CruisingBama

I have never hand waxed or washed my 2003 Altima SL, and I've had it for one year as of this month. I have not noticed any damage to the paint on my car by sending it through a auto wash,were they hand dry your vehicle after the wash and wax . I'm about to get a Toyota SUV, and I'm becoming more conscious of the car care of my property, I wonder if I'm damaging over time my paint job by sending a car or SUV through a brushless car wash and hot wax?

Thanks

HaveBlue

No, but you'll end up with a smooth, hairless car. Oh, wait...


If you can't afford the 5 hours or so to completely wash and detail the exterior, then a power wash will do in a pinch. However, the "hot wax" that you apply to the paint is generally not warmer than 150° (or there about, I don't remember the exact figure). Companies have to keep the temperature down for the same reason McDonald's has to label their coffee as being a "hot beverage, use caution." The only problem you face when applying a wax like that is you might seal in any impregnated contaminents in the paint or clearcoat. Such contaminents can be easily removed with a clay bar, but that goes back to the 5 hour detailing job I spoke of earlier.

The simple explination:
Your car won't look as nice after a powerwash as it would with a long, tiring detail job.

CruisingBama

HaveBlue

In the past I opted for the Auto fast hot wax simply because it was convient. In and out in less than 15 minutes. After reading your post, I now see the importance of spending the extra time and effort in puchasing the detail 5 hour wax. Thanks for the info.

Woodbert

Crusingbama- Check out this thread on the detailing of your truck:Griot's day

FirstToy

I don't understand how a "hot wax" can protect your finish if it never has a chance to dry onto the paint. Seems like you spray the hot wax and it just gets rinsed off.

If it really did coat the entire car and hazed over so that you had to wipe it off to get the shine, then I think that would actually work. I think hot wax is just a come-on to waste money. What do you guys think?

Corey

iTrader: (1)

It's a gimmick.
If you want your rig to look good and have the paint protected from the elements, you gotta spend some quality time with it, and use good products.

Taking shortcuts will make your rig look like you took shortcuts.
I have been detailing rigs now since '75 and tried all kinds of waxes out there, including the miracle ones as seen on TV.

The stuff I use now gives me the best shine & protection I have ever experienced.

Juggalo

I may be only 19, but I've been detailing cars for the past 6 year's, and I now have my own auto detailing bussiness that I do on location (that's why I got my Toyota)

I know for a fact that Corey is right, if you're going to take short cuts, or be cheap, you'll get what you deserve/pay for.

Take care of your ride's guys, I can't go any longer that 2 days without cleaning my truck, and my car, if it's raining I don't work, so my truck/car stay in the garage, and I play PS2, and watch TV, or have a friend pick me up until it stops raining (benifits of being self employed )

I can't belive that CruisingBama hasen't even washed his Altima in a year(by hand) I would kill myself, if I ever did that (nothing personal)

I wax my vehicle's every 3-4 weeks, and spray wax every 2-3 days, and the wax I prefer is Zymol, it's been great compared to everything else I've tried in my experience while working at several detail shops, and on my own. And Meguiars quick detailer is my spray wax of choice.

If your car/truck hasen't been touched except in a auto wash, then I reccomend you taking it to a detail shop to get it compounded by a buffer and then they will apply wax with a buffer, giving you a perfectly smooth finish that you could regularly keep up with on your own afterward's. It should cost you no more than $150.

Hope that helped.

Juggalo

CruisingBama

I never thought about the protection aspect of buying a detailed wax job. I use my car often in my work and don't have alot of time to put into constantly hand washing and waxing my car. Now that I have learned about the benefits of detailing, I will have it detailed at least once every 4 months. I wonder if I can then still buy a quick wash with out the hot wax, at the auto wash when needed once the detailing has been in place, or should I totally forget about the auto wash places?

Juggalo

You definatly should forget about the auto wash if you truly care about your car, and just wash it by hand whenever possible, especially that winter is coming up and you're going to get salt on your car that shoud be washed off regularly.

