Wash and Wax

[condar]

Hi all,

New to the forums, and a new car owner. I've wanted a tC since the first time I saw one, and following graduation from the academy, I was given one for a graduation gift.

Prior to this, I've never owned a car of my own. Family has never been too concerned with their cars, or their appearance, inside or out. After receiving mine, though, I have a new found appreciation for maintaining my car.

On that note, I've attached a picture of my car the day I got it - May 14.


I know I don't do enough to maintain my car, and want it to look just as good as the day I got it for as long as possible. As it is, it's starting to get some streaking from rain and such, but otherwise looks pretty good.

As mentioned, I have no idea what I need or what to do. Looking at the products available is overwhelming. I'm willing to put time into my car, but don't have a lot of time for washing (water ban in my county from Friday evening to Sunday at 11:59pm), due to work. I already read the article by Alex8181, Paint Protection, but was hoping for a little more.

I go to a car wash every now and then, and only get the standard washing options - I refuse to let it spray on any of the cheap wax/other services it provides. So I'm hoping I could get some ideas of what other tC owners use to maintain the exterior (wax for the paint, glass / headlight care, anything) and interior (most for cleaning the dash and such). I would trust other owners opinions more than a sales pitch at a local store.

Sorry to sound so ignorant, but I appreciate the help. Thanks!

[ac3 b00gi3]

i use turtle wax ice to wax my baby .. and i bought the mr clean spray and wash thingy i saw on tv .. it wrks PERFECTLY .. well to me n e wayz .. every now and then lyk twice a year ur supoose to get a PROFESSIONAL detail .. or if u get it detailed just keep it clean and u don't hav anything to worry about .. it will stay as crispy as the way u bought it lol

[StreetracerJay]

I use meguires wax I like it. Looks great. Nice car glad you are going to keep your in tip top shape. Keep up the good work.

[condar]

Thanks for the suggestions thus far!

I've heard great things about Meguiars previously, and checked out their website. The first two videos on car maintenance were pretty useful to me, because as I said, I am pretty ignorant on this topic - I'm learning though

Going through their list of products though they have a million types of everything, from car washes, to detailing clay, polishes, waxes, wheel care, tire care, glass care, clear plastic care... it goes on. From there, they have about 3 different 'brands' in each.

What I'd like to know is which items I actually 'need' (I thought I could just use something like Windex on the windows/windshield... and wax/polish the headlights and trim), and what is really unnecessary. Like I said, I'd prefer to ask other tC owners, since we're a special breed having the best car out there.

Thanks again.

[carboncrazytc]

all u need is a good soap turtle wax ice has a soap and a wax i highly reccomend them both and you can detail the plastic,headlights and anyhthing else u wanna shine up. to me wheel cleaner is a waste of money i just use a soft brush for my tires i bought at walmart. just use the same soap and if you like ur tires nice ans shiny i wuld suggest the black magic tire gel it stays on good and doesnt run.windex is great for all glass. just dont use old windex or else the ammonia dries up and u get terrible streeks.hope this could help.

[JRBRUIN7@aol.com]

I don't know if you are planing on tinting your windows but when I got mine done I was told not to use Windex on the tint because it will take it off, just a bit of advice, take it or leave but I figured it was pretty important to share.

[carboncrazytc]

yes very true. they use ammonia to take tint off.

[StreetracerJay]

yes good advice.

[ac3 b00gi3]

yea i told my cuzin to do it 2day .. he has mirror tints on his altima and kept gettin tickets lol .. so he used amonia and windex to take it off

[navylife59]

I temporarly stick'ed some other wax related threads for you. Just remember that Scion clear coats are very soft. Never, never go thru a car wash that uses wheels, brushes, or those hanging rags; touch free only. Fundraiser car washs and most full service car washes utilize the same cloths/rags over and over again. I use the microfiber towels from the autoparts stores and use one time only then wash them in the washing machine. I use a separate rag for the rocker panels/mud guards and for the wheels. Always start off by spraying the car down with high-pressure water to get rid of the hard particles.

[condar]

Wow, thanks all for the response!

Just as a new note, they've extended the water ban to cover ALL days after 5PM, in addition to all day on weekends. So really I wont get a chance to be washing my car, on my own anyway, until the end of summer. The automated car wash I go to used high powered jets of water, because I've always heard horror stories about the ones with brushes and such.

I plan to try the Turtle Wax ICE since that seems to be the most highly recommended. I noticed CarbonCrazytC mentioned he uses it to wax pretty much everything, but I remember reading somewhere that you shouldn't wax your headlights because it may damage the plastic/cause them to become cloudy. In fact, I think this was in the owner's manual. I was just curious as to everyone else's thoughts - is the ICE safe to use on the plastic/rubber trim (around the windows on the door), headlights, wheels, and everywhere else (except the windows)?

Also, I don't really care too much about the tires - I'd rather not put anything on them, because I don't know much about cars and don't know if that could do anything harmful.

For the interior, I also noticed navylife59 mentioned he used the ICE as well. Have you noticed any problems (discoloration, drying, etc)? Like I said, I'm just really concerned and want to ensure no cracks or anything bad happens to my great new car 8)

Finally, I saw you recommended using the 'in-between' spray since the wax doesn't last as long as paste wax. About how long does the wax last, what is the in-between spray, and how often do you recommend using it?

Thanks for all the stickied notes, too.

(Ack, sorry - one more question - I've noticed some tiny, hard white 'flecks' appearing on the surface of my car. They come off easily enough, and leave a small spot, but they seem to just rub out. Any ideas as to what they may be? They seem to appear everywhere, on the windows/windshield too.)

[navylife59]

ICE is safe for everything, including headlights, plastic and rubber trim. It is a synthetic wax that has been formulated to not cause the issues that traditional organic paste/liquid wax has caused in the past. I have had zero issues. ICE actually can take old paste wax off rubber and plastic trim. The life of the wax depends on your environment and how many times you wash your car. I am anal so I washed/wax every 1 to 2 car washed with spray treatments in-between.

Meguiars sells a clay kit that will remove oxidation, spots, and such from your clear coat safely and easily. Use it right after you dry your car and before you wax.