With these care instructions and care tips for high-quality automobiles, sports cars and luxury vehicles, we want to provide dealers and private individuals with compact and informative tips and advice on how to best care for a vehicle and, for example, prepare it optimally for sale.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M DO NOT P Q R S T U V W X YZ
Dry
This is ideally done with a fluffy and high quality microfiber cloth. Traditional leather absorbs liquids very well, but in contrast to a microfiber cloth, it can hardly absorb any dirt particles that may be present. Before drying, wet the cloth completely and wring it out well, then just brush it over the paint. The most efficient way to do this is to stroke the entire car once. Don't forget to wring out the cloth! This procedure must be repeated several times. Avoid drying out in this way at high temperatures and in the blazing sun. This can cause water stains.
brush up
The refreshing of sealed vehicle surfaces can be carried out independently if necessary. A spray wax or a spray seal is used for this. As a rule, however, this is not necessary for long-term sealing (nano-sealing), unless you want the beading behavior to be the same as on the first day. Before freshening up, make sure that the paint is absolutely clean and free of dust, otherwise there is a risk of scratching the paint surface.
car wash
Washing the vehicle by hand is the gentlest and most thorough cleaning method, if done correctly. Ideally, you should use a soft sponge or washing glove and a mild, well-foaming shampoo, which creates an efficient sliding layer so that the dirt particles are removed with the sponge without leaving scratches and streaks. Pre-washing with a high-pressure cleaner is very important before the actual wash. Don't forget the wheel arches! If available, then lather the vehicle using a foam gun and then gently brush or pull the sponge over the paintwork. Heavy rubbing does not bring anything except possible scratches. It is better to rub a soiled area gently several times. Tree sap and tar stains are gently removed after washing with suitable agents. The sponge should be washed out often and thoroughly. If this should fall to the ground, it must be replaced because of the risk of scratches.
Pollen
Never simply wipe the pollen off the vehicle in spring and summer, as this immediately creates holograms, streaks or scratches. Either wash the vehicle completely or spray it with enough quick cleaner and wipe it gently and without pressure with a high-quality microfiber cloth. It is not advisable to use special paraffin-soaked brooms, as dust particles get caught in the threads too quickly and you would pull them over the paintwork.
carbon parts
Carbon hoods and vehicle roofs such as the BMW M3 CSL, M6, M3 V8 etc., can be polished and sealed in the normal way because they are coated with clear varnish. You should just be a little more careful that the surface is not heated too much when working with a rotary machine.
clay bar
See Cleaning modeling clay
Diesel soot
Diesel soot from vehicles without a particle filter can be removed with a tar remover or a mild polish without leaving any residue. Alternatively, this also works with cleaning modeling clay.
Stainless steel exhaust systems
Stainless steel exhaust systems can easily be polished to a shine again, sealed and protected against new contamination. However, extreme caution should be exercised when using the often recommended steel wool. This product can cause scratches and loss of gloss on exhaust pipes that have already been highly polished or chrome-plated! You should therefore always use a mild special metal polish first.
wheel cleaner
The exposure time of rim cleaners must be observed exactly. This avoids damage to the paint surface with acid-based cleaners. Use the wheel cleaner exactly according to the instructions for use! Acidic cleaners can damage highly polished rims. Some rim cleaners are explicitly not suitable for powder-coated rims. A soft painter's brush can also be used to support the cleaning performance. to get to tight spaces without any problems. After sealing the rims, rim cleaners can be used during the washing process.
rust
This can either be removed with special flash rust removal or the cleaning putty fulfills the same purpose without chemical pollution of the environment.
Windscreen
This should be thoroughly cleaned before sealing. All insect remains etc must be removed. A final cleaning with alcohol often helps in delicate cases and in the case of extremely burned-in insects, a mild polish can also be used without causing scratches. When sealing the windshield, absolutely precise processing is very important, otherwise the product can scrape off in poorly processed areas due to the mechanical stress on the wiper arms. If the windshield has a lot of stone chips, we generally advise against sealing it, as these white “dots” may be easier to see after treatment. Glass rear and side windows are not affected by this and can always be sealed. The nano sealing for the panes must not be used on Makrolon, Plexi or acrylic glass!
Pressure Washer
The evaporation from a vehicle is gentle as long as the prescribed minimum distances to the painted surfaces are observed. Otherwise there is a risk that the paint will be damaged. Particularly when steaming off rims, you have to be careful not to damage the tires. Also pay attention to the distance to the rubber seals, these are sometimes very sensitive to a high pressure water jet. When washing, make sure that the car is not overheated, strong temperature fluctuations when the washing water hits it can damage the paintwork and the glass panes (stress cracks).
Insect residue
The use of an insect sponge for washing is not recommended. For a sealed vehicle, using a quick cleaner and microfiber cloth should achieve the same result. If, contrary to expectations, this is not enough for your vehicle, you can also try a spray wax, for example, as this has a slightly better cleaning performance than the quick cleaner.
