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Detail Steps
Posted by Joan Boucher
|
Detail Steps November 01, 2004 02:49PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 3 |
<HTML>Hi-
I am the Parts Manager in a new car dealership. The new Used Car Manager insists on sending all the details out of our store and I have been put in charge of the detailers to try to get them back. They've all been to classes, had in-house training and just can't seem to be consistent in the quality of their work, I think it has to do with what they do when.
Could any on please share with me their steps on a recon?
(Inside or outside 1st, etc.) I'm trying to save 3 jobs !!
Thanks, Joani</HTML>
I am the Parts Manager in a new car dealership. The new Used Car Manager insists on sending all the details out of our store and I have been put in charge of the detailers to try to get them back. They've all been to classes, had in-house training and just can't seem to be consistent in the quality of their work, I think it has to do with what they do when.
Could any on please share with me their steps on a recon?
(Inside or outside 1st, etc.) I'm trying to save 3 jobs !!
Thanks, Joani</HTML>
|
Re: Detail Steps November 01, 2004 04:49PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 146 |
<HTML>First STOP thinking in the box If those detailers went to classes,in house training and came back doing the same thing then they NEED to be fired
To answer your question RON KETCHEM / JIM HAMMIL THESE MEN WILL HELP. In you quest for proper recon</HTML>
WE DON'T USE THE "F-WORD" YA KNOW "FREE" A M.O.B BUSINESS
To answer your question RON KETCHEM / JIM HAMMIL THESE MEN WILL HELP. In you quest for proper recon</HTML>
WE DON'T USE THE "F-WORD" YA KNOW "FREE" A M.O.B BUSINESS
|
Re: Detail Steps November 01, 2004 10:08PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 118 |
<HTML>Hi Joan:
The Dealership I work for had the same problem when I arrived there. The detailers for the most part were unsupervised and were cheating on their flat rate hours, plus there were a huge amount of complaints on every level of the detailing process from the customers, sales dept., etc. The owners and Upper Management had been looking for a highly experienced detailer to come in and turn the shop around and get it going in a positive direction and keep it there.
The day I came in and looked at the shop I almost turned around and left. Who wants to come into work in the morning and cleanup after everyone else, chemical bottles every where not labeled, no MSDS sheets, air hoses and water hoses all tangled up, RO's from previous days laying on the wet floor, equipment like the extractor/rotary buffers/vacuum cleaners were badly abused, 5 different product lines (Blue Coral, CarBrite, Wesmar, Auto Magic, Production Care Care), garbage that the detailers had stock-piled on shelves throughout the shop from the used cars, poorly lit shop, drains were plugged up solid so you had to push the water out of the shop with a squeegee a half a dozen times a day where it was then pumped down the street, etc., etc. . . . . get my drift!
My first project was to create a positive environment/shop to work in, next I worked with the detailers as a group and on a individual basis to make sure they knew what is expected of them working in a dealership and why the jobs need to be done right the first time or they will have to be redone. Most flat rate shop detailers don't like re-dos since doing it right the first time takes less effort and it effects their pay. there are three inspection periods in place; initial walk around before the detail, inspected by me at the end of the detail, and inspected and signed off by General sales Manager/Sales Manager at the time. I also inserted safety items and precautions into their work day as needed. They all attend safety meetings regularly. They were all given their own cabinets w/combination locks, their own buffing pads, chemical bottles, detailing tools, etc. to be responsible for. The shop is kept clean daily as they work and at the end of the week a thorough cleaning by all. They understand that the work they do today can effect the whole team tommorrow in a positive or negative way. I have found that if any of the detailers starts to get the attitude that he/she is going to start doing things their way, the other detailers usually get the situation straightened out. If not, there are other measures in place.
Now for the re-conditioning part:
* All cars whether they are new or used get a walk around inspection to check for damage, loose items, and to decide what work needs to be done.
* Since your question centers around the re-conditioning of used cars in a production environment, I will leave out the new car processes.
