ARTICLE: The Car Care guide (Aesthetics)

[mkh]

Originally Posted by 71Convertible

IME Amway was crap AND expensive. Caveat Emptor!!

why? no way its expensive..and it works the best- have been a user since 8 years now..so effective on grease you cannot beat it. Wish could show how effective by a demo
Has anyone got an experience of buying the high quality stuff in KL(malaysia?)
Any of the following
Turtle Wax
Meguiars
3M
If so- what would be the cost? I am soon to travel and will be stopping in KL and can pick up whats available and best. I saw that megs prods are exp there- around the same as in india, not sure about the rest..

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

+1.

I was also satisfied with amway car wash. Now using Sonax, but can't compare the products since I used it on different vehicles with different colours. (Sonax for red pulsar in chennai, and amway bottle is at trivandrum used on the silver wagonR).

Highly satisfied with Amway Silicon Glaze car polish as well. However, its slightly abrasive (Light colouration of cloth after application), hence it cant be used often.

I have used silicone glaze extensively- not abrasive at all...what do you mean by light colouration of cloth? I have used white and colored cloth, and after wash no loss of color...it waxes also, so maybe the wax sticks on if not washed properly..my black car was better off after 8-10 applications..i suggest use once a month..

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Please use the "edit" button if posting within 20 minutes of the first post, instead of creating another back-to-back post.

Also use "Multi Quote" option for quoting Multiple posts.

[Raccoon]

^^^ I guess what he means is that the cloth used for buffing picks up the colour of the surface being buffed. This is an indication that the product use is abrasive to whatever extent.

So Silicone Glaze lasts only for a month??

[aka_iitd]

Originally Posted by akshay_b

I guess Amway's shampoo is heavily concentrated and thick, Has anyone tried it? Could i get a trial sachet from anywhere?

Akshay you can take some from my bottle which I am using it. I stay Sarjapur ORR

Originally Posted by Raccoon

^^^ I guess what he means is that the cloth used for buffing picks up the colour of the surface being buffed. This is an indication that the product use is abrasive to whatever extent.

So Silicone Glaze lasts only for a month??

For me I can say it last around 1.5 to 2 months depends largely on usage of the car(mud,rains etc) and washing(daily or weekly etc)
abrasive I think no. I apply on RED car and it works fine. But I apply it after shampoo wash.

Also One shampoo bottle last for more than 1 year for my 2 cars.
NOTE : I guess offer is going on Car Shampoo and Silicon glaze. Buy both get air fresher from Lia (2 bottles and one dispenser) free worth 225 ie cost of shampoo at Re 1. If you need can PM me for Amway contact I will pass on the number or check your Amway contact point. I got this 2 days back.

[mkh]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

^^^ I guess what he means is that the cloth used for buffing picks up the colour of the surface being buffed. This is an indication that the product use is abrasive to whatever extent.

So Silicone Glaze lasts only for a month??

Yes if we wash regularly. I have been reading up extensively on Meguiarsonline- it has very valuable information on car detailing and care.
Here are the steps they recommend for maintenance
1. Wash
2.Wipe
3. Clean( polish or apply surface refinement)- Ex: Clay treatment, silicone glaze, auto polish
4. Protect( wax)
5. Maintain( detailers, spray waxes etc)
They have given detailed info on what is polishing, what is waxing and paint sealant etc
Based on all this here is what i have come to decide to use
1. Wash- Amway Car Wash( only if car is dirty)
2. Wipe- Use Micro Fiber cloth
3.Clean- Silicone Glaze for regular car else use Ultimate Compound from Meg or SwirlX( for swirled and older cars). Once you have treated it, do it every 6 months or use polish 3 months
4.Protect- Meguiars NXT Gen Wax (when i get it) , till then Turtle Wax
5. Maintain- Meguiars Detailer and Quick Wax( can use 3m Quick Wax also)

If we keep doing 4 and 5, 4 every month and 5 more often, then we do not need to do 3 often, only once a 3 months or even lesser.
Indian conditions are harsh to say the least hence all this is keeping in mind the US where
Water is not as harsh
Its not remotely as dusty
Cars are more protected as almost all have car garages.
And lastly- but THE MOST IMP: Car detailing products are easily and cheaply available:(
These are just my theoretical findings, practically i have to put all these in practice as i was missing on some steps till now. Even then my cars were great except for swirls and surface scratches which came cause of the cloths used and not enough surface treatments( since all i had were used cars till now)

[-NUT-case]

Originally Posted by mkh

Based on all this here is what i have come to decide to use
1. Wash- Amway Car Wash( only if car is dirty)
2. Wipe- Use Micro Fiber cloth
3.Clean- Silicone Glaze for regular car else use Ultimate Compound from Meg or SwirlX( for swirled and older cars). Once you have treated it, do it every 6 months or use polish 3 months
4.Protect- Meguiars NXT Gen Wax (when i get it) , till then Turtle Wax
5. Maintain- Meguiars Detailer and Quick Wax( can use 3m Quick Wax also)

If we keep doing 4 and 5, 4 every month and 5 more often, then we do not need to do 3 often, only once a 3 months or even lesser.

