Fine Scratches After First Wash

Hello,

I just gave my brand new sapphire black 528i its first wash this past weekend and noticed tonight I left a bunch of fine scratches in my hood!

I'm in CT and it's cold here, so I used the ONR no-rinse car wash. Not only was it my first time washing this car, it was also my first time using a rinseless wash so I don't blame the ONR product entirely. The car was pretty dirty (dust/salt/sand from winter treated roads) and I only see scratches in the hood so I think I didn't do a good enough job rinsing out the wash mitt before moving on to the hood.

Anyway, the scratches are fairly fine and I can only notice them at night when light reflects off the hood at a certain angle. I have to bring my car back to the dealer next week so they can install the Auto Armor. Do you think they can buff the hood (or do something) before putting on the Auto Armor to get rid of those scratches?

You now have swirls in your clear coat finish. Yes the dealer can easily fix this with some polish and a buffer.

BTW - Nice car!!

That minor marring can be easily corrected...that said always start at the top of the car and work down, not bottom up..When using ORN you can't be to careful with keeping the mitt clean..Come spring get a good detailer to polish your car and it will gleam back to life again

Thanks; I feel better now. I'm going to the dealer Monday for the Auto Armor. I'll see if they can get the scratches out then!

Not sure how close to North Jersey you are, but these guys are top notch!!

http://www.detailersdomain.com/ They detail cars and they sell detailing supplies.
You can search around here and see some of Phil's work. That guy and his crew are amazing.

Originally Posted by JPetrillo

Thanks; I feel better now. I'm going to the dealer Monday for the Auto Armor. I'll see if they can get the scratches out then!

Just make sure that they do a good prep on the paint before put that body product on...like any product you put on the prep work is 100% of the finish product

Can you cancel your Auto Armor application?
Auto Armor looks to be a sealant with a bit of clay added.
What is the dealer charging for the Auto Armor?

Originally Posted by JPetrillo

Thanks; I feel better now. I'm going to the dealer Monday for the Auto Armor. I'll see if they can get the scratches out then!

Don't go to the dealer (it's typically outsourced there), go to someone who's primary passion is detailing

Originally Posted by Johnz3mc

Can you cancel your Auto Armor application?
Auto Armor looks to be a sealant with a bit of clay added.
What is the dealer charging for the Auto Armor?

I can cancel the appointment, but not sure if I can cancel the Auto Armor completely. Why? It protects the interior too. And I have extra coverage for door dings, windshield chips, etc. Sounded like a good deal to me...

Originally Posted by 1985mb

Don't go to the dealer (it's typically outsourced there), go to someone who's primary passion is detailing

Are you saying get it detailed before bringing it to the dealer for Auto Armor? I'm pretty sure the dealer has guys who detail only. They should be just as good as anyone else, no?

Originally Posted by charlesberry

Not sure how close to North Jersey you are, but these guys are top notch!!

http://www.detailersdomain.com/ They detail cars and they sell detailing supplies.
You can search around here and see some of Phil's work. That guy and his crew are amazing.

I'm having my car sent right to Phil when I get it next month so he can work his magic and do new car prep. Can't wait.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Bimmer App

Don't have the dealer do it. Cancel and get your $$ back if you can. How much are they charging you? I bet at least $500 to $750.

Give Phil a call. If you are close to his location, take it to him. His car details are unbelievable. If you are not close to him, he will let you know exactly what products you need and you can do it yourself. Better doing it yourself than having the dealer do it.

Nice car - enjoy

Originally Posted by JPetrillo

I can cancel the appointment, but not sure if I can cancel the Auto Armor completely. Why? It protects the interior too. And I have extra coverage for door dings, windshield chips, etc. Sounded like a good deal to me...


Are you saying get it detailed before bringing it to the dealer for Auto Armor? I'm pretty sure the dealer has guys who detail only. They should be just as good as anyone else, no?

Cancel the Auto Armor, fabric sealant, all that Bull****

Find a good detailer in your area. Typically most dealerships do not have a full-time employee dedicated to detailing, it is simply in/out-sourced from a local and sold to you at a markup.

Do not ever assume anyone is as good as anyone else. Unless your car is just a nameless appliance.

Originally Posted by JPetrillo

I can cancel the appointment, but not sure if I can cancel the Auto Armor completely. Why? It protects the interior too. And I have extra coverage for door dings, windshield chips, etc. Sounded like a good deal to me...

OMG. Did you just fall off the proverbial turnip truck?!?!? This stuff is snake oil.

The more perfect the paint before adding a sealant, etc, will give you a superior result.

Are you saying get it detailed before bringing it to the dealer for Auto Armor? I'm pretty sure the dealer has guys who detail only. They should be just as good as anyone else, no?