**PREPPING
Wet work/prepping the car for detailing is a very important part of your detail, a bad prep job will send you right back to the wash bay for a re-do.
This is where a detailers experience and knowledge of chemicals really pays off.
1. Shut off the vehicle, Make sure the vehicle is in a cool place and is cool to the touch, this includes the wheels.
2. Open all doors, take out the mats and place them where they will be cleaned, open gas hatch, trunk, hood.
3. Pre-spot the mats, Cover any items that should be covered before pressure washing. Wet down the surrounding area of the vehicle that will be degreased with wash soap and mitt or flooding with water. Then spray your degreaser under the hood, the engine compartment, door jams, gas hatch, trunk jam.
4. If using a hot water pressure washer, care should be taken not to burn the paint or other items such as wheel covers, rubber, and don't burn stickers off the paint. In most dealerships the mats can be dealt with in two ways; after pre-spotting, friction scrub with stiff carpet brush and carpet shampoo, then extract or after pre-spotting scrub with stiff carpet brush and carpet shampoo and pressure wash, then extract water and hang dry.
5. Cleaning wheels and tires; most professional detailing chemical company's have good tire and wheel cleaners that are safe for tires and wheels, since we are talking about used cars we are talking about alot of different types (makes and models) of wheels and covers. It is important to understand the affect that certain types of cleaners have on these various wheels. Non-acid are the safest and depending on their formulation can produce the desired affect. Cleaners with acid are very intense and can do a very nice job in the right hands, but I will use the acid cleaner as a last resort in most cases.
6. At this point you can remove any unwanted stickers, and writing from painted, plastic, or glass surfaces using the appropriate tool for the job. Plastic razor blades, steel razor blades, and heat gun are common tools.
7. Exterior washing; if you found in the initial walk around inspection of the vehicle, the surfaces to be rough to the touch, there will be at least two steps here; first washing by hand thoroughly, and the other is claying the surface to remove contaminates not removed by hand washing and rinsing.
8. Next, dry car thoroughly and remove any road tar, tree sap, road paint etc. Also at this time you can dress the engine or leave it undressed depending on dealerships request. The dressing should be water-based, solvent-based dressings on the engine have a low flash point and can catch on fire.
**INTERIOR
1. Trunk area should be cleaned thoroughly; trunk jam wiped clean, under the trunk lid wiped cleaned and vacuumed where applicable, tools and spare tire removed, cleaned, and placed where they belong, any stains are to be removed from carpet, felt, other materials in the trunk.
2. Seating area; remove all garbage from vehicle in side pockets, under and between seats, dump ashtrays, clean glove box, with air blower and detailing brush blow out and clean all vents, while thoroughly vacuuming interior dry friction scrub the carpets and fabric to stand the pile and fabric up.
3. Clean headliner first working your way down to the carpet area. Use an appropriate cleaner on the headliner that will not loosen the thin adhesive
holding it in place. Great care should be taken here.
4. Next, clean vinyl/leather w/appropriate cleaner being careful not to spray it directly on the material where electronics are present. Unless you are working in an area like seating surfaces, etc. where the need of a scrub brush applies, spraying chemical on toweling, brushes, etc.
5. Cleaning carpets and upholstery; pre-spot carpet and seat stains with a pre-spotter for this purpose (not engine degreaser, window cleaner, etc.). After pre-spotter has had time to dwell, add friction scrub with stiff carpet brush and carpet shampoo, being careful not to use more shampoo than is actually needed, Then rinse the carpets and seats with an extractor. If this is done right, the interior should be slighty damp and residue free decreasing re-soiling and drying time.
6. Dressing vinyl/leather; do this before you clean the inside windows. If you do get some on the windows you only have to clean the windows once, instead of cleaning the windows twice if you start out cleaning the windows before dressings and get some on the window. Water-based dressings for vinyl, and a leather conditioner for leathers after cleaning. Dressings applied by means of an applicator instead of spraying them on the material directly are alot less messy and even more professional.
