Water Spots? New Coupe with Paint Sealant!

[etcthorne]

My 2008 EX Coupe - Atomic Blue is just about two weeks old now. I had the paint sealant put on before I took it home.

I've washed her since with a new soft mit and the Mr. Clean kit with a brand new water filter. This car shows many water spots all over when it rains and then dries.

Dealer told me the sealant was a "...you don't ever have to wax it...." type of thing, but I'm thinking I want to lay on a couple of coats of a good quality wax so it doesn't spot as much.

Thoughts?

Should I wait for a few months before I wax?

[suave2978]

when you do a full job for you're car here's the step you should do:

1- claybar
2-polishing
3-sealant
4-waxing

For sealant you can put as many layers as you want the first layer you have to let it cure 24 hours, second layer 8 hours, third 8 hours

You should deff. put a layer of wax on top of it it will bring the shine of you're paint and protect the paint even more.

It will also help the water to slide of you're car paint when washing instead of staying on the paint and do watermarks.

you can use whatever wax you want a lot of peaople will swear by zaino wax,
I will try p21 wax should be really good too and many others.

[ryker]

Originally Posted by suave2978

when you do a full job for you're car here's the step you should do:

1- claybar
2-polishing
3-sealant
4-waxing

For sealant you can put as many layers as you want the first layer you have to let it cure 24 hours, second layer 8 hours, third 8 hours

You should deff. put a layer of wax on top of it it will bring the shine of you're paint and protect the paint even more.

It will also help the water to slide of you're car paint when washing instead of staying on the paint and do watermarks.

you can use whatever wax you want a lot of peaople will swear by zaino wax,
I will try p21 wax should be really good too and many others.

No need to and I would advise to NOT use a claybay or polish on a new car. There is no need to. You've got a brand new car - if you take proper care and use clean wash mits and clean polish cloths you shouldn't need to polish the car for a long time.

Meguirs number 7 is a non-abrasive polish that applies the oils to "feed" the paint. It would have been good if that was applied before the sealant. In 6 months you can do this step, reseal, then use a good wax.

Yes you can use wax and it would bring in some shine. But get a "pure" wax. Not a generic combo wax that is an all in one product.

I love 3m show shine paste wax. One can lasted me 3 years! Megauirs, p21, and Zymol also make good pure waxes. You might have to order these as they are not common.


Water spots will always happen. Get the "water blade" tool. It wipes off the water like a wiper. Then use a microfiber cloth to dry up any remaining water. No spots.

[dtexan]

why wouldnt you use a clay bar. Its not abbrasive to the paint on a new car or old. The dealership sealant is nothing more than a coat of wax. Just go ahead and start waxing it every three months and you will be fine

[NIGHTHAWKSI]

Originally Posted by etcthorne

My 2008 EX Coupe - Atomic Blue is just about two weeks old now. I had the paint sealant put on before I took it home.

I've washed her since with a new soft mit and the Mr. Clean kit with a brand new water filter. This car shows many water spots all over when it rains and then dries.

Dealer told me the sealant was a "...you don't ever have to wax it...." type of thing, but I'm thinking I want to lay on a couple of coats of a good quality wax so it doesn't spot as much.

Thoughts?

Should I wait for a few months before I wax?

first off...teh "sealant" they sold you is just a expensive coat of wax that you fell for. sorry to say it...but its nothing special.
chances are...your water spots are underneath the sealant that the dealer put on. i dont think the dealer took teh time to buff/polish the paint before they applied the sealant, so that means that any water spots were simply laminated.
i would also recommend to wash with dish saop, clay bar, polish, wax. if your really into it, then 2 coats of wax...and that will probably last as long as teh "sealant" tha the dealer put on that makes you "never have to wax it"

Originally Posted by ryker

No need to and I would advise to NOT use a claybay or polish on a new car. There is no need to. You've got a brand new car - if you take proper care and use clean wash mits and clean polish cloths you shouldn't need to polish the car for a long time.

