Autogeeked!!

[mikesal57]

Hi All..

A week ago I got a brand new 2014 Honda Pilot...

While at the dealer and finalizing the deal , I told them to NOT TO TOUCH OR WASH THE CAR !!

My wife and the salesman mouths drop...

I said don't touch it..I'll take car of it..
My wife said.... That proves it...He's crazy
Anyway , we waited 2 hours because they had only one finance officer on duty...
So the salesman came back to us and apologized for the wait and told us he'll throw in for free the exterior and interior protectant.
I said..No Thank You
My wife shook her head.

Now...

I washed the car and applied Opti-Seal...
I didn't clay because I didn't want any micro marring and then polish ..but with 13 miles, I'm sure it didn't need it.

Some questions...

1) Chrome Grill....I just washed it...can I use Opti-Seal on it?

2) Wheels.... I sprayed a diluted APC on tires and rims....
Is that enough to protect from brake dust and any damage later on?

3) Interior... I want to protect the leather seats & dash from UV rays before summer kicks in.....I have Mothers VLR , Is this sufficient?


Thxs ( for now)

Mike

[mark6614]

I've always had issues with dealerships still washing it when I tell them not to so I feel your pain!

1 and 3 I'm not 100% sure but for 2, why not optiseal the wheels as well? APC won't protect them it will just clean them.

[Marc Hufnagel]

Hi All..

A week ago I got a brand new 2014 Honda Pilot...

While at the dealer and finalizing the deal , I told them to NOT TO TOUCH OR WASH THE CAR !!

My wife and the salesman mouths drop...

I said don't touch it..I'll take car of it..
My wife said.... That proves it...He's crazy
Anyway , we waited 2 hours because they had only one finance officer on duty...
So the salesman came back to us and apologized for the wait and told us he'll throw in for free the exterior and interior protectant.
I said..No Thank You
My wife shook her head.

Now...

I washed the car and applied Opti-Seal...
I didn't clay because I didn't want any micro marring and then polish ..but with 13 miles, I'm sure it didn't need it.

Some questions...

1) Chrome Grill....I just washed it...can I use Opti-Seal on it?

2) Wheels.... I sprayed a diluted APC on tires and rims....
Is that enough to protect from brake dust and any damage later on?

3) Interior... I want to protect the leather seats & dash from UV rays before summer kicks in.....I have Mothers VLR , Is this sufficient?


Thxs ( for now)

Mike

Unless it was built just a few weeks ago and a very short transport to the lot, the vast majority of new cars need claying, even right off the lot. :) Opti-seal will just seal those bonded contaminants right in. Sorry...

[JHL88]

Hi All..

A week ago I got a brand new 2014 Honda Pilot...

While at the dealer and finalizing the deal , I told them to NOT TO TOUCH OR WASH THE CAR !!

My wife and the salesman mouths drop...

I said don't touch it..I'll take car of it..
My wife said.... That proves it...He's crazy
Anyway , we waited 2 hours because they had only one finance officer on duty...
So the salesman came back to us and apologized for the wait and told us he'll throw in for free the exterior and interior protectant.
I said..No Thank You
My wife shook her head.

Now...

I washed the car and applied Opti-Seal...
I didn't clay because I didn't want any micro marring and then polish ..but with 13 miles, I'm sure it didn't need it.

Some questions...

1) Chrome Grill....I just washed it...can I use Opti-Seal on it?

2) Wheels.... I sprayed a diluted APC on tires and rims....
Is that enough to protect from brake dust and any damage later on?

3) Interior... I want to protect the leather seats & dash from UV rays before summer kicks in.....I have Mothers VLR , Is this sufficient?


