M26 gone after 2 weeks???

[rdockery_3]

I waxed my car with M26 two weeks ago, I washed my car today and the water didn't bead at all and when I rub my hand across the surface of the car its not as slick as it was after the wax was applied. Is the wax already gone?

[Shawn T.]

Re: M26 gone after 2 weeks???

It is possible. M26 and Gold Class are not the longest lasting waxes because they are carnauba based. However, 2 weeks is a little extreme.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: M26 gone after 2 weeks???

Has it rained at all? How closely did you follow soap dilution ratios for the wash? Which soap did you use?

[rdockery_3]

It's rained a lot since then and I have washed it twice and used meguiars deep crystal car wash with 4 capfuls of soap per gallon of water. When I used to use gold class wax it would beat up for about 6 months but I usually clay the car before I wax it and I skipped that this time. Could it be the clay bar was what was making it bead so long before and the gold class wasn't lasting as long as I thought it was?

[Shawn T.]

Re: M26 gone after 2 weeks???

Clay coudn't cause a car to bead for that long. All clay does is make the surface smooth thereby reducing surface tension and creating those fun beads Wax does something similar but also provides protection from the elements.

[Car Potential]

Re: M26 gone after 2 weeks???

I think beading is due mainly to having a clean surface rather than having wax on the paint.

[ffboy]

Re: M26 gone after 2 weeks???

One test that can determine the presence or absence of wax is how easy/hard it is to remove your quick detailer. If it becomes a bit harder to remove or work into the paint, then it may be time to rewax. And water beading while nice and even fun to see on paint, isn't everything when it comes to protection. And heavy rains can really have a big negative effect on car waxes/sealants.

Try testing it with an instant detailer. If it's hard to remove, maybe another coat of wax is needed.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: M26 gone after 2 weeks???

It's rained a lot since then and I have washed it twice and used meguiars deep crystal car wash with 4 capfuls of soap per gallon of water. When I used to use gold class wax it would beat up for about 6 months but I usually clay the car before I wax it and I skipped that this time. Could it be the clay bar was what was making it bead so long before and the gold class wasn't lasting as long as I thought it was?

Heavy rain can dramatically shorten the life of any wax, so your recent weather is going to play a role. Your dilution ratio for Deep Crystal is spot on so that's not an issue. Claying, or the lack thereof, may also be playing a role here. If the car was really in need of claying and you skipped it, all that bonded junk on the surface will further impact the ability of any wax to actually bond to the paint, further reducing it's durability.

Choosing a carnauba wax (Gold Class, M26, etc) is also not going to give you the durability of a fully synthetic like NXT 2.0 or Ultimate Wax, so that might be something else to consider.