How do you guys wash your cars?

[quaxon]

My old BMW was black and I would just take it to the local gas station car wash and that was good enough. I took my new Frozen Blue Macan EV to the same car wash and they did not do so good of a job, there were streaks and watermarks left everywhere. I was thinking maybe I should start washing the car myself? I have a pressure washer at home, would something like this work to do good car washes and does it include everything I need?: https://a.co/d/1MQAxk3 Also should I apply wax after? What do you guys do for car washes? What do you guys use to clean the leather/dash/screens as well, are Armoral wipes good enough?

Also not interested in PPF but maybe I should get it ceramic coated?

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[rmwrip]

Way too many issues here. I would suggest checking out this website. https://www.autogeek.net/?utm_campa...gSA-p1RCvmh5rcI5OGpgApg2vJj16zqIaAva7EALw_wcB
I have gotten ceramic coating on many cars. It looks great and keeps the car clean. This time I’m using Modesta applied professionally. I have never done PPF but I may do some basic stuff with my turbo.

 

[rmwrip]

This forum may give better info. https://www.autopia.org/

 

[LivingTheDream]

When I got my first performance car (2001 Audi A6 w/lots of goodies), I found myself on the slippery slope of detailing. Bought all the gear (e.g., random orbit sander, polishing pads, expensive polish, etc.) and did all the work. It was fun and my car looked amazing. At this point, I've neither the time nor inclination to do all of that. So, a ceramic coating is a great shortcut. Sometimes I'll take it to a (known good!) car wash; sometimes I wash it myself. Either way, the ceramic coating makes the work much easier.

If you do use a power washer BE CAREFUL! You can remove your paint if you use it wrong. Tips include not getting too close and not using it to "remove" anything (i.e., do that with a sponge and use the washer to wet and rinse the car only). I did purchase a foam gun which works great with my power washer.

 

[macanchan]

I’m guessing with your black car, they made sure to dry it asap to avoid the streaks. Since it’s a light color they didn’t pay much attention to it and let it dry causing the streaks.

For pressure washing @LivingTheDream makes an excellent point of using a sponge to remove stains, bird droppings, tree sap, etc.

Ideal pressure washer settings are 2gpm 1200psi with a 40 degree white nozzle tip.

I use a Kranzle 1122TST with the Spotless CR deionized water filter to prevent water spots and streaking. It’s is expensive but makes drying the car way easier since I’m not using a towel to dry. There are much cheaper options for pressure washers such as the Karcher k1700, Active 2.0

Ive used ceramic coatings on a few cars and it may be easier to clean, you can still end up swirling on the paint if you’re not careful. My macan is parked outside so I don’t plan to ceramic coat. I believe the traditional wax or polymer sealant is better for cars parked outside.

PPF is great but has a lifespan. My gloss black front lip already has a few marks/indentations from road debris. I don’t see rock chips on new cars as much as old cars so not I’m concerned about the front bumper. The quote for PPF on the bumper & lip was $2100 and the OEM lip itself is $1095 from suncoast porsche… I’ll just get a new lip when the time comes. I will PPF the headlights because they might be pretty expensive to replace. By all means, use PPF if you don’t mind spending the money on it.

 

[DTaxman]

When I got my first performance car (2001 Audi A6 w/lots of goodies), I found myself on the slippery slope of detailing. Bought all the gear (e.g., random orbit sander, polishing pads, expensive polish, etc.) and did all the work. It was fun and my car looked amazing. At this point, I've neither the time nor inclination to do all of that. So, a ceramic coating is a great shortcut. Sometimes I'll take it to a (known good!) car wash; sometimes I wash it myself. Either way, the ceramic coating makes the work much easier.

Speaking the truth here... there is a rabbit hole of car detailing equipment, technics and opinions. It's fun to baby your car for a while, but unless you are passionate and want it to be your weekend hobby, it can quickly become an awful chore.

 

[Senna]

I take pride in maintaining my cars and apply the same care to my Macan 4. It's an excellent way for me to carve out some personal time.

1- I'll be applying a ceramic coat. For the Macan, I plan to use the ceramic below:

CLEAN. Ceramic Coating (8 Year) – The House Of Rags

- Proper preparation is essential, including a thorough, deep clean and decontamination. Check the channel I suggest below for more information.

