Different wax after cleaner wax? car care questions

[edgarhighmen]

Hi, I've been looking to make my car (2006 hyundai sonata) look as new as I can for as long as I can, I bought Meguiar's cleaner wax paste and after washing/drying i waxed the whole car with it.

Is it a coat of wax? or does it clean the car to apply another wax? Can I put turtle wax hard shell over it? or will that make it look weird or not be good for it?

my coworker said I could wax the windows and sunroof molding, as well as the headlight lenses to fill in pitting or oxidation? (windows for beading and molding to fill cracks etc. from aging to keep it healthier and prevent leaks?) I tried scrubbing my headlight with PlastX but I couldn't seem to make the headlight clear as the other one, its got foggy patches, that i can feel w/ my fingernail (slightly rough) I also turtle waxed the front bumper (not meguiars) and the wheels, but the rest of the car got Meguiars cleaner wax. The meguiars gives the paint a soft touch

I couldn't afford clay or detailer/polish, so I used what I had on hand. wheel cleaner, cleaner wax, tire shine, chamois to dry and microfiber finishing towel after that. I got some kind of felt round floppy brush that does a good job getting bugs and grit off the car.

I always get strange or oily looking streaks on plastic molding and glass windows, they never seem to be crystal clear.

I got many scratches around the car either in the clearcoat/paint or past the paint (showing black texture under the paint). since there's probably over 35 i figured it too difficult to fix on my own.

there's also swirls/cobwebs on top of the trunk lid, probably from being improperly buffed before i got the car? (it looks like someone scratched it up placing stuff on it)

I also got a crack in the paint where there is an opening to completely under the pain, its about 1 cm and opens about half a width of a penny, how can this be fixed so it doesn't rust underneath? I can upload pics of everything

[PhantomMagician]

Re: Different wax after cleaner wax? car care questions

if you can stuck your nail in the crack, the only two things you can do, as i've been told, were repaint it, or learn to live with it... in my case, repaint

or maybe you can make it a little bit better ( still can't remove it ) , but in order to do this, you can't use cleaner wax, cleaner wax are so lack in cleaing ability, with that damage you'll need M105 or Ultimate compound IMHO...

cleaner wax is only able to remove VERY fine swirl..

and i don't think you should wax your trim, paste cleaner wax will leave white residu on trim ...

and after you wax your car, you'll feel oily on touch , it's normal, it's what make water beading and slick...

yes, you can apply another wax , like turtle wax, it will not look wierd of anything...
but for my self, i won't coat meg wax with turtle wax, since for me, IMO , megs are just better...

[ffboy]

Re: Different wax after cleaner wax? car care questions

Cleaner wax is an all in one product, it cleans, polishes and protects in one go. Its a good wax for average people who have budget and time constraints. It still is a good wax, it can give excellent results. However, being an all in one product means compromise. Its not a strong enough cleaner to remove imperfections, yet not "pure wax" enough to provide maximum protection (relatively speaking). Its protection is more than enough, but for me i want the best. Don't apply turtle wax over it since it too has cleaners that will remove the layer of wax beneath.

Can you apply another layer of wax? if time and budget isn't a concern, sure. It will add another layer of protection that may not be sufficient from the cleaner wax. What wax? any wax with no cleaners. Ultimate Wax, NXT2, gold class, hi tech yellow wax, deep crystalcarnauba wax, megs#16, or M21 megs synthetic sealant. DC carnauba, hi tech yellow and m16 are pure waxes. No cleaners at all or polishing oils. While the other waxes i mentioned have very mild cleaners, its not strong enough to totally remove the layer of wax beneath. It can all be used on top of the cleaner wax.

For the moldings/trim, if its textured plastic i'd use a trim detailer/dressing (gold class or ultimate black? trim restorer if i'm not mistaken) since wax can build up in those materials. If its hard shiny plastic plastx then wax can be good.

