WHAT IS
AUTO DETAILING?
First, it’s important to know auto detailing is not the equivalent of a car wash. Rather, a car wash is a component of an auto detail.
An auto detail cleans, conditions, and restores a vehicle to its maximum potential. The like-new condition a professional auto detailer strives for requires precision and strategy. Every surface of the vehicle is cared for and cleaned in a way that will extend the life of your car. It is labor-intensive and takes time.
A car can be clean and still need a detail. Auto detailing utilizes special equipment and cleaning products that preserve and enhance the condition of your vehicle long-term. Maintaining the “health” of your car, inside and out, is of the utmost importance. The exterior, interior, and engine bay are all given special attention.
EXTERIOR
INTERIOR
ENGINE
AT PASSION DRIVEN AUTOMOTIVE
auto detailing is an art form
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WHAT'S INCLUDED IN
AN AUTO DETAIL?
Professional auto detailers offer different detailing packages. A full auto detail will touch every inch of your car inside and out. However, for various reasons you may only want the exterior or interior tackled in one session. Or you may pair a partial detail with an additional service.
Detailing
EXTERIOR DETAIL
An exterior detail does much more than remove dirt, dust, and grime from your vehicle’s surface. Exterior detailing will make you feel like you just drove your car off of the showroom floor. A thorough pressure wash with deionizing water or an eco-friendly rinseless wash is just the beginning.
The surface of your car will have a clean, smooth finish after contamination is chemically and mechanically removed from paint surfaces. Exterior detailing will take measures to protect the vehicle’s paint and clear coat through clay bar treatment, car polishing, and paint protecting sealant that offer months worth of protection.
Contaminants are also removed from the wheels and tires. Wheels are hand-cleaned behind the spokes, around the lug nuts, and in the wheel wells. Tires are dressed to revitalize the rubber and prevent cracking and fading. All plastic, metal, and rubber surfaces are conditioned with products specific to the surface material and provide protection against sun damage.
At Passion Driven Automotive, an exterior-focused detail package still comes with an interior touch. We can’t have you driving away with a dirty interior! Doors and door jambs, trunk jambs, dash, console, cupholders, and all other interior surfaces are wiped down. Windows are cleaned inside and out and both the cabin and trunk are thoroughly vacuumed.
INTERIOR DETAIL
It doesn’t take long for your interior to get dirty. A dirty cabin can hosts funky smells, allergens, mold spores, sticky switches, and stained buttons. A true interior will make your car feel factory fresh. It is designed to bring your vehicle’s interior back to its best condition. A deep clean can take quite a bit of time and requires special tools—a vacuum cleaner, vapor steamer, air compressor, brushes, and hands that just won’t quit.
Carpets, floor mats, seats, compartments, and trunk are all thoroughly vacuumed. Upholstery, carpets, and floor mats are shampooed, brushed, and scrubbed to remove stains and deep imperfections. A vapor steamer is used to steam the carpets and upholstery, kill allergens, remove mold spores from vents, and reach the inaccessible cracks around vents, switches, and seats.
Every inch of the interior is wiped down. A special cleaning detergent is used according to the material’s surface to restore shine without compromising the material’s integrity like many other products end up doing. Leatherwork is conditioned while plastics and vinyl are properly dressed.
ENGINE DETAIL
Cleaning under the hood should never be overlooked. After all, a vehicle’s engine is what gets you from A to B. An auto detailer understands the impact a clean engine has on the vehicle’s overall performance. Sensitive components such as the alternator, air intake system, and exposed filters are covered in preparation to detail the engine. Professional detailers clean your engine bay with the help of a powerful degreaser that removes oil and grease residue and loosens up grime.
The plastic, silicone, and rubber components are dressed with a protectant that helps prevent cracking.
There are significant mechanical benefits to an engine detail. A clean, well-maintained engine makes it easy to spot where oil or grease is coming from. You’ll be able to track down and resolve a minor fluid leak before it becomes a bigger problem.
ADDITIONAL SERVICES
A professional detailer’s mission is to make your car look and feel good as new. If you have something specific in mind that could help achieve this, tell your detailer! We are happy to customize your detailing services. There are also additional services you can include in your detail.
This powerhouse protective layer is applied to preserve your car’s paint and clear coat. As a premium wax alternative, it brings out the shine and depth of your vehicle’s original paint by enhancing its reflective properties. This makes for a clean, glossy finish. Ceramic coating has strong hydrophobic properties which make your car easier to clean and prevent contaminants from bonding with the paint.
