i3 Car Care

[gte355u124]

Hello,

I'd like to see a good thread on cleaning & care of the car. Given many of the materials are different from most cars, I'm wondering if we need to be careful about what products we use. I'll start with a couple thoughts/questions:

exterior: hand washes preferred, I plan on coating with wolfgang deep gloss paint sealant (this stuff is amazing and I use on all cars) -- http://www.autogeek.net/wg5500.html
wheels: preferably your normal car wash soap, but can use anything with a ph from 5 to 9 (per manual)
tires: please don't use the super high gloss stuff as most are not good for the tire, and will splatter everywhere if you don't let dry long enough. 303 aerospace is once again a winner here!

interior:
tera package

leather seating: leather car care products
eucalyptus wood: ??? manual says to use only a moist rag, but is there something that can better protect this? Should we ever need to oil it?
wierd recycled material in front of dash and alongside windows: can we use a typical protectant on this (303 aerospace, etc)
active wool: once again no clue, I assume just vacuum and wipe and assume it's a typical cloth material.

Any other thoughts/tips on the i3 car care feel free to post. I'm kind of a nerd about this stuff (2 bucket method only!) so look forward to the discussion.

 

[mindmachine]

Hello,

I'd like to see a good thread on cleaning & care of the car. Given many of the materials are different from most cars, I'm wondering if we need to be careful about what products we use. I'll start with a couple thoughts/questions:

exterior: hand washes preferred, I plan on coating with wolfgang deep gloss paint sealant (this stuff is amazing and I use on all cars) -- http://www.autogeek.net/wg5500.html
wheels: preferably your normal car wash soap, but can use anything with a ph from 5 to 9 (per manual)
tires: please don't use the super high gloss stuff as most are not good for the tire, and will splatter everywhere if you don't let dry long enough. 303 aerospace is once again a winner here!

interior:
tera package

leather seating: leather car care products
eucalyptus wood: ??? manual says to use only a moist rag, but is there something that can better protect this? Should we ever need to oil it?
wierd recycled material in front of dash and alongside windows: can we use a typical protectant on this (303 aerospace, etc)
active wool: once again no clue, I assume just vacuum and wipe and assume it's a typical cloth material.

Any other thoughts/tips on the i3 car care feel free to post. I'm kind of a nerd about this stuff (2 bucket method only!) so look forward to the discussion.

I personally treat it like any of my other cars, as it is painted and the paint surface is just like any other BMW. So I use Rejex which is a polymer based wax that is used on air planes. I find once a year is enough to protect, but I usually do it twice a year as it is so easy to do. Liquid based, apply with a damp cloth and remove when the haze forms.

 

[MikeS]

As for interior cleaning, I wish the designers had to clean the car! Far too many nooks and crannies to gather dust and dirt which are difficult of inaccessible.

 

[gte355u124]

Emailed autogeek about what to use on the interior with all the different materials. He suggested Wolfgang cockpit trim sealant. I tried it out this weekend and it cam out really nice. Not too much shine but puts a little layer of protectant on everyrhing. That weird recycled stuff even picked up the slightest shine in the sun really bringing out the white fibers.

Also I put it on the carbon fiber area and it looks really sweet

 

[Sparky]

Severe draught here, no car care required

 

[justanotherdrunk]

Car washing tip/ discovery:

Folding the side view mirrors in after washing allows the pooled water inside to drain out

preventing blow out all over the sides of your detailed masterpiece :lol:

 

[websterize]

Wood and kenaf care from PureCare inspired by BMW i contains organic sandalwood extract and was designed especially for cleaning porous materials such as kenaf and eucalyptus wood. It is not only ideal for the care of moisture-sensitive surfaces, but also provides lasting effective protection.

If it's German, it must be "Pure."

Source

 

[websterize]

Car washing tip/ discovery:

Folding the side view mirrors in after washing allows the pooled water inside to drain out, preventing blow out all over the sides of your detailed masterpiece :lol:

Good tip, thanks, and a very clean car. It's remarkable how much taller it appears without the black hood.

 

[Fredr500]

What is the best product to use on the olive-leaf tanned leather?

All I see on the BMW US site is leather cleaning wipes, no other leather care products at all.

I found this from the Lexus site (Google is my friend), is there any difference for us?

There are a number of products that will do the job. I'll mention what I prefer, but there are a lot of products to choose from. As a really smart detailer once told me; "Find products you like and use them often". Good advice!

For cleaning protected leather, I use the CHAT method.
C = Cleaner
H = Heat
A = Agitation
T = Time (as in dwell time)

I prefer Leather Master's Strong Leather Cleaner. I typically dilute this 50/50 with moderately hot water and apply it with a foam applicator. I squeeze the applicator several times to work up a thick foam and then gently agitate a small area at a time. I'll let this cleaner solution dwell for a minute or two, but not dry, then wipe up with a white, 100% cotton towel. I'll inspect the towel to see if the soiling has been removed. I'll repeat until the towel shows no soil being removed. For stubborn soiling, I'll not dilute the cleaner and I may use a soft nylon brush for really tough soiling. Once I'm satisfied that the leather is clean, I'll gently buff it dry with another cotton towel. It is good to keep in mind that we are cleaning paint at this time and not leather as the protected leather is just that, painted.

Next, I'll apply a leather protectant. I prefer to use Leather Masters Leather Protection Cream. It is a water-based fluorocarbon protectant. Being water based it allows the protected leather to continue to accept hydration through transpiration, yet will prevent dye transfer from staining the leathers top-coat. After letting the leather air dry for around 20 minutes after cleaning, I'll apply a thin, even coat of the protectant with a foam applicator. I'll do the entire vehicle and then gently buff with another cotton towel. The result is clean and silky smooth leather.

For weekly routine maintenance, I'll vacuum the protected leather and then wipe it down with a wrung out cotton wash cloth, or one moistened with Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer which adds some UV protection. This keeps the leather clean and properly hydrated.

Read more: http://www.clublexus.com/forums/automotive-care-and-detailing/621879-what-is-the-best-leather-cleaner-product-out-there-5.html#ixzz41ZLVOFLk

 

[Unsavedone]

If it's German, it must be "Pure."

HAHAHA! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[nashvegasr]

I randomly purchased the cleaners pictured above (olive tanned leather treatment and the kenaf / eucaplytis wood cleaner) from my BMW dealer here in town. I have to say - I love them, makes the leather seats look brand new, and i have great leather products for my other cars (leather masters, leatherique). The wood/kenaf cleaner is rockin too. Recommend. !!!

 

[Anonymous]

Looking for something to protect the Eucaplytis wood, I picked up some of the BMW Kenaf wood cleaner too. Like you said, stuff is great. Need to try that leather treatment. For washing the car, I use Wolfgang Concours Series Uber Rinse-Less Wash, and the two-bucket wash method. The Wolfgang stuff just floats the normally hard-to-remove road dirt right off, and leaves the car looking like it was just waxed.

 

[RostHaus]

I've used Einszett(now called Nextzett) products for years on interiors

You can use the cockpit cleaner for just about every piece of an interior, because its gentle and leaves surfaces with a matte fnish. I can't see why that couldn't be a go to product for the i3's interior.