Am I washing too much?

[GQoNe]

Hi, I`ve recently purchased on 07 civic coupe in taffeta white with life time warranty paint protectant (I`ve read the forums...and know that people say its a scam). I`ve owned it for about 2 month.



At the beginning of each month i`ve washed it with a car shampoo at a coin-operated car wash and then rinsed it down with water. Every following week of the month, I just rinse it down with some water to keep it clean.



So all in all. I wash it with a shampoo/water once a month, and just rinsing it down 3 times per month. Am I washing the car too much...?



When should i go back to the dealer to reapply the paint protectant (since i have a lifetime warrantty).



Any help would be much appreciated.





Thanks!

[sneek]

Thats not too much at all. In the winter, i usually wash (coin op) my car everyother if not every day.

[lp2137]

Yeah sneek is right. You can wash all you want.



TIP: You might already know this but when you wash at the coin-op be sure to never use those brushes. They just scratch your paint.







And of course

:welcome to Autopia!

[imported_Suprchargd]

Yea I wash mine once a week easily; if not wash then QD the dust that accumulates from the wonderful pollution-laden Chicago air we have.

[MattPersman]

Thats not too much at all. In the winter, i usually wash (coin op) my car everyother if not every day.

and my wife thinks I am crazy doing it at least once a week saying its just going to get dirty or rain again :dance

[docker]

Hi, I`ve recently purchased on 07 civic coupe in taffeta white with life time warranty paint protectant (I`ve read the forums...and know that people say its a scam). I`ve owned it for about 2 month.



...



When should i go back to the dealer to reapply the paint protectant (since i have a lifetime warrantty).







Thanks!

How often to reapply? If you have Xzilon I find that an interesting question- take a look at their website and watch their demo. Xzilon . It says it never needs to be reapplied. I had Xzilon applied to 2 of my new cars in 2005 and ended up getting refunded due to poor application of the product and mis-representation (well, er, we agreed to use the term `mis-understanding`).



Also, Xzilon only guarantees a new car for `upto 5 years`. I think I recall some wording in their warranty doc that indicates that compounds should not, or must not, be used - can`t recall if there was additional fine print about this and whether it voided the warranty.



I`d suggest a couple things if you do want to get it reapplied - make sure your car is exceptionally clean before letting them touch it, and then make sure there is absolutely no moisture (water droplets, etc) before the reapp or for awhile afterwords. At least with Xzilon it will trap these droplets and cause what looks like acid rain etchings.



With all that said, one one of my vechicles I actually liked the additional gloss it provided, and always `detailed up` real well. THe other one had tons of the moisture etchings on the roof from where drops of water fell on top of the car before the product had cured (fortunately these were very faint and could only be seen when looking at light reflections on the surface).

[tom p.]

Any help would be much appreciated.

Do you have water restrictions where you live?

[Hey, Moe!]

If you are washing in a manner that does not cause marring, I don`t see a problem with frequency of wash. If I just want to get winter road salt off the car, I`ll spray it off in the DIY booth. If I want to do a "regular" wash at home, I make sure I have the time to do it properly. That way, I can actually enjoy doing it, knowing that I don`t have to hurry. The end result looks much better.

[GQoNe]

Do you have water restrictions where you live?

I live in Edmonton Alberta Canada. We have no water restrictions at all here.



I am very thankful for all the replies.

How often to reapply? If you have Xzilon I find that an interesting question- take a look at their website and watch their demo. Xzilon . It says it never needs to be reapplied. I had Xzilon applied to 2 of my new cars in 2005 and ended up getting refunded due to poor application of the product and mis-representation (well, er, we agreed to use the term `mis-understanding`).



Also, Xzilon only guarantees a new car for `upto 5 years`. I think I recall some wording in their warranty doc that indicates that compounds should not, or must not, be used - can`t recall if there was additional fine print about this and whether it voided the warranty.



I`d suggest a couple things if you do want to get it reapplied - make sure your car is exceptionally clean before letting them touch it, and then make sure there is absolutely no moisture (water droplets, etc) before the reapp or for awhile afterwords. At least with Xzilon it will trap these droplets and cause what looks like acid rain etchings.



With all that said, one one of my vechicles I actually liked the additional gloss it provided, and always `detailed up` real well. THe other one had tons of the moisture etchings on the roof from where drops of water fell on top of the car before the product had cured (fortunately these were very faint and could only be seen when looking at light reflections on the surface).

Hey docker, Im not quite sure which product they have used on my car. But I must say that i`m very pleased with the overall finish it has provided. My car still looks as glossy as it did the day i picked it up from the dealer. In addition, the dealer told me never to apply any wax onto my car, for it would ware away the protectant. Is there any truth to that?

[jdpro]

When should i go back to the dealer to reapply the paint protectant (since i have a lifetime warrantty).

Read the warranty information that you received from the dealer. You have to follow all recommendations so you don`t void the warranty. The info they gave you should tell you how often it needs to be reapplied. If you don`t go in on time for the reapplication, you void the warranty.



What does your dealer call their product? I bought a honda odyssey a month ago in taffeta white also, and they were selling ZAKTEK paint protection for about $400!:soscared: :bolt I don`t know what it is but they apply it to all cars on their lot then try to sell the warranty which requires reapplication every six months.

[imported_Larry A]

I wash my car several times a week.

[coupe]

When i drive my garage queen in the spring/summer/fall i wash 2-3 times a week.



Are you able to wash your car where you live?



Sucks you fell for the dealer scam, at least we can get you on the right path.

[clnfrk]

As one of the posters above mentioned... definitely stay away from those brushes at the coin-op. If the brush itself doesn`t mar your paint to hell then sure enough all the dirt and grit trapped in the bristles will.



With that said, I still like to use the coin-op wash every once in a while, but I bring my own bucket, soap, mitt and microfiber towels. I know this is generally not allowed at these places, but over the many years that I`ve been doing it I still have yet to be told that I can`t. The great thing about these places is the spot-free rinse setting, provided it actually works.



If I pull into one of these places just to rinse the car off when its not that dirty, I`ll just use the spot free rinse and not manually dry at all. I never dry my car by hand if I haven`t actually taken soap, water and a mitt to it. I don`t want to risk marring. I do however, bring my leaf blower with me every time to blow most of the water off the car and around trim etc.

[firegate]

To be perfectly honest, if it were my car I wouldn`t want the dealer shop touching it again, whether or not it was for the purpose of reapplying the sealant.

[Shelpster66]

during standard time I usually wash about 1-2 times a week....but during daylight savings, when it stays light longer, I will wash 2 times a week and wipe it down almost every day.



And the leaf blower is always handy!!!!!!