2012 Fusion Sport / basic questions

[Chris G]

Hey Autopia! Use to be a full-time hooked reader when I bought a used 2008 Fusion a little while back (couldn't fix most of it, and learned what I could about it).



Well I'm back with all time newb questions. I've supplied a photo and hope some people can help me indentify and inform me of what's best to use on these spots:

1. Rims / Tires. I read only certain cleaners are good for certain rim types. I read that these rims are aluminum, Is there a way to check/know for certain with out damaging the rim? I want to keep them clean and protected.



2. The black plastic type pieces on here, does anyone know what they are made of? I assume plastic, and if that's the case, normal plastic cleaners would be ok on this?



3. This fogged or 'smoked' chrome, I assume is real 'chrome' and could be cleaned as such?



4. Kind of same as question 2, I assume it's safe to clean 'colored' plastic as if it were a clear plastic right?



5. Interior - There's so many different types of surfaces inside the car; Leather seats (I remember reading there's a difference between coated leather and non coated leather, is there an easy way to identify which kind of leather it is?) also seems like there's vinyl, faux leather?, plastics, chromes, etc). Is there a safe product I could use on all of the dashboard to keep it looking sharp, protected and clean? Is there a trade secret to retaining that 'new leathered seated car' sent?



I want to stop rust from happening (live in Michigan weather), is there a good all around protectant I can put on after I wash the car? Wax or sealant or anything that works best with 'at random; snow, rain, hail, tornado, hurricane, tsuname, flash fire, acid rain' type weather?



Sorry for being so newb, this is my first legit new car purchase and I want to make it last as long as possible and keep it looking brand new and sharp.

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

Hey Autopia! Use to be a full-time hooked reader when I bought a used 2008 Fusion a little while back (couldn't fix most of it, and learned what I could about it).



Well I'm back with all time newb questions. I've supplied a photo and hope some people can help me indentify and inform me of what's best to use on these spots:

1. Rims / Tires. I read only certain cleaners are good for certain rim types. I read that these rims are aluminum, Is there a way to check/know for certain with out damaging the rim? I want to keep them clean and protected.

Even though they are aluminum, they are painted and clear coated. No using metal polishes, just stick to the stuff you use on the rest of the paint.

2. The black plastic type pieces on here, does anyone know what they are made of? I assume plastic, and if that's the case, normal plastic cleaners would be ok on this?

Yes, it's just plastic so an All Purpose Cleaner (APC) and a water based trim dressing are all you should need.

3. This fogged or 'smoked' chrome, I assume is real 'chrome' and could be cleaned as such?

No. Again, no metal polish for this stuff, it's just a very thin coating on top of plastic. Mild polishing with a paint polish would be ok, but don't get super aggressive.

4. Kind of same as question 2, I assume it's safe to clean 'colored' plastic as if it were a clear plastic right?

Yes.

5. Interior - There's so many different types of surfaces inside the car; Leather seats (I remember reading there's a difference between coated leather and non coated leather, is there an easy way to identify which kind of leather it is?) also seems like there's vinyl, faux leather?, plastics, chromes, etc). Is there a safe product I could use on all of the dashboard to keep it looking sharp, protected and clean? Is there a trade secret to retaining that 'new leathered seated car' sent?

You're never going to keep the new car smell forever -- it's the result of various materials out-gassing. Once that effect fades, the smell will too.



The best bet for all interior surfaces for cleaning and maintenance is something like Meguiar's Quick Interior Detailer or 1Z Einszett Cockpit Premium.

I want to stop rust from happening (live in Michigan weather),

Never going to happen entirely. You can certainly prevent most of it by keeping the vehicle washed throughout the winter, but that's about it. Living in Michigan means eventually you'll have some rust.

is there a good all around protectant I can put on after I wash the car? Wax or sealant or anything that works best with 'at random; snow, rain, hail, tornado, hurricane, tsuname, flash fire, acid rain' type weather?



Sorry for being so newb, this is my first legit new car purchase and I want to make it last as long as possible and keep it looking brand new and sharp.

