Raheel

I Am Looking to Purchase a Black 2004 TL..

I Read that Autopia Book and stuff and Questions on your own opinions.

I am such a Novice and Please Explain to me how to use each Product.. I dont even know what the product is for LOL
I just want a simple Answer that tells me where to clean the car ( I LIVE IN A APARTMENT W/ NO GARAGE), If to rinse car First, Than what shampoo is best to use, what tools to use? Chamois, Big blue towel, Sponge, Microfiber towel.. Where I can get them, What Wax to use, how to use clay.. How often to wax or clean car.. How to clean carpet mats if stain.


To Make it simple: Explain to me what your steps are to clean your car if you were going to do everything to your car.. All in one day.. What to do first and what products to use..

There are so many items and choices I wanted opinions of what you have used so I dont have to use 10 of them and take years to figure out whats best.. So I just want a answer from Detailers that have professional experience.. Please explain how to clean Tires, Leather, Vinyl, Basically everything.. I KNOW this is a pain but if just one person helps me out than I will be set for LIFE.. I APPRECIATE ANYONE THAT REPLYS EVEN IF ITS a 2 Word Reply Please Reply it is all helpful hints and tips..

Also I heard people put more than one coat of wax how is that done.. do they put it on and let it dry for 30 mins and put more on?? is that good for your car and are you supposed to do that?

Squidboy

Hey,

I also live in an apartment. I find the best way to wash is to get a pocket full of quarters and head over to the local do-it-yourself wash (you know, the ones with the pressure gun and the foaming brush). I do all my washing/cleaning/drying there. Then I take it back home and wax in the shade.

DON'T USE THE FOAMING BRUSH!

agean

do a search on nsxnext...he's the resident detailing guru, and he has some great write ups on the whole process of using zaino. you should find most of your answers there.

basically:
1) wash - once a week if you want to keep it clean.
2) clay bar - once when you first get the car, then every six months or so. more if you feel your paint finish is getting rough
3) zaino - its a polishing system, you can do it as often as you like ofr a better look, but i'd recommend a full treatment every 2-3 months or so
4) zaino quick detailer - its a great product to use in between washes, or after a wash to bring back a little life to the paint

i see you got black, good luck keeping it clean. black looks amazing when its perfect, but you will be putting in more work.

any other questions pm me or something.

Raheel

I talked to NSX Next and he gave we Help but I asked him so many questions that even he had a heart attack.. HEHE but anyways what products do you guys use for outside and inside and where can I get them..

Can you give me some directions on how to start on detailing. For example if I start on a whole day for detailing which would I do first and second.. Something like this..

Hose car with water
Shampoo than dry with towel?
than wax and than polish

Also what shampoo you all use..?

Raheel

I was also wondering the drying process.. Like do I wash the car with water and shampoo than after cleaning just straight use a Towel to wipe or do I spray the car with hose than dry?

Also should I ever use Car Washes?? Or should I just tell the dealership to not wash my car?? I also wanna know why most of you dont like the foaming brush and why not use the automatic car wash..?

Alexxx

Automatic Car washes ruin your car's paint-job.

How I wash my car: spray it, then get a sponge with turtlewax shampoo then wash the the area that was recently sprayed. Spray off the shampoo with the dirt (don't let it dry), then move onto the next part of the car. I start from windshield then the hood, front, roof, sides, and rear. Once I'm done washing it, I spray it again because all the damn bugs get stuck on it due to the water. Then I wipe the car with a lint free towel. I try to do the windows first because I hate water spots. Then I work my way around and I'm done. Don't forget to wash the rims.

I do it in my driveway, takes about 45 minutes to an hour.

sssick

You got a lot of reading to do......Autotopia

Raheel

Yes I know but I want opinions of Actual TL Owners.. Not opinions from Cheap Ricer Cleaners LOL But Quality People.... :p You do know im jokin right?

agean

alright 2004...here's my saturday morning process

1) clean the rims. i use meguiars, but there are several other good products.
2) hose down the entire car
3) using zaino car wash, start from the top down, clean one panel at a time, then hose that panel off
4) dry with microfiber or 100% cotton towels.
5) ZAINO!!! Z1, Z2 or Z5, then Z6
6) clean the windows
7) do the trim (chrome grill, window pillars, etc.)
8) do the tires
9) interior - damp towel works well for quick cleaning and getting rid of dust.
10) leather conditioner for the seats

after all that, your baby should be beautiful. if you have questions on any comparisons of particular products, all those discussions have been beaten to death, so just do a quick search on the product in question.

good luck.

Turboara

check out barnes & nobles or other book stores, I've seen a few books on exactly your topic.. how to detail a car.

