Quote:
Originally Posted by vivek2652 After one year of open parking in harsh sunlight in Punjab, my Baleno's (4 years old) headlights have started to fade (as you can see the faded plastic above the black eyebrow area) I always hated this in other cars and now it's happening to mine. Attachment 2349956
Hence my idea to protect the headlights is by coating them with a thick layer of turtle wax super hard shell wax. (I will not buff/clean it off whenever parked).
Bhpian's kindly share your ideas to prevent further fading. |
This happens when you’ve not protected the clearcoated polycarbonate lens and they start to oxidise (yellow) due to UV exposure. Either get a headlight restoration kit online, 3M sells one, or take it to a detailer and have them wetsand and restore the lens. Apply a ceramic coating for long terms protection. I’d recommend the second option as most people struggle to get rid of the sanding scratches without a powerful polisher.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aconite I am thinking of following this detailing and cleaning routine and wish for other member's opinions on it.
Daily:
Jopasu duster before covering
Cover overnight.
Once/Twice a month as required:
Gyeon Bathe+ with two bucket method
or
Optimum No rinse wash (wash and shine) (Should I go with a gyeon waterless/rinseless wash as gyeon bathe+ will be primary shampoo?)
depending on dirt and water availability
Every 3-4 months:
Wolfgang paint sealant
Collinite 845 wax
CarPro PERL on trims
Meguiar's Hot Rim Wheel and Tire Cleaner
Meguiar's APC for cleaning everything except paint including fabric seats
Meguiar's quick detailer or diluted meguiar's (which one) to wipe off stains, bird poop etc on the go or in between washes as required
I did consider ceramic coating (and ppf) but they do not seem to be vfm, and after going through (a lot of) this thread I believe great results can be achieved without ceramic.
Thanks |
Please don’t use any cover, no matter how soft it will scratch and mar the paintwork, same for duster. Never touch paint without proper lubrication.
Better than 2 bucket method with grit guards is the multi mitt method using only 1 bucket. Use each side of each mitt no more than once per small panel (half a panel for larger ones), discard and switch to a fresh mitt. You will need 6-7 mitts but it’s much safer than the 2 bucket method.
Gyeon bathe is a great shampoo and you can use it no issue.
Please do not use any waterless/rinseless wash, it will swirl the paint over time, you need to use a pressure washer to get all the abrasive dust off before touching the paint.
Use a foam cannon and multiple microfibre noodle mitts over the foam very gently and rinse with the pressure washer again. Use a leaf blower to dry, again not touching the paint. Any drips can be picked up by dabbing a plush towel gently without wiping. There are cordless blowers and pressure washers available for those in apartments.
There are other ways to maintain your car, but in my decade+ of experience in keeping a finish swirl free, this is the only method where your car can look like it rolled off the assembly line even after 10-15 years of age.
With regard to any wheel and tyre cleaner just don’t let it dry on the surface and you’ll be good. Rest of the products are fine, only Collinite 845, being a pure carnauba blend isn’t durable and will barely last a month, go with a silica infused sealant instead. Wolfgang deep gloss is an excellent sealant, more durable than wax but still won’t last more than 2-2.5 months in our climate.
Do not wipe any bug stains/bird poo as it’s very hard and will scratch the paint, always use a pressure washer to safely remove. In an emergency saturate the area with diluted shampoo, and use the spray bottle to get as much off as possible and rinse with plain water you should be able to get most of it off.
Note regarding ceramic coatings, sealants and waxes from a cost point of view. A pro coating starts at say 25k for 2 years minimum durability. A wash and wax is around 2500 from a quality detailer, this needs to be repeated every month if water beading is to be maintained, unlike a coating which is mostly maintenance free, see for yourself which works out cheaper over 2 years.
Ceramic coating: 25,000 (includes paint correction)
Wash and wax: 2500x24 = 60,000 (no paint correction)
Even if we double the wax interval to 2 months, it’s still more expensive than a coating. Not to mention the superior hydrophobics and chemical/UV resistance offered by a coating.
I might also add, one need not go to a detailer to get a ceramic coating, plenty of diy options as well.