If you want the absolute best protection possible for your new car, look no further than Optimum Opti-Coat.



Where in Michigan are you located? If you want any professional assistance to get you started out with a good maintenance routine, there are several of us around who can help you out.

 

[David Fermani]

I highly recommend using Opti-Coat on your vehicle. Here's some Fusion eye candy:



http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-de...imum-opti-coating-durability-test-review.html

 

[Lotuseffect]

Do exactly what Charlie said and you are golden. and +3 on the opti coat.



As far as product suggestions:



P21S Wheel gel cleaner for the wheels. Its longer dwell time makes it very newbie friendly.

APC - either 3D APC or OPC. Both are excellent.

Trim Dressing - CarPro Perl is real nice on rubber trim, wipe on, let sit, then buff with clean microfiber. Looks great durability is eh. For durability there are better options I use Collie 845 on my trim..but its wipe on wipe off before it dries.

Tire Dressing CarPro Perl- I love it on tires even more than Opti Bond. Just make sure you buff it with a clean towel after about 5-10 mins or it will sling.

Interior door jambs - wipe down with Megs QID best bang for your buck.

Interior plastics etc - 1ZCP is my favorite.

Exterior paint - (once polished) Opti-Coat 2.0

 

[Chris G]

As usual, A+ on the quick responses everyone. I'm shopping around for supplies to clean it. I've yet to wash it (Just bought and picked it up Monday Night), scared to death of marring the clear coat, so I'm trying to do my homework to do it correct, right from the start. I've read that this Opti Clear coat stuff isn't available to the general public, how do I go about getting it?



Anyone local to the Lower South East Michigan area and have spare time on a Sunday? I'd love to have someone show me the ropes on the correct procedures for anything their willing to show me, from wash technique to how to 'polish' (Something I've never attempted and honestly scares the crap out of me).



Thanks everyone! I'm going to attempt to wash it without marring it this weekend.

 

[Accumulator]

Chris G- Here's another idea for the exterior trim (one that LotusEffect touched on)..just use a trim-friendly LSP on the whole exterior of the car, paint and trim both. Two products that work well for this are Collinite 845 Insulator Wax, or Poxy. I'm pretty sure that the OptiCoat would work OK for this too.



It's handy to just do the whole exterior that way, rather than trying to keep product off certain areas.



To avoid rust, figure out how to clean off the salt when you wash. For me, that means really *detailing* the undercarriage/wheelwells/etc. every time I wash. Getting the salt and the dirt (dirt harbors moisture, which leads to corrosion) out of all the nooks and crannies can make a *huge* diff.

 

[SilverCivic]

Rust starts from the inside out. It normally starts around the wheel wells, bottoms of doors, bottoms of fenders, and under the front of the hood. I use a product called Rust-Mort. You put it on the car with a brush and it attacks the rust and neutralizes it. When put on rust that is just starting to form it will actually eliminate it entirely and look like it was never there. There is also a product from 3M called rust fighter-i. It is in a spray can with a straw and you spray it on all the areas that are the most susceptible to rust(wheel well, doors, hood). It is like coating that sticks to the surface and while prevent rust from starting.



Living in MN the salt in the winter is brutal. Whenever I am fortunate to get a day above freezing I will hose the car off and make sure to get the key areas. Then I will park the car in the garage and wash it with ONR.



On a totally different note have you seen the 2013 Fusion?

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

On a totally different note have you seen the 2013 Fusion?

You mean the DB9 Sedan? :lol

 

[Chris G]

Accumulator - This Collinite 845 Insulator Wax, I assume you have to order online? I don't think I've ever seen it anywhere locally around me.



Also, as I've read on here, those 'touchless wand' type carwashes are pretty evil to use to wash a car with. Can I use their power washer on rinse / spotfree rinse with out any worry? We have water laws in my city and I was hoping to just stop at one of these places weekly to wash the car. use the wand to soak the car with water first (on rinse mode), wash by hand with ONR (trying to locate this locally as well) with a marr free type wash method (still trying to decide which one to go with, yours sound good but maybe too dramatic for a car wash bay?). Then do the tires/trim/door jams etc while it dries (or dry it with some WW MF towels) and then wax it with the Collinite 845 Insulator Wax. Am I missing any steps that I should be taking?