I wouldn't use wax on glass/windshields since it can or will smear even if the bulk of the residue is removed. Its not recommended by meguiar's anyway, however the ultimate quik wax if used very sparingly can be applied in most glass surfaces. Many users here actually do that. Still, waxes are for painted surfaces ideally.

Scratches/swirls? first try Swirlx on the entire car since its the least aggressive of consumer level compound. If some deeper scratches remain, you can use scratch X on smaller areas. If not, step up to ultimate compound.

For very deep scratches, you may have to buy some touch up paint and apply it very carefully and sparingly with a fine tip paint brush. if done right, the results will be good, making the repaired surface look unnoticeable. If not, well... not good! If done right, the repair will last and no risk with rusting whatsoever. If its really bad, the best option is to do a respray.

[ffboy]

Re: Different wax after cleaner wax? car care questions

For the headlights, a headlight restore kit may be needed. If its really oxidized, discolored and blurred, you have to use the proper tools. Megs has a headlight restoration kit, and a heavy duty version. It includes a couple of sanding pads to level the surface, and a proper plastic polish, and a buffing pad which is attached via drill.

[MaxImage]

Re: Different wax after cleaner wax? car care questions

As ffboy suggested, there are three headlight restoration kits that Meguiars offers: two consumer grade ones, a regular one and a heavy duty one ; as well as a Professional grade one. You already have the contents of the regular one, so let's re-attempt to clean them using what you have, and in turn, keeping the costs down as well.

Using your plastX, apply a little less than a dime sized amount to something with a little "rougher" nap such as a paper towel folded over a few times, or a terry cloth towel--old socks work great. Work small sections at a time, say approx 2" by 3", but putting a lot of elbow grease into it. Rub hard--to the point that you should feel a lot of resistance, but you should still be able to move across the surface--but evenly, really working the PlastX into the surface of the headlight until the coat of PlastX gets so thin that you can't see it anymore. If you're worried about accidentally slipping and rubbing the painted portions of the car, mask off the surrounding areas with some painters tape and newspaper. As you polish the headlight, you'll notice your applicator turning rust colored. This is the oxidation that you're removing. Repeat the process over the same area until you achieve the clarity that you're looking for. Use the opposite headlight as a comparison.

[PhantomMagician]

Re: Different wax after cleaner wax? car care questions

aah.. then i have to correct my statement before that " okay to put another wax like turtle wax " since i don't know that wax have a cleaner... not a fan of turtle thing ==a...

then i should said, yes, you can apply another wax above the cleaner wax, just make sure that it is a pure wax with no cleaning ability...

[ffboy]

Re: Different wax after cleaner wax? car care questions

! Me too, i'm not a turtle wax user. THe waxes only, but i've used some of their products (upholstry cleaner, rubbing/polishing compound) with success. To say that their waxes are bad is way too much i think. I've also used their platinum series wax, very very user friendly! But now i prefer megs.

[edgarhighmen]

Re: Different wax after cleaner wax? car care questions

How do I wash the car after waxing it? To give it a light wash/rinse and keep the wax after driving, and also to wash it and remove the old wax for a new coat?

If I'm looking to wash/clay/polish/wax/2nd wax; what products should I get or how should I go about applying what I already have?

I used plastx on my side molding, it made it shiny and black, polished and new looking. I wiped it off as much as any would come off

w/ microfiber towel and then a regular towel, but it started turning white by the end of the day/a day later.

as for the headlight i'm having a hard time taking a picture of the fogginess or pitting that its developing, its whitish, not

yellow, but its not clearly see through as the other headlight.

pictures
Cleaning gear:
PlastX on side molding:
Headlight:

[ffboy]

Re: Different wax after cleaner wax? car care questions

Oh, plastX is as far as i know is ideal or recommended for clear plastics (headlights, tail lights,) and not for black trim. You will get those white things and will be hell to remove. You should use Gold class trim detailer, or ultimate black trim detailer, or a protectant (ultimate protectant or something similar from meguiars).
I guess i made a mistake in recommending that! sorry man, stupid me. Try removing it with a quik detailer. Try appplying trim detailers with a microfiber to get more "bite" and clean better, then maybe apply the final coat with a foam applicator

for in between waxing, your current wash and wax (although not megs) is ok. it will extend your wax protection. If however you want to remove your wax, I'd just rather let the old wax degrade or diminish naturally rather than removing it. But your wax is a cleaner wax so by itself the cleaners will remove the older layer of wax, no problem.