A few pointers I've learned:
don't use dishwashing soap to wash your car
don't use a sponge b/c it may collect grime & scratch your paint
don't wash/wax in hot direct sunlight
start from the top & work your way down
I like to use the "absorber" to dry the car
use clean 100% cotton soft cloths or microfiber for polish & wax
don't go in a circular motion
use quality products, not "miracle wax crap" they sell on tv
I hope this goes w/out saying, but never put armor-all or shine type material on the treads of your tires or on your steering wheel (we heard a clown w/ an IS300 do this)
use leather treatment a couple of time a year (I like Lexol)
usually acura dealers "hand wash" the car so its ok to let them wash during a service (double check with them though)

good luck and have fun

agean

one more thing...never let your dealer wash it...turbo, maybe you've had good experiences with this, but i never have. they always scratch the crap out of it, and their "hand wash" usually includes rags that havent been cleaned since the '70's.

luckily, my dealer gives me coupons for a free wash at a local car wash, so i just give them to my girlfriend =D

Raheel

THanks Man.. How do you use the Clay bar and whats it look like and whats it contain? Thanks

sssick

That site has a lot of good detailing people, everytime I have a question I go there and read for a longgggggg time.

Beason

Car Wash FAQ

Raheel

I have read the FAQ it is quite helpful but I want opinions of the order of doing things.. How do you use the clay bar? I heard before waxing for the first time that I should Clay my car.. Also If more people have directions of how to do things please let me know.. Also when people say they have 4 coats of Zaino does that mean they rubbed it on there car than rubbed it off and than on again and so on 4 Times??? Or does it mean since they got there car they have put zaino 4 times??? Like you should wax your car more than once on the same day right?

Raheel

Also what Zaino Products should I BUY?? Like is the gloss enhancer spray useful? and all the the other junk.. I dont wanna buy stuff and later buy more and pay more S/H.

Beason

Z-2,Z-5, Z-6,Z-7 ZFX and Claybar would be a good start if ur truely serious

Raheel

O really that much stuff?? what are they all?

Raheel

Anyone?

peiqinglong

www.autopia.ws and for Zaino go to http://www.zainobros.com/ but don't expect to find a cheaper price. Sal Zaino has dealers around, but they all charge the same price I believe.

Raheel

The price is not what im worried about.. Just wanna know.. I will want to wax and polish my car and sometimes spray it to keep it shiny so What Exact Zaino Products do I need.. Also do I need Clay Bar??

Raheel

So What Order of way should I Do Things? What Items should I Buy..

What Below Things do you USE?
[list=1][*]Car Wash Shampoo?[*]Tire Cleaner for The Actual Rubber Black part of tire?[*]For Rims or Alloy Wheels on the TL Tires?[*]Window Cleaner To Clean Windows?[*]Materials (Chamois, Microfiber Towel)[*]Types of Polish, Wax or Clay (If You Use Zaino What Products and in what order?)?[*]Type of Leather Conditioner or Cleaner[*]Vinyl Cleaner[*]And is there any Other Stuff I Need[/list=1]

Do I Just Wax after everytime I clean or Do I need to take the wax off everytime before I want to coat a another layer of wax? (LIKE DO I STRIP THE WAX BEFORE ADDING COATS)..
Should I Wax right after I get a new car or should I strip the wax on the car that comes with it from the factory?

Also what order of ways should I do the things in?

Should I shampoo the whole car, than hose it off than dry it with Chamois or what?

How many buckets do I need?

First Use Hose to clean car or just shampoo it etc..

How many times do I do each thing (WASH, WAX, VACUUM)

If you can please be specific and in detail PLEASE THANKS

I know Im asking lots of questions but I would really appreciate it if you could try and answer even few of them

Raheel

OK Everyone I decided on what Im gonna go out to buy and order online.. My decisions are below. Please post your opinions on a product if you dont like it or If I dont really need it..

Wash- Zaino Z7
Wax/Polish- Zaino Z5 and Z2 & ZFX
Quick Detailer- Zaino Z6
Leather- Lexol and Softscrub (What about Zaino leather in a bottle is that stuff good?)
Wheels/Tires- I Heard EO Is good what type?
also what do I need to clean the rims/Alloy wheels on the car and what to use on the black rubber on the tires?
Windows- Stoners Invisible Glass ( Will be using on TINT, IS THAT GOOD FOR TINT)
Windows- I will also use Rain-X as i heard its good to keep from Rain Drops coming on
Clay Bar- Mothers with Lubrication
Vinyl/Dash/Trim- Lexol Vinylex and 303 Aerospace Protectant
Materials- Micro Fibre Towel, Chamois, 2 Buckets, Sheep Skin Wash Mitts


The Things above are not all needed and so I would like to have some opinions on what materials I really need.. Like do I need all those Materials above?