What's the general census with Meguiar's Quick Interior Detailer? I've actually seen this before but worried about it tanking my leather in my last car. Safe on all surfaces?



Does anyone recommend anything for the automotive leather seats? I believe I bought a Leather conditioner made by Mothers for the last fusion.. Good? Recommend something else/better?

You mean the DB9 Sedan? :lol

Yes I have actually, I amost decided to wait for them to release it to buy my new purchase. My entire (almost) family works for Ford Mo. and I went to the Pilot plant to see the new launch models, the technology in them is pretty sick (Active Park Assist and the Lane-Keeping system) but I wanted the power and feeling of a V6. Since they are only doing the i4 motors in 2013's Fusion, I decided to do the Sport since it's the last (as of now) year their doing the V6 Sport. (Not to mention, I hate the body style of the new '13, it looks like a civic in my mind, my friends and family don't see it, but the side of it just screams civic) I guess this mini rant was to say, I was kind of disapointed in the turn Fusions took, but the '12 sport I have is beautiful and I'm happy. Maybe in the future they'll make them look like the 08-12 series but with all the cool new technology!



Thanks again to everyone taking their time and helping me move up from newb stage, so many forums people scream "USE THE SEARCH" which I could search for a leather seat solution, but with this method, the people giving me advice, know exactly what I have, I don't have to assume that I have the same kind of seats or dashboard material as the OP in a thread I search for, I do like to search around to find trivial or new information though.

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

Accumulator - This Collinite 845 Insulator Wax, I assume you have to order online? I don't think I've ever seen it anywhere locally around me.

Check out RV dealers, Harbor Freight stores, or if you have one near you Finishmaster (paint/body supplier) may have it....

 

[Accumulator]

Accumulator - This Collinite 845 Insulator Wax, I assume you have to order online? I don't think I've ever seen it anywhere locally around me...

Besides the places C. Charles Hahn mentioned, some of my local autoparts stores have had it from time to time. Also, my local autobody/paint supply place stocks it.

Also, as I've read on here, those 'touchless wand' type carwashes are pretty evil to use to wash a car with. Can I use their power washer on rinse / spotfree rinse with out any worry?

Opinions vary, as do the carwashes themselves; you never know how/how well they treat their water and chemical mixes. Many places recycle the water.



That said, I myself would consider using them if that's the best you can do. If the car were done with something like OptiCoat, I bet this approach would work pretty well.

We have water laws in my city and I was hoping to just stop at one of these places weekly to wash the car. use the wand to soak the car with water first (on rinse mode), wash by hand with ONR (trying to locate this locally as well) with a marr free type wash method (still trying to decide which one to go with, yours sound good but maybe too dramatic for a car wash bay?). Then do the tires/trim/door jams etc while it dries (or dry it with some WW MF towels) and then wax it with the Collinite 845 Insulator Wax. Am I missing any steps that I should be taking?

Hope the ONR approach works for you, I can't wash marring-free with it.



I don't know if it'll get things truly clean enough to go right to a wax (without a paintcleaner or something), but it might.



Sorry I'm not giving you better answers, but I'm just not up to speed on how to do this stuff the way you're proposing.



Find a way to clean the salt off. Even if the paint gets a little marred up you can deal with that later, when the weather is nicer.



I'd *really* try to find somebody from here to help you get started on the right foot. A quick "new car detail", followed by OptiCoat, would make this whole thing a completely different (and more manageable by far!) proposition.

What's the general census with Meguiar's Quick Interior Detailer? I've actually seen this before but worried about it tanking my leather in my last car. Safe on all surfaces?

I use it on all interior surfaces on quite a few vehicles (including several types of leather). Great stuff IME, but its cleaning power is a little limited, so don't ask it to do more than it's designed to do.

