Washing a New Car? (1 Viewer)

[fantasycurse42]

Is it recommended to hand wash a new car (1-2 weeks since purchase) or can you run it through a regular car wash?

Also anything else that should be done such as waxing, etc.?

TIA.

 

[boots11234]

LOOK AT ME I BOUGHT A NEW CAR!

 

[boots11234]

Seriously, if you're anal you should clay bar it and then wax it.

 

[fantasycurse42]

Seriously, if you're anal you should clay bar it and then wax it.

Not that anal, just want to make sure a machine wash won't cause any damage to the paint... I've read conflicting things on the interwebs.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Depends on the car. Most high-end vehicles have paint that probably never should be machine washed, and you also have to wait to wax it. You should have received information from the dealer on this, so I'm assuming you bought a Hyundai.

In that case, take it to Chico and Jesus at the splash and dash and don't give it a second thought.

 

[fantasycurse42]

ETA: Looked at the 2015 Hyundai Genesis, really nice car FWIW

 

[Ned]

I'm assuming you got some high end car right? WTF would you want to run something like that through a friggin' machine car wash?

Take it to a reputable detail shop and let them take care of it. Odds are the dealership swirled the hell out of it when they prepped it - get the detailers to take out the swirls and wax/seal her up.

I doubt you care this much, but there's more info here then you'll ever care to read -> http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/

 

[johnnycakes]

If you're parking that heap in NYC, it's going to get the hell dinged out of it in short order, anyhow, so why bother at all?

 

[eoMMan]

I thought most automatic car washes are bad for cars?

 

[Fat Nick]

Seriously, if you're anal you should clay bar it and then wax it.

Don't forget the lube.

But seriously...boots11234 is right. If you're EVER going to clay bar a car, do it right after you buy it. Especially if it's a domestic car. The paint gets bombarded with tiny metal and contaminant flakes during transit, especially domestically, which is via highway and rail. The clay bar will lift these contaminants. When using the clay bar, be sure to use lots of water or quick-detail spray as a lubricant.

Depends on the car. Most high-end vehicles have paint that probably never should be machine washed, and you also have to wait to wax it. You should have received information from the dealer on this, so I'm assuming you bought a Hyundai.

In that case, take it to Chico and Jesus at the splash and dash and don't give it a second thought.

DD, I've never actually read or practiced this. I'm assuming it's due to soft paint or something? Can you elaborate? I was always told that you don't wax bodyshop paint after repairs or repaint, but that OEM paint was fine because it's baked on to cure, so no softness like other paints. Wax should be free of abrasives anyway...

Automatic car washes are awful for cars...not just the paint, but the car in general. They spray water at high velocity in places that really aren't meant to get wet. They rip up wipers. They rip up trim. They can scratch rims. If given the choice, I'll go touchless (without brushes), but even then they're not great. That said, I use one on my daily driver all the time just because I have no time to wash it by hand. I won't take the Porsche through there though...

 

[Ned]

Seriously, if you're anal you should clay bar it and then wax it.

Don't forget the lube.

But seriously...boots11234 is right. If you're EVER going to clay bar a car, do it right after you buy it. Especially if it's a domestic car. The paint gets bombarded with tiny metal and contaminant flakes during transit, especially domestically, which is via highway and rail. The clay bar will lift these contaminants. When using the clay bar, be sure to use lots of water or quick-detail spray as a lubricant.

Depends on the car. Most high-end vehicles have paint that probably never should be machine washed, and you also have to wait to wax it. You should have received information from the dealer on this, so I'm assuming you bought a Hyundai.

In that case, take it to Chico and Jesus at the splash and dash and don't give it a second thought.

DD, I've never actually read or practiced this. I'm assuming it's due to soft paint or something? Can you elaborate? I was always told that you don't wax bodyshop paint after repairs or repaint, but that OEM paint was fine because it's baked on to cure, so no softness like other paints. Wax should be free of abrasives anyway...