7. Windows; many used cars in a dealership will have aftermarket tinting and many will have factory tint, it is important to be mindful of this before attempting to clean the windows. Removing price stickers and other advertisements can end in disaster if you run a razor blade through the tinting. Also, certain window cleaners can do damage over time to the film tint. Roll all windows down when applicable to clean the tops of the windows that fit in between or sit outside the window seals.
8. Odor elimination cases of animal urine, cigarette smoke, mold and mildew, etc, can take up a considerable amount of the dealerships and detailers time to really eliminate the problem source. Tools such as a regimen of special chemicals, thermo-fogging equipment, Ozone generator other cleaning techniques may come in depending on the severity of the problem. This takes a highly skilled detailer to deal with these issues, there will be many.
**EXTERIOR
1. During our first walk around inspection of the painted surface we got a pretty good idea of what needs to be done. Now that the surface has been washed, clayed, and is smooth we may see cob-webbing type scrathes, deep scratches that go through the clearcoat or even all the way through to the metal, light to medium scratches, clearcoat peeling, oxidation light/heavy, bird dropping etches, swirl marks, water-spotting, etc. There are many conditions than can occur. In many dealerships including ours the detailers simply do not have the time to create perfect finishes on all cars, the cars are simply made to look much better and clean. We do deal with certain issues on the surfaces as they come up per sale by the request of the customer. Some cars may only need a one step application such as a cleaner wax which cleans, waxes, makes the car look glossy, wipe off any residue and it's ready for the lot, some need the scratches cut out, surface polished, then waxed, some just need a good cleaning and wax application only, there are many variations of surface issues and there are products and pads for every situation. The goal is to keep the confidence level high so that the customer has a genuinely positive experience when in the process of purchasing a vehicle. The way the car looks is the first thing they see.
2. Masking/Taping trim pieces and moldings is a good way to protect yourself from damage to these parts, people will appreciate the time you take to protect their investment. Being a quality minded person means nothing if you do not implement it into every job you do. Choosing the proper pads and products for each job takes time and experience from an experienced detailer. For new people learning how to be a good detailer there is a lot to learn.
3. After paint correction, polishing/swirl removal, wax/paint seal you can begin dressing the tires and trim pieces as per vehicle. If I am going to apply a coat of wax over the entire car before wipe down, sometimes I will apply the exterior dressings first then wax. Any dressing you got on the painted surface will come off in the wipe down instead of waxing first, wiping down, then applying dressings which could get on the surfaces.
4. Outside windows cleaned, dealership plate frames.
5. Inspection by me of the entire detail with the detailer.
6. Inspection by General Sales Manager/Sales Manager at the time.
7. Placed on the lot accordingly.
Some of the folks on this forum I am sure will want to participate in your topic. There are many levels of detailing, from back yard detailing to Concours Elagance, But for now I have done the best I can for the moment to respond to your question. I hope this was helpful to you, but I would strongly recommend that if you have any questions relating directly to any part of this process that you do a search here for all your questions first. There are quite a few highly skilled folks here to help out. This took me quite awhile to write and I hope I will not have to do it again. But I was happy to help if I did.</HTML>
Detailing, An Art In Motion!
The Dealership I work for had the same problem when I arrived there. The detailers for the most part were unsupervised and were cheating on their flat rate hours, plus there were a huge amount of complaints on every level of the detailing process from the customers, sales dept., etc. The owners and Upper Management had been looking for a highly experienced detailer to come in and turn the shop around and get it going in a positive direction and keep it there.
The day I came in and looked at the shop I almost turned around and left. Who wants to come into work in the morning and cleanup after everyone else, chemical bottles every where not labeled, no MSDS sheets, air hoses and water hoses all tangled up, RO's from previous days laying on the wet floor, equipment like the extractor/rotary buffers/vacuum cleaners were badly abused, 5 different product lines (Blue Coral, CarBrite, Wesmar, Auto Magic, Production Care Care), garbage that the detailers had stock-piled on shelves throughout the shop from the used cars, poorly lit shop, drains were plugged up solid so you had to push the water out of the shop with a squeegee a half a dozen times a day where it was then pumped down the street, etc., etc. . . . . get my drift!
