[vsoneja]

Originally Posted by torquecurve

It works amazingly well. Also vaccumed the interiors with my carvac (coido). Got my rubber mats up (they must be dry by now) and washed them with the 'bum washer' - the shower handle like thing you use to wash your, ahem, bum. Trust me it works well to wash these things!

Brother, People may think you are an idiot but had i been in your place i would have also done the same.what would a person who loves his car do , probably the same as what you did given the circumstances.

Btw the "Bum washer" idea is good. i just wish there was a way to attach it to a rubber pipe and take it all the way up to your car to clean up the hard to reach places. Any DIY suggestions people ??

[S_U_N]

Originally Posted by Omega Man

Since you are from Pune, did you get your 3M detailing done from the 3M Car Care Center at Viman Nagar?

No. I got it done from my independent workshop guy.

[torquecurve]

Originally Posted by S_U_N

I am glad to inform that WD-40 was able to remove the chewing gum effectively, without causing any visible damage to the paint.

Now, there is another challenge that I am facing. My car is parked under a tree and also surrounded by bushes. Unfortunately I do not have any other parking option. The following are major issues:
(1) I have noticed tree sap - primarily seeing some yellow and some black spots on the car
(2) Lot of black ants all over the boot (since it touches the leaves behind)
(3) Some light scratches on the boot most likely due to rubbing of branches or leaves

For (1) regular water and cloth is effective, but it takes a lot of rubbing on those spots to get rid of. I am sure there would be something which is easy on the paint, but more effective than plain water. Please suggest.


For (2), it is easy to wash off the ants, but they come back in more numbers after a few hours. Is there some anti-ant solution?

For (3), I have tried tying some branches and cut some of them to increase the distance somewhat. I believe a detailing job in future will be able to take care of these things. The car was waxed and polish (3M detailing package) recently.

(1) I have noticed tree sap - primarily seeing some yellow and some black spots on the car -

Use a good car wash liquid like Sonax, Simoniz or Turtlewax Zip. Try finding an old spray bottle (I have a colin) which has a spray and stream setting both. Fill this bottle with a 1:5 or 1:10 solution of the car wash. When you have sap, just point and shoot with this bottle and wait a minute or so and wipe off with a microfibre or my fav Dupont Sontara cloth. No scratches and your wax/ paint will not be damaged. Try Simoniz Wash and Wax, I have found it to be extremely effective.

(2) Lot of black ants all over the boot (since it touches the leaves behind)

Buy a pack of ant powder (I use a brand called chamatkar you get it on roadside near old veg markets and stuff). Fill a spray bottle (for this I use garden sprayer the kind used in Barber shop) with this mixed in lot of water. After you park, spray this on the boot/ where ever. you can just spray on edges if you prefer. Ensure that you use spray spread and not sharp spray. You will not see any ants. Before you leave just wipe off with a jopasu type duster or wash off with a bottle of water and wipe with microfibre/Sontara wipe.

(3) Some light scratches on the boot most likely due to rubbing of branches or leaves

Light scratches are easy to take off/ hide with a nice layer of wax/polish.

Cheap and easy option is to use newspaper to cover the boot/ door panels before you park the car. Use the glossy variety it does not tear easily. If that would look wierd you can try creating a barrier between the leaves and your car with something else. It does not matter what people say, our car after all.

[Mortis]

How come this thread was shifted to the Indian Car Scene section ? Its getting buried in here !

Has anyone tried Opti-Seal ? How is the durability ?

[sohail99]

Yea! I've used it and I think the durability is approx 20-25 days in Indian condition.

That too if its well maintained, quick detailed all the time.

Its the ease of use that got me hooked to opti-seal. Honestly, its so easy to use, you'll never find out the durability(as you'd want to use it so frequently)

[Dr.Gagan]

Originally Posted by sohail99

Yea! I've used it and I think the durability is approx 20-25 days in Indian condition.

That too if its well maintained, quick detailed all the time.

Its the ease of use that got me hooked to opti-seal. Honestly, its so easy to use, you'll never find out the durability(as you'd want to use it so frequently)

Dear Sohail, what kind of preparation is required before using optiseal ( e.g. claying or just a quick detailer etc ).
Thanks in advance

[AvonA7]

Originally Posted by Omega Man

I will be going to Pune next weekend to try it out. This is what I stumbled upon:

3M has now opened state of the art “3M Car Care Centers” in India where you can actually leave your car with experts trained by 3M. Of course, you could also stay back at these centers and work in our Wi-Fi enabled customer lounges. And while you sit, your car is worked upon and transformed into a beauty that you can drool over.

Hows your experience in the Pune exclusive showroom for your car beautification? Please share.

If you are yet to visit, then would suggest -

This particular thread is far more informative and using few international products (easily available now a days) and following the steps mentioned/advised here by the experts would yield better results with relatively less effort as your car is almost new.

I visited this exclusive showroom and from my experience I can say that its not worth the effort to drive from Bombay up/dn to get the job done.

