washing/waxing your new X5: tips/products/frequency?

[Doc5513]

Let me preface my post by stating: This is my first new car in 12 yrs!! I want to keep it looking
nice...but I am not crazy anal about it. It is kept in a garage...and I chose the color space grey partly bc it shows less dirt overall. I just drove it home from PC last week. The paint has whatever it has from the factory...i didn't buy anything additional from the dealer.

That said, what is a basic low key washing and waxing regimen that I can follow.
I have access to "touchless" car washes...or I can wash by hand myself at home or at a car wash. I've never really waxed a car, so don't know what that entails.

I'm sure paint tech has changed a lot in 12 yrs, so I suppose that is also part of why I'm interested in what folks do in particular to preserve their vehicles. Any products that are best for washing,waxing? I have Dakota leather interior..domi need to clean or treat that?

Thanks
P67

[aw305]

Pull up ammonyc on YouTube and he has a great how to wash your car video explaining his methods

[Kzang]

I use Sonax Polymer Net shield sealant ( do a search here ), it's not a wax and IMO it works very good at beading rain water for up to 6+ months. It applies easily and wipes off just as easy unlike waxes where it needs to be buffed off. I'm no expert but I think it protects the paint just as well. Since using this product I've not gone back to using wax.

[Doc5513]

Originally Posted by aw305

Pull up ammonyc on YouTube and he has a great how to wash your car video explaining his methods

thx AW, I'll take a look!!
p67

[yvnrg1981]

If it's available in your area...get your car opti-coated. Lasts for years and with you garaging the car probably forever. It's a one time investment but super worth it. Especially when you wash your car for the first time ever and see how you can just spray everything off the car as nothing sticks.

[teodorjelev]

My selection BMW product!

[geroz1]

Originally Posted by panerai67

Let me preface my post by stating: This is my first new car in 12 yrs!! I want to keep it looking
nice...but I am not crazy anal about it. It is kept in a garage...and I chose the color space grey partly bc it shows less dirt overall. I just drove it home from PC last week. The paint has whatever it has from the factory...i didn't buy anything additional from the dealer.

That said, what is a basic low key washing and waxing regimen that I can follow.
I have access to "touchless" car washes...or I can wash by hand myself at home or at a car wash. I've never really waxed a car, so don't know what that entails.

I'm sure paint tech has changed a lot in 12 yrs, so I suppose that is also part of why I'm interested in what folks do in particular to preserve their vehicles. Any products that are best for washing,waxing? I have Dakota leather interior..domi need to clean or treat that?

Thanks
P67

Also look into chemical brothers and their videos and products. I find the products being excellent and the two bucket washing method works well.

It get too damn cold here pretty quick so will have to face the car wash pretty soon.

[Chem14]

[Doc5513]

Originally Posted by teodorjelev

My selection BMW product!

Wow, for real?

[sdalpha]

Originally Posted by yvnrg1981

If it's available in your area...get your car opti-coated. Lasts for years and with you garaging the car probably forever. It's a one time investment but super worth it. Especially when you wash your car for the first time ever and see how you can just spray everything off the car as nothing sticks.

OP, it does sound like you are a good candidate for having your car coated. There are multiple coatings on the market, so if you decide to go this route, make sure to do your research.

It does cost more to get your car coated, and depending on the coating, it may have to be installed by a professional. For example, Optimum offers Gloss-Coat and Opti-Coat 2.0. Gloss-Coat can be purchased by anyone, but Opti-Coat has to be installed by a certified installer. Gloss-Coat claims 2 year longevity and carries no warranty, but I believe Opti-Coat has a 5 year warranty.

That being said, I'm not sure why, but I have noticed that professional detailers are dropping their support for Opti-Coat. I have not asked the pros that used to install Opti-Coat that have dropped it as a service they offer the reason why they no longer offer it.

Another popular coating on the market is CarPro CQuartz. They offer UK and Finest. CQuartz UK is the consumer level coating, while CQuartz Finest is the version that has to be applied by a certified installer.

If you choose this route, paint prep is the most important step(s). If you apply a coating over holograms, swirl marks, scratches, etc.; then those paint imperfections will be under the coating. If you want to polish the imperfections later, you would first have to polish the coating off before being able to remove the imperfections. Most pro detailers won't apply a coating without making sure that the paint prep is done first.

If you choose not to get your car coated, then there are plenty of waxes and sealants on the market that are easy to apply and give you great protection. Depending on the product, you'll have to apply it every 1 to 6 months or so.

Longevity of whatever paint protection you use really depends on a lot of factors: environmental conditions, wash technique, frequency of washing, paint prep, the product itself, etc.

As far as your question about leather. Since most of the leather in the car is coated leather, your best bet is to keep it clean and apply some sort of protection.

[stewy604]

I'd be wary of touchless washes, as they typically contain high concentrations of detergents and harsh chemicals, which can cause discoloration and fading on trim pieces. I remember seeing this in the sales literature from BMW and have seen this first hand.

[cobra006]

I can also recommend Ceramic Pro coating, similar to Opti-coat.
I had my x5 done last Nov. I've only washed the car 3 -4 times since, all hand washed myself. Washing is very easy as you basically just spray water and most stuff just come off.
The car looks brand new after a year.

[VP500]

Originally Posted by cobra006

I can also recommend Ceramic Pro coating, similar to Opti-coat.
I had my x5 done last Nov. I've only washed the car 3 -4 times since, all hand washed myself. Washing is very easy as you basically just spray water and most stuff just come off.
The car looks brand new after a year.

Just got my entire front end done with XPEL and now getting Ceramic Pro next week!

[bootleg gucci]

Originally Posted by cobra006

I can also recommend Ceramic Pro coating, similar to Opti-coat.
I had my x5 done last Nov. I've only washed the car 3 -4 times since, all hand washed myself. Washing is very easy as you basically just spray water and most stuff just come off.
The car looks brand new after a year.

Is the ceramic pro lower price and/or better than the opticoat pro?

I just had Xpel Ultimate full front installed on my X5, and my authorized detailer said need to wait 72 hours for the curing/drying.

[cobra006]

I'm not familiar with Xpel, is that like a clear bra ?
I'm not sure if you can apply coating over the clear bra. The coating will not prevent stone chips, so the bra is still useful.
I think Ceramic Pro is slightly more expensive than Opticoat Pro. They're newer in the US I believe.
My installer said he prefered Ceramic Pro over Opticoat. He has Opticoat on his own car and liked Ceramic Pro a little better.
Ceramic Pro does require a once a year maintenance service, to keep the 5 yr warranty. I have yet to do my first one yet but will do it soon. It's not free. So factor that into the overall cost if you want to compare to Opticoat.
Let me know how yours turn out!

[masc2279]

I just tried last weekend Sonax Polymer Net shield and the last three days we have had rain and i am amazed at the quality of this product. I am now only going to use this since it whisks away water like nothing else. And I used it on the windows as well with no issues or wiper issues unlike most other products.