My first project was to create a positive environment/shop to work in, next I worked with the detailers as a group and on a individual basis to make sure they knew what is expected of them working in a dealership and why the jobs need to be done right the first time or they will have to be redone. Most flat rate shop detailers don't like re-dos since doing it right the first time takes less effort and it effects their pay. there are three inspection periods in place; initial walk around before the detail, inspected by me at the end of the detail, and inspected and signed off by General sales Manager/Sales Manager at the time. I also inserted safety items and precautions into their work day as needed. They all attend safety meetings regularly. They were all given their own cabinets w/combination locks, their own buffing pads, chemical bottles, detailing tools, etc. to be responsible for. The shop is kept clean daily as they work and at the end of the week a thorough cleaning by all. They understand that the work they do today can effect the whole team tommorrow in a positive or negative way. I have found that if any of the detailers starts to get the attitude that he/she is going to start doing things their way, the other detailers usually get the situation straightened out. If not, there are other measures in place.
Now for the re-conditioning part:
* All cars whether they are new or used get a walk around inspection to check for damage, loose items, and to decide what work needs to be done.
* Since your question centers around the re-conditioning of used cars in a production environment, I will leave out the new car processes.
**PREPPING
Wet work/prepping the car for detailing is a very important part of your detail, a bad prep job will send you right back to the wash bay for a re-do.
This is where a detailers experience and knowledge of chemicals really pays off.
1. Shut off the vehicle, Make sure the vehicle is in a cool place and is cool to the touch, this includes the wheels.
2. Open all doors, take out the mats and place them where they will be cleaned, open gas hatch, trunk, hood.
3. Pre-spot the mats, Cover any items that should be covered before pressure washing. Wet down the surrounding area of the vehicle that will be degreased with wash soap and mitt or flooding with water. Then spray your degreaser under the hood, the engine compartment, door jams, gas hatch, trunk jam.
4. If using a hot water pressure washer, care should be taken not to burn the paint or other items such as wheel covers, rubber, and don't burn stickers off the paint. In most dealerships the mats can be dealt with in two ways; after pre-spotting, friction scrub with stiff carpet brush and carpet shampoo, then extract or after pre-spotting scrub with stiff carpet brush and carpet shampoo and pressure wash, then extract water and hang dry.
5. Cleaning wheels and tires; most professional detailing chemical company's have good tire and wheel cleaners that are safe for tires and wheels, since we are talking about used cars we are talking about alot of different types (makes and models) of wheels and covers. It is important to understand the affect that certain types of cleaners have on these various wheels. Non-acid are the safest and depending on their formulation can produce the desired affect. Cleaners with acid are very intense and can do a very nice job in the right hands, but I will use the acid cleaner as a last resort in most cases.
6. At this point you can remove any unwanted stickers, and writing from painted, plastic, or glass surfaces using the appropriate tool for the job. Plastic razor blades, steel razor blades, and heat gun are common tools.
7. Exterior washing; if you found in the initial walk around inspection of the vehicle, the surfaces to be rough to the touch, there will be at least two steps here; first washing by hand thoroughly, and the other is claying the surface to remove contaminates not removed by hand washing and rinsing.
8. Next, dry car thoroughly and remove any road tar, tree sap, road paint etc. Also at this time you can dress the engine or leave it undressed depending on dealerships request. The dressing should be water-based, solvent-based dressings on the engine have a low flash point and can catch on fire.
**INTERIOR
1. Trunk area should be cleaned thoroughly; trunk jam wiped clean, under the trunk lid wiped cleaned and vacuumed where applicable, tools and spare tire removed, cleaned, and placed where they belong, any stains are to be removed from carpet, felt, other materials in the trunk.