Meguirs number 7 is a non-abrasive polish that applies the oils to "feed" the paint. It would have been good if that was applied before the sealant. In 6 months you can do this step, reseal, then use a good wax.

Yes you can use wax and it would bring in some shine. But get a "pure" wax. Not a generic combo wax that is an all in one product.

I love 3m show shine paste wax. One can lasted me 3 years! Megauirs, p21, and Zymol also make good pure waxes. You might have to order these as they are not common.


Water spots will always happen. Get the "water blade" tool. It wipes off the water like a wiper. Then use a microfiber cloth to dry up any remaining water. No spots.

there is every reason to clay a new car....there is a thread around here somwhere of all the raildust that accumulates on the cars from transporting them.
EDIT: found the link
Quick Clay results

[vtecpete]

i agree DO NOT POLISH OR CLAYBAR UR CAR!!! these techniques are used on old cars or to buff out scratches. claybars and polish are abrasives (like sandpaper) they remove oxidation that has formed on the clear coat, its like sanding raw wood, its filled with splinters at first but then u sand it smooth, picture the saw dust as ur clear coat. Polish and claybar eats away at it smoothing it out, eventually it will get down to the paint and no matter what you do the car will always look dull. The only time you use those items are to remove scratches, (just on the spot with the scratch, not the whole car) or after years when the clearcoat starts to dull, and when i say years i mean like 5-10.

I put 2 coats of muguires ultra wet shine wax on mine the day i brought it from the dealership. and if you wash ur car with a very mild detergent you wont have to wax it again for another 6 months.

[NIGHTHAWKSI]

Originally Posted by vtecpete

i agree DO NOT POLISH OR CLAYBAR UR CAR!!! these techniques are used on old cars or to buff out scratches. claybars and polish are abrasives (like sandpaper) they remove oxidation that has formed on the clear coat, its like sanding raw wood, its filled with splinters at first but then u sand it smooth, picture the saw dust as ur clear coat. Polish and claybar eats away at it smoothing it out, eventually it will get down to the paint and no matter what you do the car will always look dull. The only time you use those items are to remove scratches, (just on the spot with the scratch, not the whole car) or after years when the clearcoat starts to dull, and when i say years i mean like 5-10.

I put 2 coats of muguires ultra wet shine wax on mine the day i brought it from the dealership. and if you wash ur car with a very mild detergent you wont have to wax it again for another 6 months.

clay bar is not an abrasive...it will not take ANY clear coat off.
i do agree that polish tkaes off some clear....but not nearly as much as your making it seem. and most of the time, it doesnt even remove the clear...it only dulls down the edges of the fine scratches to make them "disappear".
in order for you to polish away all of your clear to get down to the paint is, you would either have to be useing a VERY abrasive polish (body shop status), polish it MANY TIMES with normal store bought polish.
also, meguires does not last 6 months...and if it is still on teh car, it is no where near teh same quality as it was when you first applied it. it lasts more like 2-3 months. and never use "detergent" on your car...it wills tip off any wax/protection you have on your paint. only use car wash soap.

etcthorne...try these links:
Hard water spots etched in clear!!! - also about water spots
over using claybar - over use of clay bar....nope
***Detailing Guide***
CLAYBAR TUTORIAL! *Q&A* *VIDEO* - how to clay bar
Rasky's Work - probably the best detailer onthis forum. ask him any quations you may have

[vtecpete]

Originally Posted by NIGHTHAWKSI

clay bar is not an abrasive...it will not take ANY clear coat off.
i do agree that polish tkaes off some clear....but not nearly as much as your making it seem. and most of the time, it doesnt even remove the clear...it only dulls down the edges of the fine scratches to make them "disappear".
in order for you to polish away all of your clear to get down to the paint is, you would either have to be useing a VERY abrasive polish (body shop status), polish it MANY TIMES with normal store bought polish.
also, meguires does not last 6 months...and if it is still on teh car, it is no where near teh same quality as it was when you first applied it. it lasts more like 2-3 months. and never use "detergent" on your car...it wills tip off any wax/protection you have on your paint. only use car wash soap.

