New BMW Swirls on B Pillars

[RBMW]

Pillars, columns? New terms to me. I am a noob detailer but I want to get into it.

Anyway, mine are all swirled up. The story is that I got a new 2016 bmw, had it three days, decided to get it detailed/protected since it's still winter in New England. Days after the detail (which I trusted and didn't inspect at the time) I noticed swirls on the B pillar columns. I also noticed a couple small spots of swirl on the body, they look rather small and light. I used a LED light to really zoom in on them.

These swirls are up and down the pillars on both sides of the car. Basically, it looks like someone hit the entire car with polishers with the same pads, solution and gusto, even these plastic areas. That seems to make sense to me on the body paint, but I almost think they just went over the entire car, even hitting the rubber seals and windows. Remember, i am a noob so I may be wrong about this. I also found it weird that it tool them like 12 minutes to do a $200 top package detail. They had three guys on the car and they have one bay.

I just want to fix these things and I think I have the following options -

Get the detail shop to fix or redo the work. But I don't trust it now. Unless they could explain to me that they will tape it off and meticulously polish those out without any damage or change from the official factory look. I already sent them a email with pics, videos and explanation. Not blaming them, trying to sort it out in a fair way. It could have been a dealer issue, not sure 100%, but I would think the detailer would notice this and point it out. And fix it.

Get a polisher and learn how to handle this on my own. I already went all in with washing gear and got master blaster, foam cannon, all the buckets and guards, towels, product... I was hoping to leave the waxing to the pros but now I really don't trust it.


Get new OEM pillar covers. They cost $35 a pop so total of $140. This could be cheaper than both options 1&2.


I could also all three things I suppose. I just don't really want to do trial and error polishing on my new car.

Here is a B Pillar pic -

http://www.movement-radio.com/swirls.jpg

Any thoughts or tips greatly appreciated! And I don't know how to change the list number in this forum so please mods edit or tell me how. Tx!

[StephenK]

Definitely bring it to the shops attention that you are not happy with the job they did. What did they say was included for the $200? Most of the time for that price an AIO(All In One) product will be used. So not all swirls will come out with that. Those B pillar are always swirled up. I do not believe that was the shops fault. That probably happened at the dealership when they washed the car.

[RBMW]

Hi, yes first thing I did was send them a email with videos, photos, explanation and telling them I am not casting blame and want to work it out. I'm not gonna expose the bad job on Yelp without being absolutely sure about it. They seem like good dudes and if it was their fault I'd work with them. Not into hurting a local business, but I also have to stand up for myself. We will see what they say, but I am going to have a hard time trusting letting them have another go at it.

Well it looks like circular swirls from a buffer. Not sure why the dealer would use that, it was still half in plastic when I picked up the car. Plus this huge BMW dealer must be aware that those pillars are fragile, they are on nearly every model.

But if it was not the detail shop - should I trust a detail shop that doesn't notice and inform me of this?

[74 thing]

Probably happened at the dealership. Call the detailer-should clean up with Meguiars 205-that has been my experience.

[RBMW]

What do you guys think about this idea - I handle this on my own. I get a polisher and some pads and polish those damn panels. I suppose if it looks like crap I can then buy new ones since all four are only $140. That's cheaper than a detail anyway. Do I want to pay a guy hundreds to get that out when the parts are so cheap?

And can anyone recommend a top drawer, never screwing up detailer in MA, I would drive up to 80 miles. I need to know there are real experts if needed. I am blown away this type of crap can even happen. Cape Cod seems to be seriously lacking in high end services.

[vobro]

BMW pillars are very susceptible to swirls, they do polish up easily though. Tape the rubber window seal, light polish by hand with very little pressure and seal. Whether you have someone else fix it now or not this issue will come up again, buying new ones will only be a temp fix. It can be done by hand

[custmsprty]

Pillars, columns? New terms to me. I am a noob detailer but I want to get into it.

Anyway, mine are all swirled up. The story is that I got a new 2016 bmw, had it three days, decided to get it detailed/protected since it's still winter in New England. Days after the detail (which I trusted and didn't inspect at the time) I noticed swirls on the B pillar columns. I also noticed a couple small spots of swirl on the body, they look rather small and light. I used a LED light to really zoom in on them.

These swirls are up and down the pillars on both sides of the car. Basically, it looks like someone hit the entire car with polishers with the same pads, solution and gusto, even these plastic areas. That seems to make sense to me on the body paint, but I almost think they just went over the entire car, even hitting the rubber seals and windows. Remember, i am a noob so I may be wrong about this. I also found it weird that it tool them like 12 minutes to do a $200 top package detail. They had three guys on the car and they have one bay.

I just want to fix these things and I think I have the following options -

Get the detail shop to fix or redo the work. But I don't trust it now. Unless they could explain to me that they will tape it off and meticulously polish those out without any damage or change from the official factory look. I already sent them a email with pics, videos and explanation. Not blaming them, trying to sort it out in a fair way. It could have been a dealer issue, not sure 100%, but I would think the detailer would notice this and point it out. And fix it.