Does anyone recommend anything for the automotive leather seats? I believe I bought a Leather conditioner made by Mothers for the last fusion.. Good? Recommend something else/better?

IMO/IME, 99% of leather care is just keeping it clean with something that's safe. I hardly *EVER* treat my leather and even on my older cars it's not a problem. Especially with "coated leathers" which would include almost all domestic vehicles.



You might look into products from LeatherMaster and Leathe Doctor. Those, along with stuff from Sonus, are pretty much all I use (when I use anything). I just don't know about the Mother's stuff :nixweiss IME most OTC leather products leave goopy stuff behind that tends to retain dirt (and hence cause problems) while not really doing anything of true benefit (especially with coated leathers, can't get through the coating).

Thanks again to everyone taking their time and helping me move up from newb stage, so many forums people scream "USE THE SEARCH"....

Understood. And while the info is often out there, sometimes "going over the same old stuff again and again" can bring up new ideas and be more beneficial for everybody.

 

[Chris G]

Besides the places C. Charles Hahn mentioned, some of my local autoparts stores have had it from time to time. Also, my local autobody/paint supply place stocks it.









Opinions vary, as do the carwashes themselves; you never know how/how well they treat their water and chemical mixes. Many places recycle the water.



That said, I myself would consider using them if that's the best you can do. If the car were done with something like OptiCoat, I bet this approach would work pretty well.







Hope the ONR approach works for you, I can't wash marring-free with it.



I don't know if it'll get things truly clean enough to go right to a wax (without a paintcleaner or something), but it might.



Sorry I'm not giving you better answers, but I'm just not up to speed on how to do this stuff the way you're proposing.



Find a way to clean the salt off. Even if the paint gets a little marred up you can deal with that later, when the weather is nicer.



I'd *really* try to find somebody from here to help you get started on the right foot. A quick "new car detail", followed by OptiCoat, would make this whole thing a completely different (and more manageable by far!) proposition.





I use it on all interior surfaces on quite a few vehicles (including several types of leather). Great stuff IME, but its cleaning power is a little limited, so don't ask it to do more than it's designed to do.







IMO/IME, 99% of leather care is just keeping it clean with something that's safe. I hardly *EVER* treat my leather and even on my older cars it's not a problem. Especially with "coated leathers" which would include almost all domestic vehicles.



You might look into products from LeatherMaster and Leathe Doctor. Those, along with stuff from Sonus, are pretty much all I use (when I use anything). I just don't know about the Mother's stuff :nixweiss IME most OTC leather products leave goopy stuff behind that tends to retain dirt (and hence cause problems) while not really doing anything of true benefit (especially with coated leathers, can't get through the coating).









Understood. And while the info is often out there, sometimes "going over the same old stuff again and again" can bring up new ideas and be more beneficial for everybody.

I've called around, not many places seem to even know what I'm talking about. If I can't get marr free with ONR, are there any other wash solutions you'd recommend for exterior (safe on windows, plastic trims, nickle painted aluminum rims, tires, undercarriage, etc) that I could develope into a marr free system? I've read some decent posts about Meg's Gold Class wash with a two bucket system..



Also again, how do I go about getting Opti-coat? Any of you professionals around SE Michigan want to give me an idea of how much it'd cost for me to get one of these "A quick "new car detail", followed by OptiCoat"? I want to get wax or a protectant on it asap, I don't know what the dealership put on it when I bought it but I'm worried about going too long with out putting some wax on it..



I would love to get in touch with someone around here that has a solid grasp on all of this.. The only real detailing places around here are commercial (like Ziebart and that Attention 2 detail (never going there again)).

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

Also again, how do I go about getting Opti-coat? Any of you professionals around SE Michigan want to give me an idea of how much it'd cost for me to get one of these "A quick "new car detail", followed by OptiCoat"? I want to get wax or a protectant on it asap, I don't know what the dealership put on it when I bought it but I'm worried about going too long with out putting some wax on it..

