2021 Telluride Detailing Thread

[Prestoni]

I don't have mine yet. I just ordered a 22 ES SX-PNT with dune brown interior from i25 so i have about 4-5 mo. to get prepped to make sure i am setup for success when it gets here. I live in the PNW in Vancouver, WA, we get snow maybe once or twice a year but other than that we get all four seasons (wet, spring, summer, fall).

I cant wait for it to come. We went to Weston Kia in Gresham, OR last weekend to test drive their used 2020 S model (for $50k lol). Needed the wife to see how it felt with her driving since this will be the primary transport for our first child due at the end of the year. I had a dodge/jeep dealership lined up to look at their Durango and GC L model as the wife wasn't too excited about waiting 5 mo for the Telluride to come in. After the test drive she said...we can wait, cancel the other dealerships, this is what i want. Didn't have to tell me twice.

I currently drive a 2012 Kia Optima EX and that vehicle is extremely good to me and helped put Kia at the top of the list when looking for a new vehicle. It's been the most luxurious inexpensive car I have owned. I have owned a BMW 7 series and my optima convinced me I don't have to spend that kind of money for a luxury experience. Don't get me wrong the 7 series was more luxurious but not by much and definitely not for the difference in cost.

I am sure you made the right choice. My last 5 cars were all Infiniti with my last a QX60 SUV. I have not missed it since getting my Telly.
I waited for seven months to get mine but worth the wait. Just got my 7500 service done this week so enjoying it so far.

 

[mcbrains001]

I don't have mine yet. I just ordered a 22 ES SX-PNT with dune brown interior from i25 so i have about 4-5 mo. to get prepped to make sure i am setup for success when it gets here. I live in the PNW in Vancouver, WA, we get snow maybe once or twice a year but other than that we get all four seasons (wet, spring, summer, fall).

I cant wait for it to come. We went to Weston Kia in Gresham, OR last weekend to test drive their used 2020 S model (for $50k lol). Needed the wife to see how it felt with her driving since this will be the primary transport for our first child due at the end of the year. I had a dodge/jeep dealership lined up to look at their Durango and GC L model as the wife wasn't too excited about waiting 5 mo for the Telluride to come in. After the test drive she said...we can wait, cancel the other dealerships, this is what i want. Didn't have to tell me twice.

I currently drive a 2012 Kia Optima EX and that vehicle is extremely good to me and helped put Kia at the top of the list when looking for a new vehicle. It's been the most luxurious inexpensive car I have owned. I have owned a BMW 7 series and my optima convinced me I don't have to spend that kind of money for a luxury experience. Don't get me wrong the 7 series was more luxurious but not by much and definitely not for the difference in cost.

this story never gets old. Myself and a couple of friends were in a similar situations but after I got mine and they sat in it, they were sold immediately. This Telluride is definitely something.

 

[HillCountry]

@Prestoni - What are the tint shades you chose for each window? I have an appointment for XPEL in a few days. Thx!

 

[Prestoni]

@Prestoni - What are the tint shades you chose for each window? I have an appointment for XPEL in a few days. Thx!

I think 25 and 40

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[gman1868]

Prestoni, thank you very much for that. That was as detailed as you can get in a process. The vehicle certainly shows the care you put into it. If you were to break it up between exterior and interior, how much time is averaged on each one?

I think there is a lot of great information in this thread and it has helped me realize a lot of things i have been doing wrong and knowing some of the tools to help up my game. With many things, the right tool can make a huge difference to not only the outcome but the work necessary to achieve success.

One question i have that i dont know has been covered, is the process to cleaning the cleaning material. Do you just run the towels in the washer/dryer with regular detergent or with a special microfiber soap? What about the maintenance on the brushes?

I want to make sure that my equipment is cleaned and prepped for each wash and curious if there are any do's and dont's for equipment cleanup and maintenance.

Wash the microfiber towels separately with a mild laundry detergent or dedicated microfiber detergent. Don't mix towels that are used for wheels with any of the body drying towels because the brake materials will get into your good towels and scratch the paint.

Also use separate buckets, brushes, pads, etc for the wheels to avoid scratching the paint with brake dust.

 

[gman1868]

Has anyone had any experience with XPEL Fusion Plus for ceramic coating?

FUSION PLUS Ceramic Coating

Introducing FUSION PLUS Ceramic Coating from XPEL, the industry leaders of surface protection. Get hydrophobic, ceramic protection for paint & PPF with FUSION PLUS Ceramic Coating.

www.xpel.com

I chose a local dealer that uses XPel Fusion because it has one of the best test results of any of the brands. Based upon how it looks and how long it lasts, I'd recommend it. Watch the latest update from Scott HD that compares 42 different ceramic coatings.

 

[Flyerfan017]

Wash the microfiber towels separately with a mild laundry detergent or dedicated microfiber detergent. Don't mix towels that are used for wheels with any of the body drying towels because the brake materials will get into your good towels and scratch the paint.

Also use separate buckets, brushes, pads, etc for the wheels to avoid scratching the paint with brake dust.

Thanks Gman. That makes a lot of sense. That was my biggest concern is having contaminants on the microfiber after a wash that will end up doing damage the next wash.

I appreciate those with so much knowledge willing to share their experiences and lessons learned.

 

[Flyerfan017]

I chose a local dealer that uses XPel Fusion because it has one of the best test results of any of the brands. Based upon how it looks and how long it lasts, I'd recommend it. Watch the latest update from Scott HD that compares 42 different ceramic coatings.

