The dealership told us our new RDX has a paint sealant that guarantees protection for five years (and is warrantied against love bugs, minor scratches, paint fading, and a few other things.)

What do you all think? Is this for real, or should I have someone apply sealant regularly, and if so how often?

PS One place recommended by most locally here does something called clay-n-wax. But, then they also apply something called "Blue Coral Sealtek" sealant.

Any opinions on this particular method and/or brand?

Thanks.

 

Hey new friend!

you're gonna love me!
because, DO I have information for you!

the dealer sold you a bunch of bs.


here's a little run down.
there are two types of protectant.
- a carnauba wax
- a sealant.

A carnauba wax is natural.
a sealant is man made.

the sealant last a lot longer than a natural wax but NO WHERE near the dealership claim of 5 years.

A good detailer will wash and clay your car.
clay is exactly that. a piece of clay that runs over the surface of the paint to pick up any embedded contaminants.
when your brand new car is delivered, its usually by rail.
this rail dust gets embedded into the paint.
the clay bar will pick up any of this.

 

I wonder why they tell you that, if everyone else on the planet says five years is impossible. hmmm

 

^^b/c most people aren't into car care like the rest of us on this forum.

the majority of people don't even know what wax on a car is. or they just dont' care.

go to autogeek or detailers domain for more info on proper new car care. or the wash and wax section of this forum. i would go into it...but the info is already out there.

 

Any recommendation for a good shop in DC area? I want to wax my RDX too but I have no idea where to take it.

 

Thanks!

 

how much you wanna pay?

no better reward than to do it yourself! can't wait for spring and the two outdoor babies will get their full spring detail. i might wash the TL just for the hell of it (garage queen) while i'm at it.

detailing is more than just a layer of wax on your paint. just stay the hell away from OTC crap.

 

Watched some youtube vids today on claying yourself. It actually looks like fun.

When you warn about OTC stuff, what on earth do you mean??

 

over the counter...turtle wax, armor all...you know...stuff you can buy at the local auto store. the really good stuff....you buy from autogeek or detailer's domain. not ALL OTC stuff is awful, just most of it.

clay bar...trust me, it's not really that fun. it's tedious, but the way the paint feels after you're done will make you want to pet the car all the time after you have added sealant/wax.

 

Yes... I got that feeling from watching the video.

 

Hi Bbmura, I've had very good results over many years with sealants - the good ones (some are OTC - over the counter - in auto supply stores) say you should apply a first coat to clean paint, and a second coat within 30 days, creating protection that is supposed to last 1 year. It does a good job protecting against most UV and road grime - but you've gotta reapply it from time to time - at least yearly. I generally do the 2 coats in early spring - to help with hot summer sun and UV exposure - and then again just before winter, when there's so much gluck on the roads.

An OTC brand I've used often is called NU FINISH - comes in a bright orange plastic container. Just follow the instructions, and don't drive yourself nuts with high cost products and tons of work - or the cost of hiring a professional.

good luck,

 

For 'normal' paint sealants I've had good luck with Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection and then use the Spray version after regular washings (which haven't been very regular lately!). These hold up pretty well but will wear off over time. They will last longer than a wax though.

There are a few new products that are actually a resin coating. These are not waxes or polymer sealants. The best known one is made by Optimum called Optimum Opti-coat 2.0. It is not cheap and if you want to apply it correctly there is a lot of prep work. I doubt your dealer is doing this on the car. If he were he would surely advertise it as such. But this resin is supposed to last for several years and I've read reviews that back that up. I can't vouch for it personally but I really want to try it. I just need to buy it ($54 for one 'dose') and set aside a weekend of claying and polishing. But that's not going to happen soon.

 

I've had great success with Zaino products for a sealant. I first used a clay bar on the RDX and then applied three coats of Zaino. I often do a no water cleaning with their detail product Z-7. The paint looks great. I also have a BMW convertible that is now 8 years old and has always lived outside. I use Zaino twice a year and the finish looks like a new car, except for the road chips, of course!

 

no sealant lasts a year if the car is DD and lives outside (Re: nu finish).

you don't need to spend a lot or a high quality sealant that is durable. four UPP, collinite 845 are both reasonably priced and high quality products that are easy to use. they are also popular products that people use here as well.

you want the car to look shiny and clean all the time...weekly washes, properly prepping the paint for the seasonal "major" details and keeping up with the maintainence details in between. also stay away from automatic car washes. those things will destroy your paint finish.

 

I love TLtrigirl!
I can always count on her!

 

We ALL do

 

Totally agree! I use NuFinish twice yearly for an RDX that's parked in the garage whenever it's home. And, indeed stay away from automatic car washes - they scratch paint like crazy - some worse than others, but any that use brushes do damage.

If you have a 'no-touch' carwash, go with that - or do it yourself in the driveway or on the lawn, using plenty of water, and minimum scrubbing.

 

Let me give a little feedback on this subject. The "no touch" car washes.....use a very strong caustic solution to try and get the car clean. They have to since there is nothing to help "move it off" the cars surface. Turns out this solution does harm to metal surfaces...more so underneath and wherever it creeps into. Learned this BEFORE I decided to try them. This comes from experienced car folks who have seen the damage.

As far as auto car washes......I've written about this before. They are all NOT the same. I'm pretty anal when it comes to my cars and their looks, care, finishes, etc. I have used the same auto car wash for 7 yrs, passing 7 new cars through it. I've looked at all of them from all angles, different kinds of light....natural and in the garage with hand held fluorescent shining at different angles, etc. I can say without a doubt....no marks, no scratches, no nothing! I do keep my paint buff waxed with Nano wax twice a year....and I know that helps.
Trust me folks.....IF for ANY reason I thought or found that my car wash did ANY kind of surface marring or scratching I would have stopped using it with my first CRV I took there.

