If a good wax will last for say 3 months, then if I wax the car today and keep it in the garage under a car cover, come spring why isn't that waxes 3 month window starting then? I guess my question is what wears out a wax? If the car is inside under cover what effects it?

 

Your car will be fine under the car cover and the protection will last up to 3 months once you start driving it. One thing that affects wax is temp, but its heat, not cold that affects it. I'm speaking about carnauba here, not acrylic products.

 

Upstate, I think what type of soap you use to wash your car with, how many times you wash your car, acid rain, the suns intensity, gifts from birds and insects, and what kind of washing tools you use to "scrub" and dry the surface with, such as, a furry mitt, brush, cotton towel, chamois, etc. would all have something to do with how long any one particular car wax would last over another.
I read where using a chamois actually "strips" wax off your car over time with repeated use. But I also believe it's probably one of the softest materials to use to dry it also (next to blow drying that is).
I'm sure Aero Blue, or Andrew can give you the best info on the right cleaning products.

 

Upstate, Kind of off topic, but I am from Rochester also and would like your recommendation on local Chrysler dealers that could service my new Roadster under warranty (when needed). Thanks.

 

All of the above points are very well made. Another thing you DO NOT WANT TO USE is the Mr. Clean autodry, well that is unless your getting ready to do a major detail job then its ok as it strips everything off of the car.

 

Mr. Clean Autodry DOES NOT(!!!) strip wax. The soap contains a polymer that temporarily prevents water beading up, so it'll dry evenly. That's why people think it strips wax. But the next time it rains, the water beads right up again. I've been using Mr. Clean Autodry for months and water still beads up when it rains, the wax is still there.

 

Mine gets a fresh coat of Zaino every month and tomorrow is that day. I usually put it on Saturday night (in the garage) and let it dry overnight and buff it Sunday morning. I also use the detail spray (Z-6) after every wash unless I am polishing the car, then I wait til after buffing to apply the detail spray.

Pat

 

"Temporarily prevents water beading".

 

I'm sorry, but what is this word "winter" and what means "winter storage"?

 

Ssshhh...don't say this kind of thing to the rust belt folks, it just upsets them. Like when we say the difference between winter driving and summer driving is nothing more than whether we use SPF15 or SPF30 sunblock.


upstate, give you baby the full treatment before putting her away for the winter (wash, clay, polish, two very thin coats of your favorite wax) and she'll be sparkling come the first beautiful day of your new driving season.

The life expectancy of any wax or sealant is totally dependent on exposure to a variety of environmental factors and how you wash it. The more frequent the exposure, the harsher the exposure, the more aggressive the wash techniques, all play a factor. While some waxes/sealants certainly last longer than others you simply can not say Brand X will last for any specific amount of time - there are simply too many variables. Further, because of these same variables, even though Brand X may last 6 months for me, it may not for you.

 

Is is possible to wax too often? I've always put on as much as possible, maybe every 1-2 weeks I'll use Meguiars NXT. As it gets colder, I wash and wax it less, but I try to have at least a 1/2 dozen good coats of wax before winter. Still by Spring there's no beading left. I do drive it every day in winter and try to wash it when the temp is above freezing, but really maybe a 2-3 times per winter. Also in Chicago there's LOTS of salt.

After 19 months and 20k miles of my ownership and 18 months and 4k miles from the previous owner there are now swirls on my lt. blue paint. That's even after the passenger side of the car was repainted after a tree decided it didn't like me.

 

I need to correct previous post. I said there are NOW swirls on my paint. I meant to say NO swirls.
What a difference 1 letter makes!

 

Marc, first of all, beading is not necessarily a sign of protection. NXT loses it's beading ability fairly quickly, which often leads people to believe that it's no long there. I have it on the down low that Meguiar's is in the process of changing the formulation of NXT because of this popular opinion. There is a school of thought that beading is not really such a good thing because tight beads of water, if left to sit on the paint, tend to concentrate certain contaminants that can be harmful to the paint. Anyone who's ever had high mineral deposit water spots actually etch into their paint understands this.

Otherwise, can you wax too often? No, not really. The greatest risk you encounter is that the more frequently you "touch" the paint the greater the risk of inducing swirl marks. If you're not seeing swirls then your technique must be very good. I say wax to your hearts content.

Oh, and come spring time, if you decide to wash/clay/polish/wax don't bother using Dawn to strip the wax. The act of claying and polishing will remove any wax that was there to begin with, and Dawn is not really the best stuff to wash a car with anyway.

 

Beads of water can leave spots, if the water sheets off it is less likely to spot- from the manufacturer site:

"It cuts dirt and contains a Dry Rinse Polymer™ that sheets water off your car for fast drying and exceptional results."