I just finished washing and waxing my silver 02TL.
I first used Meguires Paint cleaner then I used Mequiars NXT Tech Wax.

I noticed when waxing the hood that the wax was not leaving that smooth look it should be leaving after waxing it.
it was almost like it would not fully come off for some reason. The hood was the only part of the car that i had noticed this, I guess maybe because it is the part that gets the most abuse but not sure.

Also does wax go bad because the wax i was using is about two years old not sure if that matters or not. After reading I was thinking maybe i should of first washed the car with Dawn to remove all the old stuff instead of regular car soap.

Any suggestions
Thanks.

 

Leave Dawn in the kitchen...........
P, wax alone is not enough to rejuvinate a cars surface. The paint really needs deep cleaning/polishing. The Megs maroon bottle cleaner is "really" best used for painted surfaces which dont require polishing, but just "cleaning" to apply a new layer of wax/sealant. Polishing normally performs the same functions as a cleaner does, but with added abrasive. The attrition of the abrasives against the clear coat help remove dead paint, and very light scratches, as well as light industrial fallout. You would probably notice a huge difference if you aquired a clay bar (at a minimum), then proceeded with the cleaner, then the NXT.
To bring it one step further, remove the cleaner from the equation, and clay, polish (Megs #9 if you elect to purchase OTC products), then NXT. Should see a considerable difference.
Just for the record for the others reading, cleaners should be used alternately from a polish.
Polish one season, then clean the paint the next season, then polish the 3rd season, clean the 4th season.

 

Do i have to wait some time before i use the clay bar since i just waxed the car today?
I will probally pick one up tomorrow, never used one but read about them can u do the whole car with one clay bar? How long would something like that take to do?
Thanks

 

PJ, all you need to know about claying is right here for you. ........

 

you shold clay the car before you apply the wax. Preping the paint by stripping off the old wax is only one step to a good pre-wax prep. The clay will remove all the oxidation and contaminents that have embedded into the paint. You can go back and clay the paint then rewax.