Am I lucky with my car wash....I think so. They are VERY busy...and lots of very nice cars use it. But, going back many years in different states, locations, etc, I ran across car washes that I wouldn't use again. In California I used the ones where the car was sprayed, soaped, and then hand washed with mitts, rinsed and then hand dried with Turkish towels. That was the best. Cost more too of course.

But, again, the auto car wash I use has not caused any issues with my last 7 new cars. I would say it's a case by case issue. I'm sure mine is not the only one in the country that can be trusted.
Again....I'm not "blind"...I'm very aware of my cars and how the paint looks....and I know how to check it. I even asked my pro detailer to look at my paint....and he has always said it looks better than most anyone's out there. Perfect from all angles in all lighting conditions.

I don't fear my car wash....I fear just driving it on the streets and getting behind the idiots with jacked up trucks and tires sticking way past the body kicking up fine sand, stones, and rocks that have taken out 2 windshields of mine over the years. That's why I have 3M clear bra on both my Acura's. Full frontal, mirrors, door coves, etc, to at least protect the frontal areas.

I need a "Monster Truck" to drive in front of these guys and kick some crap in their direction!!!

 

After getting paint damage on my previous car due to love bugs here in Florida, I did a lot of research and settled on using Rejex (sealant that is particularly good for bug protection). Works like a charm. After a recent round trip from Clearwater to Tallahassee, the bugs wiped right off with a wet paper towel. Sweet! And the Rejex shine looks great. Just don't put it on the rubber trim or anything porous -- doesn't look good on porous surfaces.

I've standardized on Rejex for all three of our cars, and it's no more difficult to apply than wax. I reapply it every 8 months.

 

Colorado Guy, the swirly strips in the car wash you use, do you know what they are made of? The one I've used here has rubber-looking strips.

TampaJack, Orlando here, and I really appreciate the tip. Have you ever looked into sealants that have uv protection? The headlights in particular could surely use such protection here in Florida.

 

They appear to be a "fabric based" but, I'm not positive. I just know they don't hurt my paint. I can ask them for some details. They are a great company and I've talked with them on other issues before, lately about the clearances so my '13 TSX Spec. Ed. with it's "aero kit" can clear the rails in the wash. They went out and measured the rails at different points, then we measured my car's clearances at all points to make sure no damage would occur. They are always eager to help and accommodate requests.

I'm not really into sealants. For the past few years having my vehicles buffed out with Nano wax twice a year has proven to be a great choice. My vehicles are much easier to clean and the paint always looks great. After a wash the paint looks like it had a fresh wax job. My detailer is over 50 yrs. old and has tons of experience with many different products. He only uses Nano wax now....after seeing how well it protects. It's expensive to buy...but, works. He used to do my vehicles twice a year....now I have my own quality 6" orbital multi speed buffer and I plan to do my own buffing. He tried out my buffer and said I made a good choice. Bought the best one Griott's had to sell.

 

What kind of Rejex you use? There are different bottles when you go to their site...can you post the link or product number?

Thanks in advance

 

I have quit using "no touch" car washes based on your descriptions. And I am using a car wash that uses the swirling cloth(?) strips. I am no expert, but, I can't detect any swirl marks in the paint. I am going to monitor the paint very carefully and have a professional detailer give me an evaluation early summer. I am more concerned about the guys that use towels to wipe up the water left on some areas at the end of the wash cycle.

Regards, Jim

 

Quote: "I have quit using "no touch" car washes based on your descriptions. And I am using a car wash that uses the swirling cloth(?) strips. I am no expert, but, I can't detect any swirl marks in the paint. I am going to monitor the paint very carefully and have a professional detailer give me an evaluation early summer. I am more concerned about the guys that use towels to wipe up the water left on some areas at the end of the wash cycle."

By 'no touch' car washes, I'm referring to the hand-held models, which when selected, spray hot soapy water first, and then clean rinse water. I would not be surprised if the mechanized versions use chemicals; likewise, any mechanical car wash equipment is likely to do some damage. Even washing by hand, you're gonna do some scratching when your cloth/sponge/squeegy gets some dirt in it - unless you're extraordinarily careful.

Best method is probably washing it yourself, using lots of water and care to keep any grit from scratching the paint. The more often you wash, the less gritty and risky it is. And it helps a lot to use a good wax or sealant regularly.

Remember also - you gotta drive it or park it. So do what's reasonable and possible when washing and waxing. Drivers can't keep any car showroom perfect forever; but you can keep it looking really good for many years.

 

^^you must not know weather then....i think he's the ONLY one that gets under the car and cleans the undercarriage.

 

I cringed when I read about wiping the bugs off with a wet paper towel.

 

I used to be anal when it was taking care of my tsx but no longer. A car can be replaced, loved ones can not.

 

^^i understand what you mean, but i still like to take care my the stuff (esp high priced stuff) i paid for with my hard earned money.

 

I do also take care of my things, expensive or not. I just changed my priorities. I still get numerous compliments on how nice my tsx looks. I have never used a clay bar, and use over the counter car wash and wax. It is garage kept but also driven daily. I now take care of a 10 week old English bulldog/pug puppy.

 

 

Awwww I feel so special *lol* In all seriousness, I should have never spilled the bean on how anal I am....I am giving the impression that I am a weirdo, but maybe this is my coming to admission that in a weird way, I am:

 

^^normal is boring.