159 Cleaning: Tips & Products

[Maltalfisti]

What do you folks use to clean your Alfas?

First up, the interior windscreen. I'm getting annoyed at how often it fogs up as we progress towards winter. Tried that Rain-X anti-fog but it's useless.

And what about the exterior of the windscreen, without upsetting those automatic wipers (which give me no end of laughs as it is...)

Any old leather cleaner and conditioner for the dash and Ti seats? I was thinking of getting the Alfisti online store to add some to my order next they ship here to Australia, but then again Repco or AutoCheap have all sorts of useful products.

Do you folks go the length of using a clay bar & wax on your paintwork?

Meanwhile, the engine bay could do with a clean up. I believe that I could disconnect the battery, cover up the terminals and spark plugs and give it a gentle hose "shower" with fresh water, but then that wouldn't add to potential rust problems, right. Better alternatives?

[lombardi]

Turtle Dash and Glass interior cleaner , very good for cleaning interior glass n screens , leaves no residue n dries quick , Has been voted n0 1 new product in the USA , no greasy aftermath , use with a glass micro fibre cloth , u will b impressed .

[As the day goes]

Polish:  Meguiars  Polishing compound - clay bar beforehand.
Wax: Mothers Gold
After wash wax/detailer:  Bowdens Boss Gloss
Windows: Meguiars Perfect Clarity
Interior/dash detailer:  Meguiars Interior
Leather wipes: Oakwood
Leather cleaner: Oakwood Deep Clean Soap
Leather cleaner: Meguiars
Leather cream:  Meguiars Gold Class

Engine bay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRSoRkM8GcM

[Colin Edwards]

I found applying Rain-X to the outside of the screen fixed 100% the performance of the 159 wiper sensor.
Apparently diesel exhaust from vehicles ahead of your car plays havoc with many sensors.

[kaleuclint]

What do you folks use to clean your Alfas?

A Kaercher.

After many months sitting in the driveway, I reconnected the battery and fired mine up.  Blasted the crap off and she's good to go!  Though I do have one blocked sunroof drain.

In spring she'll get a clay and buff.  +1 for Oakwood products on anything leather.  For mechanised polishing Menzerna is the go, by hand Autoglym much easier to use and I like their glass cleaner too.  Duragloss for the black bits.  I don't obsess about such things though.  And my tip as always for the plastic honeycomb grille (at the bottom): hit it up with tyre foam and walk away.

Cars are for driving, not polishing.  Motorcycles are for polishing.

[bazzbazz]

After many months sitting in the driveway

You leave the 159 IN THE DRIVEWAY!!!   

Ohhh, the horror . . . .

[kaleuclint]

Garages are for motorcycles, Bazz!

[Maltalfisti]

Thanks, folks. Some useful tips here!

I also plan to clean the engine bay up somewhat. Maybe replace the rubber hoses e.t.c. to something more durable – silicone perhaps? That's what my old Saab had.

I found applying Rain-X to the outside of the screen fixed 100% the performance of the 159 wiper sensor.
Apparently diesel exhaust from vehicles ahead of your car plays havoc with many sensors.

This is different to their anti-fog product used on the interior glass, right?

The anti-fog didn't do much. But perhaps the exterior Rain-X product is more useful here.

[Colin Edwards]

The Rain-X I used to fix wiper sensor issues was the water repellent product applied to the outside of the windscreen.

[kaleuclint]

Maybe replace the rubber hoses e.t.c. to something more durable – silicone perhaps? That's what my old Saab had.

I specify Goodridge brake hoses https://goodridge.com/uk/performance/cars/ and suspect their other products are just as good.  Otherwise Aeroquip. 

Check the hoses at the bottom of the radiator.  I've had OEM ones fail spectacularly.

[Maltalfisti]

Polish:  Meguiars  Polishing compound - clay bar beforehand.
Wax: Mothers Gold
After wash wax/detailer:  Bowdens Boss Gloss
Windows: Meguiars Perfect Clarity
Interior/dash detailer:  Meguiars Interior
Leather wipes: Oakwood
Leather cleaner: Oakwood Deep Clean Soap
Leather cleaner: Meguiars
Leather cream:  Meguiars Gold Class

Engine bay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRSoRkM8GcM

Some great suggestions all around, thanks folks.

The handle of the glove box was incredibly sticky when I first got the vehicle but have now cleaned that up.

However, the console section under the handbrake is also sticky but have not been able to clean it despite some elbow grease and liberal amounts of Meguiar's interior detailer cleaner. Even tried some other foamy stuff I found in the garage and that too did nothing much. My microfiber cloth is covered in what looks like black grease, and the console section there remains just as sticky.

What am I missing here? How much elbow grease should I give it? What is this sticky-ness that refuses to budge? What should I try?

It's annoying because dust particles keep sticking to it!

[GTV6SA]

Foam cannon using Meguiars Gold class , clay bar as necessary, Meguiars ultimate compound or Polish followed by Meguiars Ultimate hybrid Ceramic liquid wax using DA polisher. After next wash apply Meguiars spray on hybrid ceramic wax