How to apply Ultimate Wax

[clx]

Hi everyone - I've just tried using Ultimate Wax today, and it's very different than the cleaner wax I've been using. After putting a small amount onto the foam applicator and genteelly applied to the car in circular motion, the wax looks like it's 'faded' into the car. It looks like a really thin layer of haze on the car. It doesn't leave a "smudged" white layer on the car, it just looked strange to me.

1. Am I applying it wrong or using too little wax?
2. How do I judge what amount I should be using?
3. The instruction on the bottle recommends applying two layers of wax onto the car. Should I apply the first layer, wait for it to dry, wipe off, then apply second layer? Or should I apply the second layer without waiting/wiping off?
4. What's the typical time I should wait after applying wax before wiping it off?
5. Browsing through the forum, I saw people discussing the longevity of the wax. How can I tell if the wax is all gone and it's time to wax again?

Sorry for so many questions at once, and thank you for your help in advance!

[Marc08EX]

Re: How to apply Ultimate Wax

Meguiar's Ultimate Wax uses thin film technology so you can barely see the wax you applied. Also, you're only supposed to apply the wax thinly. There's no point in applying it thick for 2 reasons; first you're wasting product and making it hard to remove and second, you're not adding more protection with a thicker coat. So long as you still see some wax being left behind then you should be ok.

The reason Meguiar's recommends applying a second coat of wax is to ensure a more even coverage. To do this, you need to buff off the wax after it dries and apply another coat of wax afterwards.

There's not a typical wait time for buffing off wax. It highly depends on the ambient temperature and humidity. The best way to know if your wax is ready to be buffed off is to do the "swipe test". You can read more about it in this thread: http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/sho...ght=swipe+test

I would say that you may need to wax again if the water beading is starting to go away. Another way to know that you need another coat of wax is when the towel starts to drag when you're drying or quick detailing the car. I might be wrong on this one though.

[clx]

Re: How to apply Ultimate Wax

Thanks for the detail answers Marc! I didn't really notice any difference on the paint after applying the Ultimate Polish and Ultimate Wax, granted the car is only 2 month old, maybe the UW and UP are only effective on older cars.

After using the Ultimate Polish & Ultimate Wax yesterday, it just happened to rain today. I only polished & waxed the front side panels with Ultimate Polish/Ultimate Wax, and I don't really notice and beading going on. My hood was waxed with cleaner wax last week, and it seems to bead better than Ultimate Wax. Is this normal? Does anyone else get good beading with Ultimate Wax?

[rweekley]

Re: How to apply Ultimate Wax

Thanks for the detail answers Marc! I didn't really notice any difference on the paint after applying the Ultimate Polish and Ultimate Wax, granted the car is only 2 month old, maybe the UW and UP are only effective on older cars.

After using the Ultimate Polish & Ultimate Wax yesterday, it just happened to rain today. I only polished & waxed the front side panels with Ultimate Polish/Ultimate Wax, and I don't really notice and beading going on. My hood was waxed with cleaner wax last week, and it seems to bead better than Ultimate Wax. Is this normal? Does anyone else get good beading with Ultimate Wax?

I was like you when I first used UW. It just left a haze. I wasn't used to that. But I put two coats on, waited a day between application and it beaded up real nice for me, because it rained the following day, go figure, really wasn't able to show off the shine!

I was trying to put a picture in I took of the beading, but I can't figure out how to do it, when responding to threads.

[Buck91]

Re: How to apply Ultimate Wax

ULW feels like it's "dragging" when I apply it real thin using the provided foam applicator. Is this normal? I have experiences this on 10+year old paint after UP as well as on my new car which was beading and smooth/slick even before the wax; thoughts?

Also as far as removal it feels more like working in an oil or something as opposed to buffing off a dry wax layer...

[Poki]

Re: How to apply Ultimate Wax

As far as using the "swipe test" to know when to remove UW....it didn't matter how long I waited...it never swiped clean like other waxes/polishes do. Since it never seemed to dry completely, streakes occured.....a common occurance.

