Apparently I didn't apply nxt 2.0 paste wax thin enough...

Tris1

New member
So I get up and wash the car (it was over-cast, cool and windy. In other words, great weather!). I did the usual:



Meguiar's Hot Rims All Wheel Cleaner, worked EXCELLENTLY with minor scrubbing on extremely dirty rims



2 bucket method with a measured 4.5 oz of Armor-all car wash w/a grout sponge (I LOVE it!), flooded the car and then dried.



I then:

clayed (The paint was in horrible condition. A small section on the hood and trunk left me with a full surface of reddish-brown crap on my blue clay)



washed again



applied cleaner wax and some swirl-x and then got to the wax and things quickly went downhill.



I applied what I thought was a thin coat. You couldn't see the actual product but when looking into the paint, you could see the "haze" of where it was applied to. It was a pain trying to remove it all and I just gave up in the end. I plan on just washing with some Dawn tomorrow and starting fresh. My question is how do I ensure that I apply Meguiar's definition of a thin coat? Any tips?
 
nxt 2.0 is generally a very easy to use product reguardless of how it is applied.. perhaps you didnt allow it to dry long enough? was is gummy, and smeary? or just hard to remove? are you using microfibers to remove it ? you're the first ive ever heard say you had difficulties with nxt 2.0 (other than durability issues, ha).
 
Yikes! I didn't know NXT could give that much fuss. Sometimes misting the applicator with water or a quick detailer will help spread super-thin coats. Try a quick detail spray before Dawn!
 
It might not have dried yet, I did that once and it just smeared about. I waited about 30 minutes and it came off like it should.
 
PeaceKeeper said:
It might not have dried yet, I did that once and it just smeared about. I waited about 30 minutes and it came off like it should.



It took a half hour to dry? I waited like 15 minutes. I performed the "swipe test" and even that was inconsistent on the same panel...





jDizzle:



On some spots it was smeary and a bit gummy. Other times, it was just a bit of a struggle to get off. I used a foam applicator to put it on and terry cloth towels to take it off....
 
Thats what I was going to ask. ^^



Because generally you would probably use the swirlx first.



The cleaner wax could have caused some issues.
 
Meg's liquid cleaner wax was applied to all of the car minus the bumpers and roof. Swirl-x was applied to only half of the trunk because I couldn't see the effect it had in the overcast conditions...
 
IMHO it sound like the solvents/cleaners in NXT softened the wax from the cleaner wax and the combo of the two is why you are having a problem





just use one or the other









why did you skip the bumpers & roof with the cleaner wax?



did you try the swirl-x before ot after the cleaner wax?

did you follow the directions on the swirl-x and really work it...not just apply it?
 
I noticed the first time I used NXT 2.0 it was very hard to remove and just generaly work with. I put on a second coat a few days later and it was amazingly easy to use :nixweiss
 
One other consideration--humidity. If the humidity is on the high end, then NXT will take longer to dry properly. Although NXT usually sets up in 15 minutes, I have had to wait 35 minutes on one occasion before it was ready to be removed. It sounds like you attempted to remove it before it had properly setup.



I have applied NXT over Cleaner Wax and ColorX and have never had any problems; but of course there is always a first time.



Apply a thin coat and give sufficient time for the sealant to setup before removing. Some believe they can get a thinner coat by applying NXT liquid with a DA and finishing pad (speed 3). I've tried it once and they may be right.
 
I have had NXT (1.0) be streaky, etc. It sounds like you're working by hand, and sounds like the prep is the problem. I think you may have had inconsistent prep because of the hand application and the stated poor condition of the paint plus different prep on different parts of the car.
 
I've applied NXT over almost every wax and polish in the Meg's line. I have never noticed it being more difficult to apply or remove. I have also used NXT on completely unprepped paint and it was fine then as well.



It's tough to say if you applied it too thick, didn't let it dry long enough, or something else. You should have been able to apply it over cleaner wax or SwirlX without issue. Maybe try the swipe test on multiple panels to make sure it's ready to remove on the entire car. Some of the thicker areas may take a little longer to dry.



Also, no need to wash the car with Dawn. Try a QD or even just a regular wash giving the car a good wipe down after you dry it.
 
Thanks for all of the input, guys.



I guess for me, maybe 15 minutes is too little. I'll try the half hour and just go do something else with that time.



As for the weather issue, humidity, as far as I know, was relatively low. Then again, we've had humid weather for the last couple of days, so my "sense" may be a bit skewed as well.



The paint on this car is not in the best condition (refer to my comments about claying) and I have no money for any type of machinery, so I'm trying to do the best work by hand, and I think that rules out polishing which is probably what this paint needs the most.



Jim,



The reason why I skipped the roof and bumpers is because I was running out of clay lube and energy. And I know that those three things will probably require a considerable amount of both. The Swirl-z was applied after the cleaner wax and I followed the directions on the bottle....



Tomorrow I'll stop and pick up some QD and give that a whirl. Any special ones to get?
 
Tris1 said:
The Swirl-x was applied after the cleaner wax and I followed the directions on the bottle....



Tomorrow I'll stop and pick up some QD and give that a whirl. Any special ones to get?



Just a quick explanation of the products on hand which might help you out: SwirlX is itself a paint cleaner. It is intended to remove the uppermost layer of paint, and in the process can act as a "paint cleaner."



Cleaner Waxes typically have very little abrading action (if any), and are most chemically based as cleaner (ie the chemicals work well at removing stains, spotting, etc). Also, it leaves behind some wax as protection.



So, if you do Cleaner Wax (least aggressive, but leaves protection) and THEN SwirlX (more aggressive, no protection) you then basically make the application of cleaner wax pointless.



Your better bet would be to do SwirlX --> Cleaner wax ---> NXT.



I personally prep my vehicles almost exclusively with Meguiar's M20 Polymer cleaner wax (for the chemical cleaning properties more than anythhing) and then M21 2.0 (like NXT 2.0) on top of that. Works great for me.



Of course, if I do swirl or scratch removal those steps all come before the M20.
 
Tris1 said:
It took a half hour to dry? I waited like 15 minutes. I performed the "swipe test" and even that was inconsistent on the same panel...





jDizzle:



On some spots it was smeary and a bit gummy. Other times, it was just a bit of a struggle to get off. I used a foam applicator to put it on and terry cloth towels to take it off....



NXT is 100% easy to use hand or on a DA. You must let it soak into the paint before you can remove it. Since it's a sealant you must give it time to bond. And plus you are suppose to do it in a shaded area. Give it a good hour. The longer than better. That's my 2 cent.
 
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