Juggalo

CruisingBama

Juggalo

I have to plead guilty to not personally spending alot of time on my car, and its a fun hot looking car. Its a 2003 Altima SE,fun to drive. When I was your age I enjoyed washing and waxing my own car, but the responsibilities of life take up much of my time. Just got to think of other reasonable ways to have my car washed by hand. I'll check some of the services here in Mobile and see what the going rate is. You washing your car every 2 to 3 days is commendable. Sure wish I had a younger brother like you!

FirstToy

I think you guys would burn my good friend. He has a Taco 4-door (2002) black. He has never washed it. Literally. Never. When I say never, I mean the paint has never felt suds.

We looked at the paint up close where the bird crap had dried up and long since crumbled away. The black paint was wrinkled in that spot!
He always says he'll wash it but never does. I feel like washing his truck when I do mine just so I won't see that beautiful truck waste away!

HaveBlue

Amen to that!
That stuff is awesome. I usually try to apply a good coat of wax every month or so regardless if it needs it or not. There's so much dust in the air here in Colorado that I have to wipe my rig down every evening. I usually hit it with Zymol detailing mist or Meguiar's Quick detailer.

phoenix808

people that don't wash their cars at all (no offense to anyone here though) confuse me. why would you spend so much money on something (let alone something that depreciates naturally) and not take care of it?

i would def. agree *not* to put your rig through an auto wash...or use a brush on the paint. most people don't know just how harmful bug guts, bird crap and bath towels are to their paint either...but that's just because they don't know.

from the poor, hurting paintjobs around the world, i say: please wash your cars! <steps off soapbox>

a great place to read about this stuff is

autopia.org -- you don't have to be as hardcore as those people are, but you can pick up good tips as to how to wash your rig carefully to preserve the paint. yippee!

mtnfreak

First we have to worry about acid rain. Now it's acid crap?!?

phoenix808

yea, most people don't realize how acidic bug guts and bird crap is...think about it...we have acidic gastrointestinal juices in us to digest our food...and they do too! it's amazing how quickly a bird bomb can etch into your paint coat...i've been victim too many times on my older car... :pat:

cruizin01

I dont like driving my vehicle when its dirty lol. Ill drive the beater just so I dont have to look at the truck when its dirty. People that have brand new $30-50k cars and trucks drive me crazy when I c them all filthy and nasty with finger prints everywhere. I say to myself "you dont deserve to drive that ". I know call me anal

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

Running your car through an automated car wash is like washing your dishes in toilet water, who knows what's on those brushes or even in that water! Those things that are important to you, you find time to do them. Better to let your rig stay dirty than to run it through one of those automated car washes. At least pay someone else to hand wash it right if you can't do it yourself.

If you do take pride in washing your rig, Griot's all the way!



Brian

CruisingBama

No you're not anal.......ok maybe a little bit, but you have a valid point. Sometimes its tough to find the time and motivation to wash my car. Its easier to spend the money to run it through a auto wash. Its a bad habit that was built up over years. I'm going to check out which companies here in Mobile offer hand washing services for a reasonable price. I'm glad we don't get any snow in this part of the country,the salt would make things much worse. I've lived in NYC and North Jersey and the winters up there are brutal on the interior and exterior of a car. I see there are several guys on this board who live in Washington state, I'm sure they know first hand about bad weather.

mrshish

I just spent a good chunk of Sunday prepping the Runner for winter. It included a complete clay bar, paint cleaning, polish and a polymer wax to hold up to the winter storm. I enjoy a clean car and like it when the truck is clean. At the same time it's a TRUCK. I bought the 4Runner as a utility vehicle. It takes me 4 wheeling, gets me to the ski slops and hauls stuff for me. I did not buy it to look pretty, I bough it to work. No offense but I would go insane if I had to dust my truck every evening or wash it every other day.

Now the Supra, that's different.

Jeff_M

If you decide to detail the rig yourself, I highly suggest that you investigate Zaino. The website is:

http://www.zainostore.com

It is the best stuff I have ever seen. When applied correctly (it's very easy), it gives your vehicle that shiny look you get when it's all wet. Use the search feature on this site and see what everyone is saying. My 4runner is 5 years old and I hardly ever walk away from parking it without doing a double or triple-take and smiling!