass cleaner and MF glass towel rarely leaves any streaks. The only problem I've ever had is when I get 303 Aerospace Protectant on the windows or on the MF towel or if I get water on the towel. If I do get streaks, I find it easy to tell if they are on the inside or outside by cleaning the inside using horizontal strokes and cleaning the outside using vertical strokes.
I also do the interior glass AFTER I detail the interior so any smudges or leftover cleaning materials are removed from the glass after I go through the interior cleaning routine
5. Polishing
I polish the car using Zaino Z5 and Z2 about once every 3 to 4 weeks. I follow the instructions on the Zaino site so I won't repeat those here. I always allow at least 1 hour for the polish to dry before I wipe it down using the cotton bath towel. I also wait at least 24 hours before I apply a second coat. I apply Z5 first then Z2. If the car remains garaged between coats, I wipe it down with the California duster before I apply the polish. If I drive it, I wash it again before applying polish.
Again, when I apply and remove the polish, I do it horizontally just like how I wash.
After the Z2 polish I wipe down the car using the cotton flannel cloth and Meguiar's Final Inspection #34. I've tried Zaino Z6 but I've found it streaks. It's not noticable on lighter colored paint but I have a Black car and it is very noticeable on that finish. I've found that the Meguiar's does not streak at all.
- Swirl Mark and Scratch Repair
Occasionally I see swirl marks or micro scratches in the finish and I apply the 3M Swirl Mark Remover with a cotton/foam polish applicator to polish them out. In this case I do use a circular motion to remove the swirls and scratches. I then apply a final rub down using the horizontal motion before I wipe the finish down with a clean cotton flannel cloth. I then apply Z1, Z5 and Z2.
Please note that the 3M will only help with very minor scratches and swirl marks. Heavier scratches will require more drastic measure. Look in the Car Car Online link for methods and materials to fix these heavier scratches.
- Periodic Detailing
About once a year in the spring I go over the car with a clay bar to remove any pollution and other debris that has adhered to the finish. This is really easy to do once you get the hang of it. I've used the Zaino clay bar and the Mother's clay bar successfully to remove road tar splatter, acrylic paint and general road grime. Just remember, follow the instructions that come with the clay bar. If you drop it, buy another bar. It's cheaper than the repairs that will be needed if you rub dirt into your finish.
I also get pits in the paint from debris kicked up in front of the vehicle. I've never been successful in completely fixing the pits but I've been able to hide them temporarily. I went to the auto store and bought the Turtle Wax Color Magic polish and wax pencil. You can probably find this in a color that is close to the color of your vehicle. I throw the wax out (or give it to someone) and use the wax pencil to fill in the pits. This usually lasts about 4 to 6 months before I have to do it again. Be sure to strip any existing polish off of the area you work on before applying the pencil. After the repair, polish the area with minimal rubbing using the Zaino products.
- Links
Supplies
Proper Auto Care - http://www.properautocare.com/
Meguiar's - http://www.teammeguiars.com/products.asp
303 Products - http://www.303products.com/
Car Care Online - http://www.carcareonline.com
Auto Detail - http://www.autodetail.com/
MicroFiber sources - http://www.properautocare.com/micprod1.html
http://www.neatitems.com/micro.htm
Zaino - http://www.zainobros.com/
Detailing Tips
Meguiar's - http://www.teammeguiars.com/getschooled.asp
Car Care Online - http://www.carcareonline.com/howto.aspx
Auto Detail - http://www.autodetail.com/tipsoncleaningcar.htm
Zaino - http://www.zainobros.com/ |
|
|
| HARDROCK |
| Smells good to me! Thanks for the great tips - I learned a few new things and you confirmed some things I was already doing. |
|
|
| greatscot |
:6: A6MDX, Please post pics so we can see the fruit of your labor
:31: |
|
|
| flrmnd_mdx |
A6MDX
For the first time, I saw such a comphrensive list and work, I guess, we should have more email and threads..