Lime stains
See water stains
Plasticine
See cleaning modeling clay
Scratch removal
You should always first choose the polish that removes the least. Only if you really need to go up one level. If a mild polish is not enough to remove scratches, it is always better to try a harder pad first before resorting to a polish with a higher abrasive effect. Polishing to 100% scratch-free is not always necessary or useful. This process is actually unnecessary, especially with everyday cars, as you can see every single new scratch better later than before, where small scratches were homogeneously distributed.
Lacquer sealing
see sealing
leather care
Before actually cleaning the leather, always vacuum the leather thoroughly. Otherwise there is a possibility that fine grains of sand and dust can damage the leather when rubbing in the care products.
microfiber cloths
A wide variety of microfiber cloths and qualities are available. Only special microfiber cloths for the paintwork are suitable for gentle paintwork care, as normal cloths are too coarse for this. Inferior linkage can also lead to streaks and scratches. High-quality microfiber cloths can be easily washed in the washing machine up to 60 ° C, tolerate normal detergents and can also be machine-dried. It is essential to avoid using fabric softener additives. These stick together the microfibers and thus reduce the function of the cloths.
pedals
A cloth with a little cleaning agent is sufficient to clean the pedals of the vehicle. You may be able to increase the cleaning performance with a soft brush. It is essential to avoid applying plastic cleaners to the pedals. There is an increased risk of slipping here!
Plastic disks
In convertibles, the plastic rear window should also be cleaned with a special plastic cleaner to ensure an optimal view to the rear. After cleaning, these panes can be sealed to prevent them from becoming matt. Be careful with Lexan and Makrolon windows such as the Ferrari Challenge Stradale or special conversions and racing vehicles. These discs are very easy to scratch. Particular caution is required with these vehicles! Never touch with abrasive polish!
Plastic parts outside
Be careful when polishing, most plastic parts can turn whitish due to the chalk content in the polishes. This discoloration can be removed again with alcohol or plastic care. Many polishes can be used without masking off plastic parts. If you should touch plastic parts while polishing, simply remove the polish with a damp microfiber cloth.
polishing
see scratch removal
Tire walls
When applying cleaners, care should be taken not to use too much of the product, otherwise the excess material will be thrown onto the fenders and side panels when driving.
Cleaning modeling clay
When using a cleaning clay, moistening the paint surface is essential. Ideally, the surface should be moistened with a quick cleaner to increase the gliding ability. Better too much than too little, otherwise you will leave traces that may have to be polished off. When used correctly, the cleaning kneading hammer is very effective and gentle on paintwork.
tail lights
See headlights
Foam cannon
Ideal for hand washing, can be filled with any shampoo, ideally a good foaming shampoo should be used.
headlights
These can also be sealed, and matt headlights can also be polished. Mild polishes are very good to use.
dust
If dust forms when polishing, then too much of this product has been applied to the paint. A “mist” on the paint is sufficient; the only important thing is that it is evenly distributed on the paint. More does not mean better protection. If dust arises during (grinding) polishing or small crumbs become visible on the paint, too much polish is being used or the polishing pad is already oversaturated and can no longer absorb any product.
Tar stains
These can be removed with special tar removers or with cleaning clay. If no special tar remover is available, you can easily use alcohol and a microfiber cloth. Treated areas should then be sealed again.
Interior door parts
The door sill trims should also be cleaned. Ideally, this is done with a quick cleaner. A wet rag only creates scratches.
sealing
The paint needs additional protection in the form of a seal or a layer of wax. The paint alone is not resistant enough and so all harmful environmental influences can eat into the paint without any problems, from slight traces to a clear paint defect, everything is possible. Sealing not only increases protection, but also increases the degree of gloss. There are different sealing options. These range from the use of a traditional wax product to a nano-sealing.
Car wash
Visiting a modern and well-maintained car wash no longer poses a “risk of scratches”. You can also take advantage of the wax/sealing program. Convertibles with a fabric top are also “car wash compatible”, unless the car wash operator specifically states that the products are not suitable for fabric tops. When selecting the car wash, make sure that it is a textile car wash and not an old system with plastic brushes. The latter cause the typical car wash streaks and dull the paint finish over time. If an area has not been cleaned optimally after a visit to the car wash or if there are water stains, these can be gently removed with a quick cleaner and a microfiber cloth.
Water stains
Water stains can be removed with special limescale removers for car paints. It is also more gentle and cheaper to use a commercially available vinegar essence, which is best diluted 1: 1 with distilled water. If some water stains have already etched themselves into the clear coat, a mild polish will help in most cases. The use of a rotary polishing machine is only recommended in particularly severe cases.
If you have further information and advice on professional vehicle care, please let us know. We will complete and expand the care tips and instructions accordingly.
All information is based on experience and does not claim to be complete. No guarantee can be given for improper use.
With friendly support from autoglasses.ch