Where can I get all these Things and what type of chamois and microfibre towel and Mitts?

Also when do I use each material and in what order?

And is there anything else I Need to Buy? For Example Like a Hose Attachment..

I will be moving to new apt's and dont know if We will get the garage so recommend to me what i should do If I park the car outside and
where I should take it to clean the car. But How do I wax the car and wait for the wax to dry for an hour if I live in a apartment?

bozzchem

This is my mamma jamma twice per year exterior routine for my Black car. YMMV. BTW, the wash/dry routine is used every time I do the car which is noted by the *.

Engine:
Step 1: Open hood and spray entire engine compartment with Armour All foaming tire cleaner. Shut hood. (This assumes that the engine compartment is pretty clean to begin with.) This process will clean, protect, and shine all in one step.

Exterior:
*Step 2: Rinse the hell out of exterior of car with water.
*Step 3: Fill wash bucket with a combo of clear coat safe soap and water. Buy a reputable brand of soap such as Meguiars, The Wax Shop, etc.
*Step 4: Spray wheels and tires with an all purpose wheel/tire cleaner that is safe for anodized/painted aluminum finishes.
*Step 5: Scrub TIRES with a brush designed to do so, repeat and rinse until satisfied.
*Step 6: Use a wash mitt and the solution from Step 3 to clean wheels. (Do NOT use this mitt for washing the rest of the car!)
Repeat and rinse until satisfied.
*Step 7: Rinse entire car...again.
*Step 8: Use DIFFERENT wash mitt and solution from Step 3 to thoroughly wash one panel at a time starting from the roof and working downwards. Rinse thoroughly after each wash process.
*Step 9: Pre-dry car using a silicone squegee - I use a California Squegee
*Step 10: Final dry car using microfiber towels
*Step 11: Final dry WHEELS using microfiber towels.
*Step 12: Treat TIRES with a whell dressing and have a beer. (If you're planning on polishing/waxing, do this AFTER you're done with that process.)

Open hood and use a terry cloth towel to buff engine compartment. May take a while to do properly.

Exterior paint treatment:
I use a Porter Cable 7424 variable speed 6" random orbit polisher equipped with Meguiars foam pads for cleaning and polishing.

Step 1: Do entire car, one panel at a time, with Meguiars Body Scrub (Clear Coat Safe) and buff off any residual with a microfiber towel
Step 2: Do entire car, one panel at a time, with Meguiars #7 and buff off any residual with a microfiber towel. (If you've REALLY got the time, follow with the same procedure using Meguiars #9)
Step 3: Do entire car BY HAND with Blitz Wax and let it dry for ~ 2 hours. Buff off wax with microfiber towel and finish the buffing process with a cloth diaper or equivalent.

Use a 1 inch paintbrush with masking tape taped around the actual brush part so there is only about 1cm of brush left. Use this to get any wax residue left in the cracks from your previous buffing of the wax.

This is easily an 8 hour (12-pack) or longer process....but the car will be beautiful!!

Cheers and sorry for the long post,
Pete

Raheel

Sorry for the long Post? WHAT THE HE|| IS THAT MEAN! I really appreciated you taking your time to help someone you dont know out..

Ok this is what I got from your post and I took things I dont wanna do out for now and the way I will do things Tell me if I am
Doing it all right or something is wrong.. What I understand is:

1. Rinse Car with Hose or whatever than Dry with Micro Fiber Towel
2. Dilute Car Wash Shampoo in bucket
3. Spray The Black Rubber Part Tire with Foaming stuff and use Alloy Wheel Cleaner to clean Rims and use Brush to get all the brake dust out
4. Use Wash Mitt to clean the Alloy wheels ( I DONT GET Why u want me to clean with brush than use wash mitt?)
5. Rinse Car with Hose again and than dry again with Micro Fiber Towel
6. Get Diff Wash Mitt and Dip it in Solution and Clean Each Door or spot and than rinse with Hose.. And Repeat till Car is all Clean..
7. Dry Car with diff Microfiber Towels after you have cleaned and rinse all over car ( dont you think by the time I clean and rinse one side of
car and than clean the whole car that there will be water spots left because if? - Or do you want me to Clean each panel and dry it to ? )
8. Dry Wheels with diff Microfiber Towels?


For Waxing I will do all the above and follow directions from www.zainobros.com

Please let me know if I missed something or you think I should do something Differently.

Do I need a Chamois or NOT? Do You Clay at all or not? And what do you use for Tinted Windows?? and What for Leather..

