Dealer new car prep
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Its been about 10 years since i prepped for Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Range Rover and Porsche, but typically they were mostly the same.
Remove transport stickers or paint protection film. Raise vehicle lower tire pressures to spec and remove any spring blocks to protect the suspension during shipping. Top off washer and any other hazardous/flammable fluids that the car cant be shipped with. Remove transport mode in the computers, perform full system scan and program for North America. Clear all faults, road test a minimum of 8 miles, and hand to the wash bay to be detailed. I dont think they waxed them when brand new, but there is some sort of paint coating applied at the factory. New cars will have perfect paint, which is why they felt so good.
Oh and if it was a range rover, for a while the next step was to remove the entire interior and trim to replace the wiring harness....directly from the factory. Before Range figured this out, I was getting stuck every 5th road test and the car would not restart. Less than 10 miles and the complete harness had to be changed, such a POS!!!
Remove transport stickers or paint protection film. Raise vehicle lower tire pressures to spec and remove any spring blocks to protect the suspension during shipping. Top off washer and any other hazardous/flammable fluids that the car cant be shipped with. Remove transport mode in the computers, perform full system scan and program for North America. Clear all faults, road test a minimum of 8 miles, and hand to the wash bay to be detailed. I dont think they waxed them when brand new, but there is some sort of paint coating applied at the factory. New cars will have perfect paint, which is why they felt so good.
Oh and if it was a range rover, for a while the next step was to remove the entire interior and trim to replace the wiring harness....directly from the factory. Before Range figured this out, I was getting stuck every 5th road test and the car would not restart. Less than 10 miles and the complete harness had to be changed, such a POS!!!
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If the dealer is worth anything they'll prep the car before hitting the lot and before delivery.
At BMW the new cars were peeled, PDI'd, Iron-X'd and washed, then waxed.
Once sold they got another coat of wax, tire shine, and a bump vacuum. If Xzilon was sold they got stripped and washed then Xzilon.
At BMW the new cars were peeled, PDI'd, Iron-X'd and washed, then waxed.
Once sold they got another coat of wax, tire shine, and a bump vacuum. If Xzilon was sold they got stripped and washed then Xzilon.
Wow, the 8-mile road test is a surprise! As a customer I'd be concerned about break-in, but, I guess, happy about the bullets I dodged if I could only find out about them.
My GM manuals mention that stuff like the delayed headlight turn-off features were disabled until 25 miles, presumably to preserve the batteries during the constant short trips around the lot.
My GM manuals mention that stuff like the delayed headlight turn-off features were disabled until 25 miles, presumably to preserve the batteries during the constant short trips around the lot.
Kestas
Staff member
I would also expect a battery top off with a trickle charge.
Well my 2016 Challenger R/T had 50 lbs of air in tires, no washer fluid, and the biggie, the air tube was half off the air filter box. Car was driven 35 miles like this. Did it hurt it? Who knows.
As far as I'm concerned they washed it, that was it. I told them what I found(insert cricket noise here)and they just said sorry. Pitiful.
My advice to anybody mechanically inclined......don't let them touch your car/truck....do it yourself.
As far as I'm concerned they washed it, that was it. I told them what I found(insert cricket noise here)and they just said sorry. Pitiful.
My advice to anybody mechanically inclined......don't let them touch your car/truck....do it yourself.
I bought a new car Dec 2016. When I went to pick it up, I found a razor blade on the roof.....nice!
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Originally Posted By: oilboy123
I bought a new car Dec 2016. When I went to pick it up, I found a razor blade on the roof.....nice!
Yeah? In 2013 Honda used that same razor blade to deep scratch both mirrors and the GPS screen. But that was okay as primer was showing through the black paint anyways.
I bought a new car Dec 2016. When I went to pick it up, I found a razor blade on the roof.....nice!
Yeah? In 2013 Honda used that same razor blade to deep scratch both mirrors and the GPS screen. But that was okay as primer was showing through the black paint anyways.
Originally Posted By: oldhp
Well my 2016 Challenger R/T had 50 lbs of air in tires, no washer fluid, and the biggie, the air tube was half off the air filter box. Car was driven 35 miles like this. Did it hurt it? Who knows.
As far as I'm concerned they washed it, that was it. I told them what I found(insert cricket noise here)and they just said sorry. Pitiful.
My advice to anybody mechanically inclined......don't let them touch your car/truck....do it yourself.
The folks at the assembly plant didn't check this ?
Well my 2016 Challenger R/T had 50 lbs of air in tires, no washer fluid, and the biggie, the air tube was half off the air filter box. Car was driven 35 miles like this. Did it hurt it? Who knows.
As far as I'm concerned they washed it, that was it. I told them what I found(insert cricket noise here)and they just said sorry. Pitiful.
My advice to anybody mechanically inclined......don't let them touch your car/truck....do it yourself.
The folks at the assembly plant didn't check this ?
Originally Posted By: oldhp
My advice to anybody mechanically inclined......don't let them touch your car/truck....do it yourself.