Thxs ( for now)

Mike


I beg to differ :props:

[RobertJ34]

Congrats on the new car! Smart man to not let them touch it.
Now, I understand its new and has a few miles, BUT, was it sitting out in a lot for some time? Yes, its new, but it can still get contaminants on the car. (I bought a new care last May, 24 miles, had contaminants.) Do the Baggy test to get a real "feel" for it
Prep is key, You did your 1st part on not letting them touch it, why not do the 2nd part and make sure its "surgically" clean before using a good product on it.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/27967-baggie-test-how-inspect-above-surface-bonded-contaminants.html

This may provide value, "How to detail your brand new car-Mike Phillips"
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/54451-how-detail-your-brand-new-car-mike-phillips.html

with that all being said..

1) I don't see why you can't. Again, I recommend proper prep steps (clay)

2)APC will clean it, but wont protect. Looks for a Wheel Sealant or a coating. I'm sure people will chime in soon on this. But per AG description on product: "Opti-Seal is not a short-cut product. It is a state-of-the-art, stand-alone spray sealant that provides real, durable protection for paint, plastic trim, and wheels." (I guess that answers number 1)

3) I won't give advice on leather seats as my seats are cloth and I have never used anything, so I have no "hands on" experience. As for the dash, you will hear a lot of recommendations.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/73751-best-vinyl-dash-protectant-2.html

I personally use Meguairs #40, I love it.
Meguiars #40<br>Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner protects rubber, plastic & vinyl interior surfaces. Meguiars # 40 Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner and (http://www.autogeek.net/meg40vinrubc.html)

Hope this helps, enjoy!

[cleanmycorolla]

Just because your car has 13 miles on it. I'm sure it needs to be clayed not matter how much you think it doesn't. Also, applying any LSP on a car not clayed or polished, your just wasting your product.

[Bill1234]

your wife should learn what happens when you let the dealer touch it. The salesmens mouth should not have dropped, he did it because you would have paid at first for the chemicals for the car

[Hjfowler]

Hi All..

A week ago I got a brand new 2014 Honda Pilot...

While at the dealer and finalizing the deal , I told them to NOT TO TOUCH OR WASH THE CAR !!

My wife and the salesman mouths drop...

I said don't touch it..I'll take car of it..
My wife said.... That proves it...He's crazy
Anyway , we waited 2 hours because they had only one finance officer on duty...
So the salesman came back to us and apologized for the wait and told us he'll throw in for free the exterior and interior protectant.
I said..No Thank You
My wife shook her head.

Now...

I washed the car and applied Opti-Seal...
I didn't clay because I didn't want any micro marring and then polish ..but with 13 miles, I'm sure it didn't need it.

Some questions...

1) Chrome Grill....I just washed it...can I use Opti-Seal on it?

2) Wheels.... I sprayed a diluted APC on tires and rims....
Is that enough to protect from brake dust and any damage later on?

3) Interior... I want to protect the leather seats & dash from UV rays before summer kicks in.....I have Mothers VLR , Is this sufficient?


Thxs ( for now)

Mike

I have a 2010 accord and 2012 pilot. Both leather. By far the best product I've used has been 303 aerospace for all trim and leather inside the car. Doesn't change the finish or leave a greasy feeling anywhere. Repels dust particles as well. Plus it's fantastic for UV protection. Anything that gets on the seats, or anywhere else for that matter, will wipe right off. Great product for the interior. It also doesn't leave an odor.

[CDot]

I washed the car and applied Opti-Seal...
I didn't clay because I didn't want any micro marring and then polish ..but with 13 miles, I'm sure it didn't need it.

Some questions...

1) Chrome Grill....I just washed it...can I use Opti-Seal on it?

2) Wheels.... I sprayed a diluted APC on tires and rims....
Is that enough to protect from brake dust and any damage later on?

3) Interior... I want to protect the leather seats & dash from UV rays before summer kicks in.....I have Mothers VLR , Is this sufficient?


Just got a 2009 Pilot for my wife last October--great vehicles!

When the Opti-Seal wears off, I'd clay it--you'd be surprised what may come off. It's good to do just in case. Get a light/medium clay bar if micro-marring worries you, you can always do a light polish after--Honda's have soft paint. I realized the latter after polishing with Megs UC last year and caught some very light spider-webs on it the other day.

