The truth in Car Detailing industry

THE TRUTH ABOUT CAR DETAILING INDUSTRY

On and off there are customer ask me same question repeatedly, hence I would like to paste the answer here to share out the real truth about car detailing industry.

I would like to thanks to Darren a great detailer from US who use to upload numbers of great information about detailing field. His thought is different with what normal detailer trend we had been seen. I like this way in telling the truth, I may have different opinion but I believe this world is big enough for us to learn from each other.
I would like to start this article with some pictures captured from Darren clip, please email me if Darren you have any concern and need me to remove it. Thanks.

Here we go............

Here we start with a simple answer from another detailer(GuideToDetailing Author):

My Opinion that I do not agree with Engine bay detailing/wash. Your engine your choice but did detailer dare to responsible for engine stall after washed the engine bay?
READ PLEASE:

The Q & A you should read here, my answer honestly:

Ans: 
For normal detailing user who pick up knowledge of detailing in Malaysia are mostly influenced by the western and English language info forum whereby some of their info can even be improved to
better detailing skill set.
I'm more too all kind of detailing skill set and not just stick with one-kind brand of detailing system, hence
the info I provided to you will have combination of coating preparation technique + normal waxing detailing knowledge.
To those influenced by English detailing forum based community are highly dominated by Merguairs + Menzerna(a famous Germany brand), whereby those Asean background detailing community such as Japan/Korea/China are not the territory of Merguairs.
We all can't imagine how big is turtle in China and Europe UK. Hence let's put whatever you heard in forum aside and i will tell you the real industry of detailing than what you read in forum.As i believe mostly forum detailers background carry some products along hence they will say for the product they carry as well.

Let me answer your inquiry as below:

1.       Surface prepare items related:  

The branded that you heard:
-clay only can use with clay lube liquid which charge consumer sky high.
-clay need to use with detailer liquid whereby mostly detailing shop don't follow whereby only the branding product mislead ed the consumer and pick your money for it.
-big brand and traditional brand of car wax company use detailer liquid to bond car clearcoat with waxes but car coating surface preparation technique is to use oil remover to bond clear coat with coating.
-big brand told us clay bar can pick iron dirt which is wrong.

What is can tell you The real world is:
-all shampoo have cleaning agent function can use along with claying process.
-traditional clay bar regardless what brand are use to pick up the stubborn contaminant and then fold it back to use again, which is actually transfer back the dirt that possible cause man made scratches.Because water can't wash out the dirt from sticky clay.
-clay sponge is the innovated product which can wash by water and use again if dirt collected. Which mean dirt from clay can be removed than normal traditional clay can't do. Life time longer and 100% safer. Chemical guy in US selling it but sky high of pricing. The famous Asean countries that develop and manufactured this is from Taiwan and most of the Taiwanese base detailing body shop are already using this new skill. Only when
we are english dominant community that look back to Merguairs forum get leaded into the old way of clay bar..
-Even Turtle US already stopped clay bar but started to promote claybar liquid which they transfer the clay chemical into liquid based form.
-iron dirt can't be seen through human eyes unless we have that pair of Avengers Hawkeyes. iron dirt is another culprit of cause of the car clear coat went into oxidization. Hence cleaning iron out from car surface is good
from time to time and this can replaced the detailer liquid with claying process and can apply right after iron removal spray.
My suggestion is: wash then iron spray then claying.


 2.       Compounding/polishing stage.

My revert answer:
all coumpound and polish and use with wool pad or sponge pad. the difference is wool pad will leave tiny hair line due to its fur surface hence follow up with the finest cutting polish with sponge then bring back the glossy and fix the hair line scratches.


3.       Step 1 & 2 wash, presoak OEM wash & autowash? It is the car wash process before step no.1 above? What is the application process?

My revert answer:
normal and traditional only got one wash. but the current latest detailing technique is with contact less wash then only with real wash.
there are a lot of autowash in market and myself mostly prefer the zymol autowash, because this is the only autowash that blended with most of the natural ingredient and offer better smell unlike others of chemical
taste-like liquid. but this is totally up to you to choose it.
i will suggest you try on the contact less wash which is the cheapest and you can try on any other car wash later. whatever brand can wash for you.