THANKS A LOT!

Raheel

Also Should I strip the wax that comes from Acura When I buy the car before I wax with zaino or is it nothing?

Raheel

I had one more question.. How many wash mitts do I need? Because People tell me that if I use the same wash mitt all over the car that it will have dirt on the mitt and scratch the paint.. So Do I clean each panel and rinse each panel and than clean the wash mitt somehow and if I have to clean the wash mitt HOW? THANKS

PAW

You need at least 2 mitts. One used on the wheels, tires and edge of the wheel well. The other one is used on the body/paint. Some people use 3 mitts. One they use on the upper body (hood, roof, trunk and above the side moulding). The second paint mitt is used below the sid moulding. Plus the third for wheels.

You need to use the 2 bucket wash method. One bucket has water and shampoo. The 2nd bucket is just plain water for rinsing the mitt. Dip the mitt in the shampoo, wash a panel (1/2 roof, 1/2 hood, 1 door, etc.) then dip the mitt in the rinse bucket. Scrub and fluff the fibers with your finger to loosen the dirt. Wringe it out a little and then dip in the shampoo again and do another panel. The dirt mitt never goes directly in the shampoo. OH! Rinse the panel before moving on to the next one.

Raheel

What u mean the dirt mitt never goes directly in shampoo? Also if I rinse each panel than do I dry it with a cloth or just leave it wet.. Like if its wet than after I rinse each panel the last panel will be dry and have water spots.. Whats the best way to dry. CHAMOIS?? and just dry it off in a circular motion, how do I prevent water spots after I dry the car.

PAW

1. Dip clean mitt in shampoo bucket
2. Wash panel (see below for non-circular motion note)
3. Dip mitt, now dirty, in rinse bucket. Fluff, scrub to loosen dirt
4. Squeeze water out of mitt
5. Rinse panel (you can drop the mitt into the shampoo bucket if you need two hands)
5. Dip cleanzed mitt in shampoo bucket
Repeat until entire car is clean.
Dry the car.

Remember about the mitt for the wheels and tires. Wash the tires and wheels first and them CHANGE the shampoo and rinse water. You don't want brake dust on the paint. Washing them first means you don't/can't splash dirt water on the the clean body panels.

See this post for drying technique.

http://www.autopia.org/forums/showth...&threadid=5120

Don't use circular motions. Do front to back, back to front on the horizatal surfaces (hood, roof, trunk) and up and down on the vertical surfaces (doors, fenders, etc.). Any minor scratches are less visible this ways. It's how the light is reflected from the edges of the scratches that make them noticable.

Keep the entire car wet until you ready to dry. If this means spraying the car again, do it. Just a quick spray is all that is needed. Then use the sheeting techinque described in the link. It does work!

The best drying towels are the Absorber (check Wal-Mart, Kmart, AutoZone, Pepboys). The big blue towel from Classic Motoring Accessories (http://www.properautocare.com/bigbludryint.html). Or other waffle weave towels (http://www.microfibertech.com/index.html). Use one of them to blot off, not wipe off, the majority of the water. Follow up with a good microfiber towel for the last drops. (http://www.pakshak.com/ {good prices}, http://www.yosteveshop.homestead.com/mf.html {probably the BEST ones available}, JT International {jtintern@hotmail.com email for info. Great prices})

For water spots after drying, try a quick detailing (QD) product. Like Meguiar's Final Inspection #34. You'll have to shop around for it. I found that NAPA had it in Colorado. There are other QD products. Most cost more.

P.S. I use the leaf blower after I've dried the car to get the water out of the seams, around the lights, etc. Then I touch up the remaining drips. Also, www.autopia.org is a WEALTH of car detailing knowledge. I've learned TONS just reading.

peiqinglong

Yea definitely Big blue works great...just don't order from properautocare because it's pricey. Email jtintern@hotmail.com...he's got the best prices as PAW said. Also his service is top notch. I've purchased almost $400 worth in towels for myself, friends, and neighbors through him.

Raheel

YUP Thanks a lot but um I cant go to autopia.org They have banned my IP.. The reason is because I Double Posted in diff forums and they got mad
so I said sorry than like 2 weeks later I asked another question but realized that there was another forum more appropriate to put the post.. So Again I had accidentally double posted.. Before They had banned My IP I had emailed the MODERATOR to let them know I accidentally Double Posted but never got a reply.. Than I emailed admin and all that and yet no reply.. I just ignore the site and waiting till my IP gets renewed or something lol... THANKS ANYWAYS

Raheel

So what towels and materials do I need.. 3 Sheep Mitts, and how many microfibre towels.. what other towels.. terry cloth? What do I use to apply Wax, polisher and all the zaino products? And what to dry them or whatever?? Also do I need a brush for the Alloy wheels/rims for the car?