Very clearly put.
Only difference in opinion is about step "3.Clean".

Basically all the products (Silicone Glaze, Ultimate Compound ,Swirl X) you have mentioned are polishing agents which essentially remove a microscopic amount of paint or surface coat, as they all have some kind of chemical or micro abrasive in them.

The only cleaning ,polishing material you can use as often as you want is "Clay Bar" which removes dirt and grime without abrasive action.

So the "Step 3 . ie cleaning and polishing" should be done only if necessary and as seldom as possible ,maybe once a year and definitely not for new cars.

Step 4 and 5 - as often as one wishes or time permits since these two steps are to protect the polished surface from getting scratched as you have pointed out.

[mkh]

Originally Posted by -NUT-case

Very clearly put.
Only difference in opinion is about step "3.Clean".

Basically all the products (Silicone Glaze, Ultimate Compound ,Swirl X) you have mentioned are polishing agents which essentially remove a microscopic amount of paint or surface coat, as they all have some kind of chemical or micro abrasive in them.

The only cleaning ,polishing material you can use as often as you want is "Clay Bar" which removes dirt and grime without abrasive action.

So the "Step 3 . ie cleaning and polishing" should be done only if necessary and as seldom as possible ,maybe once a year and definitely not for new cars.

Step 4 and 5 - as often as one wishes or time permits since these two steps are to protect the polished surface from getting scratched as you have pointed out.

Correct, however silicone glaze is not a cleaner. Refer the megs site and they give most to least agressive rating to cleaners.
Pure Cleaners are only Swirlx, Ultimate Comp, Scratch X from megs and other cleaner waxes.
Silicone Glaze is not a cleaner so does not remove the paint layer. Such polishes can be applied once in 3 months or so, cleaners ONLY when needed and when any swirls or scratches appear.

Clay bar also treats the surface to put wax on. It can be used more often -agreed.
Mike is a guy who is a professional and he has posted his experience very well. He has polished his car seldom but maintained using wax and detailing very often...check his postings- they are vv informative on meguiarsonline.com

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by mkh

I have used silicone glaze extensively- not abrasive at all...what do you mean by light colouration of cloth? I have used white and colored cloth, and after wash no loss of color...

Originally Posted by Raccoon

^^^ I guess what he means is that the cloth used for buffing picks up the colour of the surface being buffed. This is an indication that the product use is abrasive to whatever extent.

Raccoon has already replied correctly. I'll just add my experience-

I currently use Sonax car wash for my red 2006 Pulsar 180 DTSi. The procedure before polishing is - i wash it early morning, let it dry. Apply Amway silicon glaze using a DAMP white cloth. Let it become hazy, and buff it off with another DRY white cloth. (All this is done in a covered car parking without direct sunlight)

Now, i have noticed that the cloth turns pink after polishing the bike(Not red, as i mentioned above, its a slight colouration). I believe this is because the product is slightly abrasive? Any suggestions?

However, the shine is brilliant! I really love the product and the effort put in when my 2006 bike shines better than the new 2009 some of my friends have! (No comparisons with other products as I could find only fake Formula USA as alternatives!)

[rajesh_carspa]

Does anyone know who in Mumbai does reconditioning of dull faded headlights? My headlights have become foggy (not the inside). Also what should be the normal charges for this job. If it is a simple process I could do it myself otherwise professional help is most welcome.

[-NUT-case]

Originally Posted by mkh

Correct, however silicone glaze is not a cleaner. Refer the megs site and they give most to least agressive rating to cleaners.
Pure Cleaners are only Swirlx, Ultimate Comp, Scratch X from megs and other cleaner waxes.
Silicone Glaze is not a cleaner so does not remove the paint layer. Such polishes can be applied once in 3 months or so, cleaners ONLY when needed and when any swirls or scratches appear.

That is a contradiction. It either cleans or it doesn't. From Racoon and Crazy driver's experience ,silicon glaze does have abrasives or chemicals in it, albeit to a very small extent.
A pure "glaze" (top coat) sealant polish like M-seal pure sealant or Poorboy's EZ-P pure sealant used for polishing will mask the swirls by filling it in and not remove it. Any sign of paint in the cloth is an indication that minute quantities of paint is being stripped (cut) away either by mechanical (abrasive) or chemical means.

