Last week I waxed my car with mothers wax. It doesn't shine as much as I would like so I'd like to try something else. Do I have to buy something to strip the wax before I rewax with another wax?

 

Briny -

Dawn Dishwashing soap will strip the wax off of your car and is probably the easiest method. You can also use:

1. Clay bar
2. Hand Glaze or pre-wax cleaner
3. Polish
4. Time and mother nature

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks

 

Whoa! Stop right there briny! Using dishwashing detergent not only strips wax but can dull the paint and cause damage. As a detailer I highly recommend using a clay bar or clear-coat safe paint cleaner on your TSX. Dawn is a degreaser, so that would be like using a mild engine cleaner on your car. A car wash soap is much milder and will not hurt the wax once your finished.

Slats

P.S. Have you ever used meguiar's wax? Gold Class and the new NXT wax are some of the best on the market.

 

Slats - Thanks for the info. I have been trying to find something that will take the wax off I didn't want to use dawn on the car. I put mothers max on which looks ok but it doesn't look as I had hoped. I haven't tried meguiars gold class yet. I was going to buy it but I decided on Dupont Teflon Wax. I hope that works. Do I have to remove the mothers wax? Can I just put another brand over it?

 

Meguairs NXT..Wax
Gold Class Wash
and a good polish product

 

You guys are kidding yourself if you think dawn will strip off all the wax... especially a fresh wax job. The only way to remove it all is via a clay bar, so skip using dawn unless you are going to wax it immediately afterwards.

 

Meguiars NXT gets my vote!!

 

NXT is probably the best wax you can buy in the store. Any was that contains cleaners (and, a little know fact is that NXT does contain some cleaning agents) will likely strip the Mothers. But, if you really want to be sure you've gotten every bit of it off, go with the Klasse twins (all-in-one and sealent gaze). Klasse All-in-one will definitely remove any existing wax on your vehicle, but won't damage or haze the paint.

 

Thanks. I'm going to go to pep boys tomorrow to see what I can pick up.

 

From the description of Mothers California Gold Pre-Wax Cleaner:
I'm also a little hesitant about using a dishwashing liquid on my new car.
I know a lot of people do it but I don't feel too good about it.
BTW, I've spent the last 2 days reading forums such as autopia.org and I've learned a lot (I'm also more confused than I was before from all that information )

 

I have been an avid Mother's user for about 10 years now.

I have used the wash, clay bar system, sealer/glaze, and the Carnauba Wax in paste format on the TSX so far. Never had a problem with shine tho ......

I am sure there are better and worse products on the market. For the price, the Mothers products work just fine for me.

 

is there a problem putting a wax on top of wax done few months ago if it is different wax nxt on carnauba etc?

 

I'm not sure about a "problem" but it's not recommended.
I case where you're applying a synthetic sealant/polymer it just won't work as it has to bond to paint and the old wax creates a barrier between the sealant and the paint.
I think the NXT falls into this category although it's been said that it contains some cleaning agents.

It's different when you're applying carnuba over carnuba. For that in-between-waxing waxing it's OK.
But for those major cleaning/detailing jobs where you want to get rid of the blemishes/oxidation/swirl marks you still want to remove old wax.

 

To remove wax, use either Klasse AIO or Meguiar's Medallion Premium Paint Cleaner (you might be able to pick up the Meguiar's at an Automotive store but you'll likely have to buy the Klasse online since it is a German import). Then wash with a good car wash soap (like Meguiar's Gold Class). Then you'll be all set to seal and/or wax.

And I'd advise staying away from Meguiar's Gold Class wax. It gives a great shine but it doesn't last anywhere near as long as others, stains trim and creates too much dust when buffing off.

Their new NXT Tech Wax is good stuff. Only real problem with using it (from a professional detailer's point of view) is that it doesn't have the durability some of us would like. Other than that, it's easy to use and looks great.

For something more durable (and that's over-the-counter and therefore relatively easy to acquire) is to put on a base of Mother's Reflections poymer sealant, wait a few hours (24 if you can) and then follow up with Meguiar's #16 Professional Paste Wax or their #26 Yellow Wax. This is a great looking combo that will last and provide your greatest protection from Mother Nature.

And between waxings, use a QD spray after washing, like one from Megiar's or Eagle One, to keep up the shine and maximize your protection between full waxings.

Good luck and have fun!