If you plan to remove really remove the wax, clay bar kits (megs smooth surface) will remove most if not all coats of wax. Its safe, it will remove wax without drying out the surface (like dawn detergent). If you haven't tried clay barring your car, you'll like it. Your wax or pre-wax steps will go on a lot easier, the wax will be alot easier to remove. The difference is noght and day! Again, if you plan to save Dollars, just use the cleaner wax. The cleaners will remove the old wax while applying a fresh one at the same time.

Your headlights may require a more intensive headlight restoration kit. NOt heavy duty, but more agressive than an application of plastx. I would do a wipe on wipe off technique. Remove it while wet, not let it haze.

[MaxImage]

Re: Different wax after cleaner wax? car care questions

How do I wash the car after waxing it? To give it a light wash/rinse and keep the wax after driving, and also to wash it and remove the old wax for a new coat?

If I'm looking to wash/clay/polish/wax/2nd wax; what products should I get or how should I go about applying what I already have?

I'm sorry, but I'm a little confused as to what you're asking. Would you be willing to clarify the first two statements?

As for removing the old wax, would this be "old" wax in terms of wax that was on the car before you received it? Or wax that you may of applied before visiting MOL? Generally, it would be recommended to keep any existing wax because the science behind detailing is to build up a coat of polish & wax on a well prepped surface in order to achieve 1) protective qualities and 2) optical clarity. Think of it as the same principle in polishing shoes to a patent leather shine. And recommending to keep the existing wax at this point in time is also practical, saving a lot of time, and in that a professional detailer has the arsenal of tools to correct a situation should something go awry.

Addressing the last question: The Armour All wash and wax is a good wash to be using. Though the level of wax in the wash isn't enough to act as protection for your car, it would be good to follow up with the Megs cleaner wax (initial wax step mentioned above) that you have, then invest in a good sealant, like Megs Ultimate Wax or NXT Tech Wax 2.0 (2nd wax step) having either of the latter two as your final, top-most coat. Again, this is keeping costs in mind and using what you have. After performing the aforementioned process once, if you wash and wax regularly, say every 2 weeks or so, you may be able to get away with just washing and using the sealant, skipping the clay and initial wax/polish step altogether. Remembering that this is dependant upon your local environmental factors and that the whole "process" involving clay and the initial wax step is recommended approximately every 6 months.

Recommendation for clay: Meg Smooth Surface Clay kit

as for the headlight i'm having a hard time taking a picture of the fogginess or pitting that its developing, its whitish, not yellow, but its not clearly see through as the other headlight.

Would you be willing to take a wide angle shot picture including both headlights? Also, have you used PlastX on both headlights, but one is more pitted than the other? Therefore resulting in a foggier appearance in one headlight than the other?

To ffboy: you mentioned that the OP should try a wipe on/wipe off technique. Was this referring to wiping on PlastX, then buffing the headlight and wiping off the product while the product was still wet, thus not allowing the product to dry enough to a haze?

[Carolina08]

Re: Different wax after cleaner wax? car care questions

I think this would help you a lot here, I know it helped myself when I was first learning the correct process. And as soon as you have the money, definitely invest in a Meguiar's Wax, you'll find it so much easier to work with than Turtle. I used to use Turtle, and Meguiar's is basically wipe on/wipe off if you use the Ultimate Wax or NXT 2.0.

