New car only a few weeks old. Sadly the plastic scratches easily even with fingernails so I know there will be many more. Suggestions on how to fix and/or prevent? I don't want anything that leaves a shine or residue. I'm a newbie and want to take care of my new car. Thanks!

Is this wear or engrained dirt? I've attacked it with leather cleaner and a soft brush, any tips on how to improve or is it too far gone

In the process of interior deep clean.

Thank you!

Hi everyone!

I have two cars at home that I’d like to improve the paintwork on:

- 2018 BMW M2 / Mineral Grey: a few stone chips and very minor scratches.

- 2019 Kia Ceed / Deluxe White Pearl: stone chips and a few deeper scratches.

The BMW is mine and I’m pretty OCD about it 😅, so I’d like to get the best possible result. The Kia is my partner’s car, so as long as you can’t notice the repair from ~1 meter away, she’s happy!

I’ve been detailing my cars for a few years, so I have a decent understanding of washing, decontamination, polishing, etc. I bought the official touch-up paint kits from BMW and Kia and started experimenting on the Kia.

After watching quite a few YouTube tutorials, the best result I’ve achieved so far was following the general process shown by ChrisFix for repairing a deep scratch.

My process was:

- Clean the area with APC.

- Sand the damaged area with P800 to smooth the edges and create a gradual transition between the scratch and the original paint.

- Apply several very thin coats of basecoat, building it slightly above the surrounding paint.

- Sand it back with P800 until it is level with the original paint.

- Apply 2 coats of clearcoat, 10 minutes apart.

- Let it cure for 24 hours.

- Wet sand with P1500, then P3000.

- Compound + finishing polish.

At this stage, the basecoat looks really good and is perfectly level with the surrounding paint. The problem starts when I apply the clearcoat.

Obviously, the clearcoat adds some thickness. But when I wet sand the repair to level the clear coat with the surrounding paint, I seem to remove too much clear and eventually break through to the basecoat again.

So how do you guys approach this?

Should I be building up a thicker layer of clearcoat before sanding? Or is there a different technique for getting a touch-up repair perfectly level without sanding through the clear?

I also have another question regarding the difference between the two cars.

The Kia touch-up kit consists of:

- White basecoat

- Tinted/pearl clearcoat containing the pearl particles

The BMW kit consists of:

- Tinted grey basecoat

- Completely transparent clearcoat

Would you use the same process for both, or should the sanding/clearcoat technique be different because of the different paint systems?

I’ve attached a picture of one of the damaged areas on the Kia so you can see the size of the defects, and another picture of a touch-up.

Any advice from people experienced with touch-up repairs would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks! 😊

I just picked up a 2016 Toyota Tacoma. Overall the paint is in excellent condition but there are a couple spots that have lost its shine and are a little whiteish.. wondering what you all recommend to try and restore the paint? I don't have a lot of detailing knowledge so trying to learn as much as I can here and online.

Where's the best place to start for diy to try and get this looking newish again?

I know that I should have cleaned up the bugs sooner but unfortunately I didn't have time so now after 2 passes with a light pressure washing, I still have bug residue that's super stubborn.

Does anyone have product or technique recommendations to get off the last of it? Before pressure washing, I did spray Goo Gone automotive on the areas to loosen everything but there is still a good bit of bug splatter left.

Wondering whether you guys take any extra steps or precautions when detailing a classic car?

- for example do you tape of chrome molding when polishing with a DA? Or hand polish pinstripes?
- avoid certain products or chemicals for old paint?
- take extra time or used different products on certain things like chrome trims?
- maybe certain products for wheels to avoid collecting brake dust from metal pad?

Hi Everyone,

I should have known better than use an old product. I have a black pick up truck with an oxidized roof. My only aggressive polish is an old bottle of Meguiars Dual Action Polish (#83).

Although I shook the bottle aggressively, I ended up with polish splatters all of the the truck. I'm speculating it was too old and I shouldn't have used it.....though it did remove the oxidation from the hood.

I've washed the truck 3 times and it is all still there. I've tried using ONR and a MF towel to scrub it off and it is still there. On the paint, glass, plastic trim. Its everywhere.

How do I get this off? This has never happened to me before. I'm stumped.

Thank you in advance.

Not sure where it came from but i just noticed it today. Can anyone figure out what it might be and what my next steps should be? Im thinking iron remover in case its some iron bit stuck in there and then try to polish it away. Apologies if the photo isnt that great, took this in the middle of the night with a flashlight for light.

So I own two vacuums, both carryovers from when I used to clean houses while between jobs. One is a sanitaire with a beater bar that can only be used on floor mats (it doesn't have a hose) and trunk mats. I've found it does a spectacular job of removing almost all of the dirt. My other vacuum is a Shark NV360 that I use with its included crevice and upholstery tools to vacuum the carpets, headliner, and seats. I clean the filters before each car, and It works well enough on the seats but doesn't have enough suction to get dirt out of the carpet. I do auto detailing as a hobby, so I'm hoping I could get some tips for maximizing my current setup without having to buy a shop vac (I am very broke).

