New car - how often to wash & wax

[fljoemon]

Folks,

Just got a new Infiniti QX60 in Black and want to keep it maintained in fairly good condition. I am not obsessed with showcar finish or anything like that, but want the paint to last me a long time. Couple of questions:

1) I just got the car last week. How often do you recommend waxing the car after washing?
2) At what intervals do I use the paint polish, pain sealant etc?
3) What product would you recommend for a newbie like me to maintain the black paint finish?

I do own a Porter Cable 7424.

Thanks in advance for the replies!

[cleanmycorolla]

www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/64360-detailing-how-book-detailing-how-e-book.html

[Evan.J]

And this as well:

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/54451-how-detail-your-brand-new-car-mike-phillips.html

[fljoemon]

www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/64360-detailing-how-book-detailing-how-e-book.html

Thank you!

Just bought it and started reading it.

will work on the car over the weekend :-)

[wdmaccord]

I just bought my car a year ago. Also black. And I probably obsess over it more than I should for a daily driver. I got it last December, so I let it go over the winter. For the first detail in April, I clayed, compounded and polished to remove the dealer installed swirls and scratches. Sealed with BF WD and topped off with BF CS. I did do one coat of BF MS paste wax just for the look. After 3 months I re-applied the BF CS. For winter (late October), I only clayed, polished, and winter waxed with Collinite 845. I keep it washed weekly with either 2 bucket method or rinseless during the summer. Now, with the colder weather, I do only do rinseless but after a quick trip to the coin-op for a high pressure rinse.

[fljoemon]

So .. is it okay to use the electric pressure washer on the car? No worries about it runining the paint?

Thanks!

[wdmaccord]

So .. is it okay to use the electric pressure washer on the car? No worries about it runining the paint?

Thanks!

For a new car, personally, I wouldn't worry about it. I've never had any problems with any factory paint using the high pressure wand at the self serve. Again, though, I am just rinsing off the larger particles so I can safely do a rinseless wash. I usually end up with road film left over that the rinseless wash removes.

[cardaddy]

Just playing devils advocate here, but being as it's black. I'd wash that puppy weekly, never put a true 'wax' on it and get a bottle of good sealant, say Megs M21 2.0, BF or WG WOWO and do it every 2~3 months.

But that's just me. ;)

Better yet, Iron-X, clay, and polish it all over then BF850 coat that whole puppy ASAP. Now THAT would be something that in the long run would really cut down on your waxing/sealing applications. ;)

[tdekany]

Just playing devils advocate here, but being as it's black. I'd wash that puppy weekly, never put a true 'wax' on it and get a bottle of good sealant, say Megs M21 2.0, BF or WG WOWO and do it every 2~3 months.

But that's just me. ;)

Better yet, Iron-X, clay, and polish it all over then BF850 coat that whole puppy ASAP. Now THAT would be something that in the long run would really cut down on your waxing/sealing applications. ;)

With a gigantic black truck, I'd coat it and call it a day. All you would do is wash and dry it properly. But that is just me.

[stilltipping3]

I would coat it twice with KSG after my paint is the way I want it. TThen it's easy with a simple wash n maintenance.

[HateSwirls]

I bought my black RAV new also, since owning it I try and wax it every three Months with Meguiars NXT. Wax liquid.
Works nicely on black and holds up fairly good, it's considered a sealant also.
It goes on easy and wipes off super easy.

Take it a step further, buy a bottle of Griot's Paint Sealant, that way you'll have better protection for months, still top it every three months with the wax.

Both are user friendly and not expensive compared to most.
A lot of bang for your buck:dblthumb2:

My car is an 09' model and still looks like the day I bought it.

[cardaddy]

With a gigantic black truck, I'd coat it and call it a day. All you would do is wash and dry it properly. But that is just me.


Yep, that's sorta my thought as well. Especially as the OP said he has a PC. Get that puppy right and coat the living snot outta' it. :dblthumb2:

OTOH, I like changing it up so much, that's why I mentioned something to do every 2~3 months. Yet with what may be upcoming back surgery, (as soon as I can get this new MRI, that I had to leave last night due to a sinus/ear infection that had me choking violently every time I went in the tube). :eek: And the fact that I won't be bending over for a good 3 months afterwards I'm trying to get coatings on everything I own about now. :rolleyes:

[fljoemon]

Better yet, Iron-X, clay, and polish it all over then BF850 coat that whole puppy ASAP. Now THAT would be something that in the long run would really cut down on your waxing/sealing applications. ;)

Hmm .. I looked and BF850 and it is the Tire Gel. Did you mean the BlackFire BF-900 Total Polish & Seal. If so, I just ordered from the Buy One - Get One free Sale and I have 2 bottles now :-)

Thanks for your replies .. they have been very helpfule .. hopefully it wont rain on Saturday morning here in Orlando, FL.

[cardaddy]

Hmm .. I looked and BF850 and it is the Tire Gel. Did you mean the BlackFire BF-900 Total Polish & Seal. If so, I just ordered from the Buy One - Get One free Sale and I have 2 bottles now :-)

Thanks for your replies .. they have been very helpfule .. hopefully it wont rain on Saturday morning here in Orlando, FL.

No, I meant the Pinnacle Label 850 line of coatings. Sorry about that. Three, no make that FOUR different coatings. One for paint, wheels, glass, and for some reason one that does all three. :dunno: We've asked Nick to give us all the science behind them and why AG decided to have a multi-surface coating along side the dedicated coatings but don't really have an in depth answer. :dunno:

Of course it goes without saying that the dedicated coatings will (or at least SHOULD) have better performance on the surface they were designed for. In other words, the wheel coating will withstand the rigors of heat and brake dust better than the paint coating. (Although on the paint it sits in direct sun and can reach what I'd think are much hotter temps during the summer.... but that's just me.) ;) Just as the glass coating will adhere to glass and provide a better seal on it's own.

I can tell you that it has amazing gloss, and while it may be $25 an ounce, it's half of competing products that are the exact same technology. ;) Even people that snark at paying me for a sealant that'll last 3~6 months are wanting a coating when I can do it for just a little more, and it'll last 1,2, up to 3 years! (Although I can't imagine a world where it'd last 3 years, even on garage queens.) :dunno:

[custmsprty]

Hmm .. I looked and BF850 and it is the Tire Gel. Did you mean the BlackFire BF-900 Total Polish & Seal. If so, I just ordered from the Buy One - Get One free Sale and I have 2 bottles now :-)

Thanks for your replies .. they have been very helpfule .. hopefully it wont rain on Saturday morning here in Orlando, FL.


Hi, I thought I'd share this with you. I just used the BF TPS today for the first time today on my friends dads severely neglected 08 Passat. It did a great job and is definitely a go to AIO. IMHO better than Klasse. I used an Orange pad with my Rupes 15 (what a great machine), moved 2'-3 ' sections. Wipe off was a breeze. It dissapears as you use it. Definitely a product I'm going to go to more often. I did my bro a favor and since Meghan hooked me up I wanted to try BF Black Ice on a whole job on a black car. Just a note , the BF TPS won't take out heavy swirls as it's an aio but it left this severley neglected paint very smooth, highly glossy and with some protection. The BF Black Ice WOW! DRIPPING WET! (hands down the best of all the black wax products out there bar none, no staining, dyeing of my mf towels etc) Check it out!

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w421/custmsprty/blackfireblackice_zps027b12f0.jpg (http://s1075.photobucket.com/user/custmsprty/media/blackfireblackice_zps027b12f0.jpg.html)