INTERIOR COATING
Take care of the interior surfaces of your car with ceramic coatings formulated for plastic, fabric, and leather. These coatings create a protective layer that repels liquid, resists staining, and prevents sun damage.
WHEEL COATING
Use ceramic coating to add a layer of protection between your wheels and the elements. Since they’re so close to the ground, your wheels rapidly collect road grime, brake dust, water spots, and environmental contaminants. Coating your wheels will make them easier to clean and maintain. It brings out the shine of your wheels and enhances your vehicle’s appearance.
PAINT CORRECTION
This service can help fix existing blemishes before they get worse. It removes the flaws on the top layer of your car’s paint that were caused by contaminants and oxidation. Ask your detailer to examine your car’s finish. You may not notice the hundreds of hairline scratches that are dimming the level of shine and glossiness it’s capable of. Over time these scratches can permanently damage your paint at its base coat, so it’s best to take care of them while they only exist in the clear coat.
WHY IS DETAILING BETTER THAN AUTOMATED CAR WASHES?
Every time you drive through an automated car wash, you’re taking a risk. Automated car washes are notorious for damaging paint, leaving scratches and swirls in your vehicle’s finish.
The top and wraparound brushes that do all the heavy lifting are rarely cleaned. They pick up dirt, grime, sand, pebbles, and more to then be used to scrub your vehicle.
Automated car washes were created as a one-size-fits-all approach to rid a car’s exterior of filth as quickly as possible. There is no care, no attention to detail, and no consideration for what damage could be done. It cannot safely extract contaminants from your paint and wheels or adjust its techniques to fit your car’s needs.
WHY IS DETAILING BETTER THAN SELF-SERVICE CAR WASHES OR DOING IT YOURSELF AT HOME?
The brushes provided at self-service car washes are of poor quality and are often caked with cross-contaminants from the many vehicles that used those brushes before you.
The industrial chemicals provided at self-service car washes are not of very good quality. They could harm your vehicle’s finish or damage to plastic emblems, chrome linings, and other materials that exist on your vehicle’s exterior.
Even if your car feels smooth and shines bright after you spend some time with it at the self-service car wash, that doesn’t mean that the chemicals used aren’t slowly breaking down and causing permanent damage over time.
Even if you enjoy cleaning your own car at home, it isn’t without its obstacles. In San Diego, space is hard to come by. If you have the space to clean, you need a few uninterrupted hours available to give to your car.
You also need the right cleaning tools like buckets, clean brushes and towels, and cleaning products that make your car look good without causing damage to it over time. You need a hose with access to running water and a place for it to run off without becoming bothersome to neighbors. You need a portable vacuum cleaner and a way to access hard-to-reach areas inside and outside your car.
Lastly, you need knowledge. How do you treat leather, upholstery, and other materials unique to your car? What is the best practice for removing contaminants from paint? How do you properly apply sealants, coatings, and protectants? What should you not use to clean your tires? How do you effectively remove and kill allergens?
WHAT IS
MOBILE DETAILING?
Mobile detailing takes the greatness that is a professional auto detail and adds in the one thing it’s lacking: Convenience. Any professional detailing service you want can be done at your home, at work, or anywhere that is most convenient for you.
Mobile detailing uses less water and doesn’t require a facility. You don’t have to battle traffic, sacrifice something in your schedule, or wait in a lobby in order to give your car the detailing treatment it needs. Mobile detailing services deliver high-quality results at an affordable price.
AUTO DETAILING
BENEFITS
1.
Increases the value of your car. Keeping your car in great condition will boost its value. Of course you’d want a detail before you have a prospective buyer look at it but preventative maintenance will keep your car from suffering damage that is permanent or costly to fix later on. Would you rather buy a car that had stains mostly removed, or never had stains in the first place?
2.
Saves the owner money. Not only can you sell your vehicle for a higher price, but you can also extend the life of your vehicle with detailing services. Spend less money on serious repairs by maintaining the condition of your car. Cracking, staining, sun damage, scratches, and swirl marks can all be prevented. Would you rather remove contaminants from your paint as they happen, or sacrifice your original factory paint and wait until you need to pay for a new paint job?
3.
Portrays a clean, professional image. Your car is a reflection of you. When you’re seeking a job, a promotion, a new home, etc. the condition of your car is included in their assessment of you.
4.
Improves your health. Your car is a breeding ground for germs, bacteria, and mold. A thorough detail that will disinfect all surfaces and ventilation will improve the air quality of your vehicle.