2. Seating area; remove all garbage from vehicle in side pockets, under and between seats, dump ashtrays, clean glove box, with air blower and detailing brush blow out and clean all vents, while thoroughly vacuuming interior dry friction scrub the carpets and fabric to stand the pile and fabric up.
3. Clean headliner first working your way down to the carpet area. Use an appropriate cleaner on the headliner that will not loosen the thin adhesive
holding it in place. Great care should be taken here.
4. Next, clean vinyl/leather w/appropriate cleaner being careful not to spray it directly on the material where electronics are present. Unless you are working in an area like seating surfaces, etc. where the need of a scrub brush applies, spraying chemical on toweling, brushes, etc.
5. Cleaning carpets and upholstery; pre-spot carpet and seat stains with a pre-spotter for this purpose (not engine degreaser, window cleaner, etc.). After pre-spotter has had time to dwell, add friction scrub with stiff carpet brush and carpet shampoo, being careful not to use more shampoo than is actually needed, Then rinse the carpets and seats with an extractor. If this is done right, the interior should be slighty damp and residue free decreasing re-soiling and drying time.
6. Dressing vinyl/leather; do this before you clean the inside windows. If you do get some on the windows you only have to clean the windows once, instead of cleaning the windows twice if you start out cleaning the windows before dressings and get some on the window. Water-based dressings for vinyl, and a leather conditioner for leathers after cleaning. Dressings applied by means of an applicator instead of spraying them on the material directly are alot less messy and even more professional.
7. Windows; many used cars in a dealership will have aftermarket tinting and many will have factory tint, it is important to be mindful of this before attempting to clean the windows. Removing price stickers and other advertisements can end in disaster if you run a razor blade through the tinting. Also, certain window cleaners can do damage over time to the film tint. Roll all windows down when applicable to clean the tops of the windows that fit in between or sit outside the window seals.
8. Odor elimination cases of animal urine, cigarette smoke, mold and mildew, etc, can take up a considerable amount of the dealerships and detailers time to really eliminate the problem source. Tools such as a regimen of special chemicals, thermo-fogging equipment, Ozone generator other cleaning techniques may come in depending on the severity of the problem. This takes a highly skilled detailer to deal with these issues, there will be many.
**EXTERIOR
1. During our first walk around inspection of the painted surface we got a pretty good idea of what needs to be done. Now that the surface has been washed, clayed, and is smooth we may see cob-webbing type scrathes, deep scratches that go through the clearcoat or even all the way through to the metal, light to medium scratches, clearcoat peeling, oxidation light/heavy, bird dropping etches, swirl marks, water-spotting, etc. There are many conditions than can occur. In many dealerships including ours the detailers simply do not have the time to create perfect finishes on all cars, the cars are simply made to look much better and clean. We do deal with certain issues on the surfaces as they come up per sale by the request of the customer. Some cars may only need a one step application such as a cleaner wax which cleans, waxes, makes the car look glossy, wipe off any residue and it's ready for the lot, some need the scratches cut out, surface polished, then waxed, some just need a good cleaning and wax application only, there are many variations of surface issues and there are products and pads for every situation. The goal is to keep the confidence level high so that the customer has a genuinely positive experience when in the process of purchasing a vehicle. The way the car looks is the first thing they see.
2. Masking/Taping trim pieces and moldings is a good way to protect yourself from damage to these parts, people will appreciate the time you take to protect their investment. Being a quality minded person means nothing if you do not implement it into every job you do. Choosing the proper pads and products for each job takes time and experience from an experienced detailer. For new people learning how to be a good detailer there is a lot to learn.
3. After paint correction, polishing/swirl removal, wax/paint seal you can begin dressing the tires and trim pieces as per vehicle. If I am going to apply a coat of wax over the entire car before wipe down, sometimes I will apply the exterior dressings first then wax. Any dressing you got on the painted surface will come off in the wipe down instead of waxing first, wiping down, then applying dressings which could get on the surfaces.
