mbm0420

Hi Everyone,

I'm purchasing my first brand new car in a few weeks--a silver moon RDX. I enjoy keeping my car clean and car care in general. My RDX is going to be a daily driver and I do not have a garage to keep it in. Since my car will be exposed to the elements, I feel that a waxing strategy is key to having my RDX look great for many years to come. I have used many many different waxes over the years and have found that many do not last very long. I am willing to wax my car 2-3 times per year and would prefer to avoid a several step process. I will also be waxing my car by hand.

I have reviewed a Consumer Reports comparison test stating that Nu Finish was its top winner. I have also looked at reviews online and it seems to fair pretty well. I have also been reading a lot of crazy-awesome reviews on a product called Liquid Glass Polish. The more research I perform, the more unsure I become.

I am seeking advice on this matter-what products do you recommend? I want to protect my paint, it to shine, and the product to be durable.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

wax= natural
sealant = man made product.

a sealant will last longer than a natural wax.
depending on weather conditions, a sealant may last up to 6 months.

mbm0420

Is there a particular sealant you recommend? What are the pros and cons?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

personally, I use blackfire wet diamond.

there are a lot of different kinds of brands. Find a brand that works for you, that's the beauty of having lots of different kinds of waxes and sealants.

here is the wash and wax section of acurazine:
https://acurazine.com/forums/wash-wax-23/


browse some of the threads, and you'll get an idea of what to buy. (is it too late to say "hide your wallet?" )

mbm0420

Justnspace-thank you for the advice. I really like the looks of the Blackfire Wet Diamond. There looks like there are a few different Blackfire sealant options (All metal sealant, all finish paint protection, and total polish and seal). Which one do you use? Do you prep the surface beforehand?

Sculldog3

Sound similar to me, no garage, looking to protect for the long term, hand wax, etc. I can't say enough about Zaino products, it will meet your needs and then some. While the initial run is multi-step, with a new car it's very easy. Others will speak to waxes they like, but waxes break down, don't last, and are more effort. This stuff lasts for months and months, can be layered, goes on and off super easy, doesn't mess up the trim surrounding the paint, and provides an incredible shine and protection. With two coats, you can go 6 months or more, which no wax can touch. Here is what you'll need.

-- zainostore.com
-- they sell a kit for $85 that includes pretty much all you need, but it also includes a product called z-6 that you won't need for now -- it's designed to remove swirl marks and stuff, but your RDX is new. Can order everything in this kit for $70, and can save more dropping the car wash solution for another 7.95. Basically any dedicated car wash product will do the trick. As for the $70, the amount of Z-2 Pro they provide will let last you at least 2 years doing the 2-3 treatments a year you speak to, so it's pretty economical.
-- wash the car using Dawn dishwashing liquid, dry (you'll use dawn only once, it pulls old wax/products off the paint.
-- using the z-6 and the claybar, clay the whole car. Sounds daunting, I found the RDX was very clean to start -- no rail particles or tar, claying went quick. Talking maybe 30-40 minutes. Again, this is pretty much a one time thing. With multiple coats of the Z-2, not much sticks to the paint going forward, and if you wash regularly, you might never need to clay again. You do it upfront to make sure you aren't sealing anything in.
-- wash and dry again, using regular car wash solution.
-- use Z-2 and ZFX and lay down a coat. Buff off.
-- going forward, only need to wash, dry, apply and buff.
-- figure the upfront is a few hours, but perfect time of year to do it, and for a 35-40K car, worth the effort in my mind.

I've got several layers of z-2 on my red RDX, will add a few more before the winter, will likely aim for a total of 10. Sounds OCD, but applying new coats start to finish is under 70-90 minutes depending on your energy level. Until you see it, multiple coats are hard to describe. Water beads like crazy, finish glows, I can honestly say my car looks better than any I see on the road. Use it on the rims as well.

I started using this on my previous car some 3 years into the ownership experience, and it was also stored outside. At 12 years in, no one can believe it's this old, mechanic once asked if I'd had the car re-painted. Having started with an aggressive Zaino plan from day one, and having much better paint to start with, the RDX will look great for the next 15+ years.

hawkeye62

I also have a Silver Moon. I like the color a lot, but it is never going to have that deep liquid look that the darker colors give. My strategy is to use a sealant rather than a carnuba wax. A good sealant will last about six months and look great on the Silver Moon. And sealants are easy to put on and easy to hand buff off. I also use a spray sealant after every two or three washes to keep the protection at maximum.

One other thought. You need to start with a clean, wax free surface for the first application. Sealants won't do the job if there is old wax on the surface. So, you probably want to start with a paint cleaner. Not a polish, a chemical cleaner.

Some folks suggest putting a carnuba on top of the sealant to give a better shine. I tried a carnuba on top of my sealant on half of the hood and the spray sealant on top of the base sealant on the other side of the hood. The side with the spray sealant actually looked better than the side with carnuba.

I won't tell you which brand to use, most of the ones at AutoGeek are very good. I personally use Maguiars Ultimate liquid sealant and their Ultimate spray sealant.

Good luck, Jim

Dorsey

I have been a Zaino user for years and really like their products. I do find them expensive and time consuming (at least for the initial coatings). I put carnuba on my RDX a few days after I got it although the dealer had also waxed it. I was using it as a placeholder until I got time to do a full zaino treatment. However, last week I was in a hurry to get some wax on my daughters new car and used Turtle Wax's new Ice wax. It is amazing - did her whole CX-5 in about 30 minutes with fantastic results Does not discolor black trim, in fact they recommend it for the trim. I am changing plans and will use it on the RDX. Not sure how long it will last but as fast as it goes on it may not matter.

