How to tell when you need to wax

W

WillF

New member
Forgive my newbie-ness and if this topic has been covered multiple times already.



Seems like a basic enough question but figured this forum would be the best way to learn.



How do you tell when a car needs waxing? I've heard of the bead test but I'm not sure what to look for or how to execute such a test.



Please advise. Thank you guys.
 
I look at the calendar. Seriously. I love to wax and I love the look of freshly waxed car. Whether it needs it or not, I wax about once a month or thereabouts. Of course, this is purely a hobby for me. The pros may have a different opinion.
 
Bead test = Spray some water on your hood. Does it bead into nice small drops? (wax likely intact) Or does the water bead in big drops or smear across the paint? (Needs wax)



Feel test = feel your cars paint with your fingers after washing the car. Does the car feel slick and smooth? If not then wax is likely needed in addition to a potential other host of things like claying, polish, sealant, wax etc..



Nothing wrong with being new, just realize that the advice you get here will be in depth so be prepared for more advice then just "Put some wax on".
 
There are a lot of different ways to tell.



Run your hand across the paint, does it feel smooth and slick? If not, it's time to wax. If you're not sure, then just test one spot on the car, and then compare. If the wax improves slickness, it's time to wax.



Also, you can test how well water runs off of the car. use a watering can or hose to flood the surface of the car. If the water runs off easily and leaves the car (mostly) dry, then you're good. If there seems to be a film of water, or if it only dries in certain spots and stays wet in others, you need to wax.



The key purpose of wax is to keep water (and the contaminants that it carries) OFF of your car. So, if it's doing it's job, most of the water should run directly off. Whatever's left should bead.



Wax doesn't wear evenly. Some spots will wear off faster than others. You can see this in the beading of water. Smaller, equal sized beads mean that the car's surface smooth and uniformly protected. If the beads get larger, or occur in various different sizes on the same part of the car, it probably means that your wax is beginning to wear off.
 
askjeffro said:
Nothing wrong with being new, just realize that the advice you get here will be in depth so be prepared for more advice then just "Put some wax on".
Click to expand...



So true.



But actually, there really isn't any better advice than that.



Just put some wax on!!
 
More or less, pay close attention the first time you wash your vechicle after waxing. If it has lots of small beads, it's slick, and looks great after you're done; then there's your baseline. Once it doesn't display those characteristics, the wax (and protection) is likely gone.
 
Assuming the starting point is a freshly detailed (and hence waxed) vehicle, IMO you oughta rewax as soon as *any* characteristic you value changes for the worse.



Slickness and beading usually change long before the protection and appearance really drop off, so I go by those.
 
From one newbie to another Welcome to Autopia!



I usually wax 3x's a year. Been following this regime since I learned how to drive 9 years ago, never had any rust or gloss issues.
 
ZaneO said:
More or less, pay close attention the first time you wash your vechicle after waxing. If it has lots of small beads, it's slick, and looks great after you're done; then there's your baseline. Once it doesn't display those characteristics, the wax (and protection) is likely gone.
Click to expand...



Good advice.:xyxthumbs
 
Accumulator said:
Assuming the starting point is a freshly detailed (and hence waxed) vehicle, IMO you oughta rewax as soon as *any* characteristic you value changes for the worse.
Click to expand...



+1, Succinctly put.
 
i have this problem too i just wax like 3 times a month sometimes more, is that bad. anyway now its winter i did one wax about a month ago and no more wax until spring now. should i be useing different wax for the winter
 
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