Automatic car washes are awful for cars...not just the paint, but the car in general. They spray water at high velocity in places that really aren't meant to get wet. They rip up wipers. They rip up trim. They can scratch rims. If given the choice, I'll go touchless (without brushes), but even then they're not great. That said, I use one on my daily driver all the time just because I have no time to wash it by hand. I won't take the Porsche through there though...

 

[John Bender]

Interesting.

Just got a new whip myself.

Noticed the rims got greasy and grimy even though it was new and detailed a few weeks ago.

Noticed a driver of the same type car with similar grungy looking rims. Wondering if it's the brand of the car.

I don't have the ability to wash it by hand. What can I do to polish the rims though?

 

[Fat Nick]

Interesting.

Just got a new whip myself.

Noticed the rims got greasy and grimy even though it was new and detailed a few weeks ago.

Noticed a driver of the same type car with similar grungy looking rims. Wondering if it's the brand of the car.

I don't have the ability to wash it by hand. What can I do to polish the rims though?

It's most likely due to your brake pads. Certain types of pads just make a lot more dust than others. Most cars these days don't have "polishable" rims. The rims are typically clear-coated and painted just like the car, so don't use a polish. Polish was really for old-school chrome. Even a lot of chrome is anodized these days, and you don't polish it. My old Volk GT-7's had a huge lip that looked chrome, but if you polished it, it would ruin it.

Truthfully, just take a bucket to the spray wash and spray some water in it and use a rag to wash off the bake dust. If it REALLY bothers you, look into some low-dust ceramic pads. I've had great luck with Hawk brand pads on sports cars in the past...same stopping power, low low dust.

ETA: I never put any type of dressing on my wheels. I've found that putting any sort of shine or wax just seems to attract more dust and make the dust get greasy. I just wash my wheels and dry them. If I do ANYTHING, I put a quick spray of Zaino Z-6 quick detailer on it.

 

[John Bender]

Interesting.

Just got a new whip myself.

Noticed the rims got greasy and grimy even though it was new and detailed a few weeks ago.

Noticed a driver of the same type car with similar grungy looking rims. Wondering if it's the brand of the car.

I don't have the ability to wash it by hand. What can I do to polish the rims though?

It's most likely due to your brake pads. Certain types of pads just make a lot more dust than others. Most cars these days don't have "polishable" rims. The rims are typically clear-coated and painted just like the car, so don't use a polish. Polish was really for old-school chrome. Even a lot of chrome is anodized these days, and you don't polish it. My old Volk GT-7's had a huge lip that looked chrome, but if you polished it, it would ruin it.

Truthfully, just take a bucket to the spray wash and spray some water in it and use a rag to wash off the bake dust. If it REALLY bothers you, look into some low-dust ceramic pads. I've had great luck with Hawk brand pads on sports cars in the past...same stopping power, low low dust.

Awesome. Thanks for the tips Nick. I'm not a car guy but I want the new car to stay looking good and couldn't believe how quickly the rims got greasy.

 

[Ned]

Interesting.

Just got a new whip myself.

Noticed the rims got greasy and grimy even though it was new and detailed a few weeks ago.

Noticed a driver of the same type car with similar grungy looking rims. Wondering if it's the brand of the car.

I don't have the ability to wash it by hand. What can I do to polish the rims though?

It's most likely due to your brake pads. Certain types of pads just make a lot more dust than others. Most cars these days don't have "polishable" rims. The rims are typically clear-coated and painted just like the car, so don't use a polish. Polish was really for old-school chrome. Even a lot of chrome is anodized these days, and you don't polish it. My old Volk GT-7's had a huge lip that looked chrome, but if you polished it, it would ruin it.

Truthfully, just take a bucket to the spray wash and spray some water in it and use a rag to wash off the bake dust. If it REALLY bothers you, look into some low-dust ceramic pads. I've had great luck with Hawk brand pads on sports cars in the past...same stopping power, low low dust.

Awesome. Thanks for the tips Nick. I'm not a car guy but I want the new car to stay looking good and couldn't believe how quickly the rims got greasy.

There are some good products out there if you want to put in the time.

