Ask a Professional Detailer...
#1129
George, I've been a member of this Forum Since 2003 and this is my first question for you. I am the original owner of my 04 Coupe which is primarily garaged. The black leather steering wheel is starting to show small cracking and dryness on the top section (12:00) When I apply Lexol, the towel gets very black from the wheel. Is there anything left for me to do?, or am I bascially looking at having to recover or replace my steering wheel? I only have 34,000 miles and as previously mentioned, the car has mostly been garaged. I do live in Florida though, and I have not put anything on the steering wheel since I purchased it in 03. Any imput would be greatly appreciated.
The black you are experiencing is probably because the coating wore off of the steering wheel and your towel is picking up some of the dye from the leather when it is soaking in product.
Keep us posted on what you end up using and how things turn out for you.
If that doesn't do the trick, then you'll have to step up to abrasive polishes and those are best applied using a quality buffer.
Hope this helps,
George
#1131
George, I've been a member of this Forum Since 2003 and this is my first question for you. I am the original owner of my 04 Coupe which is primarily garaged. The black leather steering wheel is starting to show small cracking and dryness on the top section (12:00) When I apply Lexol, the towel gets very black from the wheel. Is there anything left for me to do?, or am I bascially looking at having to recover or replace my steering wheel? I only have 34,000 miles and as previously mentioned, the car has mostly been garaged. I do live in Florida though, and I have not put anything on the steering wheel since I purchased it in 03. Any imput would be greatly appreciated.
I don't know if George would approve of this method but it did a pretty decent job!
#1132
George, question on the ONR (optimum no rinse) wash/sealant. I found clips on youtube with this miraculous product. What is in it baffles me but results look promising. I'm sure the paint has been prepped underneath before they do test results which show much more shine/water sheeting. My car has never been polished, only clayed/waxed with OTC products so I'm sure my results will not be the same. I'm also interested in ONR sealer. How is your experience with these products?
#1133
This is a little unorthodox, but one thing that helped reduce the appearance of cracking and wear on my steering wheel was some good 'ol fashioned shoe polish. Apply, give it 5 mins and brush and buff just like your favorite pair of loafers. And no, it doesn't get onto your hands or legs so long as you buff it off properly.
I don't know if George would approve of this method but it did a pretty decent job!
I don't know if George would approve of this method but it did a pretty decent job!
George, question on the ONR (optimum no rinse) wash/sealant. I found clips on youtube with this miraculous product. What is in it baffles me but results look promising. I'm sure the paint has been prepped underneath before they do test results which show much more shine/water sheeting. My car has never been polished, only clayed/waxed with OTC products so I'm sure my results will not be the same. I'm also interested in ONR sealer. How is your experience with these products?
Optimum Opti-Seal is a great product to use to easily protect your paint for months. I had one of the top professional detailers submit a review on Optimum Opti-Seal, see what you think.
If you have any other questions on anything, please do not hesitate to ask.
Cheers,
George
#1134
This is a little unorthodox, but one thing that helped reduce the appearance of cracking and wear on my steering wheel was some good 'ol fashioned shoe polish. Apply, give it 5 mins and brush and buff just like your favorite pair of loafers. And no, it doesn't get onto your hands or legs so long as you buff it off properly.
I don't know if George would approve of this method but it did a pretty decent job!
I don't know if George would approve of this method but it did a pretty decent job!
#1135
#1136
Amazingly enough, I had tried this a few days ago (before hearing back from George) and was quite surprised at the results. The cracking was substantially reduced and yes, after using a special brush for shoes, and then a soft cloth, it does not come off on my hands. In addition, it has a nice gloss and it's very hard to see the area that was affected. I'm just wondering if there would be any harm in repeating the application. I wonder if it would build up a layer and fill in any remaining cracks. GREAT STUFF! shoe polish...Go figure!
Cheers,
George
#1137
Im going to be painting my car a dark brown metallic this weekend so Im gonna need the proper materials to maintain my new paint. Ive been reading a lot on your DU forum so I think I know what I need. Just to make sure I get everything I need some supervision on my list. Ill will be placing the order on your site since Ive learned a lot on there.
1.Sheep skin wash mit and grout sponge
2. Grit Guard
3. Poor Boys Super suds
4 DI Microfiber Waffle Weave Drying Towel
Will this hold me over till Im ready for my first wax?
Will the detailing products I buy in the future be the same as if I were maintaining a black car? My color is the Infiniti FX brown.
Thanks
1.Sheep skin wash mit and grout sponge
2. Grit Guard
3. Poor Boys Super suds
4 DI Microfiber Waffle Weave Drying Towel
Will this hold me over till Im ready for my first wax?
Will the detailing products I buy in the future be the same as if I were maintaining a black car? My color is the Infiniti FX brown.
Thanks
#1138
Pad sizes
Hi George,
In another thread some experienced detailers are commenting that they prefer to use the 4" pads on a PC instead of the 6.5". Once such comment along these lines is
What are your thoughts on this? Under what circumstances would you recommend using either 4" or 6.5" pads?
Thanks.
In another thread some experienced detailers are commenting that they prefer to use the 4" pads on a PC instead of the 6.5". Once such comment along these lines is
The PC just doesn't have enough power to properly break down polishes using 6"+ pads in a reasonable amount of time.
Thanks.
#1139
Hey, George.
I saw you're having a sale on Lake Country Products, so I had to jump on this deal.
I was looking into getting some 4 inch pads for my FLEX XC 3401 VRG, but I need to get the backing plate.
Will this "Backing Plate for 4-Inch Pads" be compatible with my buffer?
I see in the description it works with the PC 7424. Just wondering if I can use that backing plate on my FLEX. If so, I'll be ordering very soon.
Thanks!
I saw you're having a sale on Lake Country Products, so I had to jump on this deal.
I was looking into getting some 4 inch pads for my FLEX XC 3401 VRG, but I need to get the backing plate.
Will this "Backing Plate for 4-Inch Pads" be compatible with my buffer?
I see in the description it works with the PC 7424. Just wondering if I can use that backing plate on my FLEX. If so, I'll be ordering very soon.
Thanks!
#1140
Hey, George.
I saw you're having a sale on Lake Country Products, so I had to jump on this deal.
I was looking into getting some 4 inch pads for my FLEX XC 3401 VRG, but I need to get the backing plate.
Will this "Backing Plate for 4-Inch Pads" be compatible with my buffer?
I see in the description it works with the PC 7424. Just wondering if I can use that backing plate on my FLEX. If so, I'll be ordering very soon.
Thanks!
I saw you're having a sale on Lake Country Products, so I had to jump on this deal.
I was looking into getting some 4 inch pads for my FLEX XC 3401 VRG, but I need to get the backing plate.
Will this "Backing Plate for 4-Inch Pads" be compatible with my buffer?
I see in the description it works with the PC 7424. Just wondering if I can use that backing plate on my FLEX. If so, I'll be ordering very soon.
Thanks!
That backing plate is specific for the PC threading only.
The problem is the Flex has a gear built into the backing plate.
Regards,
George