4. Outside windows cleaned, dealership plate frames.
5. Inspection by me of the entire detail with the detailer.
6. Inspection by General Sales Manager/Sales Manager at the time.
7. Placed on the lot accordingly.
Some of the folks on this forum I am sure will want to participate in your topic. There are many levels of detailing, from back yard detailing to Concours Elagance, But for now I have done the best I can for the moment to respond to your question. I hope this was helpful to you, but I would strongly recommend that if you have any questions relating directly to any part of this process that you do a search here for all your questions first. There are quite a few highly skilled folks here to help out. This took me quite awhile to write and I hope I will not have to do it again. But I was happy to help if I did.</HTML>
Detailing, An Art In Motion!
|
Re: Detail Steps November 01, 2004 10:56PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 243 |
<HTML>You get an "A" Steve Britz. Joan, like "New Again" said look up autoint.com. This is the site for Auto International,where you can get much info. They also have a very good inspection form that you can down load and print. Its in the Tech Tip Section. You can modifiy it, to fit your needs. Ron Ketchum aka "Grumpy" on this site is very,very knowledgeable person to do business with. If he don't know it ,he knows who does........Brandy !
P.S. Joan another person who can help is Bud Abraham....detailplus.com</HTML>
P.S. Joan another person who can help is Bud Abraham....detailplus.com</HTML>
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Re: Detail Steps November 02, 2004 02:06AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 36 |
<HTML>I will add to turn on heat to help speed up the interior drying process. Also, use a 3 gallon pump garden type sprayer for all degreasing. Much quicker. Put some odor terminator in your extractor rinse water, helps with odor control. Assign specific employees , specific jobs/steps of the detail. Have a water works person, interior person, outside, etc. If someone starts on the inside drivers side, the exterior person starts on the front passenger side of the hood. Stays outta each others way. Cross train your employees.</HTML>
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Re: Detail Steps November 02, 2004 02:43AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 45 |
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Re: Detail Steps November 02, 2004 05:24AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 866 |
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Re: Detail Steps November 02, 2004 01:13PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 3 |
<HTML>Hi Steve -
Thanks for all the valuable info. You gave me some good ideas.
Are you sure you haven't worked in our shop?? We have a brand new facility and the detail area is a pigsty.
The Service Manager and I are meeting with our "head" detailer this a.m.
to start the overhaul of the detail dept.
Wish us luck!
Thanks again, Joani</HTML>
Thanks for all the valuable info. You gave me some good ideas.
Are you sure you haven't worked in our shop?? We have a brand new facility and the detail area is a pigsty.
The Service Manager and I are meeting with our "head" detailer this a.m.
to start the overhaul of the detail dept.
Wish us luck!
Thanks again, Joani</HTML>
|
Re: Detail Steps November 02, 2004 01:20PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 466 |
|
Re: Detail Steps November 03, 2004 12:23AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 210 |
<HTML>
I can detail a car in about 3.5 hours. Here's my procedure:
Apply Stoners Tarminator to all bug splatter, tar spots, and any other areas that washing will not remove. Let soak.
Open front door and spray degreaser in door jamb if needed and powerwash. Next do backdoor followed by trunk, moving around vehicle to other side following same procedure .
Spray wheels and tires with tire and wheel cleaner. Clean wheels then do tires. Rinse. This includes powerwashing the wheel wells.
Powerwash vehicle to remove loose soil, etc.
Wash vehicle with long handled brush. All stubborn spots will be removed from the Tarminator and carwash soap. Rinse. Quickly wipe down.
Remove floor mats and spray carpet cleaner and spot remover if needed, followed by powerwashing. Using either extractor or wet/dry vac, remove excess water and put aside to dry.
Roll down all windows and open all doors including trunk. Wipe all door jambs and trunk jamb with either a terry towel or cheaper microfiber cloth.
Remove all items in car (glove box, center console, etc,) and place in small plastic bags.
Using a air compressor, blow all vents, radio controls, side pockets, rubber seals around doors, etc.
Vacuum interior.
