Everyone's favorite ways of keeping... the old girl pristine...

Subject: [bmw-z3] Keeping the old girl pristine Tue, 03 Oct 2006
From: Karin
Hi guys, Time is beginning to take its toll on my 1998 2.8, so short of a respray I have looked into some cleaning products. Four months ago I used a product called Car Plan Paintwork Seal and Protect on the bodywork. It claims it uses nanotechnology to fill in the microscopic holes and the car self cleans. It works. When I drive in the rain (a lot here in the UK)the coating on the car literally washes the dirt and bugs off, and the car looks clean and shiny. I haven`t had to wash the car since, and it still beads water that is on the paintwork rather than sinking in to the paintwork. I also used the product specifically designed for wheels. It was not as effective, although the grime and brake dust build up on the wheels is less. There is also a product for the windows, rather like Rain Ex. When driving in bad spray the windscreen is a lot clearer although there is a smearing effect with normal rain. Win some, lose some I suppose. I know Turtle Wax do similar products which are cheaper, I don`t know how effective they are. Cheers, Karin

Subject: [z3rides] Waxin the Z!! Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2007
From: Tekwizrd
Just thought I'd share a great wax I tried on my 2002 Z3 that I acquired about a month or so ago. I can't say enough about Turtle Wax ICE. They make it in a liquid and a paste. I bought the paste, but will try the liquid next time. What I like about it, is that it leaves ZERO white residue, you even wax your black rubber and vinyl parts without fear of leaving a white pasty coating behind. You can also wax your car in direct sunlight! Turtle wax ICE sheds the water superior to any I have tried before. I used to use Zymol and in my opinion, this is a much better product. They also make a detailing spritz for lightly soiled cleaning as well as car wash and Clay Bar. Haven't tried the Car wash yet. The shine this stuff put on my already stunning Topaz Blue Z in simply amazing. Just thought I'd share what I found. If you are looking for a great wax, give it a try. You won't be sorry! Happy and Safe Z 'ing!! =Tekwizrd= 2002 Z3 2.5i Topaz Blue

Subject: Re: [z3rides] Waxin the Z!! Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2007
From: link la lane
Hey everyone- I use a product I was introduced to some 40 years ago- Malm's. Its e-z on an e-z off. No streaks, very little effort. I apply it with a damp sponge-like applicator a small section at a time then buff it off with a mirco-fiber cloth. The entire Shark is done in less than a hour. Shine and protection lasts 6 - 9 months. (Its not entirely fair for me to compare that measure of time since the Shark - 2002 steel grey metallic m - is garaged and covered every day and sees the light of day an average of only 3 hours a weekend.) None-the-less Malms does a good job. Check out the Malm's web site. Lots of good tips and common sense maintenance ideas at no cost. Allan (SharkGuy)

Blind comparison test of Turtle Wax, Zaino and Zymöl by our NSX friends- must see.

Subject: [z3rides] Re: Quickest, Safest Way to... Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007
From: Stan Chang
I found Rejex to be a product that I like best of the products I've used so far. Rejex is a silicone free synthetic polymer. Its NOT a one-step cleaner/polisher so start with a clean smooth surface. Clay bar it if its not silky smooth. Rejex sticks to what's already there, so if removal of previous waxes allow it to stick to the paint and not old wax. I first used Rejex on my RX400h as the rural agricultural area I currently work in is bug city in the spring/summer. Rejex is a liquid paste type treatment. The one thing it requires is a 12 hour "cure" period, preferably in a covered area. Needs time for the polymers to cure. Goes on like any other paste polishes. Apply lightly. Wipes off easily, cept those areas where I applied it heavily. I washed the car on Friday after work, applied Rejex that evening and in the morning, had my 12 hours cure time. The finish was very very slick. Slicker than any other product I can remember. During the day, I park my RX400h in a construction project lot. Graveled and dusty. I go thru the car wash almost weekly and 2 months later, its still slick to the touch. Worth the effort. Dust seems to sit on the finish and blow off when I drive away. It sticks less to the paint. The climate here is mainly dry - high desert. Bug guts wash off easier. Its my new favorite paint treatment and has really done a great job for me. After trying it on my RX400h here in Central Washington State, I ordered a bottle for my Z3 in Ohio. Stan Chang 07 RX400h working with me in Moses Lake, WA 01 Z3 3.0L snoozing under cover in garage in Brunswick, OH

