New Truck Cleaning hints...

twister · September 30, 2006

hey everyone, great site, love it...anyways, im thinking about ordering a 07 yukon denali, and i wanted to know a few things. i was told not to wax a new car till it's about 6 months old, is that true at all? I also heard not to use high powered washer guns, like the spray and wash type car washes...any truth to that, since i live in Michigan, id like to spray the truck off atleast once a week when the snow and salt come. any helpful info would be great, thanks

Brian

Clavin78 · September 30, 2006

I dont know about the wax but definetly use a high powered washer gun. I wish I had one

Dana_15 · October 1, 2006

You can wax right away, but why bother. Most wax doesn't last all that long, use a high quality paint sealer like Zaino or Klasse AIO(works great on rims also), both last roughly six months. Personally I wouldn't use a high powered spray gun, a good lubricating shampoo wash and a wool mitt are the way to go. Thats just my opinion.

eyeball03 · October 1, 2006

Do what Dana15 says! He has the shiniest truck in the world!! LOL

Dana_15 · October 1, 2006

Do what Dana15 says! He has the shiniest truck in the world!! LOL

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LOL, Thanks,I try. I bought the truck brand new and IMMEDIATELY sealed the paint. Black is pretty easy, my take real pride in my wifes Lincoln Zephyr, its a light tan and after serious work it is deep!!!!!

twister · October 1, 2006

Do what Dana15 says! He has the shiniest truck in the world!! LOL

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LOL, Thanks,I try. I bought the truck brand new and IMMEDIATELY sealed the paint. Black is pretty easy, my take real pride in my wifes Lincoln Zephyr, its a light tan and after serious work it is deep!!!!!

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ok thanks Dana 15. ok so on a new car/truck should i immediatley seal the paint? i was maybee thinking washing it with dawn to strip all wax and stuff in the paint, then claybar, then a paint sealent? no wax? on my 01 trans am i just use normal turtle wax in a jar, but if i get the yukon, it will be for driving in the snow and salt. So i would like a good sealent and/or wax to hopefully protect it the best i can. how do you think i should go about doing this, and which products would you recommend? thanks for all input

Brian

ZZ327 · October 1, 2006

get that stuff in the orange bottle, lasts a year, no polishing, NU finish.

you just cant powerwash your new vehicle for a month so the winshield sets

Mighty HD · October 2, 2006

www.autopia.org

join the forum. They'll know more than any of us here ever will.

Dana_15 · October 2, 2006

www.autopia.org

join the forum. They'll know more than any of us here ever will.

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Agreed 110%. The database there is massive and MOST people that post there are very very helpful.

Twister, this is what I would recommend based upon what I have done, trial and error. First without a doubt get a good shampoo wash and a decent wash mitt and use the two bucket method, one bucket has clean water the other has the wash/water mix. After washing a section of your truck dunk the mitt into the clean water, then into the wash/water mix, it really saves the suds and makes the water much cleaner.

I actually have this mitt http://autopia-carcare.com/son-woolmitt.html

And its on sale for 6$.....Oh my wife isnt going to be happy

I would still claybar the truck, like you said, I've used Sonus, Mequires, and Mothers and I could not tell the difference between them at all

http://autopia-carcare.com/son-3200-300.html

Now alot of people say you don't have to wash your truck AFTER you clay, but I still do anyways just to get all the lube off, then dry the truck with a quality drying towel, you don't want water spots. My truck is black and water spots show up real easy so I purchased an Ultimate Drying Towel, it works great.

http://autopia-carcare.com/mf-200.html

Bundle of drying towel, excellent detailing towels, shampoo and mitt

http://autopia-carcare.com/mf-200.html

Now I've heard Zaino is probably the best bang for the buck and I've seen results that are very good, but I've never used it. I have been using Klasse All-In-One as a sealer, it works great. Makes dark paints deep and lighter colors very bright.

http://autopia-carcare.com/kus-kla-10.html

The stuff isn't that expensive and its lasts a very long time. You can actually stop there and be done, but topping it off with Klasse Super Glaze (after waiting 24 hrs) makes the paint look incredible, after doing about 3 layers of that stuff, 24 hr wait period inbetween, your ready to wax. I've used every wax under the sun, but always gravitate back to P21S, its the easiest to use (doesnt last that long), but d**n the shine is VERY sharp. Klasse AIO works wonders on rims also (use a seperate applicator), brake dust just falls off it. I have some decent pics of the last few trucks/cars I've owned, they all came out good (don't want to whore up your thread ). This just works for me and isn't that expensive, You'll get a different opinion from everyone, do what works for you, but I highly suggest sealing the paint with Klasse AIO, you won't regret it!

asilverblazer · October 2, 2006

I can't say power washing is bad but it certainly will never compare to a hand job. I will use a power washer for a quickie, but if I want it really clean I do it by hand.