ALL IN ALL WHAT MATERIALS DO I NEED?

smoothnyc

ROFLMAO....


U Cant be serious 2004TL... u want instructions on cleaning a 2004 TL... the darn car aint gonna be here for another year. What car are u driving now 2004TL?...lets focus on that ... I cant stop laughing....then u say u gonna go online now and buy the Zaino and other products... are those products gonna be for a 2004TL also.... im sorry but u confusing the F^*& outta me

peiqinglong

Okay...usually I don't post too much to this because most of the time I post alot and no one reads it...but here goes. As far as the materials you need, I would recommend a BIG supply of microfiber towels that is a 70/30 blend. Also it would help to have atleast 2 big blue towels. In my personal collection I have a total of 60...yes 60...16x16 mf towels. These are used for everything. From wiping bird **** off my car to wiping my dash. MF towels works wonderfully against dirt. I use a dry one of my interior when it gets dusty. Also I use the MF towels to clean off my exhaust after I wash the car. I use the MF towels for the door trims, the gas tank area, and all the places water likes to hide. Trust me...get atleast 25 MF towels. I use to have only like 3 and I ended up having to keep washing them over and over and always never had enough. It's sounds crazy to order that much, but we you don't want to "overuse" a MF towel. If it's collected quite a bit of dust, you want to throw it into the laundary hamper...perferably one separate just for MF towels for later washing. Me and my friend usually let it pile up before we take it to the washers and clean them. The 2 big blue towels are great because they're gonna be the main weapon against 90% of the water. The little ones are for "detail". I've used the absorber, California waterblade, and so on and found big blue to be the best. Greg (known as Carguy on autopia) uses a 100% cotton bath towel, which I've been meaning to try. Remember to do a burn test to ensure it's 100% cotton. He said that seems to work the best even better than the big blues. His water sheeting technique does work!!! Also purchase a California Duster. Don't get a cheap generic one...they leave more grease than it's supposed to. The California Duster is for when your car has some dust on it. Trust me...this works. Ask Greg (carguy)...he swears by it. As far as applying wax...you can use MF towels. Klasse recommends using MF towels for buffing and applying. Personally I've used applicator pads, but I'm gonna try it. Applicator pads work the best for interior detailing. Buy the Meguair's detailing pads...don't buy the cotton applicator pads...they're crap...i've had many of them fall apart on me. The Meguair's foam applicator pads are the best. I also ordered the MF wash mitt from the JT International guy and it seems to work great...you might want to look into that too. Any other questions...feel free to ask!

bozzchem

2004TL,

You condensed my directions substantially. If they weren't clear please PM me and I'll try again.

The difference between TIRES and WHEELS is that the tires are the "black" rubber part and the wheels are the "aluminum" rim part. That is why you use a brush (scratchy) on the tires and a wash mitt (soft) on the wheels. If you use a brush on the rims/wheels they'll be scratched for good. Trust me, I've seen it done.

You do NOT want to use the same mitt for the Wheels (Rims?) that you'll use for the body. The wheel mitt will have brake dust and various other road debris that will scratch your paint. With a black car EVERY scratch will show. Again, trust me.

All you need are two wash mitts (one for body one for rims/wheels), a tire brush - for the black rubber tire, a bucket, and a good hose to do the job.

I really thought my step by step approach was clear. Please let me know what I can do to further clarify it for you. Black cars are a ***** to clean and I'd like to know that you've got it all down before you begin.

bozzchem

BTW, if this is your first attempt at detailing a black car....get a friend who has done so SUCCESSFULLY to help you. You can easily do more harm than good if you aren't sure of what you're doing.

I'll be glad to help in any way that I can...but I'm hundreds of miles away from you!

Raheel

For water spots after drying, try a quick detailing (QD) product. Like Meguiar's Final Inspection #34. You'll have to shop around for it. I found that NAPA had it in Colorado. There are other QD products. Most cost more.

So If I have any water spots left I should use Final Inspection? Do I just spray it and wipe the waterspot away w/ MF Towels?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Meguair's foam applicator pads are the best.

Where can I get these Foam Applicators, What are they made of?

Raheel

What do You guys use to shine your tires? Like what Dressing, gel etc? and what for the rims? to make them shine..

Raheel

THANKS A LOT FOR YOUR REPLIES U GUYS!!! One more question

So I Use the Meguiars Applicator Pads? Than Remove with MF Towel?

What is the Sheeting Technique. As I cannot Access Autopia.org