Baby ///M3

For the first time in my life (I've always used liquid wax on my bimmer and other cars I've owned before), I finally used Quik Detail on my SC4 to see what happens.

The result was okay, it made the car look shiny but nothing like the smooth mirror finish that I see on most other cars out there.

But I could live with that. What I can't live with is, I get this really ugly white smears on the paint when I try to use a wet tower to wipe off the water stains on my car.

My question is, obviously, any kind of wax (except for liquid wax) will probably leave some kind of residue on the paint. Isn't that actually detrimental to the car's paint finish?

Granted, I can always go and spray more Quik Detail on the part of the paint that's smeared and wipe it dry and I am sure it's gonna solve the problem. But I am not sure if I would want to stick with non-liquid based wax anymore. At least the $2 K mart liquid wax I used on my other cars never left any smears like this on the paint before. And yet, they still look very shiny compare to the Lexus.

What's your thoughts on this? Sorry, I didn't mean to bash on wax users. I don't know too much about detailing cars (I just know how to wash them clean ) so I would appreciate any input before I decide what to do with those smears on my roof top and hood.

Thanks!

Jon

ron36330

M3;
I wax my cars twice a year. When I wash them between wax jobs I finish off with a product called the "Glosser". I don't know who makes but I get mine at Wally World. The "Glosser" is a wax impregnated micro fibre cloth and I find it much easier to apply than liquid detailers. It leaves a nice high gloss and very esy to apply. Just wipe down the entire car with the cloth and you are done. It applys the detailer/wax and shines in one operation. There are no streaks or smears and water has no effect on the finish.
Anyway just a thought as that is my technique.
Good luck
Ron

Baby ///M3

Thanks for your inputs.

Is this product similar to the Nu Finish that many auto stores sell? I have a bottle of Nu Finish here in my apt. but I am afraid to use it on my SC. Hence I bought the Quik Detail.

It looks good after I first applied it on the paint. My concern is, if I could see smears on the paint surface after I tried to wipe off some dirts on my paint with water later, it's gotta mean that somehow the Quik Detail has left residues/smears on the paint.

I was wondering if it's good for the car paint in the long run. Perhaps the Glosser works the same way as well?

Jon

Guitarman

Baby ///M3, could you post the exact brand and product name of the quick detailer you used and also what wax product is on the car? It would help in giving advice.

The reason I ask is; the quick detailers I use (Meguiar's Final Inspection and Zaino Z6) don't contain any wax, and I don't get this "residue" buildup that you get, it simply removes dust etc. and leaves a great shine. You may be confusing a quick detailer with a polish or wax, they are neither-they are only intended to be a fast clean up of dust , pollen, fingerprints etc on paint that has been brought up to good condition via polishing etc. It's not a substitute for polish or wax, and they will not remove oxidation, scratches or swirls from compound.
Your QD problem may have more to do with either what is in the quick detailer (some have a minute amount of wax in them), or what is on the paint , be it wax or sealant. I also want to be certain you're not confusing a "Quik Wax" product with a quick detail spray. Thanks.

Baby ///M3

Thanks for your reponse Guitarman.

The Quik Detail I used on my car is Meguiar's Quik Detail. It's the maroon bottle that K Mart sells for around $5 or so.

Sorry, I must have phrased or worded my original question too vaguely. Let me rephrase what I said again.

I meant to say that even though the Meguiar's Quik Detail gave me great results (it made my car a bit shinier compare to conventional liquid wax), I was a little worried about its side effect. Here's why: One night after I sprayed some Quik Detail on my car and wiped it dry, I noticed that my car's exterior was attacked by dirt/water from the nearby sprinkler. At that time, there was no smear/residue whatsoever, just shiny exterior with a bunch of ugly water marks. I tried to get rid of the water marks with a bottle of Windex and cotton tower (I always carry Windex and tower in my car just in case my windshield gets too dirty) but as I started wiping, I could see the wax residues and smears on the paint. I was not able to completely get rid of the smears with just Windex/tower and had to go home and use the Quik Detail to wipe everything off.