90% of all car wash soaps have degreasor in them, thus y there called cleaning detergents, read the back of labels, even on front of them, most of them are called "cleaning detergents". ur right, 6 months is a long time, thats y i said a MILD detergent, not a normal, or strong one. With proper care you CAN have it last that long, especially if you have a garage. . You just stated "polish it MANY TIMES with normal store bought polish" i dont know how long u plan to own this vehicle but i plan on owning it a pretty long time, and u just admitted that it can eat away at the paint. i dont know about u, but i wanna keep my paint glossy for a while so i would only polish when absolutly needed,

a Clay bar is an abrasive, a very mild one, but it is one. if you dont put the lubricating oil on top, it will scratch the HELL outta ur car, please explain how a "non-abrasive" clay bar manages to scratch the car.......

[NIGHTHAWKSI]

Originally Posted by vtecpete

90% of all car wash soaps have degreasor in them, thus y there called cleaning detergents, read the back of labels, even on front of them, most of them are called "cleaning detergents". ur right, 6 months is a long time, thats y i said a MILD detergent, not a normal, or strong one. With proper care you CAN have it last that long, especially if you have a garage. . You just stated "polish it MANY TIMES with normal store bought polish" i dont know how long u plan to own this vehicle but i plan on owning it a pretty long time, and u just admitted that it can eat away at the paint. i dont know about u, but i wanna keep my paint glossy for a while so i would only polish when absolutly needed,

a Clay bar is an abrasive, a very mild one, but it is one. if you dont put the lubricating oil on top, it will scratch the HELL outta ur car, please explain how a "non-abrasive" clay bar manages to scratch the car.......

i plan on keeping my car for many years...but rather than having it look like hell after 3 years and then having to use an abrasive polish to get it clean...i would rather use a very mild polish 1 or 2 times a year and have the car look nice for teh entire time i own it...rather than just clean it when it really needs it.

if you do anything wrong it can ruin your paint, lol..read the directions 9they are right next to the label that tells you the ingredients) and it will tell you how to use it. i could also take a gallon of car wash, dump it on the roof of my car and rinse it off....does that mean my car is clean?...nope. you must follwo instructions.

any more questions/doubts you may have can be answered here.
http://www.dealergoodies.com/page296.html

[ryker]

A clay bar used improperly and when not needed will cuase more damage than good. A new car would have had at the most 8hours on a train ride. Not enough to risk dragging clay with the other crap across the car.

[ryker]

I don't know the exact sealant they used. But in general they are good for 6 months. I likie Menzerna FMJ.

You can read the truth about car paint care at www.properautocare.com

[ryker]

Originally Posted by vtecpete

I put 2 coats of muguires ultra wet shine wax on mine the day i brought it from the dealership. and if you wash ur car with a very mild detergent you wont have to wax it again for another 6 months.

Depening on the color of paint and if you park inside or outside. Most natural waxes do not last more than 3 months less on dark cars.

[ryker]

Originally Posted by NIGHTHAWKSI

first off...teh "sealant" they sold you is just a expensive coat of wax that you fell for. sorry to say it...but its nothing special.

http://www.properautocare.com/sypse.html

"Synthetic or man-made, "waxes" are called paint sealants. Made with state-of-the-art, engineered, polymers, the best sealants create a sizzling, bright shine that grabs your attention. Sealants are the exact opposite of carnauba waxes having a very high surface adhesion with a low surface tension. This means sealants can last for 6 months or more and have a slippery finish which sheets water to minimize water spots. Sealants are highly resistant to detergent washings and are typically easy to apply either by hand or machine."

I first wash the car with a high quality real car soap. Not a cheap car wash.http://www.properautocare.com/64ozmegoclsh.html

Then I use http://www.properautocare.com/megsno7showc.html


http://www.properautocare.com/menzernafmj.html Is what I use. The bottle is $$$ but such a small amount is used and only used twice a year- The bottle will last probably longer than I'll keep the car. I apply one coat and wait 8hrs then apply another. Then 8hours again I use the wax below.