Subject: RE: [z3rides] Winter Advice ? Date: Sat, 27 May 2006
From: Tom Caines
Check your battery for fluid level and electrolytes. Bring fluid to proper level using only distilled water. Electrolytes can be checked by a local shop at no charge. Typically, these batteries last 4 years. - Steel wheels and snow tires. Go to www.tirerack.com for tire suggestions and package pricing. - Clean your paint really well and use a sealant rather than carnauba wax. It will help protect the paint from road salt, grime, etc and make cleaning easier. If you are using snows with your "good" stock wheels apply a coat or two of sealant to the wheels. Check out Klasse. At http://www.autopia-carcare.com/klasse1.html . There are others as well. - Check condition of windshield wipers, heater and air conditioner. Using the air conditioner along with the heater control knob is a great was to counter the condensation that forms inside your cockpit on chilly rainy days. The A/C removes moisture from the heated air - reducing condensation. - Check coolant level. If it's been a while you may want to flush and fill. - Check brake pads and fluid level. Brake fluid should be flushed very 2 years. When bleeding brakes be sure to bleed clutch. They use the same brake fluid reservoir. - No need to warm-up the engine before driving off. However, be gentle on the accelerator until while the engine comes up to operating temperature. I'm sure there are more. Let's see what others have to say. Good luck!

Subject: Re: [z3rides] wheels Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2006
From: MERTPSU73
If you want to clean and polish, there's a new product out, "Mothers Mini Powerball" Connect it to your cordless drill. Cuts cleaning and polishing time by 95% and does an excellent job. Works on all wheels. -

Subject: [z3rides] Re: Rear Window Cleaner/Polish Date: Fri, 05 Jan 2007
From: Stan Chang
See these articles: http://www.mz3.net/articles/089.html http://www.mz3.net/articles/076.html
I bought the Meguiar plastic polisher/cleaning package from Z3 Solutions.com. Consists of Meguiar's Plastic Cleaner #17, Plastic Polish #10, and Plastic Detailer #18. It did clear up the hazy scratches on my 2000 Z3, but to get it as clear as the pics in the articles above, I would have had to use 3x the elbow grease. My 2001 Z3 was in much better shape when I bought it (in 2004). I haven't done anything to it but it's time for a good polishing and cleaning now. There was one article where the author used a small 4" dia palm polisher. It would obviously make cleaning much easier, especially when doing the insides, contorted trying to get around the seat headrests. I think Walmart may still have them. I plan to clean and polish my rear window soon, and will get one of those palm polisher units before starting. I wanna be ready for any sunny, dry day that may come by this winter. Stan Chang 01 Z3 3.0L 07 RX 400h AWD Brunswick, OH

From: "Dave Leader" Date: Saturday, Sep 29, 2007 12:49 pm
Subject: [z3rides] Windshield film and cabin filter questions
A couple of questions for y'all. 2001 Z3 Roadster 2.5l. My windshield gets a hard to remove film on the inside. I've tried many types of cleaning products and some work better than others. However, when the sun glares on the windshield, I see that I've just smoothed the film. I've cleaned the windshield three, four, five times at one time - using clean cloths for each cleaning. Even if I get it pretty clean, the film soon returns. I've never used RainX or anything else on the windshield. At a auto detailing forum, someone suggested that the film was from the vinyl baking in the sun. What do you think?
Subject: Re: [z3rides] Windshield film and cabin filter questions Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2007
From: Rory II
Dave, I have 2 techniques that have worked well on windshields: 1. Use straigt amonia on a sponge to generously wash the windshield. Then follow up with a good wiping with a sponge soaked in water. Dry and enjoy! I doubt you have tinted windows, but DO NOT use this method on any window with tint unless you want the tint to come off. 2. Spray your favorite window cleaner on the windshield and use newspaper to dry/wipe the liquid away. It sounds funny, but is one of those old tales of wisdom that my Mother taught me as a kid helping around the house. It also works great. And regarding having dash cleaner "baking" onto the windshield I would believe this if you used a liberal amount of armor all or similar to regularly clean the dash. Hope this helps. Best, Rory II