The staff are polite, friendly, good comfortable sofas at the a/c waiting lounge etc but the actual work force needs more time to gain expertise on the work to be done (washing/polish/wax/treatment), and after all we visit these exclusive showroom with high expectation to get the job done on our car (whatever it is) perfectly, all others are secondary.

Please do not take this post as if I am discouraging you to give it a try, just wanted to share the fact from my experience. All the best.

[RemingtonSteele]

Originally Posted by AvonA7

This particular thread is far more informative and using few international products (easily available now a days) and following the steps mentioned/advised here by the experts would yield better results with relatively less effort as your car is almost new.

I fully agree with AvonA7; this thread is really very informative with detailing guru's sharing their know-how and experience.
Even if you fast browse through this thread you will see various products & their reviews with some marvelous resultant car photos.
At the same cost what you will be spending for the car beautification you can obtain some really world class products which can be applied multiple times only at the cost of you doing the effort to beautify your car. But if you are the enthusiast in detailing then you can't ask for anything more -atlast to feel the satisfaction of achieved result.

[Omega Man]

Thank you indeed for your informative feedback.

Yes, we are going to Pune this weekend for a family visit to Viman Nagar and at the same time were to visit 3M Car Care.

Indeed this thread has been really informative on Car Detailing.

True, although we have internationally branded services here, the workforce is seldom upto the mark. I have always held 3M products in high regard for their quality but of late it seems to be getting a bad name in the Car Detailing market. Wurth, I guess, is doing better in terms of service, products & prices.

But nothing can beat the satisfaction of you buying detailing products of your choice and slogging it out yourself with loads of help from this thread.

Originally Posted by AvonA7

Hows your experience in the Pune exclusive showroom for your car beautification? Please share.

If you are yet to visit, then would suggest -

This particular thread is far more informative and using few international products (easily available now a days) and following the steps mentioned/advised here by the experts would yield better results with relatively less effort as your car is almost new.

I visited this exclusive showroom and from my experience I can say that its not worth the effort to drive from Bombay up/dn to get the job done.

The staff are polite, friendly, good comfortable sofas at the a/c waiting lounge etc but the actual work force needs more time to gain expertise on the work to be done (washing/polish/wax/treatment), and after all we visit these exclusive showroom with high expectation to get the job done on our car (whatever it is) perfectly, all others are secondary.

Please do not take this post as if I am discouraging you to give it a try, just wanted to share the fact from my experience. All the best.

[AvonA7]

Originally Posted by RemingtonSteele

this thread is really very informative with detailing guru's sharing their know-how and experience.

At the same cost what you will be spending for the car beautification you can obtain some really world class products which can be applied multiple times only at the cost of you doing the effort to beautify your car. But if you are the enthusiast in detailing then you can't ask for anything more -atlast to see the satisfaction of achieved result.

Exactly!
Thanks @RemingtonSteele for this post. I wanted to say the exact same thing.

For the price we pay to these showrooms, if we buy these products it will serve us at least 12-18 months with far better results and flexibility to use as and when we wish to.

[sohail99]

Originally Posted by Dr.Gagan

Dear Sohail, what kind of preparation is required before using optiseal ( e.g. claying or just a quick detailer etc ).
Thanks in advance

Its just a sealant and like any other sealant and wax, it needs a clean and contaminant free surface to bond properly!

If you wash and clay the surface, thats usually enough prep. But I'm sure you've got some Isopropyl alcohol on you. That diluted 50/50 with water strips the surface of all left over previously applied waxes, oils etc.

That'll enable slightly better bonding!

[Dr.Gagan]

Originally Posted by sohail99

Its just a sealant and like any other sealant and wax, it needs a clean and contaminant free surface to bond properly!

If you wash and clay the surface, thats usually enough prep. But I'm sure you've got some Isopropyl alcohol on you. That diluted 50/50 with water strips the surface of all left over previously applied waxes, oils etc.

That'll enable slightly better bonding!

Thanks Sohail,
I have got tons of IPA in hospital though havent used it. There is a query you; if I need to buy one wax/ sealant what would be your recomendation. ( It should be available in India ) .

[sohail99]

If only one, then I'd probably go with collinite 845. That thing really lasts!!

as for sealant, Opti-seal or Meguiars nxt tech wax

But since I detail for pleasure and out of sheer love for my i20, I love trying out new products.
I too get most of my IPA from hospital

[Dr.Gagan]

^^^ any comments on durabilitity \ life of opti-seal Vs Nxt Techwax . Most of the reviews i read on other forums were tipped in favour of nxt ( parameter = duration )

[S_U_N]

^Are we talking about the sealant which is used to 'stick' glass such as the Windshield?

I am about to replace my windshield and the Windshield Expert guy mentioned that one bottle of sealant would cost about Rs. 750. My car would require two bottles (Rs. 1500) out of which insurance co. will pay 50%.