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?

 

[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.