1) I don't own Opti-Seal so not sure. Mine has a layer of DP Paint Coating on it.

2) APC is just for cleaning. I use Colli #845 on my wheels for protection and EcoTouch Tire Shine on the tires. You can use all kinds of waxes/sealants or a coating on the rims if you wish.

3) I use Mothers Leather Cleaner/Conditioner and VLR for the leather and it's worked great. This was my first car with leather though, so I don't have experience with a lot of other leather products. I also recommend tinting the driver/passenger seat windows in the future to help with UV ray exposure.

[Radarryan]

I agree with others that say that new cars, most of time at least, still need to be clayed. It's very easy and when using mild clay, like Sonus or Pinnacle, you won't have any marring. It's the transport of the car, rather than the driving, that deposits the fallout onto the paint.

For the interior, I like Ultima Interior Guard Plus+. Here's a review I did on it not too long ago.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/product-reviews/77180-review-ultima-interior-guard-plus.html

[custmsprty]

Unless it was built just a few weeks ago and a very short transport to the lot, the vast majority of new cars need claying, even right off the lot. :) Opti-seal will just seal those bonded contaminants right in. Sorry...

:iagree:and as most new cars spend time on a train to a central distribution point, so plenty of rail dust too. Do the baggie test, that's always an eye opener.

[mikesal57]

Guys..you were right on...it failed the baggie test :cry:

But its OK....

The car is now sealed against the weather and sun

I plan on doing a few panels at a time by

1) washing
2) claying
3) washing again
4) polishing
5) wax and seal

I don't have to worry about swirls or scratches so it shouldn't take long

One last thing about the wheels

After waxing or sealing them ,
How do you clean them on your next wash/washes?
Spray hose and dry?
or APC and dry?
or APC and wax/seal again? ( I hope not this again)

Will APC take off any protectants or is there another product that will clean and wont remove wax?

Thxs

mike

[mark6614]

APC will definitely strip or at the least weaken the sealant on the wheels. Since you are sealing the wheels and plan to wash frequently, you shouldn't need anything other than car soap to scrub them clean. If the car soap isn't enough to get them clean it's time to APC and re-seal.

:detailer:

[HateSwirls]

Congrats on the new ride:)

If it was me I'd do the following

Wash the car, two bucket method with a good car soap of your choice.
Instead of buying a clay bar kit do as I did, buy yourself an Autoscrub Handy Towel, I bought the 7x7", you can fold it and fits perfect in the palm of your hand, price, $25.00 and will do 50 cars, so they say.
After removing the contaminates , trust me when I say you'll have some.
You could coat the paint using one of my favorites, the Wolfgang Glossy Paint Sealant, if you want to save some money but still get good protection put two coats of Collinite 845 Insulator Wax, of course let in cure before adding the second coat.

To maintain the paint from there and also your wheels use the Duragloss Aquawax 951 spray wax/sealant.


Here's what I'm planning soon as I heal from my surgery on my 2008 black RAV4.......


Wash using Chemical Guys Maxi-Suds.
Use my handy prep towel to remove any contaminants I may or may not have.
Polish using the Meguiar's 205 Ultra Fine Polish using my DA along with a black finishing pad.
Clean the car again using the DP Rinse-Less Wash.
Apply a thin coat of Wolfgang Glossy Paint Sealant.
After 24 hours of cure time I'd apply two thin coats of Collinite 845.
Then apply the Duragloss Aquawax 951 to the entire car, including the glass and wheels.

From there I'd maintain it using the 845.
I'd have enough protection to last well through the hot summer months.

[mikesal57]

Thxs Mark :props:

Hi Swirls..
I already have some of those products that I use on my 2009 Rav4
I have the nanoskin Towel
Meg 205
Col 845
Opti-Seal
Wolfgang Liquid Seal
And Optimum NR with Wax

This winter was real rough on my RAV
There's lots of work for me coming up..

GET BETTER!!!

Mike