[MKParris]

I will be taking delivery of my car next week and wanted to get your thoughts on whether or not I should let the dealer wash and detail the car or if I should do it myself when I get home?

The only thing in favor of the dealer is they use a machine called an auto butler to apply a silicon coating to the car that theoretically makes it slightly more resistant to etching and other damage.

The car has sat in Brunswick for 40 days if that makes a difference in the answer.

[luckylingy]

Depends on how OCD you are about your car's paint. Most customers don't care as long as it's clean and shiny .. so dealer detail for them. Many forum members are OCD and would cringe at the "auto butler" thought .. so home or professional, independent detail shop for us.

[chicagofan00]

I let my dealership wash/detail it before taking delivery. It didn't really matter to me since I was going to be taking it to a detailer to get corrected, PPF'd, and then ceramic coated the following week.

[M2 CCO]

I wouldn't be a fan of the dealer offered coating, but wouldn't be scared of an initial wash. I would be paint correcting and coating it myself once I got it home anyways.

[JDUNITNOW]

I let them wash and take off plastic. I wanted to be sure there wasn't any damage I couldn't see before leaving lot. I detail my own cars so I can deal with slight swirl marks.

[Topcarbon]

I try and have as few people have contact with car as possble
Im sure the dealership has very little time to really care
My car is being shipped after ppf and delivered from a shipper so detailing before would make no sense as its going to get dirty from the trip.

[merlin3008]

Agree with that above. Some people don't even want dealers to unwrap it. I'm not in that camp. I want the opportunity to find as much potential damage as possible before I leave the lot. That being said, I don't buy any detailing services from dealers beyond whatever their standard prep is. I've never seen a dealer offer services that match what a skilled professional detailer, or even a really good hobbyist can do. I've seen some pretty rough hack jobs on new cars. I'll be taking mine to a local shop after pickup for PPF on the front bumper and then polishing and ceramic coating it on my own.

[GoodGuyAvi]

I asked my dealership to do not car wash it…and do not unwrap it. Now I’m getting worry….maybe there is some shit under dirt.

Anyone actually tried before : no car wash/no unwrap ?
Any experience ?

[M2 CCO]

I've asked a dealer to not unwrap a car before and took delivery with all the plastics. Didn't really make a difference to me once I removed them and detailed it anyways. I was more paranoid I suppose in those years…

[Corms85]

Interesting…..when I took delivery my dealership said the car had to have the plastic removed so the car could be inspected as part of the pre-delivery inspection which they are required to do as part of taking delivery and selling the car to the buyer. They did offer me to be present for this but figured there wasn't much of a point and if anything major was wrong I would call it out when I picked up the car.

[chicagofan00]

Originally Posted by Corms85

Interesting…..when I took delivery my dealership said the car had to have the plastic removed so the car could be inspected as part of the pre-delivery inspection which they are required to do as part of taking delivery and selling the car to the buyer. They did offer me to be present for this but figured there wasn't much of a point and if anything major was wrong I would call it out when I picked up the car.

I think that is just a CYA thing they do. They probably would rather just say they have to remove it for inspection rather than allow customers the option and then having the headache of someone coming back claiming any damages.

[merlin3008]

Originally Posted by chicagofan00

I think that is just a CYA thing they do. They probably would rather just say they have to remove it for inspection rather than allow customers the option and then having the headache of someone coming back claiming any damages.

Agreed. A long ways back there was a post on MBWorld about a guy who took delivery of his car and signed a waiver to forego the standard PDI. He took the car right to the detailer for new car prep. When he got it back it was hacked. Awful defects in the clear coat and finish. The detailer blamed the dealership. The dealership blamed the detailer and wouldn't budge because they didn't have the opportunity to inspect it themselves before it left.

[luckylingy]

Originally Posted by GoodGuyAvi

I asked my dealership to do not car wash it…and do not unwrap it. Now I’m getting worry….maybe there is some shit under dirt.

Anyone actually tried before : no car wash/no unwrap ?
Any experience ?

Just did so this past weekend for our new Black Sapphire X3 M40i. It arrived midday Friday and had mechanical prep done by end-of-day. I picked it up early Saturday and did all the unwrapping and detailing myself. Most of the paint blemishes were corrected with adhesive remover. The few others quickly disappeared with fine polish/pad. I applied a couple layers of ceramic coating plus a hydrophobic topcoat to the paint and sealant to all the exterior glass. The interior got a thorough dusting, window-cleaning and vacuum. By midday Sunday the X3 was as spotless and cosmetically perfect as it'll ever be.

I know how casually the dealer's porter does cars, whether a traded-in minivan or a brand-new M4, so I took no chances. Every car or truck is 'soaped down' with a bristle brush dipped in a single bucket. No thanks -- I'd rather wash and prep a new vehicle properly and avoid defects introduced with a single, careless car wash.