4.       Surface protection related: 

My answer: Yes, there are super dummy usage of DIY coating. The one name with world easiest coating: TAC Korea Premium glass coating. It's content with Sio2 which is kind of glass content and it was used to apply on top of car for coating usage. this product just required spray then wipe like how you wipe your table.
the most easiest in the world even waxes need to wait for curing time. whereby this product need no waiting time and it took very less content for each panel of car. 2 or 3 little spray and don't apply too much.
the bottle content 250ml which covers for years. in the long run this is very save cost and save most of your time.


Waxing related question:
Are these turtlewax ICE premium or Japan Wilson Tsuya expert pro-wax ANY better than Meguiar’s Ultimate wax? What is the differences
between the 2 wax option your offered?  Application if this wax is by hand or DA machine?

What I say here:
What you read from forum:
Merguairs is the best for all and nothing can defeat..and this only happened in Merguairs forum or diehard supporters went into all other detailing forum to share it out.

My answer:
there is no best waxes in the world only consumer preferences. For those countries that in No-English language don't even bother how Merguairs did and they has their own brand of products which defeat Merguairs
hardcore i believe...but i also have no wisdom to justify that honestly.

Now a days whoever have money in pocket can bring in any car wax and approach chemical company lab to replicate the same. this is what we call it chemical reverse engineering.
Hence to me, all are chemical formulation from the factory and there is no longer rocket hidden secret for all big brands. Because all chemist including Malaysian chemist company can do this.

I had dealed with customer of coating field. Car coating, car waxes, car compound never a secret. Just how they made their name in marketing. obviously Merguairs made it very well that caused all forum readers thought only they made superior waxes...indeed there are a lot of waxes.

I'm a Asean detailing skillset preferences but i also refer to western on how they did detailing. My honest advice is all waxes can protect and shine your car, your budget rule and once you pick up detailing knowledge and skill, all brands is not a problem for you.
Hence i prefer the branding knowledge by  Turtle the "Smart shield technology" which covers Ice wax. by the way, Ice wax is the only wax which have most repellent to dust.
The truth is all oil based wax catches dust which will caused watermark. Merguairs have no way get out of that too as well as the Japan Willson waxes. But only Ice wax or DIY coating have better repellent for dust environment.

What people don't tell you: repel water is enough, but watermark caused by dust stay on clear coat and it dried under the sun.

All waxes that need to get along with DA need liquid wax for convenient usage but will consume much more that paste.
Paste wax is best use by hand and you can utilize waxing technique to create better water flow.
if you want to best consumption of waxes use paste and utilize with a sponge to transfer it to the top of sponge pad of DA for machine apply.


Why we are different and we speak differently from forum detailer?
I borrow the words from Drex. Thanks Drex, pls let me know if you require me to remove this screenshot. thanks ya.

Why I would like to say all this things? Refer below and understand why we are honest. But only in Mandarin language~~

Things To Look for - Land Rover Range Rover Sport

Original 2006 Range Rover Sport  (C) JE Robison Service

2011 Range Rover Sport HSE (C) JE Robison Service

All in all, the 2006-2013 Sport is probably the most reliable Land Rover product to date.  That said, it is not problem free.  Poor maintenance is always a concern, and a high percentage of these vehicles were leased when new.  In my experience, leased vehicles are less likely to receive proper care than privately owned vehicles.  They tend to get somewhat less than the manufacturer service schedule calls for.  Trucks that are above 50,000 miles with marginal care are much more at risk for major failures or premature demise.

Sports come in two versions - standard (with HSE trim option) and supercharged (higher level trim standard.)  Reliability of the two versions is about the same but maintenance costs for the Supercharged trucks are higher.  Brakes are double the cost of standard.  Tires (20 inch in most cases) are quite a bit more.  And the Supercharged trucks can burn through brakes, tires, and full faster.

