Sapphire Black X5 Cleaned, Corrected, and Protected with CQuartz Finest
This 2012 X5 was brought to me for a very thorough cleaning inside and out. The exterior was also protected with our premium paint coating, CQuartz Finest, for durable protection and incredible shine.
Process Exterior
- Tires: Tuf Shine Tire Cleaner & Brush
- Wheels: Pressure Rinse followed by Sonax Full Effect and various brushes and tools
- Pre-Wash: 4-5oz CG Citrus Wash via DI Foam Lance & Karcher Pressure Washer
- Wash: ONR
- Decontamination: Nanoskin Fine Grade Mitt with Glide as Lubrication
- Tape
- Paint Thickness Readings Taken
- Compounding: Meguiar's D300/M105 Combo on MF Cutting Disks via Rupes LHR21ES and Rupes LHR75e
- Polishing: Meguiar's M205 on Lake Country White Pads via Griot's Garage 3rd Gen DA
- Surface Prep: CarPro Eraser
- Ceramic Paint Coating: CarPro CQuartz Finest (2 coats)
- Exhaust Tips: CG Metal Polish + Protection, #0000 steel wool when needed, else applied via MF towel
- Glass: Meguiar's D120
- Tire Dressing: CarPro PERL (1:1) (2 coats)
- Wheel Sealant: CarPro HydrO2
- Trim Protection & Dressing: 303 Aerospace Protectant
Interior
- Floor Mats Removed
- Interior Blown Out with Metro Sidekick Blaster
- Vents & Crevices Swept
- Thorough Vacuum
- Removed Sticky Buildup from Center Console with Steam
- Removed Salt Buildup in Carpet with Steam & Meguiar's D103
- Leather Steam Cleaned, then gently agitated with D103 and boar's hair brush, then steamed again
- Vinyl & Plastic Cleaned and then Dressed with 303
- Glass: Meguiar's D120
- Door Jams Polished with M205 and sealed with Reload
- Carpets & Mats steamed and brushed
Engine
- Rinse
- Soak with D101 and agitate with various brushes
- Rinse
- Blow Dry
- Plastics Dressed with 303 & CG Black on Black
Before
The heavy brake dust buildup had left these wheels looking dark and dull
Plenty of dirt and water spots
There were bugs splattered everywhere. Unfortunately much of the damage was too severe to remove.
The engine needed a good cleaning
Black Sapphire Metallic... I know from previous experience that this is some rock hard paint.
The interior still had a fair amount of salt buildup from the past winter
The leather was looking quite dirty and was ready for a thorough cleaning
Nice sticky residue left over on the center console and cup holders
During
Again, the wheels were covered in a thick layer of brake dust and dirt. This is quite common with german vehicles.
I was able to remove a fair amount with a pressure rinse... notice the small section on the left that has not been rinsed.
Even though a large amount of dirt was removed, there was still plenty left on the surface. Sonax Full Effect wheel cleaner was used to help break down the remaining dirt on the wheels.
There was an incredible amount of grime coming from these barrels of the wheels.
They are truly a different color after cleaning
The wheels were sealed with HydrO2 to provide a water resistant barrier that will help to make them easier to clean
Next, the vehicle was thoroughly rinsed, foamed, and hand washed. The paint was then properly decontaminated to remove tar, iron deposits, and other bonded contamination.
Once the paint was clean, the defects were easily visible. The vehicle was covered in a fair amount of scratches and swirls and there were also plenty of rotary holograms present from the dealership detailers.
More Swirls and scratches
Door before correction
After compounding, most of the defects were removed from this panel.
Rear door before correction.
Again, a nice improvement after compounding... but still some remaining RIDS.
Fender before correction. Notice the hazy appearance from the poor 'buffing' done by the previous dealership detailer
After compounding the surface was much more brilliant. This would be further refined with the finishing polish later.
Re: Sapphire Black X5 Cleaned, Corrected, and Protected with CQuartz Finest
Door before correction
Door after compounding
Before correction
After Compounding
The lights were also in need of correction. Notice the hazy appearance from the swirls.
Crystal clear after compounding
After the 2 step correction, the paint was incredibly glossy
The paint looked much clearer, and only the small deeper defects remained
2 thick coats of CQuartz Finest was then applied to all painted areas to provide durable layer of protection and increase gloss even further.
The leather was thoroughly cleaned using steam, all purpose cleaner, and soft brushes. Notice the difference on the seat between the left and right side.
All carpet was vacuumed and steam cleaned.
Interior cleaned up nicely
Exhaust tips were dull and in need of restoration.
They polished up nicely, but there were some areas that had pitted and were not repairable.
After
The paint was now a deep, rich black with a mirror-like shine.
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Originally Posted by jamesboyy
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