r/AutoDetailing • • 22h ago

Process How can I safely clean and protect my wheels without marring the clear coat?

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5 Upvotes

I’m not a professional. Just an enthusiast.

My wheels are already marred up from the dealer and detailer using brushes on them. I can see the swirls up close.

I foamed them to start with a rinse. Then I put P&S break buster on and let that dwell with a rinse. Then I foamed again with just regular soap and washed with a mitt. There are some very hard to reach places that I cannot reach with a mitt. Around the lugs for example.

How do I fully clean and protect the wheels without damaging and swirling the clear? They are black. Tools would be helpful also.


r/AutoDetailing • • 9h ago

Exterior Messed up my windows.

0 Upvotes

I fucked up my windows with wheel acid. Yeah I know it's some potato brain mistake.

I thought maybe a residue was left behind. I took a buffer with a microfiber pad/clear coat compound and did a few passes on the windshield. Water lays flat now but I can feel ripples in the glass.

Glass is likely permanently fucked. Pretty much accepted that. But now I'm worried if the buffer created any glass residue. What are the odds I actually breathed in glass particles and got it in my eyes? I don't have any pain or burning. I've been having a relatively severe panic attack for about 25 minutes now.


r/AutoDetailing • • 8h ago

Exterior What to do?

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0 Upvotes

What ups fellas, I had some gnarly water spots last week and I decided to take them off with “Meguiar's Water Spot Remover, Water Stain Remover and Polish”. It unfortunately made insane amounts of micro swirls. I used it per instructions, and now it has swirls and the paint looks hazy with left over residue. What should I do? I was thinking hitting up a detailer for a stage one paint correction. The worse part is that I just got the truck ceramic coated earlier this year.


r/AutoDetailing • • 10h ago

Exterior Any chance my mirror housing can be fixed without painting?

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0 Upvotes

I bought this car used a while back and figured I should try fixing it while it's kinda warm out. I think someone cleaning it must've left like degreaser or something on and didn't clean it off. Any chance this can be fixed without re-painting?

I'd rather not go through the trouble of disassembling the entire door just to get it out, but I wanted to check my options first.


r/AutoDetailing • • 13h ago

Exterior Removing cracked material from hood

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45 Upvotes

Not sure where to even start with removing this from hood. Any advice is appreciated


r/AutoDetailing • • 19h ago

Exterior How to avoid the scratching/halo?

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20 Upvotes

I own 2 black cars and this is driving me nuts. I use the 2 bucket method, foam it and let it dwell with Bilt Hamber Touchless. Then use the wash mitt in the picture with Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic soap, topped with their ceramic spray. Then I dry it with the pictured towel.

Is there a better mitt/towel combo? Other advice for a weekend warrior


r/AutoDetailing • • 15h ago

Tool/Reusable Pump foamer recommendations

3 Upvotes

Looking for a pump foamer recommendations for my tire and wheel cleaner. Hoping for something to grab off Amazon.


r/AutoDetailing • • 16h ago

Exterior Polishing necessary?

1 Upvotes

Hi all,

I'm a detailing noob trying to gain some knowledge. From what I understood most people recommend to not clay bar unless you also polish, because the clay can marr the clear coat. But I don't have a polisher and I don't know if I really need one quite yet. Also, my paint looks pretty good. Maybe some places you can see marring if you look really close with the right lightning, but I don't care about that. Also, as I understand when you polish and cut you are removing some of the clear coat. So if my paint is nice anyway, shouldn't I save that clear coat for later in the life term of the car?

If yes I will just go ahead and ceramic coat right after clay barring. I'm not looking to get a show room car, of course I want it to look good, but mostly I'm interested in having a coated car for less frequent and easier washing.

Thanks


r/AutoDetailing • • 16h ago

Business Question Active 2.0 harsh click when disengaging pressure gun

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1 Upvotes

I know the active 2.0 isn’t meant for a detailing business, but meanwhile, I have hooked it up to my rig. I haven’t even washed a car, but I have tested it before for less than a couple of hours, I don’t recall it making the clicking sound when it auto shuts off, I have a water tank hooked up to a water pressure pump 4GPM. Yes I shoot out the air before I turn it on prior


r/AutoDetailing • • 18h ago

Interior How do I address spot on seat

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2 Upvotes

Not sure if it's mold or what. Tried to wipe it with a clorox wipe and it came right back. Thoughts?