You are "pretty sure" the guy working for the dealer "should be just as good"??

Where does one start????

Do you beleive that all cardiologists are equivalent? or all lawyer? Or chefs?


The classic issue with cheap (dealer) details, is that they do a quicky wash, maybe a a fast buff to hit the high sponts, then glop some thick filler wax/sealant. Looks good for a few weeks.
I
IMO, Id get referrals to the est local dealer to do a minor paint corrections, then put on a high quality sealant... and slip the armor scam. Plans on $400-600.

I also just tried the Optimum No Rinse. I am not impressed.

I even took my car to a coin-op to wash off any heavy dirt etc. before I tried it. I followed the directions closely and ended up with scratches on my hood. Ended up having to get out the Scratch-X and go over the entire hood. I may give it one more try but am definitely leary.

I had the Auto Armor service done at the dealership today and it came out beautiful!

I'm glad I didn't take the advice of the few people above who told me not to let the dealership handle it, to cancel my order and go elsewhere. Turns out my dealership has their own detailer, at least two or three of them, actually. When I dropped off the car this morning, the sales associate had me show one of the detailers where the scratches were. I showed him a few spots and he wasn't concerned. He also picked up on a small nick in my paint that I hadn't noticed previously. A pebble or something must have bounced off the front of my hood while I was on the highway. Anyway, when I picked up the car it looked perfect; all the fine scratches are gone, and he touched up the nick.

I'm not going to give up on ONR yet. Next time, I just need to make sure I take my time and rinse the mitt really well in-between each section of the vehicle. I was using a separate rinse bucket, but maybe I need a grit guard too... can't hurt.

Originally Posted by JPetrillo

I had the Auto Armor service done at the dealership today and it came out beautiful!

I'm glad I didn't take the advice of the few people above who told me not to let the dealership handle it, to cancel my order and go elsewhere. Turns out my dealership has their own detailer, at least two or three of them, actually. When I dropped off the car this morning, the sales associate had me show one of the detailers where the scratches were. I showed him a few spots and he wasn't concerned. He also picked up on a small nick in my paint that I hadn't noticed previously. A pebble or something must have bounced off the front of my hood while I was on the highway. Anyway, when I picked up the car it looked perfect; all the fine scratches are gone, and he touched up the nick.

I'm not going to give up on ONR yet. Next time, I just need to make sure I take my time and rinse the mitt really well in-between each section of the vehicle. I was using a separate rinse bucket, but maybe I need a grit guard too... can't hurt.

You never said how much you paid for this service.

The 'advice' was based on the anticipated 'stupid high price' they charge for the package...

But I guess you dont want to share.

There really isnt much magic with paint:
remove the dirt without scratching;
polish the scratches out;
seal or wax to protect against new scratches....repeat

Hundreds of products can do this, but when a dealer puts a special name on it, you simply pay more. I am sure it looks great, the issue is the value for what you got.

Originally Posted by JPetrillo

I had the Auto Armor service done at the dealership today and it came out beautiful!

I'm glad I didn't take the advice of the few people above who told me not to let the dealership handle it, to cancel my order and go elsewhere. Turns out my dealership has their own detailer, at least two or three of them, actually. When I dropped off the car this morning, the sales associate had me show one of the detailers where the scratches were. I showed him a few spots and he wasn't concerned. He also picked up on a small nick in my paint that I hadn't noticed previously. A pebble or something must have bounced off the front of my hood while I was on the highway. Anyway, when I picked up the car it looked perfect; all the fine scratches are gone, and he touched up the nick.

I'm not going to give up on ONR yet. Next time, I just need to make sure I take my time and rinse the mitt really well in-between each section of the vehicle. I was using a separate rinse bucket, but maybe I need a grit guard too... can't hurt.

Hopefully they did it okay but do yourself a favor get a very bright shop light or flash light and in the shade or in the garage point it right to the paint and see if you see any fine scratches.

Originally Posted by ard

You never said how much you paid for this service.

The 'advice' was based on the anticipated 'stupid high price' they charge for the package...

But I guess you dont want to share.

Chill. I didn't say because I honestly don't know what it cost and it's not that important to me anyway. The Auto Armor was just a small piece of what's included in the Entire Care Protection Plan, which includes tire and wheel coverage, key replacement, windshield repair, roadside assistance, dent protection, paint protection, and interior protection plus rips, tears, punctures and burns.

Originally Posted by DieselNY

Hopefully they did it okay but do yourself a favor get a very bright shop light or flash light and in the shade or in the garage point it right to the paint and see if you see any fine scratches.

That was the first thing I did when I got home! All the scratches are gone, completely. I'm pretty sure it looks even better than it did the day I bought it!