That said, if you drive a standard and a supercharged truck identically, they will return about the same fuel economy.  2006-2009 trucks have the original Jaguar/Land Rover DOHC V8; 2010 and newer trucks have the upgraded engine with significantly more power.  The exterior,  dashboards, and interiors were facelifted for 2010 also.

The 2006-2009 trucks are virtually identical, as are the 2010-2012 models.  

Original Range Rover Sport interior (C) JE Robison Service

Facelifted 2011 Range Rover Sport interior (C) JE Robison Service

Most late model Sports will be dealer serviced, and you should always look for a car with service records.  There’s no easy way to check service status otherwise.  Gaining access to a spark plug to evaluate freshness used to be a 2 minute job on the first Range Rover.  Now it’s an hour-plus task. The transmission fluid can’t be checked with a dipstick on these trucks.  To service it, you replace the integral pan/filter and fill with fresh fluid from below. 

If you buy a truck with 50k on the clock, and there is no record of recent undercar fluid services I would advise doing them all right away just to be safe.  Newer Range Rovers require special synthetic oil, and we urge you to follow their recommendation with respect to oil and grade.  The late model trucks have gone to an extended oil change interval and we’re not so comfortable with that.  We recommend a more conservative 7,500 miles as an oil change interval and synthetic oil in all years of Sport.  For older Sports we use Mobil 1 0-40.

We also recommend changing the front and rear differential lubes, and the transfer case lube.  Land Rover fluid is used in all three.  We suggest a change interval of 4 years or 60k miles.

If the vehicle has been driven in the city don’t be surprised if brake pads and rotors are worn out at 25,000 miles.  That is common.  Tires are often worn out at about that mileage too, though some of the replacements (Michelin for example) have proven longer-lived.

All of these trucks have air suspension, which is generally reliable.  Compressors tend to wear out near 100k miles and they make a $1,200 repair more or less (2015 $)  Struts can develop leaks and that will wear the compressors out faster.  Sensors are valves are generally rugged.

Pay attention to any warning lights or messages.

Other things to look at:

•  We suggest a scan of all computer systems with a factory-level test system.   These vehicles have many computers (like climate control and security) that do not talk to generic OBD scanners, and they may alert you to significant issues.
•  Have your nearest dealer check the VIN for open recalls and warranty status.  Checking for open recalls is a no-brainer but warranty status is not so obvious.  If a car is flooded it may not have a salvage title, but Land Rover will have been notified if insurance was involved and they will void the warranty.  A voided warranty status and a good title would be a “run-don’t-walk” flag for me in an inspection.
•  Tire pressure monitor sensors have a service life of about 8 years, so you should expect to be replacing them soon or now on older trucks.
•  Alternator failure is common, especially when batteries are allowed to age and overstress the system
•  Check the cooling system for leaks, level, and correct fluid (orange in color.)  Water pumps and expansion tanks are two common leak areas.  Non-original fluid is a red flag.
•  Front and rear wheel bearings are weaker than you’d hope on these trucks.  Failure before 100,000 miles is fairly common.
•  The electric parking brake has been problematic on older vehicles.  The mechanism can corrode and jam, making for a $1,000+ repair and possibly tearing up the parking brake and rotors too.
•  If the vehicle is in an area where they salt the roads chassis corrosion can be a problem.  Brake and fuel pipes tend to rust out before the frame.
•  Lower control arms usually wear out between 60-90k miles.  The first thing to go is the bushings, but the joints often fail 30,000 miles later.  Some shops do bushings only as a cost savings but the whole arm will be needed when the ball joint wears out.  Most of the time we recommend changing whole arms for that reason.
• Sway bars are a problem on these vehicles.  The bars wear where they pass through the chassis bushings, and they develop a heavy thumping vibration.  Replacement is a fair bit of labor as the body must be lifted partway off the frame.

The Range Rover Sport quickly became Land Rover's most successful model.  The Full Size Range Rover (the L322) is bigger and plusher, but also significantly more expensive. And the Sport has the advantage of being a newer design, and somewhat more nimble.

We are now seeing Sports coming through our service department with 200,000+ miles on the odometer and no major failures.  It takes good maintenance to get to that point but the Rovers we've cared for right along to that mileage seem to have plenty of life left in them.