TampaJack

There is another thread with the exact same title that has a lot of useful info: https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-rdx-2013-2018-404/waxing-strategy-863361/

I use Rejex on my Silver Moon. It's especially known for protecting against bugs, and in Florida that's important! It looks great, too.

mbm0420

Thanks everyone for the advice. I am leaning towards using the Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection because it seems the easiest to apply. I think the Zaino products look great, but they seem to be more labor intensive and somewhat complicated. I figured I would start out with something "easy." I will let you all know how it turns out.

QN52

I just cleaned my windshield and the cloth I used left a huge scratch on it...brutal...it's about 12" long vertically right in the middle of the steering wheel. The cloth must have been dirty from manufacturer as the window was washed/dryed and immediately cleaned with the cleaner and towel.

I tried using a glass polish to get it out, but I don't want to make things worse. it didn't work but i think if I can get a professional to do it with an orbital machine it will. I can't do it by hand.

The scratch can't be felt with a finger nail and it very faint - only noticeable in the right lighting/angle.

Frustrating! Can't wait to see what happens when I use an ice scraper on the glass in a few months.

weather

QN52...Wholly crap! If a rag can do that to a windshield, like you, I wonder what a scraper will do do to the windshield!

Sculldog3

Not 100% sure, but think that griot's sells a glass polish that can be used with a random orbital machine (and likely by hand), might be able to do something about a light scratch. Worth checking their website at least. Good luck with whatever you try!

QN52

I have that polish. I tried it today by hand and it did nothing. I think it actually created more small scratches. I used a terry cotton cloth as directed on their YouTube video. Am taking it to the dealer tomorrow to have their detailers look at it. It's a very faint scratch. Something must have got on the rag somehow. Frustrated. Hopefully dealer can look at it. If not I will take to a body shop for a quote. We don't want to replace the windshield on a 4 week old car

Dorsey

Not worried about a scraper in Florida. However, every so often my wife pulls into the garage when it is raining and shuts the car off with the wipers left on. I can only imagine what will happen after the car dries and she starts it a day or two later.

Sculldog3

Hadn't heard much on the BFWD, so started searching for feedback. Lots of forums and the like comparing that and Zaino. Seems that BFWD is perhaps easier to use and provides better "slickness" -- sort of an odd characteristic for a wax/sealer, could be me. Does sound like it is one of the few competitors to Zaino that is out there, with much of the discussion on any waxing type forum around which of the two is better, with ardent fans on both sides, so seems you've landed on an excellent choice.

Durability and shine honors seem to go by a very modest margin to Zaino....although a ton of folks swear by the BFWD....and maybe my personal bias crept in a little in summarizing the comments!! Appears they are different types of sealers, but all with the same general theme and the BFWD being a slightly newer formula for what it's worth. Will be interested to see how it works out for you, please post details on your experience...and maybe a few pictures! I would consider layering it, most of the posts I read said several coats punch it up a notch further and add to the durability.

Final point is that a huge number of posts I read touched on the perceived degree of difficulty in using Zaino as a reason to not use it, which is sort of odd since it is super easy. Mix two products and shake!! Or don't mix, and just use the main solution straight out of the bottle (do have to shake as well) and just wait longer for it to cure before you wipe it off. Literally that is it. Had to clear the air a little for Zaino, felt it was being unfairly maligned out on the 'net!

gungho_15

I have been detailing cars for years. I have done tons of research. Wax will last depending on brand and especially how you take care of it. You just cant wax your car and then wash it with a dish soap. That will strip the wax the instant it touches the car. I personally use a good sealant like BFWD, or currently Black Light topped with Colinite 845 Insulator Wax. these combos and proper washing techniques allow these products to last up to 6 months. Even in the harsh Canadian winter.
You could always use the new ceramic coatings iike Cquartz.

I HIGHLY recommend you do some research and educate your self better. Its always good to learn new things. Im not sure if I am allowed to mention other websites, but I will.

I purchase all my products from Autogeek. There site is truly one of the best. There are several education areas and a TON of products. If anyone has any questions, please ask. I have spent literally thousands of dollars on products. My RDX truly looks better than it did when it came off the showroom and so could yours!

mbm0420

Thanks Gungho for the advice. The funny thing is I have been reading reviews and feedback on Autogeek for the past few hours. So here is the process that I have come up with so far: I am going to wash my car, then apply Blackfire Gloss Enhancing Polish, then apply BFWD All Finish Protection. After it cures for 8 hours I will apply a second coat of BFWD All Finish Protection. Would this be the proper way to do it?

Thanks again!

gungho_15

That sounds like a decent process.

Dont forget to Clay the paint before you polish it! You are on the right path. Keep reading on Autogeek. The main page on Autogeek has lots of tutorials on products! Read them.

Sculldog3

Had to ask -- 8 hours for cure time and this is the "easy" process?

Rocket_man

In between waxes you may want to use the spray on polymer after washes.

I use Four Star and it works for me but the Blackfire looks good too. I tend to think people buy one and it works great so they tend to stick to what works. Doubt someone is buying all these products and doing A-B comparisons. After years of simple waxing the polymers are the way to go nowadays.

http://www.autogeek.net/four-star-ul...rotection.html

gungho_15

The 8 hours allows the product to fully cure. You dont leave the product on that long. You apply to the car and wipe off. You then let it sit for 8 hours. I tend to wait longer.

mbm0420

Yeah! I'm thinking I will put the second coat on the next day or even the next weekend depending on my schedule.

Sculldog3

Lots of rain here, cool beading...