Its like "day in a life of a planner" in SCM |
|
|
| harmonr1 |
| And I just prey for half an hour of spare time to wash mine.:drool: |
|
|
| Bnuke |
[QUOTE]Originally posted by A6MDX -
2. Exterior Wash
... My pattern is:
- clean the top, rinse
- clean the hood and front fenders, rinse
- clean the passenger doors, rinse
- clean the passenger rear quarters and rear door, rinse
- clean the driver doors, rinse
- clean the drivers rear quarter, rinse
Next I take the other mitt and repeat the sequence below the beltline.
I knew a guy in Pensacola that told me that he washed his car just like an Navy jet...from bottom to top. He said that it the Navy determined that planes come out cleaner this way.
I wash cars from the top to bottom like most of the world but I wonder if there is any truth to the "bottom to top" method.
Bnuke |
|
|
| A6MDX |
| I'd like to hear the reasoning behind it. Having been in the military there's always a reason. I wasn't always sure it was a good reason!:rolleyes: |
|
|
| A6MDX |
Sounds like it's time to wash again!
I'll post some pics of the X after I wash it today. For now here's a picture of the Black Beast. Black is an exercise in futility.
 |
|
|
| hockeyplayer |
| The one ting I noticed that makes the X stand out even if you waxed and cleaned it to no end is to spray the tires with a protectant lto make em' shiney. It always finishes off your labour of love perfectly. |
|
|
| catzx6 |
| A6MDX, will you come over and detail my X? LOL, wish I had that kind of time to do all you do to your X. |
|
|
| A6MDX |
| Me too! I tend to sleep less as I grow older. |
|
|
| A6MDX |
It will probably never look this good again!
Sandstone was our first choice but we are extremely happy with the Redrock.
Cleans up pretty well.
 |
|
|
| nyc |
wow...
;]
thanks for the tips! |
|
|
| greatscot |
| Impressive results :4: |
|
|
| Bnuke |
quote:
Originally posted by A6MDX
I'd like to hear the reasoning behind it. Having been in the military there's always a reason. I wasn't always sure it was a good reason!:rolleyes:
He said that there was less of a cohesive effect for the runoff. Maybe it keeps a constant rinse which might help out with a salt water environment on a carrier.
My brother was on carriers when he was in the Navy and he never understood why they had to wash planes that way. |
|
|
| mauigrl721 |
| That was so helpful!! I've finally given up on my pathetic car wash stuff...leaves the X almost as dirty as before!!! I'm buying Zaino RIGHT NOW! Your Redrock MDX is BEAUTIFUL, abosolutely gorgeous! |
|
|
| A6MDX |
| I've found that using Z5 really gives the finish very good depth. Z2 gives it the best shine but a couple of coats of Z5 then Z2 on top gives the best results. It's impossible to see in the pictures but in person it's extraordinary. |
|
|
| mauigrl721 |
| Thanks, Jim!:) |
|
|
| jswift2000 |
a6mdx,
That rocks!!! I thougt I was thorough but, well, not anymore. Love the advice and tips. |
|
|
| sar10 |
| I always wash top to bottom to keep the dirty stuff from washing down over the parts already cleaned. It's usually dirtier toward the bottom. |
|
|
| HARDROCK |
| I always wash from bottom to top and rinse from the top down. With the hard water we have here in SOCAL, we need to keep the car wet to prevent water-spotting and washing the top last keeps a steady stream of water flowing down the car. |
|
|
| A6MDX |
| Same problem here only I spray down the entire car after every other trip to the wash bucket to keep the car wet. On my final rinse I pop the sprayer off my hose and let the water flow across the panels of the car from top to bottom. Since I use Zaino frequently the water sheets off of the car and leaves very few drops. I can get around the car fairly quickly with my MF towel and 75% of the leftover water off of the car in less than 2 minutes. |
|
|
| octavian |
A6....lots of good info and results to prove it! I would, however, encourage you to reconsider Z6. I have a Black X and have never had streaking with Z6. Z5, yes, as I previously posted with the Wormster sharing my concerns. (Could have something to do with the Z5 reformulation done last year).
Z6 is the sleeper in the Zaino product line. Very antistatic and antidust, besides extending your Zaino shine. Proof to me was when I started applying Z6 to my wheels. I could not believe the reduction in break dust, especially in the front vented disks.