The Terrain Response system made its debut in these models and it provides impressive off-road and bad-road traction.  We have not seen any significant service issues with terrain response; indeed most of the gadgets on these trucks have proven trouble free.

The only disappointment is that there is not a thriving off-road community building around these trucks, as developed around the original Range Rover, Discovery, and Defender.  These are fully worthy vehicles.

(c) 2015 John Elder Robison

John Elder Robison is the general manager of J E Robison Service Company, celebrating 30 years of independent Land Rover restoration and repair in Springfield, Massachusetts.  John is a longtime technical consultant to the Land Rover clubs, and he’s owned and restored many fine Rovers.  Find him online at www.robisonservice.com or in the real world at 413-785-1665

Reading this article will make you smarter, especially when it comes to car stuff.  So it's good for you.  But don't take that too far - printing and eating it will probably make you sick.

Inspecting Rolls-Royce and Bentley hydraulic systems

How to test and inspect the brake and hydraulic systems in Shadow and Spirit/Spur era Rolls-Royce and Bentley motorcars.

Disclaimer: This article describes a process whereby a knowledgeable owner can get a good approximation of a car's hydraulic system condition in the field without specialized test tools.  It is not meant to replace the procedures described in the factory workshop manuals. Rather, it recognizes that the workshop manual procedure relies on specialized hydraulic gauges which are unavailable to most owners around the world, and the need to test brakes is more widespread than the proper tools to do it.

1983 Corniche drophead (C) JE Robison

The advice in this article is provided as-is, with no warranty as to completeness.  I've done my best to illustrate a complete procedure but there are inevitably circumstances where a car might experience a hydraulic problem that would be missed by this simplified test, yet found by the factory procedures.  Always use the gauge tests if you can  

One of the more unique features of 1965-1998 Rolls-Royce motorcars is the hydraulic system.  The hydraulic system powers the brakes and the rear suspension’s height control.  These systems are legendary for their complexity and potential for bank-breaking repair costs.  In this essay I'll show you how to check yours out so you can get a sense of what's happening before disaster strikes, and hopefully avoid disaster altogether.

The early version of this system (1965-80) is filled with a derivative of conventional brake fluid (RR363).  RR363 is essentially brake fluid with an added lubricant.  The lubricant is needed for the engine driven pumps. Newer cars (until the advent of the Silver Seraph series) used Castrol hydraulic system mineral oil, or HSMO, which by its nature lubricates the pumps and powers the brakes.  The two fluids are not compatible.  Use of the wrong fluid in a car will cause severe system damage.  All reservoirs are clearly labeled RR363 or HSMO.

RR363 fluid reservoir as used from 1966-1980.  Note warning label and style - a simple steel container, normally painted silver as shown.  Windows to check fluid level are visible on the side.

Mineral oil reservoir (and fill bottle) from a post 1980-Rolls (1995 shown) Style varies by model year but colored warning and symbols are the same. Floats to indicate fluid level via a green dot are visible atop the reservoirs.

The fluid in these systems should be changed annually.  Some owners question the need for this, when their cars are rarely driven.  Here's why it needs to be done:  The hydraulic pumps deliver fluid to accumulators where they compress nitrogen gas under very high pressure.  The fluid is separated from the nitrogen by a rubber barrier, but it is inevitable that some nitrogen will make its way into the fluid.  This forms bubbles, and bubbles in the fluid cause the brakes to pull and act erratically.

Any car that has been sitting a long time is sure to have "funny feeling" brakes for this reason  The cure:  Change the fluid annually.

The system contains two hydraulic circuits that operate in parallel for the brakes.  One of the systems also powers the rear height control.   Hydraulic fluid is stored in reservoirs on the left fender well.  Lines carry the fluid to the hydraulic pumps, which are located in the center top of the engine; under the carburetors or the fuel injection.  High-pressure pipes carry the hydraulic fluid to the accumulators under the motor.  From there excess fluid is returned to the reservoirs.  Braided lines carry the high-pressure fluid to the distribution valve assembly located under the driver seat. 