Ultimately it is your car and you have to decide what is best for it. Crazy driver seems happy with the results.

Btw i did read from megs forum. Very informative .

Check this link , ultimate detailing job from a guy based in california. Can't get better than this

YouTube - After 2nd Step Glaze

I posted the link but it is being embedded automatically. Sorry for any goof ups.

[mkh]

Originally Posted by -NUT-case

That is a contradiction. It either cleans or it doesn't. From Racoon and Crazy driver's experience ,silicon glaze does have abrasives or chemicals in it, albeit to a very small extent.
A pure "glaze" (top coat) sealant polish like M-seal pure sealant or Poorboy's EZ-P pure sealant used for polishing will mask the swirls by filling it in and not remove it. Any sign of paint in the cloth is an indication that minute quantities of paint is being stripped (cut) away either by mechanical (abrasive) or chemical means.

Ultimately it is your car and you have to decide what is best for it. Crazy driver seems happy with the results.

Btw i did read from megs forum. Very informative .

Check this link , ultimate detailing job from a guy based in california. Can't get better than this

I posted the link but it is being embedded automatically. Sorry for any goof ups.

I have used silicone glaze for my black and red color and no discoloration was ever observed , cannot comment on how the cloth shows color since no expert on this matter. I see that when you rub, granules come out which clearly mean it has wax also, probably that mixed with the cloth . after the effects wear out, the swirls which get covered are seen back so if the paint was removed slightly then with my use of over 10-15 times on my black car, the swirls should also disappear( like with using Swirlx etc)
I guess i am no expert but what ever i read and with experience i can say Silicone Glaze is safe to use for many times over on car- i used it about every week in winters on my red getz till i got tired of doing it

[Raccoon]

Originally Posted by -NUT-case

That is a contradiction. It either cleans or it doesn't. From Racoon and Crazy driver's experience ,silicon glaze does have abrasives or chemicals in it, albeit to a very small extent.

Errr... I would like to clarify again that I don't have any "experience with Amway's Silicone Glaze - haven't used it yet. What I have mentioned is deduced from what others have experienced here and from the product description. The product description clearly uses the term "polish". However, I feel we can't be sure if they are using the term in the sense we understand it. But since the term is used, I'd go with the logic "guilty unless proved innocent" ...and would avoid using it frequently. As I mentioned before, the detailing industry dosen't seem to have any standards with regards to terminology.

One question which has been bothering me - how is it that the cloth used for buffing shows the color of the vehicle when there is a clear coat layer in between?? Anybody got an explanation, please?

[-NUT-case]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

Errr... I would like to clarify again that I don't have any "experience with Amway's Silicone Glaze - haven't used it yet. What I have mentioned is deduced from what others have experienced here and from the product description. The product description clearly uses the term "polish". However, I feel we can't be sure if they are using the term in the sense we understand it. But since the term is used, I'd go with the logic "guilty unless proved innocent" ...and would avoid using it frequently. As I mentioned before, the detailing industry dosen't seem to have any standards with regards to terminology.

One question which has been bothering me - how is it that the cloth used for buffing shows the color of the vehicle when there is a clear coat layer in between?? Anybody got an explanation, please?

@ Racoon , i see now that u were quoting Crazydriver. My bad. I agree with you about the "polish" bit. Way too much confusion . It doesn't help matters that many of the products are a combination of polishes ,sealants and waxes.

Well the obvious explanation for your question is that the "top coat" or "clear coat" is only a few microns thick. If you use any kind of polish that "cut" into the paint, enough number of times, it will ultimately result in the "top coat" being completely taken away and you start to rub off the paint coats and hence the colour starts showing in the buffing towel or cloth.

Once you start to notice colour coming off , i think the best solution is to go for a paint protection coat from Dupont , 3m etc to prevent further deterioration of the paint. This way further polishing in the future will only take away the protection coat and not the colour coats.

[MutantX]

guys, i need your tips urgently!

Right now in chennai, it is raining cats and dogs. I have parked my car in a semi-closed garage. I have also covered the car with a parachute cover.

The cover is totally wet and is stuck to the body of the car!. I fear that this might affect the body/paint of the car. Should i remove the cover or should i leave the cover as it is!

The rain is unrelenting and seriously dont know when it would stop! I really pitty people who have parked their cars out on the roads.

[yogi1771]

MutantX it is better if you remove the cover as water is captured between the car and the cover which is not good,when it is raining or for that matter during rainy season never keep the cover on.

[MutantX]

thanks yogi, i have removed the cover and parked the car under a so called sun-shade. Hopefully this would help!