You can buy it right from a number of vendors:



Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0 Permanent Paint Coating FREE BONUS

Optimum Opti Coat 2.0

Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0 Permanent Paint Coating | Detailed Image

http://www.detailersdomain.com/Optimum-Opti-Coat-2_p_326.html

I would love to get in touch with someone around here that has a solid grasp on all of this.. The only real detailing places around here are commercial (like Ziebart and that Attention 2 detail (never going there again)).

Yuck... yeah definitely steer clear of Ziebart too, they'll just make a mess. You've got a number of great choices in SE Michigan; David Fermani, Marc Harris @ AutoLAVISH, Jason Paris @ Deep Gloss Auto Salon. Any of them are well qualified to help you out.

 

[pwaug]

On sale here for $54 Kleen Car Auto Appearance Steam cleaner experts

 

[Chris G]

You can buy it right from a number of vendors:



Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0 Permanent Paint Coating FREE BONUS

Optimum Opti Coat 2.0

Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0 Permanent Paint Coating | Detailed Image

http://www.detailersdomain.com/Optimum-Opti-Coat-2_p_326.html







Yuck... yeah definitely steer clear of Ziebart too, they'll just make a mess. You've got a number of great choices in SE Michigan; David Fermani, Marc Harris @ AutoLAVISH, Jason Paris @ Deep Gloss Auto Salon. Any of them are well qualified to help you out.

Yea the attention 2 details place, wrecked my last fusion, never going to a chain detailer again. (worry about the one guy one garage type places sometimes too, anyone can start up a business).



I've decided my process is will be to get the paint clayed/polished/etc (if needed) by someone much more skilled than myself (would like to learn to do it myself though, just worry about practicing on this car) and then buying and applying that Opti-coat. I'll look up the names supplied here and try to contact them. Appreciate the help Charles!



I vaguely remember someone a while back telling me to use standard Woolie in a 1:20 dilution to clean leather and such, is that still good information?

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

(worry about the one guy one garage type places sometimes too, anyone can start up a business).

That's why you come to a forum like Autopia -- you can check up on people and know you're getting someone reputable. The "one guy one garage" setup describes my operation, Jason's operation, and to a slightly lesser extent David's operation. Marc & Tim (AutoLAVISH) are mostly mobile as far as I know, but do work out of a garage sometimes.

I vaguely remember someone a while back telling me to use standard Woolie in a 1:20 dilution to clean leather and such, is that still good information?

Yeah, you can certainly use that but if you're keeping up with things on a regular basis something like QID would probably be enough.

 

[Accumulator]

I've called around, not many places seem to even know what I'm talking about. If I can't get marr free with ONR, are there any other wash solutions you'd recommend for exterior (safe on windows, plastic trims, nickle painted aluminum rims, tires, undercarriage, etc) that I could develope into a marr free system? I've read some decent posts about Meg's Gold Class wash with a two bucket system..

I use Griot's Car Wash, though I hear that both the Optimum Car Wash (their conventional shampoo) and the Duragloss one are both very good.



I use a foamgun to shoot sudsy soap mix at the point of wash medium-to-paint contact; the idea is "dislodge and flush". My concern is that once dirt sticks to the wash medium it becomes like sandpaper, so I try to avoid the "transfer the dirt to the mitt/etc." type of washing.



I need to rewrite my wash technique some time, it's a bit much to get into here/now.



Check and see about those wheels...*nickel* plating?



For the undercarriage, you'll need something more potent than shampoo mix for most applications (I can use that on my garage-queens unless they've been out in nasty weather, but not for the daily drivers). Get some kind of all purpose cleaner ("APC").



Don't worry, most of todays apc/shampoo products/etc. are perfectly safe for all automotive surfaces. Generally, "cars aren't made of fragile stuff".

 

[Chris G]

I use Griot's Car Wash, though I hear that both the Optimum Car Wash (their conventional shampoo) and the Duragloss one are both very good.



I use a foamgun to shoot sudsy soap mix at the point of wash medium-to-paint contact; the idea is "dislodge and flush". My concern is that once dirt sticks to the wash medium it becomes like sandpaper, so I try to avoid the "transfer the dirt to the mitt/etc." type of washing.