Therefore, my question is, if Quik Detail does leave such smear and residue on the car, wouldn't it be true that it's gotta be bad for the paint? I've always used liquid wax to wash my car before and I never had any smears or white residues on the paint even if I needed to use Windex to do some quick wiping later.

Any thoughts on this one?

Also, I am currently living in an apt. so I have very limited access to water/soap, etc. when it comes to wash my car. For now, I can only manage to keep it shiny by applying Quik Detail every 2-3 days. Is this a good way to keep my car from getting dirty? Or should I really only use Quik Detail after I wash/wax the car?

Sorry for the long post and I would appreciate any inputs...

Jon

PS. Even though I've always washed my other cars with liquid wax, my SC, however, did receive a few
hard wax jobs in the past. Perhaps the smears/white residues I see on the car was some type of hard
wax that the dealer did on my SC a long time ago? If that's the case, then I apologize for making such
a big fuzz about the Quik Detail.

Guitarman

Maybe I'm not following this correctly, but...from your quote, the residue came AFTER you used the WINDEX, which makes sense because it will strip off your wax. Windex contains ammonia and alcohol, which will strip off your sealant or wax, and create a mess in the process. The fact that you used Meguiar's Quik Detailer just previous to this tells me the fresh (slight) amount of carnauba in the quick detailer probably was the stuff that smeared when you applied the Windex.

2 Things you may want to try;
Use a quick detailer that contains no wax, and/or don't use Windex on the paint (it's harsh), due to it's ability to strip off whatever you've put on your paint. A quality quick detailer alone will remove water spots if you act fast. Once dried and burned in though, you'll sometimes have to use a mild acetic acid such as white vinegar to remove them, and then re-wax.

One thing I can say with certainty is-quick detailers are completely safe, and have been used for years by hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts without issues. Best of luck, don't give up on the Q/D's.

Baby ///M3

You're absolutely correct, Guitarman.

I did use Windex after applying the QD. And I saw the smears as I tried to use Windex to wipe off the spots.

Thanks for the helpful info. It's time for me to use Windex strictly on windows/windshield now.

I'll stick to the Meguire's Quik Detail from now on. Since I don't have access to water and soap, am I able to use the QD alone (without previously applying any other type of wax whatsoever due to the lack of access to water) provided that I spray/apply on my car on the daily (if not, every 2-3 days) basis without damaging the paint?

The reason why I was so hesitant in using non-liquid based wax (including QD) before is that I've seen too many old cars that had been waxed with non-liquid wax plenty of times (and then later neglected) with damaged paint surface caused by accumulation of excessive wax + sunlight and dirt. The result was pretty nasty to look at; It's even worse than not washing the car at all.

Looks like things have improved quite a bit since the old days.

Thanks again!

Jon

Baby ///M3

Sorry for double posting.

Just got rid of the contents...

Jon

fireballs gs400

i use turtle wax color wax. i use the green stick on some of the very small spots on the front bumper. and them wax the entire car once a month, it shines very nice, and i am happy with the end results.

ron36330

M3;
The Glosser is not a wax but a detailer. It does not come in a bottle but a plastic envelope w/6 impregnated cloths. You just open the envelope, remove one cloth,detail the car and dispose of the cloth. I like it because of the final finish and it is an easy one step procedure. Just wipe down and you are done.
Living in an apartment it would be simple to carry a package in the car and when needed just remove a cloth and wipe down your car. Although I personally never do that unles I have first washed the car.
Anyway at my WM they are stocked in the section with car wash materials.
Good Luck
Ron

Baby ///M3

Thanks for your help again guys.

I will go to my local auto supply store and get myself some Glosser later. I am sure it will provide great results if I use them after spraying on some QDs.

Jon