I just today traded in my 2009 g for a 2012, based on a sweet early lease termination deal that I simply couldn't refuse. That's a whole other story...

Anyway, I agreed to let them wash and prep the new car, since it was filthy. I just looked at it under the lights in my garage, and I see many, many swirls. Can this be from one wash/"wax" by the dealer's contractor? The new one is a blue slate and my old car was platinum graphite. Is it conceivable that I never saw such imperfections in the old car's color, so now it's much more obvious?

I should mention that I never allowed my old car to be touched by the dealer after its initial wash (which I was too naive to know not to allow back then). I washed and cared for that car with all the knowledge I gleaned from this forum, and it was practically pristine after 3+ yrs.

I guess what I'm asking is whether I was a fool to allow the dealer to "prep" the car? I know not to let them wash it when it's in for service, but I guess I was weak and just wanted a clean car off the dealer's lot. I also pointed out that there were several scuffs in the interior along the roof just above the driver door and along the kick plate, and they sent it back to the contractor while I waited. When it was brought back out, the scuffs were gone, but the contractor used some god awful sweet smelling crap to claen it, so now instead of the amazingly intoxicating odor of new car, I smell that garbage. Not relevant to the real question other than to point out that the "detailing" guy is obviously a donkey.

So... did I make a huge mistake allowing the dealer to prep the car?

Thanks,

Tom

 

Never ever let any dealership or their contractor wash or "prep" your car. Yes, one wash can swirl your finish all to hell. They are not detailers. They are porters or car washers or other unskilled labor who are getting paid $8 an hour and are judged by their speed and production rate rather than the quality of their results.

Big mistake.

 

As Blackbetty pointed out they are not detailers. For the most part they jet spray water on your car and take a chamois or towel to it, till it looks clean and then they are done.
Next time or for anyone taking delivery tell them to leave it as is, or remove the protective vinyl and thats it.
Then take it to a detailer for correction.

I took my car to the dealer service once and told them DO NOT wash my car. They didnt wash the outside but wiped down the inside seats with that sweet cherry smell stuff. To this day I can still smell traces of it, always makes me shake my head when I think about it.

 

 

Take it to a good detailer. It'll probably be great after a simple polishing. Then take care of it like you did the first one.

 

Thanks for your insightful feedback BB. I know there's a range, but how much would a "simple polishing" likely run? Maybe I should tell the dealer I want them to pay for it? (I can hear all the snickering from here. I realize that's ludicrous, but I may call and complain anyway.)

 

I can't say what a detailer in your area would charge, there really is a huge range of pricing and quality. Also I'd have to really inspect it closely to give an accurate price. Ballpark - expect to pay at least $250ish and up.

 

Ugh! Not what I wanted to hear for a car that I took possession of only a few hours ago. Thanks for the info, nonetheless. What's the best way to find a reputable detailer? I'm in the Baltimore area, in case you happen to know of anyone in particular...

 

I can't vouch for them personally, but here's a good detailing forum where you can learn and search for one near you. http://www.autopia.org/find-professi...elinks.php?c=5

My quote is at the very low end. I'm talking to a friend in Jersey who just got quoted $800 to detail his almost new Interagos Blue M3. Ouch.

 

but don't judge every dealership for having a bad prep department. Yes the prep guys work their butts off.. probably more in my dealership because we're one of the top dealers in the country and push cars out...

but you want a top notch detail, you gonna have to pay at least $300 + for a top notch detail....

 

Realize this though, even if the dealer had not touched your car you would still have had to shell out a few hundred to get the paint near perfection. Straight from the factory to your hands there is still a lot of paint contamination from transport especially if you noted it was dirty. The swirls are definitely correctable with a good detailer.
Do it yourself or get someone to do it and start enjoying the car.

 

If your dealership turns out quality detailing then you are the ultra rare exception and not the rule. Are you paying top dollar to have real professionals who know what they're doing perform the work or do you just have super talented porters that are allowed to take all day prepping a car?

I've only seen prep done personally at 3 Infiniti dealerships and the work was criminal in all 3 cases. Ditto with every other brand I've had experience with. Wrong materials, wrong tools, lack of knowledge of finish correction. I spoke to an owner of an auto body shop who does great work. He contracts to one of the dealerships. He told me that he only gets work if their regular contractor who employs $8/hr unskilled cheap labor really screws up a car and the customer complains. Only then will they call him to fix those clown's screw ups. That ain't right.

Kudos to your dealership for doing it right.

 

Beans compared to this, for just over $11,000.
Britain's most expensive car wash takes a month and charges £7,200 to clean luxury motors | Mail Online

 

I wonder if I should advise the dealer of my dissatisfaction. Maybe they will feel compelled to do something for me. I guess I shouldn't allow them to polish it, if they even make such an offer.

I have been trying to rid my car of that sickly sweet smell that rlo correctly described as cherry based. It's so awful. It's what you'd expect from a really cheesy air freshener hanging from a mirror. Man, I would love to throttle that guy for putting such a malodorous treatment on a beautiful new car smell. It's so fleeting as it is...

What are my chances of fixing the swirls myself if I invest in a porter cable 7424? Is it risky? Could I do more harm than good? How long should I allow to go over the entire car (once washed and clayed) with the porter cable?

Thanks to everyone who's replied to this thread. I really appreciate it. I may ship my car to Britain next year for that $11k wash. I have to say, I did like some of the cars he was given to work on. Not as nice as the G though...

 

I bought my car used and off the lot it had a funky smell to it as well. I literally wiped down every possible surface, sprayed ozium, then ran the a/c at full blast with a portable home air purifier/charcoal/activated-carbon filter in the car for a couple of hours with all the windows up and doors closed. The smell was mostly gone after that first round.

As for the PC, it's almost fool-proof but you can do more harm than good if you're not careful. That said, there are tons of resources on how to use it, i'd be surprised if you won't figure it out quickly.

Got my PC several years ago and it's been one of the best "mod" investments i've ever made. Be careful though, you'll end up spending many times over the cost of the PC in pads and various compounds/waxes/polishes.