Purchased Wax from Lexus Dealer , can anyone tell me who makes it . I believe it's a synthetic and I'm sure it's not Meguires Gold Class. I have put 2 coats on the last 2 weeks on my new RX (Flint Mica) and want to switch to Meguires NXT. Can I just wash and apply over the "Lexus Wax" ?Thanks.

 

Just wash it with dish washing detergent and that will get rid of the old wax.

 

I never recommend dishwashing detergent. It's harsh and has none of the lubricants and dirt-lifting properties associated with any good car wash shampoo. Yes, it'll remove wax, but it's also likely to induce swirl marks in the finish.

You've applied two coats - are you just unsatisfied with the results? A couple of options...

1. Wait a month and then apply NXT or whatever product you prefer. (NXT is a good choice, by the way. You'll like the way the mica pops off the finish.) A month in the summer sun will be more than enough to wear down the existing wax, allowing the new product to bond to the finish.

2. Use a clay bar on the vehicle after your next wash, which will remove the existing wax along with other surface contaminants...then follow up with NXT.

 

Bump . Still courious who supplies Lexus with their brand of car wax , might be 3M

 

Would be hard to find out. Unless you happen to know somebody who works for the wax maker.

 

I'm no wax expert, but I'm not sure that there is any need to take off the old wax in order to apply a different brand over it. But if you do want to take off the old wax, the preferred way is to wash with Dawn dishwashing liquid. The detergent in Dawn will remove the wax without harming the paint.

As observed above, Dawn is much too harsh a soap to use on a regular basis, but once is harmless, and is in fact recommended by many detailing professionals.

No soap will "induce" (or even cause) swirl marks in the finish. Swirl marks are caused by something abrasive being rubbed across the finish. There is nothing abrasive in Dawn, and as long as you don't use a "sponge" (which rubs grit over the surface) or anything other than a 100% white cotton towel, (polyester fabrics can cause scratches) you won't be making any marks on the finish. To be perfectly safe, use a microfibre, like the serious car care aficionados do.

If you don't want to be waxing the car every month, (wax does not bond to the paint, it just sits on top of it, which is why it falls off so quickly in rain and sun), consider switching to a polymer sealant, which does bond to the finish. After the initial application, including removal of the wax (because a polymer will not bond to wax), a single reapplication every six months or so is all you need. Read all about what many consider to be the best of the polymer sealants here: www.zainostore.com.

Finally, I don't think a clay bar will remove wax; my understanding is that a clay bar removes particulates embedded in the paint, especially metallic particulates, such as rail dust, in order to restore the surface to a glass like smoothness.

Many pros think polymers produce better and more reflective shines than wax; I use Zaino because it's much easier to maintain than wax. You might want to look into it.

 

Wow, that's outstanding! Wow!

 

Thanks.

When that photo was taken last year, the car was over 5 years old and everybody thought it was brand new.

It's never had any wax on it, other than what the dealer may have applied prior to delivery (washed off with Dawn). I add another layer or two of Zaino in the spring and in the fall, and that takes about an hour of my time.

With stuff like this around, who needs to mess with wax?

 

Not trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill, but...

- You want the wax to mate with the finish, or at least with a compatible product. While it's correct that a wax doesn't "bond" - it's useless if applied to something incompatible. You'll actually know this quickly - the residue will be difficult to remove and will leave behind some mirky hazing. Since there's no way of knowing the compatibility between NXT and the Lexus-branded product, why take the chance? In this case it's either worthwhile to remove the wax, or to wait until Mother Nature does it.

- Washing with dish detergent, even once, is not harmless. If you absolutely feel the need, at least do it after you've washed with a good car wash shampoo. Zaino recommends using Dawn, frankly, because their sealant is very tempermental and will not bond effectively if there is other product residue behind. Other sealants are similar - certainly no knock on Zaino. Their products are outstanding...however there are just as many, if not more, pros that recommend other products. Menzerna FMJ, Four Star UPP, and Klasse SG are just three examples of awesome polymer sealants out there.

- Clay will undoubtedly remove wax. But don't take my word for it - http://www.autogeek.net/detailing-clay-bar.html. This is actually pretty logical - if it removes contaminants, why wouldn't it also remove what's on top of those contaminants?

- Why mess with wax? Very simple: it looks good! It's also much less tempermental to apply than a sealant - which is still a product most folks don't even consider. On just about every vehicle I detail I follow sealant with wax. The only exceptions are light finishes with heavy metallic or pearl content. A sealant makes these finishes pop. Other finishes are often left looking a bit sterile. Wax adds depth, reflection, and wetness to the finish.