Apply dressing to front door panel and using compressor, blow into all crevices. Wipe up all wet dressing which will remove 95% of all dirt and will leave the surface looking new. Continue this on every door working your way around vehicle. Don't forget trunk.
Remove any stains that could not be removed with the dressing and re-apply dressing to these areas.
Move front seats forward as far as possible and repeat these steps to all applicable areas in back of vehicle. This includes seat supports mounted to floor, front seat backs if applicable, etc.
If back seats are leather or vinyl, do same procedure.
Move front seats back as far as possible.
Do entire dashboard as you did in the back. This includes pedals, vents, glovebox, etc. Every square inch.
Apply carpet cleaner to all carpeting. Apply spot remover at the same time.
Hand brush all areas or use an orbital polisher with the brush attachment. Lightly spray hot water from extractor to all carpet and vacuum. Repeat if stains are still present.
Repeat same procedure to all cloth seats if applicable.
Close all windows.
Spray door jamb boots and all exterior vinyl trim with dressing. This includes winsheild cowling, tires, wheel wells, door handles, etc. Wipe all areas sprayed including overspray on wheels.
Buff exterior with favorite product. Apply sealant, wax, etc.
Clean windows inside and out.
Apply dressing to all rubber seals around doors, trunk, etc.
Final wipe down of door jambs.
Quick vacuuming if needed.
Replace all floor mats.
Put all bags in trunk.
Your done!! I did not include claying or engine cleaning. This is something I rarely have to do. If needed, I would do both of these things at the begining of the list.</HTML>
I can detail a car in about 3.5 hours. Here's my procedure:
Apply Stoners Tarminator to all bug splatter, tar spots, and any other areas that washing will not remove. Let soak.
Open front door and spray degreaser in door jamb if needed and powerwash. Next do backdoor followed by trunk, moving around vehicle to other side following same procedure .
Spray wheels and tires with tire and wheel cleaner. Clean wheels then do tires. Rinse. This includes powerwashing the wheel wells.
Powerwash vehicle to remove loose soil, etc.
Wash vehicle with long handled brush. All stubborn spots will be removed from the Tarminator and carwash soap. Rinse. Quickly wipe down.
Remove floor mats and spray carpet cleaner and spot remover if needed, followed by powerwashing. Using either extractor or wet/dry vac, remove excess water and put aside to dry.
Roll down all windows and open all doors including trunk. Wipe all door jambs and trunk jamb with either a terry towel or cheaper microfiber cloth.
Remove all items in car (glove box, center console, etc,) and place in small plastic bags.
Using a air compressor, blow all vents, radio controls, side pockets, rubber seals around doors, etc.
Vacuum interior.
Apply dressing to front door panel and using compressor, blow into all crevices. Wipe up all wet dressing which will remove 95% of all dirt and will leave the surface looking new. Continue this on every door working your way around vehicle. Don't forget trunk.
Remove any stains that could not be removed with the dressing and re-apply dressing to these areas.
Move front seats forward as far as possible and repeat these steps to all applicable areas in back of vehicle. This includes seat supports mounted to floor, front seat backs if applicable, etc.
If back seats are leather or vinyl, do same procedure.
Move front seats back as far as possible.
Do entire dashboard as you did in the back. This includes pedals, vents, glovebox, etc. Every square inch.
Apply carpet cleaner to all carpeting. Apply spot remover at the same time.
Hand brush all areas or use an orbital polisher with the brush attachment. Lightly spray hot water from extractor to all carpet and vacuum. Repeat if stains are still present.
Repeat same procedure to all cloth seats if applicable.
Close all windows.
Spray door jamb boots and all exterior vinyl trim with dressing. This includes winsheild cowling, tires, wheel wells, door handles, etc. Wipe all areas sprayed including overspray on wheels.
Buff exterior with favorite product. Apply sealant, wax, etc.
Clean windows inside and out.
Apply dressing to all rubber seals around doors, trunk, etc.
Final wipe down of door jambs.
Quick vacuuming if needed.
