Wax on/Wax off

[HuntingPudel]

I’m thinking of taking the MME to a car wash and have a bit of concern about the little vents at the bottom of the front spoiler that are open at times. Can someone tell me what causes them to be open, so if I do go through the car wash, I’ll be sure to have them closed.

They are shutters for the cooling system. If the motors or batteries are hot, they will be open for air flow. If the A/C is on, they will be open. So, make sure you don’t drive to the was like a mad dog and turn off your A/C before entering. ??

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[liamnorton]

people still use wax? I think ceramic coating lasts a lot longer and protects better. I used to do wax. Switched to ceramic coating a few years back and never went back.

I use wax. I haven't heard of ceramic coating. Do you need any special equipment for it, or can it be done on your own?

 

[Ghost Ryder]

I use wax. I haven't heard of ceramic coating. Do you need any special equipment for it, or can it be done on your own?

Do yourself a favor and buy Tuttle wax ceramic spray. Easiest application ever. Cheap too. this is from someone that have over $500 of unused waxes and polish in the the garage.

 

[VaporTrails]

I use wax. I haven't heard of ceramic coating. Do you need any special equipment for it, or can it be done on your own?

I can spray on Ceramic at night after work because it takes about 1/4 of the time of wax. I am much more likely to do it in Spring and Fall because it doesn’t feel like a chore I need tons of time to do. Even if wax is better (it is not) I still come out ahead because I’m more likely to be current on it. I also noted that I end up with much less white-coated plastic parts 3 days later.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

I use wax. I haven't heard of ceramic coating. Do you need any special equipment for it, or can it be done on your own?

There are a couple of threads devoted to ceramic coatings and whether they’re worthwhile or not. I’ll address that question from my perspective at the end.

There are two general types of ceramic coatings, professional and general use. Professional coatings are hard to apply and require special equipment to apply and cure. When these are dry and cured the coat they leave is extremely hard and durable. They can last for years on the car with proper care.

Coatings designed to be applied by owners are easier to apply, running the gamut from spray coatings that are wiped on and buffed to very small bottles that are applied a few drops at a time on each section of car. All of these types of coatings result in a thicker and somewhat softer coat when compared to professional coatings. These coatings do not last as long as a professional coating but will outlast wax. The spray bottle types such as Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions will need occasional reapplication depending upon conditions, but should be less frequent than waxing. The small bottles of liquid ceramic, such as Avalon King’s Armor IX, last longer but not as long as a professional product.

Advantages: Long lasting shine. UV light protection. Limited surface contaminate protection. Possibly lower maintenance compared to wax if you frequently need to wax a vehicle.

Disadvantages: Does not protect against impact damage such as rocks and branches. Cost for professional coatings. Time, just as with a proper wax job, preparation of the car surface is key — cleaning and polishing. Routine maintenance. The coatings (professional or not) will all last a lot longer if you keep your car clean by washing twice a month (or more often).

Are they worth it? I live in an extremely high UV area (Hawaii). UV light is murder on car finishes. These allow us to have a fighting chance. Are you the type that enjoys waxing and buffing regularly? If so, and there aren’t other over riding concerns, then you might want to pass or look into the graphene versions of ceramic. Easy to apply, less durability but still may last much longer than a paste wax.

My Mach-e is approaching 3 years old. The paint on it looks brand new. It was professionally done two weeks after I took delivery. I might add though that our roads here are also nearly universally asphalt and in very good shape.

Want to know more? Check out some of the threads.

 

[RickMachE]

I use wax. I haven't heard of ceramic coating. Do you need any special equipment for it, or can it be done on your own?

Absent being in an environment like @Kamuelaflyer, my take (which is worth something to me, but likely not you) is that ceramic coatings are overpriced and mostly unnecessary, in some cases blatantly falsely promoted. Ceramic coating for my faux-leather seat? Sure.

Here's my method:

1) I use NuFinish when the car is new. I do this because it polishes.

2) I then use Collinite 845. I bought a bottle in November 2014, and use it usually twice a year on two vehicles. I think I have about 1/3 bottle left. This puts a gloss shine on it that lasts a good year or more. Water beads up for a very long time, well past year.

3) I do the two bucket car wash method with Rain-X car wash soap. I got this on sale long ago and was shocked how much dirt it removed over the soap I was using.

4) When done washing, I use a wax and dry product like Turtle Wax Wax & Dry. This type of product stops spotting.

Total cost is under $45 for all these products added together (#4 has two, so take 1/2 the price). Works for me. These are cars/trucks, not collectibles.

 

[azerik]

Had the car since August, have not washed it yet. It's built up a nice layer to repel nasty UV rays.

Come to AZ, we can bake that into a armor finish lol

 

[Norm in NC]

They are shutters for the cooling system. If the motors or batteries are hot, they will be open for air flow. If the A/C is on, they will be open. So, make sure you don’t drive to the was like a mad dog and turn off your A/C before entering. ??

OKay. That makes sense. Thanks!

 

[Gullwingdmc]

Ceramic coating all the way

 

[RickMachE]

My vehicles look the same after Collinite 845.

 

[Billyk24]

This spray on ceramic paint sealer for the clearcoat has worked wonders for me on multiple vehicles. Use a clay bar first if you never have done so. Use of the Chemical Guys products for the piano roof and interior of the Mach E have been very helpful.

 

[jay1122]

I use wax. I haven't heard of ceramic coating. Do you need any special equipment for it, or can it be done on your own?

If you can apply wax, you can apply ceramic coating. Just buy the consumer grade ceramic coating and apply it yourself. I recommend the bottle kind over spray kind. Lasts longer. You will be amazed and never go back. I personally do not recommend having the shop do it. Costs too much. Currently, I use Adam's advanced graphene ceramic coating. One bottle is enough for 3 sedans. I usually apply once per year. The application is easy, wipe on, let it sit a few minutes, wipe off, that is it. Wash the car thoroughly. paint correct and polish the surface before application if it has scratches.

 

[Lord Polymath]

Do yourself a favor and buy Tuttle wax ceramic spray. Easiest application ever. Cheap too. this is from someone that have over $500 of unused waxes and polish in the the garage.

Came here to suggest Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions ceramic spray. Give the car a wash and dry, then apply. Easy to apply and lasts a good while.

 

[DR.J56]

people still use wax? I think ceramic coating lasts a lot longer and protects better. I used to do wax. Switched to ceramic coating a few years back and never went back.

I used to religiously wax my cars when I was younger. It was therapeutic. I ceramic coated my MME when I got it 2 years ago myself. It was a lot of work and I realized it’s not therapeutic anymore. lol

 

[jay1122]

I used to religiously wax my cars when I was younger. It was therapeutic. I ceramic coated my MME when I got it 2 years ago myself. It was a lot of work and I realized it’s not therapeutic anymore. lol

I am doing it now mostly to reduce the maintenance effort. The car wash gets much easier. Sometimes I don't even paint correct. Just wash, apply the coating and wipe off. Takes 1-2 Hrs total.

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