This stuff is great for tire dressing - http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-G7516-Endurance-Tire-Gel/dp/B0009IQXJ0

This is good to help cut down on brake dust sticking to your wheels (not 100% effective) - http://www.autogeek.net/dp-wheel-glaze.html

 

[Fat Nick]

There are some good products out there if you want to put in the time.


This stuff is great for tire dressing - http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-G7516-Endurance-Tire-Gel/dp/B0009IQXJ0

This is good to help cut down on brake dust sticking to your wheels (not 100% effective) - http://www.autogeek.net/dp-wheel-glaze.html

I like the Meguiars Endurance, just make sure you plan to use it forever. Once it gets on your wheels, there's no getting it off easily. NOT recommended for anyone who has to drive on a dusty road or driveway as it's VERY sticky. City dwellers are fine though. I put some on my old Wrangler one time and went down the river road (gravel), and came back looking like I had brown tires...

I've never tried the Wheel Glaze stuff...it works? I might have to try it.

I'm partial to Zaino products. They aren't wax, but rather artificial polymers and other chemical terms I don't understand. The bottom line is that they last a really really long time. The product doesn't build like carnuba wax, so you don't get as deep of a shine, but it'll stay on your car 3-4x longer in my experience, and you can put multiple coats on to build deeper shine. I usually hand-wash, dry with a microfiber, clay bar (1x per year, usually in the spring), coat of Z-6 quick detail, Z-2 wax (as many coats as I have time for), then another Z-6...Then after each longer drive, I'll dust it off with a California Car Duster, spray it with some Z-6, and then cover it up. If you take 5 minutes to dust it off and hit it with the Z-6, and avoid driving in the rain, you can go forever without washing. The only time I wash my car is if I get lazy and miss a few details or leave it uncovered and it gets covered in pollen. I did that with my old G35, and it looked almost mint when I sold it at 115K miles. My Cayman is getting the same treatment and looks great.

 

[Ned]

There are some good products out there if you want to put in the time.


This stuff is great for tire dressing - http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-G7516-Endurance-Tire-Gel/dp/B0009IQXJ0

This is good to help cut down on brake dust sticking to your wheels (not 100% effective) - http://www.autogeek.net/dp-wheel-glaze.html

I like the Meguiars Endurance, just make sure you plan to use it forever. Once it gets on your wheels, there's no getting it off easily. NOT recommended for anyone who has to drive on a dusty road or driveway as it's VERY sticky. City dwellers are fine though. I put some on my old Wrangler one time and went down the river road (gravel), and came back looking like I had brown tires...

I've never tried the Wheel Glaze stuff...it works? I might have to try it.

I'm partial to Zaino products. They aren't wax, but rather artificial polymers and other chemical terms I don't understand. The bottom line is that they last a really really long time. The product doesn't build like carnuba wax, so you don't get as deep of a shine, but it'll stay on your car 3-4x longer in my experience, and you can put multiple coats on to build deeper shine. I usually hand-wash, dry with a microfiber, clay bar (1x per year, usually in the spring), coat of Z-6 quick detail, Z-2 wax (as many coats as I have time for), then another Z-6...Then after each longer drive, I'll dust it off with a California Car Duster, spray it with some Z-6, and then cover it up. If you take 5 minutes to dust it off and hit it with the Z-6, and avoid driving in the rain, you can go forever without washing. The only time I wash my car is if I get lazy and miss a few details or leave it uncovered and it gets covered in pollen. I did that with my old G35, and it looked almost mint when I sold it at 115K miles. My Cayman is getting the same treatment and looks great.

The wheel glaze works well, but it definitely doesn't make it 100% dust free. It takes some time to put on and then buff off, depending on how many crevices you have in your wheels. A simple 5 spoke wheel is going to be a lot easier than those 20 spoke wheels.

I'll give the Zaino products a look. I'm using chemical guys blacklight + black wax right now on my A6 and not really impressed with it. It looks amazing when I first detail it, but it doesn't last very long. I knew a black car would be a FT job, but I expect the wax to last longer than this.

 

[Fat Nick]

I'll give the Zaino products a look. I'm using chemical guys blacklight + black wax right now on my A6 and not really impressed with it. It looks amazing when I first detail it, but it doesn't last very long. I knew a black car would be a FT job, but I expect the wax to last longer than this.

