Hi there, I was wondering when you apply first wax to your TL. Also, what do you guys use to wash your car? Is there some kind of soft sponge that's good?

Thanks,
A/

 

Most pros, recomend a good ($15-20) 100% cotton towel. They say dont use a wallmart towell cause it may say 100% but its not all cotton. Some people say the microfiber towels are great. I use a microfiber towell to wash, and one to dry.

 

I just got the TL also and I have been looking around for waxing and they say like the recomended so far is about 6 months. The paint is still fresh and don't need to wax...let it cure a little bit.

But I do recomend claying the car and polishing it. I am about to do that next weekend. I just ordered the zaino stuff.


Later

 

My $.02. Your paint is cured before it hits the showroom! You want to wax at least every season. If you find a sealant or wax that last longer than a few months, i want to be the first know! Another thing, if you were to clay, and polish, your paint is fully exposed to the elemants with no protection. Clay and polish remove wax and sealants. If I were you i would get on it asap. A lot has been said about Zaino, i dont see the need to spend all that money (no disrespect Nit)when there are products out there that will provide the same benefits for way less i.e. Wolfgang, Blackfire, Platinum, Poorboys, etc....Any recommendations needed let me know....

 

I hear people say to put on a polish, then I can use my NXT (which is GREAT).
two questions:

1) I hear NXT cannot be layered as it removes what is there - so, isn't it removing the polish then?

2) How does a polish work? If there is a clear coat on the car - the polish is not touching the paint so how does it deepen the color etc?

Thanks.

 

Thanks excel, I have just been reading the forums and this is what everyone was saying. I even had a friend that did this to his car and it came out awesome. But I guess I still have to do some research.

The things I do have are the NXT car wash and the Lexol.

 

Tbone, NXt has a very small amt of cleaner in it, so yes, in essence it will remove any previous applied protection, thus making it nearly impossible to layer. But, thats why Megs makes a sister "booster wax". Problem solved, lol.....

Polishes work by removing any visual imperfections on the clear coat. This gives you clarity, you see the color base coat. What you are really seeing are the oils in the waxes and polishes rejuvinating base/clear coats! You are right, they really never do hit the color coat, unless you have single stage paint, different story......

 

So - NXT wash, apply polish, then NXT wax, then my QD spray and that is it - do not repeat any steps?

How often do you polish? with each waxing or just now and then?

Direction for polishing - I think Zaino site says up and down on doors and front to back on top surfaces. No circular motions going on or taking off waxes and polishes?

thanks.

 

T-bone you are right about the up, down on verticle surfaces and left,right or horizontal surfaces. That is when applying Zaino. Other polishes recomend an orbital type motion. I recieved an email from Sal Zaino and he said you can take the polish off any way you like orbits up down what ever. Hope this helps.

 

DON'T use a terry cloth to wash your car - get a sheep skin (the big fuzzy mit) you can get them at walmart.

 

I did my first wax of my 05 TL and it went well, but I was left with a question. What should I do to clean the grill?

 

 

I put 2 coats of polish few weeks ago... For some reason after the first coat.. when i was removing the polish.. there seemed to be like big spots on the car still. Very visible on a black car. I tried using a dry cotton towl to wipe it but it doesn't seem to come off.

Could it be the weather? The weather was cloudy coldish..... and could it be that the polish isn't dry on the car yet?

 

First things first, polish isnt a protectant. You should cover that virgin finish with a sealant....I assume you applied it twice because you werent happy with the first results? Go with microfibers instead of Cotton towels, greater absorbtion and cleaning power....Your going to have to describe what your spots look like for a btter evaluation...do they appear oily, cloudy, hazy etc...? Polish normally dries fairly qucik, just a few minutes and you should be good to go...What product were you using ?

 

Using Zaino... I took off all the previous stuff with Dawn Dishwash Liquid. I applied the first coat.. was very noticeable.. But when i put the second coat of zaino.. Let it sit there for about 15-20 mintues. Then i started taking it off. When i was removing the polish I've notice some spots were cloudy, and some weren't. It took a while to remove... I used a bit of the Z6 Gloss Enhance Spray to remove some spots..

 

agreed,
but only true (cured) if the showroom date is past the recommended cure time of the paint. with these newer water based paints and/or low VOC paints, they cure very very fast. the problem is, the car may be in a dealer a week or so after the darn thing was painted. i would recommend no wax until 45 days after the build date on the car, then wax away. and remember, 45 days past the build date is more like 14-20 days after you buy it.

you can address any wax concerns simply by finding out the paint system being used and then contact the manufacturer of the paint system (most likley PPG or DuPont).

cheers.

 

Do you guys think for a moment that the dealer would sell a car without even applying a coat of wax (I know, as damaging as that may sound) ? You are completely safe to wax your car after delivery. Those cars are delieverd with protective sheeting on all horizonatl surfaces, then there removed, and cleaned.....I seriously doubt that that car is at a showroom a week after its painted! Those bodies arent painted during assembly, there painted ahead of time, and sitting there waiting for assembly.......I could see if you live in Detroit and are buying a Ford, but i dont think you are !

 

excel is right - automotive paint is baked on in a high temp assembly line - it's cured befor the parts go on the finished car - all cure time is - is the process of the gases escaping from the paint process and heat speeds that up to the nth degree. When you get your car from dealer you can wax it

 

In a couple of weeks I am driving my 04 TL Anthrocite from South Florida to Colorado (via Texas) and back. Any suggestions on how to deal with the daily accumulation of bugs? I assume extra wax before I go should help...but I hate the idea of arriving at destinations with such a grat looking car not looking so good.

 

It is totally up to you, but if you are looking for longevity, go for a sealant, it will last a heck of a lot longer than a carnuba, even though you typically get a better depth and shine with a carnuba.

If you are looking for a the best of both worlds check out this thread:

http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87622

I used Meguiars NXT wash, Clayed (meguiars), Klasse AllInOne, Klasse SealantGlaze ,and considering both the klasses are sealants, I followed with P21S carnuba wax for even more depth and shine. The car in the background (tatkwaki's) won 1st for"acura-other" category. Coincidently I had used the same process on his car however I removed the swirls with Meguiar's DACP (DualActionCleanerPolish) before applying any of the klasse products.

 

Get a bottle of Poorboy's "spray and wipe" it's cheap and it works great for that specific purpose. I have a bottle in my glove box for that exact reason, everytime I get off the highway there are tons of little guys all over my grille.