[ashish1965]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

If you want your car to be reliable, get it serviced at regular intervals at a reputed service centre and follow the guidelines mentioned in the user manual.

Change engine oil (and other fluids) at regular intervals as recommended by the manufacturer.

Just washing and cleaning does not amount to pampering of car. These things are purely superficial. Things that really matter to the mechanical health of the car are located under the hood, where most people would never bother looking.

There is no point in obsessing over physical appearances if the internal health is ignored. This reminds me of the Castrol advertisement starring Sachin Tendulkar. In this advertisement, a person is shown obsessing about the outer appearance of his car (I love my car) even when the engine is full of sludge. I know many such people.

Talkin to your car an patting it are your personal preferences, I wouldn't comment on this. But talking and patting alone is not sufficient, keeping the car mechanically (and electrically) sound is the key to reliable performance.

Rohan

Thanks,
Rohan I get your point.
What you say is 100 % right Yet, I can only say - "some people live by the heart and some by head'. I belong to the first..
Any way, Thanks agaiin for the great advice.
Aashish.

[sohail99]

Plastic razor blade is quite safer!

Originally Posted by sharma_sanjeevi

Is there any way to remove scratches from the Tail Lights of a car ? Any solution available ?

The approach to scratch removal on head and tail lights is the same as on paint.(if they're plastic)

If the scratch catches your fingernail, its probably too deep to remove.

Otherwise use the compound and polishes that you have on it.

Sometimes some relatively deeper scratches need to be wetsanded and then compounded!

[ukderebail]

They say cat has nine lives, and i too am superstitious when the cat crosses from left to right, i feel it is safe to driving in a relaxed manner. But when the cat crosses from right to left, i proceed cautiously. It maybe sounding queer, but i found it to be an ESP, many a times helped to avoid accidents. I believe if one's mind is clear than one gets warned well in advance regarding the lurking danger. Talking to Car i have tried though, maybe in a cybotic world it may become a reality like talking cellphone alerts. But these are no substitutes for maintainence tips.

[sharma_sanjeevi]

Originally Posted by sohail99

Plastic razor blade is quite safer!

The approach to scratch removal on head and tail lights is the same as on paint.(if they're plastic)

If the scratch catches your fingernail, its probably too deep to remove.

Otherwise use the compound and polishes that you have on it.

Sometimes some relatively deeper scratches need to be wetsanded and then compounded!

Thanks for the response Sohail. To let you know, the scratches are just hairline, not deep. Can i use Formula rubbing compound that comes in the Yellow bottle, white liquid ?

Where are these plastic razor blades available, how to identify them. May sound funny, but i dont know..!!

[sohail99]

For fine scratches, a polish will do! Are you talking about 'scratch out'?

You can try that. Be sure to work the area till the polish dries up.

I had seen few plastic razor blades at a bodyshop supply store. Quite great in case you're working to remove loads of tar and paint spots without irreversibly damaging the underlying clearcoat paint (Clearcoat will be marred but that marring will polish out!)

[sharma_sanjeevi]

@Sohail, yes i am talking about the Scratch Out.

Point taken, i will work the area till the polish dries out. Thanks for the suggestion buddy..!!

[mkh]

Originally Posted by sharma_sanjeevi

@Sohail, yes i am talking about the Scratch Out.

Point taken, i will work the area till the polish dries out. Thanks for the suggestion buddy..!!

Meguiars M105 or UC with a DA works like a charm on tail lights. They come out like really new. Even by hand it should work decently well. Only issue- these compounds are not sold in India through regular channels

[Turboholic]

Hi,

I have been following this thread silently for the past few months and I must say that I have learned a lot from it regarding detailing. I have been using locally available products from Waxpol, Amway, Formula1, 3M etc. for the last 9 to 10 years on my personal bikes and now a car. Though earlier only 1 coat of polish (or 1 pass) was all that i did to feel that I had polished my bike, I got to know here (and related forums on detailing mentioned in this thread) the various correct methods of detailing. This is the place which opened an all new window for me to pursue my old hobby of "Polishing". The knowledge about the various products that can be used to clean, polish and protect the paint finish that i got here will be very helpful to me in taking my hobby more seriously and with a good reference point.

I just received my order from Auto Mall containing ONR, Collinite 845, Various size Microfibres. Will put it to good use.

I thank all the members who have contributed to this thread and helped people like me understand in detail the process of detailing.

Hope to learn and apply the knowledge in enjoying my hobby.

Cheers
Turboholic

[sharma_sanjeevi]

Originally Posted by mkh

Meguiars M105 or UC with a DA works like a charm on tail lights. They come out like really new. Even by hand it should work decently well. Only issue- these compounds are not sold in India through regular channels

Buddy thanks for the input. Can you guide us, where can we get these products in India / Mumbai if they are not available through regular channels.

I am new to these terms, can you elaborate on the UC with a DA ?

[mkh]

Originally Posted by sharma_sanjeevi

Buddy thanks for the input. Can you guide us, where can we get these products in India / Mumbai if they are not available through regular channels.

I am new to these terms, can you elaborate on the UC with a DA ?

Your best bet is to try with folks who source them from US for self use and can spare, no chance to get them in India. As for UC- stands for Ultimate Compound and DA- Dual Action Polisher. Its not worth though buying all this just to restore the lights, costs a lot. Smaller machines aimed at this job are lower priced, again i don't know of options here, i got mine from US.

[sohail99]

For lights one can get a mothers power ball and use it with a cordless drill.

Great for wheel polishing too!

[Mortis]

Just a little update guys. I had a can of WD 40 in the car as it is so I tried that first. Sprayed on all the dots, left to soak for a min and then scratched it with my fingernail wrapped in a piece of cloth. Came out easily without any damage at all. Thanks a lot !

[Dr.Gagan]

Guys, Mothers clay bar ( paint protection system ) is now available at auto-mall.( FYI no commercial Interest )

[S_U_N]

Weird but true, I have got chewing gum stuck on one of my rear doors. Initially it appeared as if my paint had come out - I could see thin off-white strands of thread from a distance. On closer look, it looked like a cob-web.

Then I tried to rub it off with a damp cloth, and the white threads started turning black and made matters worse.

I tried scraping it off with my nails, but it took a long time to get rid off some of it.

Now, the chewing gum threads remains scattered. Is there an easy way to get rid of this?

Also, please let me know how do I clean chrome (e.g. logos which are in chrome)?

[archat68]

^^ try WD-40 for the chewing gum - it's a wonderful solvent!!