Do I have to rewax everytime it rains?!?

A

alexman

Member
I've started cleaning my black Z4M every Sunday - wash and wax with Collinite wax (rated No.1 Auto Express, used on yachts too etc). However, after every time I wax it and it rains overnight, the wax seems to have so much friction that water stays on the bonnet as drops and then dries as a round mark. Its funny but this only seems to happen on the bonnet and not on any other flat surface such as the boot, meaning I have a nice shiny car all round but on the bonnet.

Do I have to just wash and wax it every time it rains or am I missing something? Shouldn't good wax be so slippy that rain just drains off without marking? :?
 
cant say im an expert but i use AG HD wax and where the water beads up on the bonnet by the time i drive off it naturally rolls off. i have never had the car sit long enough for it to dry out - even left in a garage over night the water beads just sits on top, then slips off when driving. but saying that i had put 2 layers of AG SRP polish and then 2 layers of wax on.

seems a bit odd, but if it is just dried on water marks id just clean it up with some quick detailer product , i have some proshine waterless wash stuff i no longer use but keep it about for stuff like this - minor bits of muck that i want to remove between proper wash/polish/wax.
 
Thats just beading, you should be getting it on all panels though. I use the same collinite 476s wax. You only need to apply the wax every 3/4 months. Washing in between should bring back the shine, i would recommend some finishing spray for after each wash, i use Zano Z8.
 
Most wax isn't "slippery" and for years they all claimed to show how much they protected the finish by how much the water would bead up on the surface. Some of the modern non-wax products probably will "sheet" the water off better, but I would either drive the car to dry it or use a synthetic chamois to dry it.
 
I wouldnt start wiping the car off after it rains, the dried patches are effectively dirt deposits and you will induce additional swirl damage the paint.
Just re-wash the car, i'd apply 476S once every couple of months (mines had 2 coats in 6 weeks).
 
If the beads have drived you will most likely have to wash the bonnet rather than as suggested inflet swirls.

If its still wet you will be fine to drive off and it will roll off.

Its a small price to pay for well protected paint but a quick detailer and a deep Micro fibre could be enough to clean the bonnet but its risky.

Cheers

PaulN
 
On your recommendations, I straight washed it today without waxing.. wash then dried with chamois, but this left water smears (which would usually come off with waxing) so I dried it a bit more (and rubbed out water marks) with a microfibre cloth (same one I would use for waxing) - am I doing anything wrong here.

All looking shiny again 8) , but I have noticed that there are small scratch marks under bright light that would otherwise go away with waxing (maybe because the wax fills into these gaps) - is this because I've rubbed some of the wax off? Is there any danger in waxing once a week or is it just a waste of time..? :(
 
Dont use a chamois, you need a microfibre or waffle weave type drying towel. Also spritz some quick deatailer as you dry round the car as this helps in dispersing the water and not causing any streaks.
The wax will of likely filled the swirls as you say, i think some people say to much carnauba wax can make the car get a yellow tint.....dont know whether to read to much into that. You shouldnt need to re-wax every time, did you allow the wax to cure before wiping off and did you lay any base coat down before the wax?
 
Trouble with black is that it will show up every little mark, when its clean it will look fantastic, but as soon as you are back from your first drive it will be looking dirty again.

Wax as much as you want, get a good few layers on. Waxing is different to polishing as polish is abrasive so shouldnt do it all the time, every few months maybe. On my cars i have always used the same combo:

Polish with AG super resin polish (wont get better for the price, imo, plus it fills slight swirls) every 3 mths
Occasionally seal it in with the AG extra gloss protection, if i have any to hand.
Then wax with Megs Carnuba wax (£7.99 from Halfords) after every wash (normally weekly, at the most fortnightly)

Gets a mirror finish which i doubt you could improve on without spending silly money and excellent beading aswell.

My z4 is silver however so still looks like a mirror finish even after a week of driving in the rain, good forgiving colour.
 
It's why I'll never own another black car - a complete kick in the balls to look after.

As suggested already, use a microfibre drying cloth instead of a chamois (although the synthetic Autoglym chois-type thing is pretty good). Waxing after each clean would be a way to combat any scratches showing up, but only if you've got rid of the scratches first by polishing them out.

Something like Chemical Guys Blitz Spray Sealant is ideal for spraying onto a damp car after cleaning. Really easy to work with and buff off. Quicker than using pure carnuba wax and ideal for a weekly topping up of what wax you've already got on there.
 
Heavy Rubbing with a cloth and no Fluid will really swirl up your car.......

Quick detailer really is the key mate...

Cheers

PaulN
 
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