Help with Car Wash and Wax

I just got my black SL-e Leaf this week. It is pretty dirty and I want to give it a wash and wax. I have been using those automatic brush car washes in the past, but with the "thin paint" issues I read about, I'd like to avoid the car wash and do it myself. I haven't cleaned my own car in a while, so please let me know what products have been working for you.
Specifically, I've heard Mother's wax products are good, but should I get the paste, then touch up with the "express spray" wax after future washes?
I've also read about the Teflon and Zaino products, but I don't think I want to invest the time/money into using those (unless you guys think it's worth the investment).

Thanks!

I dont wash my truck and I definitely will not help you wash your car.. unless you are very pretty

ps.. dont ever mention those automatic brush car washes in this forum.. I'm sure some fellow members had a stroke when they read that.

The LEAF manual states that washing your car more than 2X a week will cause the pain to loose capacity. Looking at is hard will also do this over time.

I'd skip the wax and the orbital buffer. Modern paint sealants are easy to use and last longer.
Zainos Z5 works great on dark colors. Wipe on, wipe off!

I just finished using Maguires Swirlx and Gold Carnuba wax on my Black SL. It took the better part of a day to do. You can buy at a local auto parts store. It looks pretty good. But being black it will never look perfect. Buy microfiber towels from Costco for removing wax. Good luck.

You gotta remember to put LOLs after such things since newbies, not knowing you, might take you seriously! :lol:

EVDRIVER said:

The LEAF manual states that washing your car more than 2X a week will cause the pain to loose capacity. Looking at is hard will also do this over time.

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Assuming you are going to wash it periodically, just use a bucket of warm water and a little car wash soap and microfiber mitt, and a spray wax when drying.

DeaneG said:

Assuming you are going to wash it periodically, just use a bucket of warm water and a little car wash soap and microfiber mitt, and a spray wax when drying.

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Spray Wax? What do you recommend? I did just wax the car with Kit cream wax a few weeks ago--doesn't feel as nice after the first washing.

gascant said:

Spray Wax? What do you recommend? I did just wax the car with Kit cream wax a few weeks ago--doesn't feel as nice after the first washing.

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I use Eagle One "Wax-As-U-Dry", which as it says you spray on as you dry the car, so it doesn't take any additional time. Consumer reports gave it a good score some time ago, but mentioned that it didn't hold up as well as traditional liquid waxes, so you'll want to use it each time you wash the car. But then again it is an almost zero-effort solution.

Consumer reports also liked Black Magic Wet Shine Liquid Wax, Turtle Wax Carnauba Car Wax, and Eagle One Nanowax liquid waxes. They said that overall, paste waxes didn't perform as well as liquid.

DeaneG said:

. They said that overall, paste waxes didn't perform as well as liquid.

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Interesting. And not what I would have expected.

That is surprising that liquid waxes performed better than pastes...I'm all for less work! Thanks for the advice. I went ahead and gave the car a wash this morning without the added effort of the wax. I'll get some spray on and see how it holds up. Car looks great, but black is not a good color...I already have my 4 year old's hand prints showing all over the doors.

It is not a good idea to wax the car right away. The Clearcoat that is put on the car should last for several months. I have just put 6000 miles on mine, and I have only applied a light coat of wax to the hood. Touch up sprays shouldn't hurt the clearcoat, but read up on clearcoat care.

Black is going to show everything, so get used to seeing imperfections. Use a wax only when the water starts to bead in large droplets.

I polished mine with 'Dri Wash 'N Guard' (DWG International.com) which cleans and polishes in one step without any water or pre-cleaning, and it lasts a long time. It also puts a nice layer of protection on your windows and windshield so using your wipers is almost unnecessary. When the car gets a little dirty, just spray it with a mist of water and wipe with a micro-fiber cloth. It's awesome stuff!

EVDRIVER said:

The LEAF manual states that washing your car more than 2X a week will cause the pain to loose capacity. Looking at is hard will also do this over time.

Click to expand...

:shock:

:lol:

ByeByePump said:

I'd skip the wax and the orbital buffer. Modern paint sealants are easy to use and last longer.
Zainos Z5 works great on dark colors. Wipe on, wipe off!

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I second Zaino products although this is the first time I have used it on my Leaf.

The other alternatives are using Klasse products (all-in-one and a sealant application) and/or Rejex. I have used both of these on my Audi S4 and A4s. Survived the snow and grime from all the Tahoe runs we did.

Overall I do think that the paint is very thin and the car will scratch easily... The other issue with a new car is that the plastic that the car came on with when removed leaves some residue that picks up dirt easily. As a result a good wash should be given to remove any of the glue still there. Not sure if we need to clay bar it. I did not but plan to do it few months down the road.

My Leaf's hood seems to get all kind of projectiles and every time I wash I car I see more scratches. My 5 year old Mazda has hardly been cared as much and not a scratch on hood but the Leaf seems to pick it up very easily. I have washed my car well and then I gave it a nice Maguire's Polish. I wanted to wax it but ran out of time. The polish did seem to make the car shine better. Have to see how it performs with water on it....

Probably will wash again in 2 weeks and then polish and then wax it....

Look up a company called fastwax by formula one or f1 anyways it's a spray on wipe off without even washing ur car. What I do it wash it then spray this stuff on it (I have a black truck). It works wonders. But you must make sure your car is dry. If it's dusty just spray it right on top of the dust

I live on a dirt road in the desert; I am resigned to drive a perpetually dusty Leaf. Sigh.