BTW, I have seen some RRs around 121 and Glade recently.....if it was you in any of them, you is lookin' good!
:D |
|
|
| Jon |
| What a nice thread! I must say that your procedures are far superior to mine...........BTW, that red rock is pretty damn SEXY |
|
|
| A6MDX |
quote:
I would, however, encourage you to reconsider Z6
I still have my original bottle of Z6 laying around (3 yrs old). I pick it up and try it occasionally but I still get major streaking. The shine is great (and it smells great) but I can't live with the streaks. It can only be seen in a certain light but it annoys the heck out of me. I carry it in the trunk along with a flannel towel to clean up fingerprints and bird droppings but I still use Meguiar's when I do the whole car. I've tried several others including Eagle and they all do better than Z6.
I've used every other Zaino product except the accelerator and I'm extremely happen with the rest of the line. |
|
|
| TheWorm |
I'm surprised about your experience w/the z6, but of course "it is what it is". Like Octavian, I like it (on two black cars).
Are you applying it in the shade onto a cool surface? It *can* streak if applied in sunlight or if the paint's hot. |
|
|
| A6MDX |
quote:
Are you applying it in the shade onto a cool surface?
I've tried just about everything I can think of. Different temperatures, diffferent humidities and different cloths. It SEEMS like humidity is the biggest factor. The more humid it is, the harder it is to buff out the streaks. And it's not like it is minor streaking. In the right light it is really bad. I'll try and see if I can capture it in a picture and post it.
The big thing for me is that the Meguiar's does not streak at all and it leaves a great shine so I just don't even bother with the Z6. |
|
|
| TheWorm |
Hey, whatever works, right? You obviously know what you're doing, so forgive me for asking the newbie questions, but:
How much z6 are you using per application? For example, 1 squirt (fine mist setting) is sufficient for at least half the hood. |
|
|
| A6MDX |
[QUOTE]1 squirt (fine mist setting) is sufficient for at least half the hoodQUOTE]
That's about right for a clean car in my experience. I try and use a little as I can get away with. I use a little less the more I go over the car as the cloth will begin to get damp. I use a little more if I'm trying to clean up after I've gone over it with the duster. The goal is to remove all of the dust that the duster missed so I use a little extra to make sure any leftover dust doesn't scratch the finish. |
|
|
| A6MDX |
quote:
I have seen some RRs around 121 and Glade recently
We've had the X for about 3 weeks and it's the wife's car so it may have been her but probably not. We live a block from Grapevine Hwy and Cheek-Sparger and we get over that direction maybe once a week. |
|
|
| m2pc |
quote:
Originally posted by A6MDX
I still have my original bottle of Z6 laying around (3 yrs old). I pick it up and try it occasionally but I still get major streaking. The shine is great (and it smells great) but I can't live with the streaks. It can only be seen in a certain light but it annoys the heck out of me.
I've used every other Zaino product except the accelerator and I'm extremely happen with the rest of the line.
Hi A6MDX, I have a black MDX and no streaks! I love the Z6! No streaking and easy cleanup for me.
And I like the ZFX, but one thing I won't do again is fill two ounces in a single shot and try to mix with ZFX. Could'nt be sure if I mixed it well enough.
I think I'm now stuck on Zaino :4: |
|
|
| Bnuke |
quote:
Originally posted by octavian
Z6 is the sleeper in the Zaino product line. Very antistatic and antidust, besides extending your Zaino shine. Proof to me was when I started applying Z6 to my wheels. I could not believe the reduction in break dust, especially in the front vented disks.
:D
REALLY? Cool! I love working with Z6 and I've been looking for something to help with the wheels. Do you just spray the Z6 on and wipe off?
Thanks |
|
|
| A6MDX |
quote:
No streaking and easy cleanup for me
Yeah, I'm sure it's just me. I haven't heard of anyone else having the same problems so I don't really know why it won't work for me. |
|
|
| TheWorm |
How bout if you try it with a cotton or microfiber towel rather than a flannel cloth?
