so i have read about all the posts about washing, claying, polishing, and waxing and have a few questions. i have a white 08 tahoe that i plan on keeping for many yrs. it has only been washed with turtle wax "zip" i believe and i am looking to do a full detail on it. so here are some of my questions.
1. does the factory put on a wax?
2. when do you use a wax cleaner/is it needed? after wash /before claying and polishing?
3. if 1. is yes would i even need to use a wax cleaner after two years from factory? does wax wear off?
4. which process i.e. (claying,polishing,waxing) is there a risk of taking off clearcoat?
5. when does a glaze come into play or is it the same as a polish?
6. for a two yr old factory paint job what would be a recommeded process?
if polishing is necessary should i just do the light polish or med. and light?
thanks for all the other posts on detailing they have been an eye opener and very informative.
I'm a part time detailer (and full time enthusiast), so here is what I've found through my experience (and a lot of research.)
1. Factories generally won't put on wax. A dealership might, but wax only lasts a short peiord of time, depending on use and abuse of the vehicle. (Garaged 23 hours a day will retain wax much longer than a daily driver.)
2.There is a difference between washing, polishing and cleaning. Washing just removes the dirt and grime that is sitting above the paint surface that has not bonded to the paint ("paint" referring to color coat and clearcoat). Polishing (generally the same as a glaze) will bring out the depth of the color, assuming the paint is in a condition good enough for polishing. Cleaning is what gets the paint in polishing condition. Cleaning is composed of claying, which removes bonded contaminants from the paint (overspray, rail dust, fallout, etc.) Using a paint cleaner is what will remove minor scratches, swirls and oxidation (yes oxidation cannot be removed by claying, because it is already in the clearcoat at that point.)
2.b. Wax cleaner is just a two step process combined into one step. It cleans the paint as you apply it, then it cures and you wipe off and you are left with a protective wax.
3.Yes, wax wears out. Generally, a daily driver needs to be re-waxed every 3-6 months (depending on use and abuse.)
4. Only paint cleaning will remove clear coat. But the point is to remove a verrrrrryyyyy thin layer of the clear coat to level it all out so that the entire surface looks perfectly level again. Claying will make the surface smooth, but will not remove the appearance of scratches, oxidation, etc. (Well, very aggressive clay will marr the surface of the clearcoat, requiring a paint cleaner to get rid of the marrs.)
5.See #2
6. It depends on the condition of your paint. Because your Tahoe is white, you have it a lot easier than my black beauty. If there are apparent swirls, scratches or oxidation, you need to do a paint cleaner. Depending on the severity of them, you could easily get away with a one step cleaner/polish/wax. Since I'm a hardcore Meguiars user, that is the reference that I can use off the top of my head (but you can find other similar products by other manufacuturers.) For really minor blemishes, you could use the Deep Crystal System paint cleaner. You probably don't need a polish, unless it is part of the all-in-one step. You could also use their Cleaner Wax as a one step product.
Let me know if you have other questions or need more detail about the answers here.
---------- Post added at 02:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:13 PM ----------
thanks for the response . paint is not in bad shape, normal factory paint job, i just did not know. i do have some small spots on the truck that washing does not get off thats why i thought i needed to clay . not to sound stupid, can you clay small areas or do you have to do the whole truck? i do have swirl marks from improper washing and i guess no wax on the truck right now . so i will get a decent soap (thinking of some gold class). maybe clay the small stuff? maybe a light polishing for the swirl marks ? also i read that carnuba wax does not last that long, should i do a synthetic? i also do have a rough spot in the paint on the front plastic bumper, maybe wet sand that? was wondering if you treated the plastic the same as the metal.
Yes, you can clay small areas. Just get a clay bar kit (any brand should be fine) and go according to the directions. (BTW- I saw a video that the Liquid Ice clay bar kit doesn't do much at all.)
From what I've hear, Carnuba has a lower melting point, so it generally doesn't last as long in really hot weather. Synthetic tends to last longer, but carnuba generally looks better on darker colored vehicles.
Don't wet sand, unless you really know what you're doing. You can cause SERIOUS damage to your paint that you may not be able to correct without a repaint. Do you know what the rough spot is? Is it orange peel, overspray, oxidation from bird poop or tree berries? Don't treat it like metal. Vehicle paint is much softer than metal and cannot be treated the same.
