[Torque123]

Hi Guys,

I am asking for tips on maintainig a black coloured car because i had a Silver coloured Swift VXI with ABS before which was always clean from outside. I bought a brand new black colour Ford Fiesta 1.6 SXI 2 weeks back. I dont like any car being or getting dirty. As mine is a black coloured car i am finding it difficult to keep her clean (from outside) everytime. I am also scared of just dusting her myself.

I need some suggestions or tips as to how to wash, clean and maintain a black coloured car. Thanks in advance.

[ram_hyundai]

nice that you had given thanks in advance,but sorry to say no authentic ways by which you can maintain it other than frequent rub and polish .you can also have a pressure line for water and have her washed carefully every day.
ram

[shenbag63]

Black beauties need proper bath everyday. Tie up with your friendly neighborhood chokra for a daily wash contract.

[snaronikar]

Congrats on your new buy. Its a good choice.

About the maintaining of car, I own a Paprika Red (its an Ikon though) and it is also pain to maintain. But I'am doing these things which might help you. I wash (with only water no soap) once in a week and dust it once in two days. Cleant he glasses every day with a normal wipe. Car shampooing, once in a quarter.

[theMAG]

1. Never dry dust/dry clean it. This reduces the gloss/deteriorates the clear coat of the paint. Its OK if the car's dirty - you can always wash it over the weekend.

2. Avoid putting car covers - it creates/accentuates small scratches.

3. Do not park in the open sun - it accelerates fading. Always look for a shaded area in which to park your car.

4. While washing, especially before cleaning muddy areas - dont use a cloth even if its dipped in water. Rinse all the mud by hand first, using plain running water . You can then use the standard wet cloth to wash the area normally. This ensures no mud particles stick to the cleaning cloth, thus avoiding extensive and minute scratches while washing with this cloth. Also ensure that the cloth is cotton and clean thruout the wash cycle.

5. If you're around when birds do their thing, immediately remove the goo using moistened newspaper/cloth. If guano is left to dry - even though it comes off during regular wash, it would have left a noticable discoloration of that area which is difficult to treat.

6. Do not keep any solid objects on the body of the car - such as plates/tumblers etc. when in a drive-in restaurant or otherwise. Discourage people/pets from sitting/jumping/leaning on the car.

7. Use a nice car shampoo once/15 days - it removes particles not removed by a plain water wash.

8. Polish the car with a good wax - preferably hard shell/carnuba once 1.5-2 months

9. Most importantly - wash the car yourself. The neighborhood busybody wouldnt be discerning enough to take all the care you would while washing.

10. Everytime you leave it for service, insist on a touchup(usually free) of all noticable sratches.

11. Use running water while washing instead of a bucket. This ensures there are no particles in the water that would stick to the cloth and scratching the car in the process. While on the subject of water, hard water is not car-friendly.

[praJEEP]

Hi torque don't wash your car under direct sunlight, rest use a sonax shampoo and polish (or any brand of your wish) once in 15 days or according to your usage. one more point never wash your car with hard water.

more info from our guru : http://http://www.team-bhp.com/forum...car-clean.html

Edit : here comes our mag the black swiftwala.

[Deepak Pai]

Hi!
I booked a Black Dzire VDi a couple of months back since I loved it in that colour. However, a few people have advised me that black coloured vehicles are difficult to maintain because of dusty conditions, and that scratches are easily visible. Could owners of Black coloured 4 wheelers share their experiences on the pros and cons? Others are also welcome to share their opinion. Thanks!

[wanderernomad]

Black for one looks "butch" but yes dust and minor scratches are a hassle. I have a black Scorpio but belive you me my morale hits a low by the time am through washing the rear door panels.
A long highway trip and the beast looks good with all the dust but next day its a pain. SUVs/MUVs and other big stanced vehicles look good with a little smatterring of dust on black. Not so sure about a Black dezire but hey go ahead mate, a little extra effort in cleaning will ensure more time with your beauty.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

black is the best color for most cars... i have a black safari and i love it.
black goes well with any alloy, a dark tinted film will give it a super look and you can add a hint of red somewhere, maybe the front brakes.
even smoked rear lights will look awesome on black.
Agreed, minor scratches are noticeable but will go away on polishing.
Major scratches are visible on all colours, so that's not an issue then

[HappyWheels]

Deepak,

I have a black Alto since 2005.

Your friends are right in saying that black is a color that needs some special attention. It does show the dust / dirt much more than any other color. But it is a great color to have on any vehicle, period.

Do check out this thread https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ing-guide.html (A superb Car cleaning, polishing & detailing guide) which will give you an idea of how to take care.

[Guna]

One other aspect of the colour of a car is safety; how well other road users can spot your vehicles in different light /vissibility conditions. Black obviously is not a best choice. Even when you park it on the road side in dark it is little worrisome.

[sammyboy]

There is a big chance that kids just might treat it as a blackboard. Own a black ford ikon and it looks awesome.Black anytime for me.

[yzfrj]

Black is the colour to have.

Its very difficult to maintain, dust, scratches will be much more visible than in any other colour.

Having said that, its a beauty.
Wash and keep her polished

My Yamaha RXZ and Swift is Black.
Zen (white) is much easier to maintain, but the "looks Vs ease of maintenance" think about that.

If you are a kind of guy who gets the car washed than wash it yourself, Black is not the colour for you IMO.

[vikram18]

Pros:
Most cars look awesome in black

Cons:
Very high maintenance with regard to dust and scratches.

Generally a lower resale value, as in India, a lot of communities view black, superstitiously, as highly unfavourable.

Heats up a lot more when compared to lighter colors, leading to very uncomfortable summer driving and reduced A/C performance

Visually, the hardest to spot at night, leading to a greater possibility of accidents.

[greenhorn]

Bought white.
Pros - cheap to paint
easy to touch up
dust and scratches not very obvious
Mine's an indica, can hide among taxi's