I saw XPEL Fusion on his spreadsheet and tracked down the test series he did that included so i just watched that one last night and was happy that it was one of the top 4 in the end. I have been emailing with a company here in Portland who has been very informative and open to questions and his prices are within line of what i would expect. $1795 for full front XPel Ultimate Plus PPF, $1500-2000 for Xpel Fusion CC depending on condition of the paint. I asked him about tinting the front two windows and it would be $200 for XPEL XR (88% Heat Rejection) and $499 if i wanted to do Full vehicle. He also said he was open to do a package deal.

Depending on my budget or which personality wins my internal argument i may decide to do all or do PPF and a DIY CC. I am leaning towards doing it all because i do see value in the paint correction process before putting a protective layer over it.

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[gman1868]

I saw XPEL Fusion on his spreadsheet and tracked down the test series he did that included so i just watched that one last night and was happy that it was one of the top 4 in the end. I have been emailing with a company here in Portland who has been very informative and open to questions and his prices are within line of what i would expect. $1795 for full front XPel Ultimate Plus PPF, $1500-2000 for Xpel Fusion CC depending on condition of the paint. I asked him about tinting the front two windows and it would be $200 for XPEL XR (88% Heat Rejection) and $499 if i wanted to do Full vehicle. He also said he was open to do a package deal.

Depending on my budget or which personality wins my internal argument i may decide to do all or do PPF and a DIY CC. I am leaning towards doing it all because i do see value in the paint correction process before putting a protective layer over it.

He should give a better deal on the package. Full front PPF and complete CC on the entire car was $2600 here in Minneapolis at the best place in MN.

 

[ccallana]

Couple questions....

For those of you using leaf blower... Is it strictly for the car, or do you use it for it's intended purpose as well?

On towels and such . Do y'all just wash them like regular laundry? Ok, nevermind on this one... I posted before reading the whole thread

 

[arattle]

Couple questions....

For those of you using leaf blower... Is it strictly for the car, or do you use it for it's intended purpose as well?

On towels and such . Do y'all just wash them like regular laundry? Ok, nevermind on this one... I posted before reading the whole thread

I started using a leaf blower to dry the car, and it definitely helps so I don't need to run a chamois wipe to absorb the water...another possible way to scratch up the paint. Now I can blow and move right to microfiber towels.

I use mine for yard clean-ups as well, of course. My wife was really worried about blowing particles onto the car, but since you have to hold it pretty high to blow down the car, you end up taking in air at 3-5 ft off the ground; not many particles there.

 

[ccallana]

I thought this thread would be a good place to ask this - Just got my license plates today, and I removed the temporary registration from the front window but it left some nasty sticky residue on the window. Suggestions for getting that stuff off the window without causing any damage....

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[arattle]

I thought this thread would be a good place to ask this - Just got my license plates today, and I removed the temporary registration from the front window but it left some nasty sticky residue on the window. Suggestions for getting that stuff off the window without causing any damage....

Try alcohol on a baby wipe, or if that doesn't work, a plastic scraper knife.

 

[HillCountry]

I thought this thread would be a good place to ask this - Just got my license plates today, and I removed the temporary registration from the front window but it left some nasty sticky residue on the window. Suggestions for getting that stuff off the window without causing any damage....

Goo Gone on a paper towel. I press that on the sticky residue for 20-30 seconds, then wipe off. I sometimes need a second clean paper towel to get it all up.

 

[Prestoni]

I thought this thread would be a good place to ask this - Just got my license plates today, and I removed the temporary registration from the front window but it left some nasty sticky residue on the window. Suggestions for getting that stuff off the window without causing any damage....

GOO Gone spray

 

[gman1868]

GOO Gone spray

With any kind of spray, put it on the towel unless you want the mist to go on everything.

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[Average Joe]

Now for the inside. I take the vacuum cleaner and vac the floors and then the seats and then the console. When the floors are cleaned, I put my mats back in, which have dried by now.

I finish all glass on the inside to include dropping the side windows down an inch to get the edges.

Then it times for cleaning or conditioning. I try to condition every two months or so and just clean in between. The Bickmore Bick 4 Cleaner and Conditioner is good for thorough conditioning but a lot of work. I use the Inner Space for most interior surfaces and the Weiman Leather Wipes for easy wipes and crevices and hard to get to places. The black and green applicator is for conditioning only. The other towels for application and buffing.

Total elapsed time...between 5 and 5.5 hours. I am exhausted but the car looks like a killer and Showroom Display.

I hope this helped those who requested my process. Don't hesitate to message me if you have any questions or want the source for materials or tools. If you are curious--I am not and have never been a detailer but I am a recently retired equipment reliability consultant that specialized in equipment upkeep and maintenance. I have written two books, both with the rights purchased by Chevron. As we use to say in the Army, "If you have time to lean...you have time to clean."

View attachment 21995

Awesome post! A full blown science project! Lol So, that’s one end of the spectrum. Now, who can get close to these results in the most efficient and least time consuming way possible for the rest of us? ; )

 

[Prestoni]

With any kind of spray, put it on the towel unless you want the mist to go on everything.

Good point

 

[gman1868]

Do warranties for ceramic coating make sense? Are they worth anything? Scott HD provides a review of some of them and provides his experience and opnion.

 

[acehawk]

Got my Prier hot/cold faucet installed today in the garage. It's hooked up to soft water. My father in law was able to help install it. Saved me a boat load of $. Can't wait to hook up the power washer and give the Telly a good wash tomorrow.