[wifpd4]

Re: How to apply Ultimate Wax

Michael Stoops has indicated the swipe test may not be the best indicator of when to remove Ultimate Liquid Wax due to the high polymer load. This video says you can either do the entire car then wipe off or just wait 3-5 minutes and wipe off.

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...ion-Experience

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?46204-Ultimate-Wax&p=479130&viewfull=1#post479130

[Buck91]

Re: How to apply Ultimate Wax

I would like to addendum my above post. The paste version acts totally different and was significantly easier for me to work with and remove.

[Alfisti]

UW paste works easier than the liquid version. With UPW the swipe test still applies.

[purdashian]

Re: How to apply Ultimate Wax

I used ULW on my white car last week...
I wash the car, use clay on it. Then I use cleaner wax with DA power system yellow pad. I left it until wax haze and buff off.
After this I took black finishing pad on DA power system and ULW. It's really extreme hard to see if the panel is coated or not with ULW (true is if you put like 5 drops then you can see what and where you apply but as I understand this is simple too much).
I do some panels also by hand.
Panels which I did by hand you ''can see'' what you coated and those panels did have haze after applying.
Panels which I did with ''machine'' didn't have haze on and make me confused (and I start to use more product)
Result:
After one week I wash car. Washing is easy, stuff come off easy if I compare situations before when I use only cleaner wax.
Water beading is also insane - fun to watch. (this indicate to me that panels on the car done with DA power system and where I didn't see haze are also protected).
How much ULW do you guys use on black pad for example for normal car door? I realize 5 drops on 4'' pad is to much for one panel (I did prime the pad before use!)
Any tips for white car and ULW applying will be nice :-).

[wifpd4]

Re: How to apply Ultimate Wax

I feel white is just a little more difficult, although difficult overstates it, than black. ULW is a bit more difficult to see on white. This perhaps is why a second coat of ULW, 12 to 24 hours later has been suggested to insure complete coverage.

I use an incredibly soft black pad on the buffer when waxing. It tends to absorb the wax and I can often do two doors with one application of wax. I'm not to afraid of applying too much wax to the pad. Like doing a hood I divide the hood in half. Standing at the side of the car, the first pass goes from me to the dividing line in the middle of the hood. This pass is usually a little heavy from lightly loading the pad with wax. Next I trace the outline of the hood. Now going right and left with a slight overlap, I go from my outline trace to the opposite side trace. Each right-left-right pass crosses over the first center line pass insuring I pick up a little wax on each pass, seeming keeping the wax thin over that half of the hood.

I agree, when I work by hand, doing around logos, door handles, mirrors and etc., I get the wax too thick. I anticipate I may need to wipe-off those areas twice.

You really sound like you have the process down pat. Congratulations!

[purdashian]

Re: How to apply Ultimate Wax

Thank you for your opinion wipd4.
So I'm not the only one who have similar experience with ULW on white car... in meanwhile I read that some people squeeze pad to get wax out and continue with it like one panel without adding more material.

[imbty]

Re: How to apply Ultimate Wax

I'll ask here in case others have the same question.

If you wait a day before applying a second coat of wax, what do you do to ensure it's safe? I have UQD, so remove light dust, wait a couple of minutes and then apply the second coat of ULW?

Also, if anyone can recommend a good place to buy a foam applicator pad in Canada, that'd be great. I can't seem to find one locally. There's only MF applicator pads and terry cloth ones (I've read that terry cloths aren't good).

[STRIFE]

Re: How to apply Ultimate Wax

^ i had no luck ever finding these locally...not even on quik day trips to Bellingham.
I ordered a bunch from ADS, shipped to TSB in Point Roberts

[BillE]

Re: How to apply Ultimate Wax

Phil,

Next time you scoot down to Bellingham, maybe stop by O'Riley Auto and ask if they have anything you may want (that is not in the store) is available from their local 'warehouse'.

The reason I say this, I do believe that O'Riley now has a large distribution center in Western Washington (where? Don't know). So maybe, just maybe you give them a shot to see how far an item is. Maybe just a couple of hours.

Disclaimer: I do NOT work for O'Riely. But did work for a large chain auto parts company (now gone), so I kinda know how 'special orders' work.

Hope this helps...

Bill