I need to rewrite my wash technique some time, it's a bit much to get into here/now.



Check and see about those wheels...*nickel* plating?



For the undercarriage, you'll need something more potent than shampoo mix for most applications (I can use that on my garage-queens unless they've been out in nasty weather, but not for the daily drivers). Get some kind of all purpose cleaner ("APC").



Don't worry, most of todays apc/shampoo products/etc. are perfectly safe for all automotive surfaces. Generally, "cars aren't made of fragile stuff".

I'll check out griot's car wash. The rims I believe are painted and clear coated, I read on a spec sheet that they're "nickle painted" (I believe that the 'nickle' part is the color; their a medium dark silver almost). They look clear coated, I don't believe it's raw paint or anything, their the factory 18" 5 spoke Sport rims if that helps I guess.



I'm still looking into finding someone from here that's local, C. Charles is pretty far away (90 miles+), the Mark and Jacob at AutoLAVISH seem... out of my league? Their site makes me feel that they don't really deal with daily drivers much, more exotic high end vehicles. I just want to get with someone that can explain to me the steps of taking good care of exterior (steps like rinse to a wash to a rinse to dry to lsp? kind of knowledge) and that could help me get the Opti-coat onto my car (I'm worried I'll mess it up since I've never waxed or polished anything before, was too worried on my last Fusion as well; no matter how many youtube video's you watch, doesn't help coax you into actually putting polish to car)



I know this is really only a 30k Fusion to some people, but it's the nicest thing I've ever bought and freaks me out to think about it... I washed the first salt off my car today with a wand at the local car wash (Snowed for the first time since I bought it 2 days ago, roads finally cleared up last night)... Freaked me out when I pointed the wand at the car for the first time haha.

 

[Accumulator]

I'll check out griot's car wash. The rims I believe are painted and clear coated, I read on a spec sheet that they're "nickle painted" (I believe that the 'nickle' part is the color; their a medium dark silver almost). They look clear coated, I don't believe it's raw paint or anything, their the factory 18" 5 spoke Sport rims if that helps I guess..

If you're gonna order from Griot's anyhow, consider their Wheel Cleaner too. It's good stuff and I've used it on all sorts of wheels, including some pretty fragile ones I couldn't afford to mess up.



I'd bet most anything that your wheels are clearcoated, with either paint or powdercoat. In other words, their finish isn't remotely fragile.

I'm still looking into finding someone from here that's local, C. Charles is pretty far away (90 miles+), the Mark and Jacob at AutoLAVISH seem... out of my league? Their site makes me feel that they don't really deal with daily drivers much, more exotic high end vehicles...

While it's easy for me to spend your time and money I'd consider that trip to C. Charles Hahn to be worth it. And I wouldn't worry about AutoLavish being too high-falutin' either. You probably care about your Fusion at least as much as most [exotic whatever] owners care about their cars.



As you said, you need somebody to get you off on the right foot, so I'd try somebody like one of those guys. Note that, as members here, they'll be pretty sympathetic to your situation.

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

I'd bet most anything that your wheels are clearcoated, with either paint or powdercoat. In other words, their finish isn't remotely fragile.

:werd: No cause for concern; Ford didn't build these cars to be garage queens, the materials are generally pretty stout.

While it's easy for me to spend your time and money I'd consider that trip to C. Charles Hahn to be worth it. And I wouldn't worry about AutoLavish being too high-falutin' either. You probably care about your Fusion at least as much as most [exotic whatever] owners care about their cars.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Accumulator. I agree about AutoLAVISH as well; Marc/Tim would absolutely get you taken care of.

As you said, you need somebody to get you off on the right foot, so I'd try somebody like one of those guys. Note that, as members here, they'll be pretty sympathetic to your situation.

Exactly; Chris, if you do decide to make the trip on up here to Lansing I'll be happy to have you work with me on your car so I can get you on the right path, and remove any of your fears about taking care of it long term. Wouldn't be the first brand new Fusion Iv'e OptiCoated!