LikeaRock14 · October 3, 2006

It doesn't hurt to use a power washer, just be sure not to hold in too close to the paint. That doesn't mean it's a good thing to use them on a regular basis, a good hand washing will keep your trucking looking good a lot longer.

Investing in a foam gun is a must for conditions that you're describing. A good pre-soak with one of these bad boys will make your wash job a lot easier. Foam Gun

Get yourself a coupla' buckets, brushes, wool mitts, and a grit guard for your basic washing tools. One bucket is for rinse (insert grit guard in this bucket, scrub the mitt on it to remove and loose dirt) and the other is for suds/water. The brushes can be used for numerous things, like sscrubbing wheels/tires/wells/frame/trim, and if you do hit those areas on a regular basis it keeps your truck looking new for a long time.

A good "wax" (by wax let's assume we're talking a pure carnauba "wax") can last anywhere from one day to a few months, it all depends on the conditions and how you care for the paint following that coat of wax. I've had Poorboys Natty's Blue bead up very nicely for close to 3 months.

Sealants lasts longer, are generally easier to apply/remove and give your paint more "pop" and more reflective than a traditional carnuaba, making them great for lighter or metallic colors. You can layer a pure sealant as much as you want(some contain cleaners and can't be layered), you can also top them with a carnuaba. You don't quite get the depth/wetness that you would with the carnuaba only, but it gets close. Or if you have a metallic color and want to mute the metal flake a carnauaba can do just that.

A good sealant should last you at least 4 months ore more, Again, how long a was/sealant lasts depends on how the paint is cared for. A quality car wash soap, the right amoutn f soap, a consisistant wash schedule, and some QD'ing in between washes all help your coat of wax/sealant last longer. I had 2 coats of Meguiars #20 on my Blazer for d**n close to 6 months and it beaded/sheeted like mad until the day I did an exterior detail on it. I wash it every week with P&S Wash N Wax, dry it with a spritz of Presta Spray N Shine on each panel and wiped down with a WW towel, and also dring summer in 100* temps. I was really impressed with how long is lasted.

I'm currently doing a test on a couple of customer vehicles, I applied one coat of P&S Ultracoat Wax (Sealant) via rotary and one by hand to my neighbors Tacoma, and I applied Poorboys EX-P in the same way to another clients Audi A6. Both were done about 7 weeks ago and seem to be doing great so far, I'm anxious to see which one lasts longer.

1999 Tahoe 4x4 · October 15, 2006

I have drove in cold weather country for 10 years. Unfortunately cars/trucks do rust no matter what you do. But I guess your question is what you can do to slow rusting. In my experience the most efficient solution is washing the vehicle often. As often as 2-3 times a week. In praxis I did not make good experiences with any type of sealants for rust prevention. While they are probably good on large even surfaces it is hard to apply them at egdes areas and at areas where panels meet, e.g. where wheel wells meet the fender. However for the most part rust starts exactly at these areas.

Depending where you live you might help by changing your route as well. E.g. if you can do it you might avoid freeways as more salt is put out on these.

One more thing: I would be very careful with the high pressure power washer. If you use it on the paint use it in an angle and AT LEAST 3 feet distance. Do not use it under any circumstances on the frame and be extremely careful with it under the wheel well or in the engine compartment. It can strip the protective coating from the frame in less than a second exposing your unprotected frame to the elements.

Moving south is the only SURE solution.

TEE · October 16, 2006

Agree..Keeping it clean and gettin' that salt off is major if ya' want to keep it.

My black 94 looks pretty darn good...i'll post some pic's soon.

gmcjoe · October 16, 2006

hey everyone, great site, love it...anyways, im thinking about ordering a 07 yukon denali, and i wanted to know a few things. i was told not to wax a new car till it's about 6 months old, is that true at all? I also heard not to use high powered washer guns, like the spray and wash type car washes...any truth to that, since i live in Michigan, id like to spray the truck off atleast once a week when the snow and salt come. any helpful info would be great, thanks

Brian

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No need to wait before polishing.

I would buy a clay bar and some good wax/polish. I use Zaino products from www.zainobros.com in New Jersey

I use the quarter car wash all winter long to spray the salt from my 2000 GMC Sierra, 162K miles and it still looks great

gmcjoe · October 16, 2006

Depending where you live you might help by changing your route as well. E.g. if you can do it you might avoid freeways as more salt is put out on these.

One more thing: I would be very careful with the high pressure power washer. If you use it on the paint use it in an angle and AT LEAST 3 feet distance. Do not use it under any circumstances on the frame and be extremely careful with it under the wheel well or in the engine compartment. It can strip the protective coating from the frame in less than a second exposing your unprotected frame to the elements.

Moving south is the only SURE solution.

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Around SE Michigan, there is actually less salt on the highways due to the amount of traffic.

It is OK to use a pressure washer on your new car paint, there is no need to stay 3 feet away. I use it on my frame and there are no issues there either, where do you get this info from?