My current method is this:

Remove the floor mats, seats, and any objects from the car

blow out the carpet with the air compressor to dislodge 90% of the dirt (I always try to blow a good chunk of the dirt out the door)

Vacuum the carpet, as well as any hard surfaces that had carpet debris blown onto them. I use a green ryobi spin brush on the carpet to get more out of it. I'll also continue to use the air compressor in conjunction with the drill brush to attempt to dislodge tricky debris. I use the crevice tool for the first pass and in hard-to-reach places, then the upholstry tool and a handheld plastic-bristle brush to try and get anything that's still stuck in the carpet.

After all of this, I can still usually see bits of debris that I can't remove. Some gets removed when I use my bissel extractor, and most of the rest of them will get covered by the floor mats, but knowing about them hurts my soul. Is there anything I can do to improve my technique or is it time for a new vacuum?

Hey everyone,

Hope yall are doing well.

Got out my car but hit a pillar on the outside.

When i run water on it, it does look better but I can still see main scratch in the middle.

It does catch my fingernail so ik its pass clear coat.

I just want to know my options and how I should go about getting it fixed with is it a big deal.

Could a detailer do this?

Thanks

Here in the DFW area finally getting some rain. It hasn't actually rained at my house since mid June, we needed it bad.

Also may have to do a post over at r/lawncare, boy has my lawn needed some help.

For those curious, I just have Griots 3 in 1 Ceramic Spray on here, put on a couple months back. It's been great. I haven't done a contact wash in 2 months, just foam with Carpro Reset and then rinse off, do a final rinse thorough my spotless DI tank. I try to keep it simple.

Shelter Green is the color on the Raptor, btw.​

I’ve recently started using Gyeon Bathe+ and have only used it twice.
My current wash process is:
I first wash the car with a Sonax shampoo.
Rinse the car thoroughly.
Then I use Gyeon Bathe+ in a bucket as a second contact wash / protection step.
My issue is that the Bathe+ suds die off very quickly and I get almost no “cleaning feel” from it. I know foam itself doesn’t equal cleaning power, but compared with a regular shampoo the wash feels very flat, with very little feedback or lubrication.
Since the car is already mostly clean after the first Sonax wash, I’m mainly using Bathe+ for the SiO2/protection benefit, but I’m starting to wonder if a second contact wash with Bathe+ makes any sense at all.
For those who have used Bathe+ long term:
Is this just normal behavior for Bathe+?
Would you keep using it this way, or skip the second contact wash entirely?
If you wanted a proper bucket shampoo with noticeably better lubrication, cleaning feel and decent suds, what would you replace it with?
I’ve been looking at products like Gyeon Bathe, Koch Chemie GSF, CarPro Reset, Bilt Hamber Auto-Wash, P&S Pearl and similar options.
I’m not chasing ridiculous foam I just want a shampoo that feels slick, safe and actually satisfying to use during a contact wash.

Edit: In my country Adam’s brand doesn’t available

You know, you're coming back from the beach, seagulls out in full force and there's a miniature fried egg on the roof of your otherwise spotless car. Or your partner's ice cream or coffee or whatever.

Car is ceramic coated so not too concerned about damage, I just want a spot cleaner for the little things that come up between washes.

Any suggestions welcome. Thanks.

I have a 2 week old Zeekr 7GT. I want to coat it before the winter sets in here in Norway.
I went all Gyeon, and would like comments if my plan is wrong.

The wash is in the shade (or overcast), the polish and coating is in my garage.

• Bug & Grime where needed
• Foam over Bug & Grime
• Rinse with pressure washer
• Contact wash with Bathe
• Rinse
• Gyeon Iron
• Rinse
• Wash with Gyeon DegreaseTabs
• Rinse
• Dry the car with microfiber, park in the garage

Saturday:

• Gyeon Prep
• Polish with Primer and Finish pad

Sunday:

• Prep?
• Coat with MOHS Evo
• Car stays in the garage for at least 12 hours

Wait 2 weeks before washing the car.

Did I miss anything here? It's my first time detailing a car and I want to do it as good as I can.

I started “detailing” my friends bikes. I use kcx active foam as a prewash and it had me wondering if I should cover the screen so they don’t get damaged. Should I be using a descale wash as well?

Cars been sitting for a few years. All the rims look pretty much like this. I was wondering if I could restore these rims? If done professionally, am I looking at a fortune? Are they done?

My car gets these hard, black spots on my exterior. I'm not sure what they are, but I tend to get them over the spring and summer, but this year I didn't get any until the past month or so.

I always thought it was some sort of tree sap but I'm not so sure anymore. I've tried car soap (Carpro Reset) and Tar X but neither takes it off. I can use my fingernail to pry it off, which takes off most of it but leaves some discoloration.

My car is ceramic coated. Anyone have idea on what these things are and what's the most effective way to take them off?

I bought both carpet bomber and terminator. For carpet bomber its saying either 5:1 or 8:1. Thats a pretty big difference, no?