Replace all floor mats.
Put all bags in trunk.
Your done!! I did not include claying or engine cleaning. This is something I rarely have to do. If needed, I would do both of these things at the begining of the list.</HTML>
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Re: Detail Steps November 03, 2004 02:51AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 45 |
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Re: Detail Steps November 03, 2004 03:37PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 118 |
<HTML>Joan:
Glad to hear you are taking steps to clean up the mess, I am sure you will develop the the environment you need in your new facility. Always focus on the solution and not on the problem.
Members:
Thanks for the generous compliments, but I have seen all of you make large and healthy contributions as well and not only on this board, keep it going and keep it positive.</HTML>
Detailing, An Art In Motion!
Glad to hear you are taking steps to clean up the mess, I am sure you will develop the the environment you need in your new facility. Always focus on the solution and not on the problem.
Members:
Thanks for the generous compliments, but I have seen all of you make large and healthy contributions as well and not only on this board, keep it going and keep it positive.</HTML>
Detailing, An Art In Motion!
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Re: Detail Steps November 05, 2004 02:27PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 3 |
<HTML>A big thanks to all for your invaluable advice and encouragement.
We had a sitdown with our detailers and let them know that we require more of them than they have been willing to give.
When faced with the knowledge that they might all be replaced, they teamed up and got the job done!
We gave them 3 cars and told them that we required perfection and zero skipped steps.
They all did great. The dealer principal is happy - no more sublet details.
Again thanks to you all.
Joani</HTML>
We had a sitdown with our detailers and let them know that we require more of them than they have been willing to give.
When faced with the knowledge that they might all be replaced, they teamed up and got the job done!
We gave them 3 cars and told them that we required perfection and zero skipped steps.
They all did great. The dealer principal is happy - no more sublet details.
Again thanks to you all.
Joani</HTML>
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Re: Detail Steps November 07, 2004 03:23AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 505 |
<HTML>Joan,
I am not going to go into "step by step", "one should do it this way or that way" sort of thing.
Instead, I am going to challenge you to consider, to think about, this.
Most are questions, one's that should be answered, in order to arrive at the way a dealership new car prep and used car detailing/reconditioning should be addressed.
1. How many new vehicles are built in the world each year on average, for the past 3 or 4 years?
2. How many of those were built or assembled in North America?
3. What is the "warranty rate" or "fixes" required, percentage wise, for this number of vehicle build/assemblies?
4. Is it important that each vehicle model of each manufacturer, be assembled in the same manner, by the same process, procedure?
5. What happens if everyone on the assembly line did their function according to what "they thought or felt" was right, vs what the "engineering designated" assembly process/procedure directs?
6. Would it be possible for one person to assembly a vehicle and produce the same consistant vehicle as another doing assembly, if each just did things "their way"?
Not being a smart ass, just starting a logical thought process that might lead to a very enlightening understanding of what you are trying to accomplish.
Ketch</HTML>
Do it right or don't do it all!
I am not going to go into "step by step", "one should do it this way or that way" sort of thing.
Instead, I am going to challenge you to consider, to think about, this.
Most are questions, one's that should be answered, in order to arrive at the way a dealership new car prep and used car detailing/reconditioning should be addressed.
1. How many new vehicles are built in the world each year on average, for the past 3 or 4 years?
2. How many of those were built or assembled in North America?
3. What is the "warranty rate" or "fixes" required, percentage wise, for this number of vehicle build/assemblies?
4. Is it important that each vehicle model of each manufacturer, be assembled in the same manner, by the same process, procedure?
5. What happens if everyone on the assembly line did their function according to what "they thought or felt" was right, vs what the "engineering designated" assembly process/procedure directs?
6. Would it be possible for one person to assembly a vehicle and produce the same consistant vehicle as another doing assembly, if each just did things "their way"?
Not being a smart ass, just starting a logical thought process that might lead to a very enlightening understanding of what you are trying to accomplish.
Ketch</HTML>
Do it right or don't do it all!
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