My guy at lexus dealer is offering me a full detail for $150. Normaly $200

My car REALLY needs one so i think ill take him up on his offer.

He mentioned they have a list of everything they do. Anyone know were i can see this list online?

 

Ask the dealer that is doing it.

 

Dealerships either have their own detailing "department" which usually consists of like 1-2 guys or outsource their detailing work to a local detailer. Their is no standard list due to the explanation above.

As with any type of service, you have to watch out for cheap hack jobs. $150 is what most normal detailers charge for basic interior, wash, claybar, 1-step polish (1hr max) and wax. Your car will definitely look better but after 2-3 washings all the filler in their wax will reveal the hologram trailing left behind by the rushed 1-step polish done by an old rotary buffer. The will be VERY noticeable if your car is dark color.

To put this in perspective most cars 3-5 years old require 2-step polishing to restore the paint. This is not something you can rush. A competent detailer will take anywhere from 3-8 hours to polish and they usually charge $40-$50/hr.

 

Well the dealer guy told me it was a 5 hour job and my car is TP color and it will be done on Monday when i assume they wont rush true it.

Sense the day i bought my car new in 07 i have never done any kind of detail.. a quick liquid wax two times i think and i have always had it washed at the dealership for free. When clean my paint still looks great and you have to really get the perfect angle to reflect the sun and see the minor imperfections. I think this is mostly due to the TP color that helps hide the surface scratches.

I will be able to see if they did a quick job in the interior or other places. But im not a paint guru. So can you guys tell me how to look for bad paint detail job so i can point it out before i drive off??

 

You won't be able to tell right away most likely. It will happen over time after a few washes and exposure to the elements. If you say they are charging 150 bucks and taking 5 hours that is only 30 bucks an hour. That is probably barely enough to cover the person that is actually doing the work and the materials. Which means the dealer isn't getting much of a cut...and the dealer always gets there cut. This tells me that they person that is doing the work is probably making 10 bucks or so an hour. You get way you pay for......if it was my car I'd so hell no! But then again that's just my opinion.

 

will it change your position if i mentioned the regular price is $250 and the reason im paying $150 is because i told them to give it to me for $150 and dont even give me a loaner car.

 

well, I would say get a detailed description of what they are going to do. See the products and tools they are using, and I you might consider dropping in a seeing them doing the work. If they are good at what they do they shouldn't mind if someone comes and watches them for a few minutes at one point.

 

yea that was my plan. i never let anyone work on my baby without be being able to see them.

but really.. if they only buff and wax for say 1 hour but its a good job.. should i really care........

 

i get it done at the dealer but i don't pay the dealer. I work a side deal with the guy he takes about a good 6hrs he charges me a $100 dealer normally takes $200 so im guessing he is just cutting out the dealers cut.
He does the engine covers, interior, and exterior.

and the last time i got it done (about 6mnths) the car looked beautiful. It still shines but not as much.

 

Better of buying a DA polisher and compound.

 

Yup, I work at a Lexus dealer and we call that "department" "detail" (car wash, cleaning, detail) even tho it's part of service. We have about 20 people in detail 5 of which do the actual detailing

 

unless you like swirlmarks, i wouldn't do it.

like coconut said, they'll probably just use filler.

 

im sure it will look great, but even for 200 bucks, it will most likey only last for 3 months before you start seeing swirls and holograms again. i detailed an x3 for someone last year, and it still looks great 1.5 years later. i used 3 cutting compunds, polish, pinnacle finishing and a sealer just for the paint and charged 300. it took most fo the day.

BEFORE





AFTER

 

For $150, it sounds like a great deal , as long as you get the clay bar treatment. Good luck

 

Let me put it as simply as possible- If you care about the condition of your paint, never EVER let the dealer detail your car. As mentioned above, 99% of the time the work is being done by hourly workers let loose with bulk product and high speed buffers. Not a good combo. Look around in a regional forum or check out autopia.com for a good acutal detailer near you. It may be a bit more expensive but it will be worth every penny.

Too bad you're not in Mass as I do detailing on the side and would've been happy to help you out.