2- I use Rinseless once a week or every other week to keep my cars clean. It works wonderfully and is very easy to apply.

Rinseless Car Wash | DIY Detail | Auto Detailing

I'll give the rinseless product below a try once I run out of my current

CLEAN. Rinse-Less Wash – The House Of Rags

If you're interested in doing it, I highly recommend checking out the channel below. The host has Porsche.

(4) Pan The Organizer - YouTube


I used the ceramic product below on my Audi A4 in the past, and it's still holding up well after five years.

Armor Shield IX DIY Kit - Ceramic Coating by AvalonKing

 

[ketje78]

On this subject of PPF vs. Ceramic Coating, my SA recommends PPF as in case the Ceramic gets damaged, the whole panel would have to be redone, while PPF is an easier job. Interesting enough, the SA that helped us last year when buying our Cayenne GTS had the opposite opinion and recommended a ceramic coat on the Cayenne. My 911 has PPF and that has saved the paint many times (Dubai roads contain quite some debris) but needed frequent repairs/replacement of parts of the PPF.

my Macan Turbo is arriving in port today and expected at the dealership on Monday, so I need to make a final decision.

Since there are clearly many experts here, could I get your advice whether to choose a Ceramic coating or clear PPF (the Turbo is Copper Ruby Metallic). The PPF brand Porsche uses here is ProTech.

 

[macanchan]

My plan for first wash/detail:

Rinse with pressure washer - DI water
Decontaminate with CarPro Iron X
Rinse with pressure washer - DI water
Foam cannon with CarPro Descale acid wash
Rinse with pressure washer - DI water
Claybar with Mckee’s 37 N-914 rinseless wash as a lubricant
Foam cannon with KochChemie GSF
Rinse with pressure washer - DI water
Towel dry
Tape trim
Polish (Rupes LHR15 & Nano iBrid) with Sonax Perfect Finish
Panel wipe with CarPro Eraser
Hand apply sealant with Jescar Ultra Lock + (2 applications)

Also considering CarPro Hydr02 lite instead of sealant but it seems kind of like a waste with all the prep…if I go this route, I might skip the polish or only polish the gloss black trim for now.

 

[nulled]

Would you PPF if you are not planning to keep the car for more than 2 years? I am still considering a ceramic coating to keep it fresh for longer.

 

[Diego]

How long does a PPF last (applied by a pro)?

 

[ketje78]

How long does a PPF last (applied by a pro)?

The one I am getting (Profilm Ultra Pro) comes with 10 years warranty.

 

[platypus]

My old BMW was black and I would just take it to the local gas station car wash and that was good enough. I took my new Frozen Blue Macan EV to the same car wash and they did not do so good of a job, there were streaks and watermarks left everywhere.

I used to live in SF (now in NYC), and had trouble finding a good detailer. I've seen the result of average car washes on friends' cars and now I know there is a reason why good detailers are expensive IIRC that's the one I settled on: https://www.autobodydetailspecialist.com

Looking at the complexity of the process to keep the car free of scratches, I'm worried about having to do it myself, so detailing works for me! As my detailer told me: black paint is not a color, it's a hobby.

Also not interested in PPF but maybe I should get it ceramic coated?

I used not to care about PPF, but stone chips can be quite visible, especially on a dark car (so less of a problem for you now), and it always makes a good impression when you sell it. I've also done ceramic coating on paint and glass, because it makes deep stains (e.g. bird droppings) much easier to clean, and because it's a lot easier to remove ice/snow when you haven't spec'd the rear wiper

 

[macanchan]

Having ceramic coating doesn't mean you can neglect your paint either. PPF on the other hand is much more durable and the paint underneath is usually pristine.

 

[macanchan]

Would you PPF if you are not planning to keep the car for more than 2 years? I am still considering a ceramic coating to keep it fresh for longer.

that depends, if you trade-in then I would say PPF is not worth it. If you sell private party then it might be in your favor. ceramic coating wont make any difference when you sell the car. Personally, I would not want to buy a car with ceramic coating already applied.

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