Get a polisher and learn how to handle this on my own. I already went all in with washing gear and got master blaster, foam cannon, all the buckets and guards, towels, product... I was hoping to leave the waxing to the pros but now I really don't trust it.


Get new OEM pillar covers. They cost $35 a pop so total of $140. This could be cheaper than both options 1&2.


I could also all three things I suppose. I just don't really want to do trial and error polishing on my new car.

Here is a B Pillar pic -

http://www.movement-radio.com/swirls.jpg

Any thoughts or tips greatly appreciated! And I don't know how to change the list number in this forum so please mods edit or tell me how. Tx!

I could buff those out in less than 10 minutes with my Rupes Mini.

If you lived in the Tampa Bay area I'd have made your BMW
look like this for $250.00.

That's my friends and family rate.

He drove this back to the dealership he bought it at to show them how a properly detailed car should look. :dblthumb2:
http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w421/custmsprty/BMW_zpsjuehcotm.jpg (http://s1075.photobucket.com/user/custmsprty/media/BMW_zpsjuehcotm.jpg.html)

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w421/custmsprty/BMW435iB_zpskcnaojql.jpg (http://s1075.photobucket.com/user/custmsprty/media/BMW435iB_zpskcnaojql.jpg.html)

[Paul A.]

I know a guy just up the street in Raynham! Goes by Justin!

And i agree, those are relatively easy to cut and polish out yourself.

[RBMW]

Vobro - Ok good to know thanks. I will research how to polish by hand and try it first.

custmsprty - thanks i would probably take you up on it that car looks nice.

Puckman - thanks for the tip!

[cardaddy]

Hi, yes first thing I did was send them a email with videos, photos, explanation and telling them I am not casting blame and want to work it out. I'm not gonna expose the bad job on Yelp without being absolutely sure about it. They seem like good dudes and if it was their fault I'd work with them. Not into hurting a local business, but I also have to stand up for myself. We will see what they say, but I am going to have a hard time trusting letting them have another go at it.

Well it looks like circular swirls from a buffer. Not sure why the dealer would use that, it was still half in plastic when I picked up the car. Plus this huge BMW dealer must be aware that those pillars are fragile, they are on nearly every model.

But if it was not the detail shop - should I trust a detail shop that doesn't notice and inform me of this?

Nope... those are not made by a buffer. Using a DA buffer you'd never get swirls like that. Using a rotary they'd be likely larger, straighter.

Those are typical of washing and drying.

Did I "Certified Pre-Owned" solid black 3-Series, last year that was just as bad. :rolleyes:

I agree with the earlier post... you should DEFINE (well should have before going in) exactly what was included in that $200 "full deluxe detail". More often than not it'd just be a wash, hand-wax (which is nothing more than a spray wax), interior vacuumed and wiped down, jambs wiped down, glass cleaned inside and out, trunk vacuumed, OUTSIDE of the wheels cleaned and tires shined, and that's about it.

But if it took "12 minutes" you probably didn't get that. :dunno:

Moving to your B pillars. (The ones at the front of the windshield are "A", the ones at the back of the car are "C".)

That will easily buff out. Might get a bottle of Meguiar's PlastX, you can find it literally everywhere. :) Pick up a pack of foam applicators and another pack of microfiber applicators. If you put enough time into it... you should be able to get most of that out by hand. Won't be as good as if you picked up a Griot Garage buffer and a 4" pad and do it, but it'll be A LOT BETTER than it is now. :)

[RBMW]

Oh weird, I didn't think anyone would wash or dry with those little circles. But I totally agree dealers have very shady practices. This is the reason I took it straight to a detailer!

The "package" included:

Hand wash
Hand dry
Clean and degrease wheels and tires
Application of high quality spray carnauba or polymer wax to all painted surfaces
Clean windows
Clean wheel wells
Apply tire dressing
Visual inspection
Clay bar to remove harmful contaminants on all painted surfaces prior to wax
Apply high quality Collinite wax to Painted Surfaces
Compound and polish with high speed buffer
Oxidation removal
12 Month Paint sealer
Polish wheels

So, whatever from that list that you would do to a new car I guess. We took out interior stuff because it was like 3 days new.

[SwiftTone]

I think most if not all B-Pillars that are painted black plastic are prone to swirls like those. My current VW has it, my last VW has it too. My car is new and I noticed it right away. I've only washed my car 3 times and had it detailed once.

[pheerix]

Why car manufactures insist on using the softest plastic on earth on an exterior part that gets a lot of traffic is beyond me.

[Ebg18t]

Even if you fix it, I bet those marks in the pillar will reappear quite quickly. Several of the European manufacturers use very soft plastic on those pillar pieces.

[TTQ B4U]

Won't be difficult to fix those. They polish up easy but they scratch easy too. I would and do clean all mine up and then have an installer hit them with clear bra. They will stay nice then. Done most all my cars that way including my current Audi. Premium Shield Elite is top stuff. Crystal clear like glass and lifetime warranty. I even coated my headlamps.