Rolls-Royce brake distribution valves (all Shadow and Spur era cars similar) under driver seat

A network of steel pipes carries hydraulic fluid to the calipers at each wheel and to the rear suspension and height control.   The rear suspension contains height control valves, shocks, and gas springs that sit above the shocks in the trunk area.

All the pumps, valves, and moving parts are subject to failure.  Calipers rust or leak.  Gas springs and accumulators lose their gas charge.  Metal lines rust and rubber hoses deteriorate invisibly.   A system this complex can only be fully tested by trained people using special tools in a workshop.  However, it’s possible to do a pretty good “quick check” without tools, using the following procedure:

Begin with the vehicle sitting, engine cold.  We start by discharging the hydraulics. Get in the car and slowly but steadily pump the brake pedal 25 times.  Open the hood and check the level in the hydraulic reservoirs. (see illustrations above)  If the level is low, look for leaks (as evidenced by wet spots on the calipers, the hoses, or the engine pumps or accumulators) Turn the key on but do not start the engine yet.  You should see two lights illuminated, identified as Brake 1 and Brake 2.  Depending on the year of the car these may be in an electronic unit between the gauges, in a group of lamps to one side, or by themselves in the middle of the dash.

If you do not see the lamps, or if only one is lit, give the brakes 10-20 more pumps.  If the second light does not come (or if neither come on) on you can assume that warning circuit is broken.  That is a big red flag.  A car whose brake safety lamps are not working is not safe to drive, as it could have total brake failure with no warning. To proceed with testing, start the car.  Watch how long it takes for the lights to go out.  They will typically flicker briefly before extinguishing. If one or both lights do not go out you probably have one or two failed pumps, which is a no-drive fault.  If the lights remain on more than 20 seconds the hydraulic pumps are probably weak.  That's not a no drive fault but it indicates the need for professional inspection and probably service.

Run the car 2 more minutes, shut it off, and turn the key back on.  Begin slowly pumping the brake and note how many pumps before the Brake 1 and 2 lamps illuminate.  If you see the lamps come on (either or both) in 5 pumps of less, the car is not safe to drive.  If the light comes on within 5-10 pumps the car should be driven carefully straight to the workshop. Less than 20 pumps indicates the car has weak accumulators and should be serviced soon.

You want the car to endure 20+ pumps without either light coming on.  That indicates a system with sufficient charge to provide a margin of safety in braking, particularly if the engine stalls at highway speed or on a hill.  If you do not get to 20 pumps before seeing a lamp, in each case, the repair needed would be to replace (Spur) or rebuild (Shadow) the accumulators and overhaul the valve bodies.  After that the system would be bled.

** MAKE SURE THE CAR IS IN A SAFE PLACE FOR THE NEXT TEST.  It may lunge and roll when put into gear.  Be sure nothing is at risk for damage or impact **

Now, while holding the pedal down at the 20th or 21st press, start the engine.  Immediately pop the car into gear - get it in gear within a second or so of starting.  What does the car do?  If it lurches forward and then stops in a few seconds as the brakes grab, there is a problem in the warning circuit.  If the car holds firm and does not move the brakes and the warning lamps are ok, and it's good.

If the car holds 21 pumps the brake accumulators should be good for a few more seasons.  Brand new accumulators may hold 40 or more pumps but any number in that range is safe.  If you want to know the exact count, run the car till the lights go out, give it a few more minutes, and slowly pump till both lights illuminate.  Usually one will come on followed by the other.

Once that is done, let the car run and wait for the brake warning lights lights to go out.  Go to the back of the vehicle and bounce each corner.  If the car is soft and pushes down a few inches with your weight that’s normal.  If it’s rock-hard that is a sign of failed gas springs in the rear suspension.

Sit down on the rear bumper (even better, have two people sit on the bumper) and wait 30 seconds. You should feel the car lift to the original (and visibly correct) ride height.  If it does not lift that’s a sign of problems in the height control.