Other alternative would be to dilute the z6 with some distilled water... |
|
|
| m2pc |
| I used a Microfiber towel |
|
|
| A6MDX |
quote:
How bout if you try it with a cotton or microfiber towel...?
Tried it with a cotton towel but not MF. Same problem with cotton. Plus the negative of having to use more Z6 because regular cotton absorbs it faster. Using the flannel gets a higher gloss so even if the regular cotton didn't streak I wouldn't be happy.:mad: |
|
|
| BaldEagle |
quote:
Originally posted by A6MDX
I still have my original bottle of Z6 laying around (3 yrs old). I pick it up and try it occasionally but I still get major streaking. The shine is great (and it smells great) but I can't live with the streaks.
You may have a problem with the product. I have never experienced streaking with Z6 but I did have problems with my first bottle of Z5. No matter what I did I had smearing. Turned out to be a problem with the product, probably was exposed to excessive temperature somewhere before I received it. The next bottle of Z5 I received (free) had no problem at all. |
|
|
| A6MDX |
quote:
You may have a problem with the product.
I guess that's a possibility. It smells like a Pina Colada. Shouldn't it smell like a rotten Pina Colada if it went bad?:D |
|
|
| BaldEagle |
quote:
Originally posted by TheWorm
Other alternative would be to dilute the z6 with some distilled water...
Although I have never had a problem with Z6 streaking (100% or diluted) I have been mixing it with distilled water to make it go further.
I do a QD with Z6 frequently and find that the diluted Z6 works just as good as the non diluted. |
|
|
| BaldEagle |
quote:
Originally posted by A6MDX
It smells like a Pina Colada. Shouldn't it smell like a rotten Pina Colada if it went bad?:D
My bottle of bad Z5 smells the same as the good bottle to me. |
|
|
| A6MDX |
quote:
My bottle of bad Z5 smells the same as the good bottle to me
LOL, you're killin' me! |
|
|
| TheWorm |
quote:
Originally posted by BaldEagle
My bottle of bad Z5 smells the same as the good bottle to me.
Yea, but how does it taste? |
|
|
| octavian |
Bnuke, yes, spray on wheels and wipe off. I use paper towels to do this nasty job which I then throw away....don't want any brake dust on my regular mf cloths or my wife's washer.
BTW, Z6 works great on windshields too. Does almost as good a job as RainX, but is sooooo much easier to apply and buff off.
I have to believe that A6 got a batch of Z6 gone bad...... |
|
|
| A6MDX |
quote:
BTW, Z6 works great on windshields too.
Has anyone tried a claybar on their glass? I forgot to add that to my first post. If you've ever claybared your car you know how smooth if makes the finish. It does the same thing for glass. Just don't do it to the inside glass if you have tint. |
|
|
| slolife |
| I have a White X and was wondering if the Z5 was still necessary? What would you recommend? Thanks. |
|
|
| A6MDX |
| While it's not necessary I think it might be beneficial. I've noticed two things over time while using both Z5 and Z2. Z5 gives a shine "depth" and Z5 tends to last a little longer than Z2. As a result I try to alternate applicaitions of Z5 and Z2. |
|
|
| greatscot |
quote:
Originally posted by slolife
I have a White X and was wondering if the Z5 was still necessary? What would you recommend? Thanks.
Hey slolife,
Are you in my old neck of the woods, San Luis Obispo? |
|
|
| dectech1 |
| pics of 04 S4 please |
|
|
| Captain MDX |
| Sweet Audi :eek: |
|
|
| evoge |
The Dec03 issue of Road&TracK has the '04 S4 beating the M3 and C32 AMG in a side-by-side-by-side comparison test. The M3 won on performance-only points, but the S4 was the perfect all-around package. Quite nice.
(BTW, I think Motor Trend is doing a spread on the 20th anniversary of the minivan this month. :D ) |
|
|
| A6MDX |
| The S4 does pretty well for it's size. As an everyday driver the S4 is unmatched. If you ever get a chance to test drive one, don't hesitate. The Recaro seats are indescribable and the Jekyll and Hyde nature of the car makes it a real sleeper. |
|
|
|
