New Car Exterior/Interior Care Confusion

Modern day snake oil. And a big profit maker for the dealers.

 

No, Zaino is not a teflon sealant. In fact, I doubt that there is such a thing. Teflon is a non stick coating for metals that seems to be baked on or at least flowed on to a surface. Look up Teflon. It is patented by DuPont as a process. If you look at their website you will find some double talk about Simoniz having some relationship with Dupont but they don't really explain exactly how that rock hard teflon surface from the cooking pots gets into the "wax" that is put on the car.

The bottom line is that what you are buying is a typical "wax" or polymer coating that goes on your car, no better and probably worse than Zaino and/or Meguiars or a bunch of other decent products AND an insurance policy that they are willing to bet you will never be able to collect on. It is an overpriced scam, just like PolyGlyCoat was 25 years ago. It (Polyglycoat) cost about 20 cents per application in materials, sold for $150.00 with a years long guarantee that you had to "renew" every few months with a decent but cheap polymer that basically meant you were taking care of your car, so the paint would probably do just fine if you had used buffalo grease instead.

Zaino makes a very good product. Even better is that Sal Zaino (if he is still around) used to answer the phone and answer basic questions about detailing. Obviously a very knowledgeable guy. I stopped using them because, frankly, I am not organized enough to plan ahead so I was always finding that when I had set aside a day to do my cars, I was out of product so I would end up going to a local shop and buying some product off the shelves. I found very similar results with Meguiars better products particularly NXT and Ultimate Wax. There are lots of good products that will do the job. I have not seen the bang for the buck to justify the outrageous prices of Griot. They do have some really neat products, but except for some really unique brushes or similar things, you can get the functional equivalent for a substantial discount locally. In fact, Advance (used to be Discount) Auto parts in my area have a Griot kiosk in their stores with lots of their products featured.

The key is to keep your car up. I love to wash my car myself, it keeps me informed as to every little scratch or bird poop. I get them off before they can rust or ruin my paint. I also "wax" my car but I cheat! I do the horizontal surfaces about three times before I do the sides. I figure they take the brunt of the sun and exposure. It takes me about 15 minutes to do the hood, top and rear of my car with Meguiars and it comes out great. I would never do it without washing it first, though.

We have a great advantage in that our wheels require practically no cleaning because of the regenerative brakes. That takes most of my time on my other cars.

If you aren't having fun doing this, I suggest you look around for a hand washing place. I found one for $10 that lets you watch, and I do, but I only use them in emergencies or for my wifes car.

 

Depends. Zaino and the other top tier sealants might last 6 months outdoors. If a vehicle is kept in a garage except when being drive, longer.

 

Sticking w Zaino unless I find the need to fry an egg on my car.

 

There is no question that Zaino lasts as long (or longer) as any premium "wax" on the market. If longevity is your main criteria, as I remember it, NuFinish lasted longer than any other in the Consumer Union tests, but I don't like what it looks like and it accomplishes its polish with chemicals rather than waxes and I don't want to subject my car to that.

As was said: "It depends!" On lots of things, including inside or outside, sunny or hot or cool and cloudy, acid rain, bird droppings, etc etc.

I have found Mequiars Ultimate to last slightly less time than Zaino's, but a little longer than most. NXT is about the same as Ultimate but they give a different type shine. None of these products are going to break the bank. Buy a couple and try them! You might find another one that you really like and that is the important thing. To find one that you like, can apply easily and will use regularly.

 

Stick with the clay until everything that sticks up above the paint is removed. The clay rides on a water+lube film and doesn't touch your paint, so it just works on stuff that sticks above the surface. The Scratch X grinds away your clear coat as well as whatever is sticking up.

 

I wouldn't use scratchX on a car that wasn't scratched. I suspect you left it too long without washing. If you try to do it yourself, I bet you will be sorry. Find a good detailer and pay the $60 or $75 bucks it will cost you or put up with it I don't think a month is a reasonable time to let a car sit, particularly in the winter.

Otherwise do the clay again and hope for the best. Do not use anything stronger on a new car unless you have done it a lot of times on old cars that don't matter.

That is my opinion, anyway.

 

Be careful with the clay bar. At risk of unleashing the fury of the many proponents of Clay Barring? I find it to be one of the most overrated processes available for the casual consumer.

My problem with Clay Bar is so many people use it wrong. It should be used only as a process of finish maintenance not finish repair. When I read sentences like " A couple of them didn't come off however no matter how much I rubbed it with the clay" it illuminates the danger of Clay Bar useage.

Friction with contaminates are what you want to avoid as far as damaging your finish. Rubbing HARDER or MORE with Clay? Not really how the process is suppose to be used.

Personally? I don't clay bar. I know admitting this will release the wrath of Clay Bar lovers. Usually followed with stories about how I should put a plastic bag on my hand and rub my car.

 

So for the interior, what are your guys suggestion on cleaning leather seats like clazzio? As for the dash and the doors, I haven't use any products on it yet. Only wipe it with water and dusted. Any suggestions?

 

I've been using Lexol on my leather seats (cars & home office) for a long time with great results.

For the non-leather interior parts, I use a California dash duster. No cleaners or water.

 

Hey stream, Thanks for the reply! Regarding the product Lexol, which would you recommend?

 

Lexol leather cleaner for cleaning (if necessary) followed by Lexol leather conditioner. Info here, and can be purchased at most auto parts and hardware stores:
Lexol Leather Care

 

Car care can be a very confusing venture... Here are some basic points.

A new car can be waxed as soon as you buy it. The new paints used by the manufacturers cure quickly unlike older paints. Note that this is for new cars. A car that was repainted will need a curing time.

Before you wax a car, you will need to inspect the paint. A paint in good condition will feel completely smooth with absolutely no defects except for scratches and gashes from road debris. If you feel any sort of grit, then the car should be clayed.

Claying is a very easy process. You liberally spray a lubricant or soapy liquid that comes with it on the car. You then wipe the car down with the bar. The clay should not "grip" or "bind" to the paint but easily glide over the surface. If it does not, apply more liquid. As you wipe the car down with the clay bar, knead it often to change the surface of the clay. The clay bar will extract any grit from the paint into the bar and you do not want that grit scratching the paint. If you drop the clay bar on the ground, discard it, do not reuse it.

After claying, you should consider polishing the car. A car polish will remove any oxidized paint from the surface. On a new car, a very fine polish will do. On oxidized surfaces, a stronger polish will be required.

After polishing, a wax or sealant is applied to prevent the paint from oxidizing in the sun. Waxes and sealants are two different products and their results are quite different in the end. Waxes usually are made of carnauba waxes mixed in with solvents to keep it soft. Car enthusiasts prefer waxes because they leave a deeper shine to the finish. This is readily apparent on cars with darker colors, like black, dark blues and reds. The problem with waxes are their short term durability. Most waxes will last four-six weeks max. On darker colored cars, waxes will lose its effectiveness quicker since waxes are broken down by heat.

For longer life, people have been using sealants, which are synthetic compounds. They will last longer than waxes but I recommend reapplying every two-three months if possible. The reason some people do not care for synthetics is that they leave the car with a plasticky look, like it is covered in saran wrap.

This about covers it, so enjoy your prius...

 

Hmmmm, Meguiars's Tech wax 2.0 is a synthetic but I never considered it looking like saran wrap when done. It's looks nice.

What's that stuff, Zymol found in all auto parts stores ... smells like suntan lotion. Doubt that lasts very long. Last time used it, left far too much flaking dust when buffing off. Maybe put on too thick. Moot point. will stick with the Meg's or try Zaino eventually.