I then put a coat of http://www.properautocare.com/pershowcarpa.html

clean wash mits and clean clothes. That is a huge factor.

[NIGHTHAWKSI]

Originally Posted by ryker

http://www.properautocare.com/sypse.html

"Synthetic or man-made, "waxes" are called paint sealants. Made with state-of-the-art, engineered, polymers, the best sealants create a sizzling, bright shine that grabs your attention. Sealants are the exact opposite of carnauba waxes having a very high surface adhesion with a low surface tension. This means sealants can last for 6 months or more and have a slippery finish which sheets water to minimize water spots. Sealants are highly resistant to detergent washings and are typically easy to apply either by hand or machine."

I first wash the car with a high quality real car soap. Not a cheap car wash.http://www.properautocare.com/64ozmegoclsh.html

Then I use http://www.properautocare.com/megsno7showc.html


http://www.properautocare.com/menzernafmj.html Is what I use. The bottle is $$$ but such a small amount is used and only used twice a year- The bottle will last probably longer than I'll keep the car. I apply one coat and wait 8hrs then apply another. Then 8hours again I use the wax below.


I then put a coat of http://www.properautocare.com/pershowcarpa.html

clean wash mits and clean clothes. That is a huge factor.

i dont know why you quoted me...but yea..the dealer sold him a expensive coat of wax....i dont know how much they charged (probably at least $100), but you can buy a wax/sealant from your local car parts store for $15-20. so he kinda got ripped off. especially since it seems the dealer applied the sealant over the water spots that were probably formed while it was sitting in their lot.
wax choice is preference...i prefer zaino (i havent waxed my car in 6 months and it still beads like it did the day i applied it)...but the pics of that wax look great.

[vtecpete]

Originally Posted by NIGHTHAWKSI

i plan on keeping my car for many years...but rather than having it look like hell after 3 years and then having to use an abrasive polish to get it clean...i would rather use a very mild polish 1 or 2 times a year and have the car look nice for teh entire time i own it...rather than just clean it when it really needs it.

if you do anything wrong it can ruin your paint, lol..read the directions 9they are right next to the label that tells you the ingredients) and it will tell you how to use it. i could also take a gallon of car wash, dump it on the roof of my car and rinse it off....does that mean my car is clean?...nope. you must follwo instructions.

any more questions/doubts you may have can be answered here.
http://www.dealergoodies.com/page296.html

in the long wrong i believe u and i will not agree on this thread. I personally owned a 2000 Ford expedition, black, which that even though it had its chips and dings the paint finally started to look "dull" last year. (and this was after years of using dish washing liquid for a cleaner, the car used to be my dads but after i got a hold of it i really didnt care anymore, even went through drive through car washes, god knows i wont hit one now in my SI) this car was 6 years old before i even considered polishing it. Now if i had been polishing it 1 to 2 times a year like u said, i wouldve never achieved the "black" i achieved when i went to trade in the sucker for my SI, next person who owns it can do the same thing in another 4-6 years and it still come out "black" (if the engine last that long of course) now ur SI on the other hand, after being hit by the polish so many times will probably need another coat of clear after 4 years, like my boys '00 SI, he use to polish that sucker all the time, nice and dull now no matter how hard he tries to clay/polish/wax.

But as i stated before, u and i, we aint gonna agree. To each there own, everybody who reads this thread dont let us make the decision for you, seek out everyones opinion and pick out the one that makes the most sense to u, PCE!!

[ryker]

Originally Posted by NIGHTHAWKSI

i dont know why you quoted me...but yea..the dealer sold him a expensive coat of wax....i dont know how much they charged (probably at least $100), but you can buy a wax/sealant from your local car parts store for $15-20. so he kinda got ripped off. .

I quoted you because you called the sealant nothing special. When it is very different than the 5.00 can of turtle wax from Wal_mart. Some sealant can cost over 70.00 per bottle. But I agree the dealerships make a killer profit off of it. But then again so does any carwash /detail shop.