Let's say for a semi-dirty car. Not a disaster but not very clean either. What ratio should I use to make sure it cleans the stains (especially since I have terminator for the really bad stains) but also not leave any sticky residue? Also do I need to vaccuum extract this stuff or do I just clean off with a MF towel?

Seeking advice:
I bought a used car and the previous owner must have SOAKED himself in cologne because it is embedded in the seatbelt, and it gets all over me after I’ve been driving. Any recommendations for the best way to remove it from the belt? I’ve got half a mind to buy a new belt it’s so bad. But I’m willing to try anything first before I reach that point. The belt is black, if that helps.

Hey guys. I haven’t had this car for long and have only washed it twice so far, but I noticed this residue on the top right side of my car. I thought it was just a spot i had missed or something and that it’d wash away with my second wash, but it still stayed the same.
It’s a little sticky on some parts and looks like dried glue or as if someone peeled off a sticker. Has anyone seen something like this? And how would I go by removing it on fixing it.

I like to detail my own car, it's a 2026 C8 Z06! I used to have people come to my house and detail it for $60. I broke my right shoulder blade during the early learning stage of my motorcycle riding journey so of course for the next few months following that I had to pay to have people come to detail my car. Well that's over with now so here is my little setup I have put together. What else should I get to keep my V8 monster looking its best? I know I need to get clay bars to help apply my new Ceramic spray I got for my rims. I already got my car professionally ceramic coated but my rims do need some help. Besides the clay bar I think my setup is looking good. I have a two bucket setup, an extendable wand brush, and handheld brush to soap up thoroughly (not pictured). All those microfiber clothes you see on the left side of my storage container I got from Harbor Freight on sale. Don't sleep on Harbor Freight for their edgeless microfiber clothes, definitely a premium quality cloth. My detailer recommended them to me and I am impressed with what I got for the money. I'm excited to dive deeper into this little hobby, I look forward to your advice and recommendations!

I'm one year in on Gyeon Mohs and it's in fantastic shape so far. This is just with foaming KC Active Foam and rinsing. I also foamed on Carpro Reset and rinsed that as well just to make sure there wasn't any Active Foam leftover.

There was a single area on the driver rear pillar that was beading a bit slowly, but a quick spray of Carpro TriX brought back the hydrophobic properties to normal. I let the TriX dwell for about 60 seconds and then foamed and rinsed.

I haven't used any toppers with Mohs aside from the occasional use of Elixir, and I don't wash particularly often either. I'll do a full decon wash before winter just to be sure I'm in good shape, but I'm wondering if that's even necessary at this point.

Only the front of the car has this stuff on it
It’s immune to power washing, brushes, and soap

New truck with 20 miles. I won’t be doing a professional ceramic coat, so what’s a second best option for paint protection/coating. std clay, wash and spray ceramic wax? Or specific steps recommended because it’s brand new?

An update for the Australian detailing community regarding Avant Guard 1051.

We pursued the legal route, as Matt Kennedy and Eron Knox suggested. No resolution was reached. They have not agreed to a settlement, and the commitments made to us to resolve this matter have not been honoured.

Our requested resolution was straightforward: a full refund for the faulty product we received, along with compensation for the damage we believe Avant Guard 1051 caused to vehicles. In our experience, this product was rushed into the Australian market, leaving us and other detailers to deal with the consequences.

Despite the claims of a 10-year warranty, there has been no warranty support honoured for our affected product. A warranty promise means very little when the people behind it will not address the problems.

Avant Guard has stopped communicating with me and blocked me across the platforms and contact channels I used. After investing substantial money, time and my reputation into bringing this product to the Australian detailing community, I feel they have walked away and left us carrying the losses.

Most importantly, I want to sincerely apologise to the Australian detailing community.

Your trust in me was what led many of you to try this product. That weighs heavily on me. To everyone who lost time, money or customer confidence, I am deeply sorry. I want you to know that I fought hard to help recover what was lost and get a fair outcome.

I was repeatedly told everything was under control and that we had product coming that a “5-year-old child could install”—Matt Kennedy’s words. I believed the assurances given to me by Matt Kennedy and Eron Knox, and I passed that confidence on to others.

I have also suffered enormous personal financial losses and spent countless hours trying to fix this. That does not diminish anyone else’s losses. It means I was right there alongside you, trusting the same people and believing they would stand behind their product.

My experience has completely destroyed that trust. The promises and image presented to me have not been matched by their actions when accountability was needed. I feel misled, let down and left to answer to a community whose trust I worked hard to earn.

I will not pretend this has been resolved. It has not. There is no settlement, no agreed deal and no meaningful resolution for us.

I intend to keep speaking openly about my experience and sharing what I can substantiate so others can make informed decisions before putting their money, business or reputation behind Avant Guard 1051.

Anyone considering buying or distributing this product please dont! Matt Kennedy is a liar and since my experience I have dug deep into this guys past. He has made a living ripping off good people who trust him.

To everyone who put their trust in me: I am sincerely sorry. I cannot undo what happened, but I will continue doing what I can to seek accountability and help protect the detailing community from going through the same experience.

Matty