Impossible for certain cars. Many are in a reduced power reduced consumption transport mode.
They need "woken up."
My advice to anybody mechanically inclined......don't let them touch your car/truck....do it yourself.
Impossible for certain cars. Many are in a reduced power reduced consumption transport mode.
They need "woken up."
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Originally Posted By: oldhp
My advice to anybody mechanically inclined......don't let them touch your car/truck....do it yourself.
Impossible for certain cars. Many are in a reduced power reduced consumption transport mode.
They need "woken up."
So, like, valet mode? Jeez, they really don't trust the guys from bombing on and off the container ships.
Originally Posted By: oldhp
My advice to anybody mechanically inclined......don't let them touch your car/truck....do it yourself.
Impossible for certain cars. Many are in a reduced power reduced consumption transport mode.
They need "woken up."
So, like, valet mode? Jeez, they really don't trust the guys from bombing on and off the container ships.
It isn't unreasonable at all to ask the dealer to do NO PDI before you pick up the car.
I forget where I read it, but there were Hellcat buyers on some forum that specifically told the dealer that they wanted the car delivered exactly the way it was off the truck: plastic coverings, bar codes, fluids (or lack thereof), etc. These guys were fanatic, they had to do EVERYTHING themselves.
I don't know if Mopar's need any coding to wake up modules after delivery, or if it's still as easy as removing the IOD fuse during transport.
I forget where I read it, but there were Hellcat buyers on some forum that specifically told the dealer that they wanted the car delivered exactly the way it was off the truck: plastic coverings, bar codes, fluids (or lack thereof), etc. These guys were fanatic, they had to do EVERYTHING themselves.
I don't know if Mopar's need any coding to wake up modules after delivery, or if it's still as easy as removing the IOD fuse during transport.
Originally Posted By: 14Accent
It isn't unreasonable at all to ask the dealer to do NO PDI before you pick up the car.
I forget where I read it, but there were Hellcat buyers on some forum that specifically told the dealer that they wanted the car delivered exactly the way it was off the truck: plastic coverings, bar codes, fluids (or lack thereof), etc. These guys were fanatic, they had to do EVERYTHING themselves.
I don't know if Mopar's need any coding to wake up modules after delivery, or if it's still as easy as removing the IOD fuse during transport.
Actually that is unreasonable.
It isn't unreasonable at all to ask the dealer to do NO PDI before you pick up the car.
I forget where I read it, but there were Hellcat buyers on some forum that specifically told the dealer that they wanted the car delivered exactly the way it was off the truck: plastic coverings, bar codes, fluids (or lack thereof), etc. These guys were fanatic, they had to do EVERYTHING themselves.
I don't know if Mopar's need any coding to wake up modules after delivery, or if it's still as easy as removing the IOD fuse during transport.
Actually that is unreasonable.
There's two kinds of new car prep that a dealer will do.
The first is the PDI, which was explained earlier. The dealer is going to remove the plastics on the inside and outside of the car which were installed for transport, as well as put in required fuses that were left off intentionally by the factory (protect from theft during shipping), install dealer products such as floor mats, stickers, tint, etc, and finally they will do one last visual inspection to check for scratches or blemishes that need to be reported and fixed.
The second prep is when they prep the car for customer delivery. This includes, but is not limited to, wash and wax (my dealership always called it a "detail" but it was just a wash and wax with a vacuum if needed), installation of temp tags, a full tank of gas, and any products you purchased with the car such as fabric sealant, glass-etched anti-theft registration, etc. BTW, most of those things are scams. The fabric sealant is nothing more than you could pick up at the store for less than $30 bucks but they charge $200. High profit, low cost items which help put money in the deal for the dealer.
The first is the PDI, which was explained earlier. The dealer is going to remove the plastics on the inside and outside of the car which were installed for transport, as well as put in required fuses that were left off intentionally by the factory (protect from theft during shipping), install dealer products such as floor mats, stickers, tint, etc, and finally they will do one last visual inspection to check for scratches or blemishes that need to be reported and fixed.
The second prep is when they prep the car for customer delivery. This includes, but is not limited to, wash and wax (my dealership always called it a "detail" but it was just a wash and wax with a vacuum if needed), installation of temp tags, a full tank of gas, and any products you purchased with the car such as fabric sealant, glass-etched anti-theft registration, etc. BTW, most of those things are scams. The fabric sealant is nothing more than you could pick up at the store for less than $30 bucks but they charge $200. High profit, low cost items which help put money in the deal for the dealer.
I've bought/leased more than a few new vehicles in my lifetime. I've never had a vehicle delivered with the correct tire air pressure.It's always high. When picking up a vehicle, I carry an air pressure gauge and usually adjust the air pressure myself.
I tell them to do the PDI, making sure they know to check the fluids, properly inflate the tires, etc. Even then I pop the hood and check what I can before signing any paper work. I also make it clear they are not to detail or wash the car. The last thing I want is a lousy detail job by a lot boy on a new car.
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