Posted by aiiee on March 22, 2001 at 11:12:50: 303
Haartz(our top fabric mfrs) no longer recommend Fabric Protectant for our tops. I was revisiting their website yesterday and noticed the recommendation was gone, but nothing was recommended in its place. I e-mailed Haartz and below is their reply:
Thank you for your interest in our products and web site. We have discontinued recommending the 303 product as a result of our discovering a superior product. Although our web site has not been updated yet, we are now recommending "Raggtopp" Protectant as marketed by Wolfsteins Pro-Series. You can contact them via "www.wolfsteins.com" or telephone @ (800) 377-4700. For future reference, The Haartz Fabric Cleaner will also be marketed via Wolfsteins Pro-Series, under the "Raggtopp" brand name. Thanks again for your continued interest in our products. Sincerely, THE HAARTZ CORPORATION Gordon Goodwin Sales Manager - Exteriors

Posted by mario on April 09, 2001
After noticing that my jacket repels and forms water beads a lot better than my softtop, I decided that it was time to treat the top. I also still had to wash all the brake dust off the car from last weeks drivers school.
Cleaned and treated the softtop with the BMW "Cabrio Pflege" Kit. The soap for the top works pretty damn well as the dirt that was removed from the top during and after scrubbing was brown - yuk. But then again it has been a while since the top was thoroughly cleaned. Thanks to Skin Mechanic for some great advice.
The cleaning solution is applied via a high performance BMW spray bottle, allowed to set for 3 minutes. I used a piece of card board to protect the windows and painted areas from overspray.
If you do get overspray on the rear window or on the paint, remove it immediately do not allow it to dry as it will be very difficult to remove. I found that it helps to keep the painted areas near the top wet as it will take longer for the cleaning solution to dry. (Fresh wax and a freshly treated rear window help prevent the cleaning solution from drying fast and facilitate removal.) Then wipe off with a terry cloth or sponge.
I scrubed the top with a KIWI shoe polishing brush - works great except that it did lose some bristles which I had to pick of afterwards. After hosing off the suds, it was time to let the top dry out somewhat. To apply the re-impregnating solution you have to mix it with water - the ratio is 10 parts water to 1 part impregnating solution. To apply I used another Skin Mechanic idea - a kitchen utensil - a pressureizable pump spray bottle - available at any wall mart or kitchen supply place.
Sprayed it on evenly and in sections and then blotted excess of with a sponge. Areas which I did not want overspray on I blocked with a piece of cardboard.
It took two bottles of spray (you can only fill the pump bottle 1/2 way) to fully cover the top.
A word of caution - when you pump the bottle, before you actually pump it, make sure that the nozzle points AWAY FROM YOU even though it is covered by the pump cover/handle.
In the midst of re-pressurizing the bottle, I managed to pull the pump handle off, actuate the nozzle and proceed to spray myself in the face. Needless to say, the right side of my face is now impregnated and water forms beads on it. Makes it hard to take a shower. ;^)
After blotting the top with a sponge, allow the top to dry.
I did not drive the car yesterday, before driving off to work this am I cleaned my window with the wiper. When I got out of the car to close the garage, I noticed that the windshield wiper solution got on the top and beaded up - very cool.
The BMW Pflege kit also restores the nice balck color on the top. Highly recomended. Mario

BMW rear window cleaner Rear Window Cleaner-p/n 81 22 9 407 665