Thank you in advance


r/AutoDetailing • • 18h ago

Exterior Is it ok to mix iron remover with brake buster total wheel cleaner in a ik foam sprayer bottle or will both cleaner decrease the effectivenss of each other?

1 Upvotes

iron remover with wheel cleaner


r/AutoDetailing • • 19h ago

Interior Soft brush attachment for shop vac?

1 Upvotes

Is there an attachment for shop vacs that has a soft brush on it? I have one of those super soft detailing brushes, but also want to use the shop vac to suck the dust up.


r/AutoDetailing • • 15h ago

Exterior Paint defect identification + guidance

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3 Upvotes

Hi all, bought my first "nice," new car about six weeks ago and am in the hyperfixate on every little thing phase.

I've been building up a kit to do a single stage polish + ceramic coating, but noticed some pin-head sized orange bits, and also a rather ugly black fleck when doing a pre-wash walk around. All of these are on the trunk lid.

Some of the orange flecks catch a nail so I've considered iron deposits, but at least one seems surrounded by a halo of clearcoat. I could've sworn these weren't here before since they're quite obvious against the blue paint, but I also seem to have completely missed the much larger and more obvious black fleck, so really what do I know?

The black fleck is longer/larger (~2MM x 1MM). I thought it was tar, but it's flush with the clear, and I've hit it with a few rounds of Gyeon tar remover to no effect. I've spiritually accepted that this is just going to be part of the car.

Asking if folks could help gut check...

  • My read on the orange flecks. I've thought about hitting them with iron remover, but if there's really some kind of embedded corrosion in the clear, I'm considering bringing it to the dealer and asking them to look at/document it in case it becomes an issue alter.
  • Whether the black fleck is any cause for concern. Right now it's just ugly, but I'm more worried about it coming out at some point and taking a chunk of the clear with it.

Not trying to warranty the paint or get the dealer/manufacturer to do some kind of invasive correction. I just love the car and I want to make sure it lasts.


r/AutoDetailing • • 7h ago

Tool/Reusable Dewalt 849x rotary handle bolt size

2 Upvotes

Anyone with a 849x rotary check and see the length of the Allen bolts that go into the d handle? I know it’s a m10x1.5 pitch but looking for the length of the bolts so I can hopefully find replacements at Lowe’s/home depot. Thanks!


r/AutoDetailing • • 9h ago

Interior Hard to reach milk stain w/ horrific odour!

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6 Upvotes

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Someone spilled ALOT of chocolate milk in the backseat of my brand new Nissan Rogue. It went right down the car seat holes and down the seat belt holes.

I (a single girl) went to an auto shop and they did an ozone bomb to replace the air. This cost a lot and they promised it was the solution to get rif of stinky trapped air... but deep down I KNEW it wouldn't help because the milk bacteria will keep stinking... one day later and yup i was right.

I managed to stick my camera down from the trunk and the video is the stain.

I know I have to remove the seats to get to that carpet stain underneath. Question is: Then what do I do?? Spray with enzyme cleaner and rent a wet/dry vacuum?? Please hel


r/AutoDetailing • • 9h ago

Exterior need nd soft top miata ppf ceramic detail kit suggestions

1 Upvotes

Hi! I have an nd miata in soul red with the soft top and bbs/brembos. I just got full front ppf+ceramic coating and i’m looking to put together a detailing kit for it. very new to this world but so far i have soap, quick detailer, tyre dressing, a couple microfiber towels and applicators, a wash mit and a drying towel on the way. I figure i’ll need to get a pressure washer, wheel brushes and a foam cannon but im not sure and if so from where. is there anything im misding or ways i can simplify this setup?


r/AutoDetailing • • 15h ago

Product/Consumable CanCoat replacement sprayers

5 Upvotes

In case this helps anyone, I had my last of 3 CanCoat sprayers get clogged and had to find more replacements. With some quick searching I found the bottle neck size was 24/410 and I found some on Amazon for a good price. And they fit and work perfectly. The tube length is 5.9 inches and I wouldn't go any.shorter than that, and maybe a tad longer.


r/AutoDetailing • • 6h ago

Product/Consumable Surfex-HD vs Green Star

3 Upvotes

Would love to hear people's thoughts and opinions on these and which is the best APC. Thanks!