Take the car onto the road.  Try braking slowly and quickly.  Pay attention to any pulling or diving that may indicate caliper problems or air in the lines.  Look for any pulsation or shudder that may indicate warped or damaged rotors.  Let the car come to a stop on a gentle slope and release the brake.  Make sure the vehicle begins rolling smoothly and the brakes do not drag.

Shut the car off and put it in neutral.  Press and release the brakes a few times.

Finally, put the vehicle on a lift and make sure all four wheels spin freely.  If any wheels drag that may be a sign of caliper trouble.  Next check all the components for leakage.  Look at the reservoirs (top left fender well), the pumps (top of the engine), the main valves and accumulators (under side of the engine), the distribution valves (under driver seat), the brake lines and calipers, and the rear suspension components.

   

Look at the fluid and make sure it looks smooth and uncontaminated.  RR363 (used 1965-1980) should be almost clear; HSMO (used 1980-1998) is dark green.  There should not be any foam, sediment, or sludge visible.  Color should be consistent. 

Look at the rubber hoses to see if they are original.  If your car is more than 10-15 years old I suggest you replace all rubber hoses as they can swell inside, creating invisible failures.  A swollen hose may cause brakes to drag and overheat.  Old hoses are also prone to bursting.

Original Shadow-era brake hoses, overdue for change (C) JE Robison

New style lines and hoses in a restored Shadow (C) JE Robison

If your car passes all these tests you can give yourself and the vehicle a pat on the back.  If you see potential failures, I suggest you find a specialist and get a more thorough evaluation.


If you liked this story, please leave a comment.  And if you want more . . . here are some of my other RR/B essays


Thoughts on buying a used Rolls Royce or Bentley - applies to Silver Cloud and newer series cars

More thoughts on Spur - Spirit - Turbo era car buying

Thoughts on restoration - applies to all cars

Evolution of the RR/B models - Silver Shadow through Arnage/Seraph - original article from the Robison Service website

Inspecting a Rolls Royce or Bentley - Applies to Corniche, Continental, Azure, Turbo R, Mulsanne, Eight, Turbo R, Silver Spur, Silver Dawn, Silver Spirit

More Things to Look For in a 1981-2000 Rolls Royce or Bentley - this is the original article from the Robison Service website

The last Crewe built Rolls Royce convertibles - applies to 2000-2002 final Series Corniche

Repairing convertible top hydraulics - Applies to 1996-2004 Rolls Royce and Bentley Corniche and Azure cars

Head gasket failures in Bentley Turbo cars - applies to Turbo R, Continental R and T, Azure, Arnage

Checking engines after head gasket failure - Applies to all cars

Checking and inspecting Rolls Royce hydraulic systems - all cars after Silver Cloud and print to Silver Seraph. Applies to all Shadow/Spur era vehicles

Case Study - brake failure in a Shadow - Silver Shadow era cars with RR363

Rear suspension gas springs - Applies to all 1981 - 1999 cars prior to Silver Seraph

Changing batteries in seat and ECUs, Applies to 1980s-1990s Silver Spirit / Silver Spur / Mulsanne /Eight / Turbo R

Changing alarm ECU batteries,  Applies to 1980s-1990s Silver Spirit / Silver Spur / Mulsanne /Eight / Turbo R

Servicing Shadow and Spur series brakes - applies to 1966 - 1999 cars after Silver Cloud and prior to Silver Seraph

Alcon racing brakes for Continental and Azure - Applies to all 1990s cars but most particularly to the final series Azure, which had these brakes fitted at the factory - a unique variant

Fixing Power Steering Leaks - applies to 90s cars with the reservoir above the alternator

Questions and answers on collector car storage - Applies to all cars

Evaluating paint - Applies to all cars

John E Robison

JE Robison Service

RROC Tech Consultant

Robison Service has provided independent service, repair, and restoration for Rolls Royce and Bentley owners all over New England for over 25 years. Our company is an authorized Bosch Car Service Center. We also service Mercedes, Jaguar, Land Rover, Porsche, and MINI motorcars. We have flatbed transport throughout the region. We also offer local pickup and delivery for cars in  Springfield, Wilbraham, Longmeadow, Agawam, Westfield, Northampton, and Amherst.