I used to use Meguairs Gold...LOVED the shine, but it was gone after a very short period. The Zaino stuff stays on and seems to build over time. The more you get on, the better. You have to mail order, which might be a negative for some, but I don't really care either way.

God bless you for having a black car...Nothing looks better than a clean black car, but I'd never try and daily drive a black car. I just don't think I have the patience. SO hard to keep clean and swirl free, and I'm over-obsessive about scratches as it is (100% cotton towels, no stitching, in the garage AND covered most of the time, etc)

*ETA - The other thing about Zaino is that it's really hard...If you build a few coats and start noticing swirls that won't go away after a while, a lot of times the swirls are actually in the Zaino and not in the paint. You can strip the Zaino off by washing with Dawn dish liquid (not something to do every time, but OK for this...) and that will remove everything down to the clear coat. Re-build with Zaino and it's usually good to go again.

 

[Ned]

I'll give the Zaino products a look. I'm using chemical guys blacklight + black wax right now on my A6 and not really impressed with it. It looks amazing when I first detail it, but it doesn't last very long. I knew a black car would be a FT job, but I expect the wax to last longer than this.

I used to use Meguairs Gold...LOVED the shine, but it was gone after a very short period. The Zaino stuff stays on and seems to build over time. The more you get on, the better. You have to mail order, which might be a negative for some, but I don't really care either way.

God bless you for having a black car...Nothing looks better than a clean black car, but I'd never try and daily drive a black car. I just don't think I have the patience. SO hard to keep clean and swirl free, and I'm over-obsessive about scratches as it is (100% cotton towels, no stitching, in the garage AND covered most of the time, etc)

*ETA - The other thing about Zaino is that it's really hard...If you build a few coats and start noticing swirls that won't go away after a while, a lot of times the swirls are actually in the Zaino and not in the paint. You can strip the Zaino off by washing with Dawn dish liquid (not something to do every time, but OK for this...) and that will remove everything down to the clear coat. Re-build with Zaino and it's usually good to go again.

Hand apply or DA polisher?

ETA: I agree on the black. Sooooooo damn sexy when it's glistening, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't cuss at myself at times when I have to detail it again for the 100th time. Its garage kept too - I'd go crazy watching it sit outside.

 

[Fat Nick]

I'll give the Zaino products a look. I'm using chemical guys blacklight + black wax right now on my A6 and not really impressed with it. It looks amazing when I first detail it, but it doesn't last very long. I knew a black car would be a FT job, but I expect the wax to last longer than this.

I used to use Meguairs Gold...LOVED the shine, but it was gone after a very short period. The Zaino stuff stays on and seems to build over time. The more you get on, the better. You have to mail order, which might be a negative for some, but I don't really care either way.

God bless you for having a black car...Nothing looks better than a clean black car, but I'd never try and daily drive a black car. I just don't think I have the patience. SO hard to keep clean and swirl free, and I'm over-obsessive about scratches as it is (100% cotton towels, no stitching, in the garage AND covered most of the time, etc)

*ETA - The other thing about Zaino is that it's really hard...If you build a few coats and start noticing swirls that won't go away after a while, a lot of times the swirls are actually in the Zaino and not in the paint. You can strip the Zaino off by washing with Dawn dish liquid (not something to do every time, but OK for this...) and that will remove everything down to the clear coat. Re-build with Zaino and it's usually good to go again.

Hand apply or DA polisher?

ETA: I agree on the black. Sooooooo damn sexy when it's glistening, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't cuss at myself at times when I have to detail it again for the 100th time. Its garage kept too - I'd go crazy watching it sit outside.

Hand. It goes on very thin in light coats, so I think a DA would be overkill because you don't really need that heavy buffing like you do with waxes.

 

[lumpy19]

I bought a new "car" in March 2012...gave it the first wash june 2014....hand wash of course, I didn't want to #### up the paint. I'm not an animal.

 

[TheIronSheik]

Is your new car taking the ice bucket challenge?