5 Step Paint Care Cycle

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37320

[edgarhighmen]

Re: Different wax after cleaner wax? car care questions

What should I use to restore the black on my trim? Is it ok to let it be "white" for a few days? I can't buy anything right now.

I've never clayed nor polished my car. I did the swipe test when I waxed it and read a different thread on the 5 step process (my pc doesn't work with youtube videos!) I'm guessing you don't apply cleaner wax on top of polish because it would remove the polish?

How do you make a super thin coat of wax by hand? I forgot to wet my applicator, and after dabbing it into the wax, the first application onto my car was always thick and i'd swirl it in small circles until it spread thin (by the end of the wax I realized my applicator had ALOT of wax saturated into it)

With a wet applicator how do you know if the wax is being applied? or if its missing spots?

I only used PlastX on the pitted/white fogged headlight, the other one is very clear

[ffboy]

Re: Different wax after cleaner wax? car care questions

What should I use to restore the black on my trim? Is it ok to let it be "white" for a few days? I can't buy anything right now.

I've never clayed nor polished my car. I did the swipe test when I waxed it and read a different thread on the 5 step process (my pc doesn't work with youtube videos!) I'm guessing you don't apply cleaner wax on top of polish because it would remove the polish?

How do you make a super thin coat of wax by hand? I forgot to wet my applicator, and after dabbing it into the wax, the first application onto my car was always thick and i'd swirl it in small circles until it spread thin (by the end of the wax I realized my applicator had ALOT of wax saturated into it)

With a wet applicator how do you know if the wax is being applied? or if its missing spots?

I only used PlastX on the pitted/white fogged headlight, the other one is very clear

Well, the sooner you can remove the white stuff on your black trim, the better. The longer it stays, the tougher it can get to remove. Well, you can try mineral spirits (kerosene maybe? i've tried it before, it could work but do a test spot) and use a terry towel in applying it. Rub with firm but light pressure.

In applying wax, unless the intructions say to dampen the applicator, there really isn't any need to dampen the applicator. Just glide your foam applicator on the paste wax and it should be enough to get sufficient amount of wax to the applicator. Don't scoop out the wax, you'll end up with way to much product. Oh,Since its a cleaner wax, it will negate the polishing step.

First, to apply a thin coat of wax, you have to relax and take your time (anyway, its basically detailing, so you should take time to see if you've covered everything). You should see the coat of wax even if its applied really thin. There will be a subtle difference between an unwaxed surface and a surface with a coat of thin, wet, slightly hazed look in the paint. That's why you have to take your time, cover each panel by working in a 2x2ft (more or less) section. How do you know if your missing spots? I recommend that before moving on to the next panel, check the panel you've worked on and see if there are unwaxed spots but if you've worked methodically and really took your time, its almost a guarantee that you didn't miss a spot.

Try applying plastX again on your headlight but this time remove it WHILE WET. Hopefully it will be clear again.

Try this: Even on the black moulding (it looks matte/textured but not soft or porous), try applying cleaner wax the black moulding/trim but do a wipe on wipe off technique (no drying to a haze). If all goes well, apply a ridiculously small amount of tire dressing to the trim and remove the excess with a microfiber.

[ffboy]

Re: Different wax after cleaner wax? car care questions

TO MaxImage: Yep, a wipe on wipe off technique. This is based on what i've seen in the videos from meguiars (their headlight restore kits). Maybe i'm wrong about this, but plastx to me is a restorer type product and not a protective "wax" type product. And like all megs polishes and compounds, should be removed wet unlike their waxes.

I actually protect my headlights with car wax. Seems to add shine, so i just do it. Its nice to have "hydrophobic headlights!

[ffboy]

Re: Different wax after cleaner wax? car care questions

I just had the chance to check out Plastx, the instructions basically say to rub unto surface then wipe of the product. No mention to allow it to haze. Wew!