my dad just got a used black 2000 S430...i went to go wash it the other day and didnt have too much fun.....
my maxima is white, and i dont have too much experience washing many other cars except my max; i have had a helping hand in cleaning a black beemer coupe once but that was a while ago

my biggest problem is that while i clean one side, the other side of the car drys up....and if i go to wash the side that dried, the side i cleaned gets wet
either im gonna have the benz cleaned by someone else, or i need to figure out how

any tips on best ways to go about cleaning a seemingly monstorous black vehicle would help
thanks guys
holla

 

black is the *****iest paint to clean...


first of all, when washing the car, you have to do it in the shade. When washing the car, I always start from the roof and work my way down and around the car. The key is to always keep the car wet. When washing one side of the car, spray the entire body so it stays wet. No matter how hard I try, I end up w/ waterspots on some parts of the body. I just use quick detailing spray to get rid of those.

 

Another thing I have done is washed a quarter of the car at a time to reduce the likelihood of spotting.

 

aiite thats what i figured...
and about the shade...i did it in as much shade as i could find, and i also waited till 4pm but maybe later next time
thanks guys

 

I just did a full detail on my Super Black Max this past weekend. The best way to do it is to do as everyone else said. Do it in as much shade as possible and always remember to keep the entire car wet at all times. For my water spots I also use a detailing spray and it works real good. Here are a couple pics of my car after my detail job:







Black is so hard to keep clean but when its nice and clean and shiny, no color can beat that deep smooth black .



-Steve

 

I wish i had a black maxima.

 

Looks awesome!

 

ot....but what the hell happened to my pics???? The ones i see are older ones i had on cardomain and deleted.....wtf?


-Steve

 

What exactely does the detailing spray do??? I have a black max and i actually washed it today,...I was like wow it looks good..then after awhile noticed all the spots etc...What r the best kinds of detail spray out there??? LIke everyone knows...Black looks the best clean, and really really bad dirty..PLEASE HELP!!!

 

hmmm, need to keep it wet? set up a sprinkler right infront of it?

 

What detailing spray do you use? My Deep Evergreen is impossible to keep clean, damn dirt roads!

 

Detailing spray is sometimes called quick detailer at... other sites. It's a spray bottle of highly lubricating liquid you use to help wipe off dust, bird poop, waterspots (after washing), etc. Just don't try to "drywash" the car if it's really dirty! Also try not to use it on very warm/hot paint or it could dry out on you before you can wipe it off. It's also very important to use soft, 100% cotton cloths or better yet, microfiber towels to avoid scratching.

Go to Pepboys or Autozone, etc. and all 3 of the "big" companies make this stuff. Commonly available are: Mothers Calif. Gold Showtime, Meguiar's Quick Detailer, Eagle One WET Wipe and Shine. I'm personally partial to the Mothers product myself, but the Meguiar's one has a nice, super fine sprayhead (not so great in the breeze tho), and the EO product is the cheapest sometimes. They all work well for what they're intended though and all smell different. You may have also heard of some product called Meguiar's #34 Final Inspection. This is also a detailing spray, except sold as part of Meguiar's Pro line.

 

I use the Mother's California Gold. I just get better results with it vs. the Meguire's. But they both work as intended.

 

The California Gold and Meguiars quik detail spray both work very well. Just spray it on the area with water spots or streaks, wipe it with a dry towel once, turn it over and wipe it clean so there are no streaks.

 

I kind of went to the extreme with my superblack car. I had the diamond gloss paint treatment done on it at Ziebart's. It's costs an upward of $250 to have it done and afterwards the paint looks sweeeeeeet. I don't even have to dry the car manually and it's spotless and hardly any of those blasted swirl marks that darker colored cars are plagued with.

Ziebart's recommends several layers of the stuff but I was still in college at the time and really couldn't afford to spend the extra cash. Cool part is that after the initial service, it only costs $75 to do it again, and again, and again, I believe as long as I own the car (as long as I have it done at LEAST once a year).

 

Ugh, those things tend to be such ripoffs. If you can't or don't want to do it yourself then that's fine, but there's nothing particularly magical about what they offer. They probably just give the car a quick machine polish and slap on a coat of some kind of polymer sealant, but through gimmickery they're assured your continued business.

You still have to take gentle care of it though or you'll still create swirls in it that will have to be removed during the next overhaul. The next best thing to DIY is to make sure your washing/cleaning habits are safe and then get someone reputable to professionally de-swirl it once a year or so as needed. Then go and buy your own freaking polymer sealant and lay on as many coats as you want!

 

*shrug*Nope.Can you clarify that? Who does professional "de-swirling"? I might wanna check it out.Plan to now that I have a garage.

 

Well, you still have to have proper washing and care techniques otherwise you'll stil end up with a swirled/scratched mess after a while, no matter what they put on the paint. If you're not getting any now, then I guess your methods are safe enough as is. I just meant that for hobbyists who'd like to get rid of his swirls but doesn't have the means to do this on his own (ie, time and patience or a machine) then the next best thing is to get the car cut polished to perfection and then take things from there on his own. Any detailing shop, body shop, etc (like Ziebart) should be able to do this for you. Rates vary as do the quality of the results. Ziebart probably does this for you anyway every time you come in for a treatment, which is partially why it comes back looking so good - if you like the way their work looks I'd stick with them.

 

I find it harder to get rid of the spots when its in the shade....i get the best look when its hot has hell and the sun is right on top.... start off the top like everyone else and work by panels of the car hood the front fender then door by door and then using a regular old shower towel....I've gotten great results

 

I just want to add that I went to Zibert and did my Black max, with out the diamond wax or whatever it is, and my car looks like **** still. Everytime i wash it there is water spots. I paid 125$ He told me it was due to Nissan's ****ty clearcoat.... I beg to differ ..

Just my $.02

 

Wash only in the shade and only when the car is cool.

 

I've had two Super Black Maxima's (2000 SE and 2002 SE) and am pretty **** about keeping them clean. As far as washing goes, definitely do it in the shade, especially if you have hard water. I'm a die hard Zaino user but whatever you use you should clay your paint first. Claying will make your paint surface as smooth as glass. Meguire's and Mother's both make good clay bars. I like "Clay Magic" brand the best (they're the original makers of the clay bar). A word of caution - you must be VERY careful when using the clay because you can scratch your paint if you get any debris in the clay!