Why DONT you use a product ?

[shaf]

Actually, now that I think about it, some of the stuff that I actually dislike and won't buy again is:



Any OTC wheel cleaner that ISN'T Eagle One A2Z.



..... except Meguiar's, which I'll be testing in a while. I've tried a bunch, and they're all too weak compared to A2Z, which leads me to wonder why I wasted my money and why I'm wasting time rubbing the wheels.

The only Meguiars product I use now are their polishes from the BSP line. It doesn't seem like they can get thier story straight on any of their other products. If you call their tech support and talk to two different people about the same product, you'll be convinced that you talked to one person about two different products. It contains abrassives. It doesn't contain abrassives. It contains polymers. It doesn't contain polymers. It contains silicone. It doesn't contain silicone. Well, it contains silicone, but only the "good" silicone. It has cleaners. It doesn't have cleaner. Actually, it does have cleaners, but they're not "real" cleaners, the just help the product bond. Even though they're not "real" cleaners, they will strip oxidation and remove swirls. But it won't strip wax. Is should bead. It shouldn't bead, it should sheet. Well, it will bead at first, but then start to sheet. The polymers are only there for protection. The polymerns are only there for shine. The list goes on.... and can't tell you how many contradictory statements I've heard about various Meguairs prodcuts directly from Meguiars employees.

:LOLOL

 

[imported_Macgirl1]

EF Black Sapphire - liked this at first but it seemed to have a tendency to sling a bit and then once it rained it ran and looked terrible. Could have been the tires though, I've got Michelins on the Cherokee and the sidewalls seem very hard and waxy and don't absorb tire dressings very well. I prefer 303 on the Passat.



Armor-All - from the newbie days!



Lexol - I like these products but to detail the interior of my car they are a pain. Apply cleaner, go back a wipe down with a wet towel, apply conditioner, buff. I don't have the time to spend on my car like I used to - 16 month-old changes your priorities a bit. I'm using einszett Lederflege and it does a great job of cleaning and conditioning in 2 steps, apply and buff and DONE

 

[imported_phareous]

I won't buy Zaino for a couple of reasons... its hard to get, and the one time I called to try some the guy who answered the phone was such an a$$hole... well excuse me for trying to buy some of your product, I won't let it happen again.

Hmm I never talked to him on the phone but dealt with email and he was extremely helpful and answered all my newbie questions. But that being said I don't use Zaino anymore...its a lot of trouble and it magnified every blemish on my black car. I guess if your paint is in perfect condition it wouldn't be bad.

 

[biff]

Stuff I've tried and have turfed:



* Mother's Back to Black - Works like magic; put it on and it vanishes!

* Mother's Leather treatment- Smells nice like coconuts. Coconut oil would probably last longer.

* MeGuiars consumer line carnuba wax (step 3). Impossible to wipe off.

* ArmourAll no- touch tire dressing. Might as well use spray glue.

* Bissell carpet cleaner. Useless!

That's all I can really think of, right now.



I've got a long list of things that I'm still using but will replace with something else when they're gone:



* Eagle One Leather cleaner and conditioner; Stinky and sticky.

* Rain X; leaves a visible film. I'll go with Vinegar to clean glass.

* 303 (believe it or not!). It just doesn't hold up on exteriors and is too subtle on interiors for most clients. I like #40 better and so does my wallet.

* Simple Green; any concentrated no-name degreaser will do the same job for less $

* Meguiars Deep Crystal Wash, Not enough suds, snd it stinks. I'll go with Sonax or Gold Class if I can find it in town.

* 3M Hand Glaze; I have a love/hate thing going on with this stuff. Its expensive and hard to remove. I may stick with it, but I'd love to find the ultimate glaze to put under S100 (suggestions please)

* 3M Adhesive remover; as a bug and tar remover its too much $ and has removed paint from wheels before. I'll go with WD40

 

[rstype]

You shouldn't let a person stop you from buying a product. Remember AlBoston's "Why I dislike Zaino" thread? He complained that Sal wasn't the nicest person to talk to. Now with the great success he has with the new ZFX, etc., I bet he wishes he had tried it sooner!

 

[Quickstrike]

Since I started using autoint's trim and molding renewer I just can't imagine something working better anyway.

Where can I buy this trim renewer? Would they sell it in Canada?



How long does it last before it needs to be re-applied?



I too am tired of B2B, the dusty climate that I live in leaves the trim looking dull again at the end of the day!

 

[imported_jgv]

Stuff I've tried and have turfed:

.............3M Adhesive remover; as a bug and tar remover its too much $ and has removed paint from wheels before. I'll go with WD40

So WD-40 removes tar? How well?

 

[fuggedit]

I get at least 2 weeks or so out of the ValuGard (Autoint) Trim and Molding Renewer. It rained for 6 or 7 days in a row not too long ago and it help up well during that. Works on more than black trim also... My S-10 has the molding below the grill that matches the color of the paint (red) and it had faded to almost pink. The Trim and Remolding Renewer brought it back to red.

 

[imported_Macgirl1]

So WD-40 removes tar? How well?

I use WD40 also and it startes dissolving tar as soon as you spray it on and is very easy to wipe off in a swipe or two. [Note: this is fresh tar and it's not allowed to set for over a week.] Excellent for wheel wells and liners. I always clean the WD40 off the surface when I've gotten the tar off by using a paint safe degreaser or all-purpose cleaner. Plus I might do a spot polish and wax if I'm not doing the entire car. For wheel wells/liners I apply 303 or similar product.

 

[Mike_Phillips]

I will also never use Meguiars Quik Wax again because it made a mess and was hard to remove. That's what I get for trying to take a shortcut to waxing.

Hi Cindy,



Just for fun, when you used the Meguiar's Quik Wax...



Did your car already have a nice finish with a good "Base Coat" of wax?



Or,



Could your finish best be described as neglected and in need of a cleaning, polishing and waxing?



From your post, where you say,



That's what I get for trying to take a shortcut to waxing



It sounds like you may have tried to use the Quick Wax when what your car's finish really needed was a regular wax job, or perhaps even more, such as a good claying followed by a dedicated paint cleaner and then on to either polishing or waxing with a regular base-coat of a real wax type product?





You see the Quik Wax isn't a "Replacement" for a regular application of wax, it is more of a "Booster" for what you already have.



Recently, Meguiar's reformulated the Quik Wax and it is now my favorite product. I keep a bottle of it and Quik Detailer in by car with a couple of microfiber polishing cloths and whenever I take my wife shopping, instead of going into the store and doing something I don't like, (shopping), I stay with the truck and do something I enjoy. With these two products, I can 'quickly', clean and then wax my truck.



Just wondering why you had such a bad experience?







Mike

 

[unclearty]

I wholeheartedly agree!! The new quickwax is a "booster"...that's a good term.....It is like a QD on steroids.I was very aprehensive about using this product, but it has become one of my favorites. If you've washed, clayed,etc etc your spouses,(fill in the blank) car a month ago,a wash and a QuickWax will bring it back to looking good in a half hour..total!! Then next time, full wax job. I get a little crazy with my car between polishing, acrylic sealers and various toppers. QW is great when I just don't have alot of time..just wash, dry QW..go.

It will NOT replace a proper preperation...just prolong it.

 

[imported_Smoker]

But why would I reward a company for treating me like $hit by giving them my business? There are way too many other excellent products and vendors that treat me like a valued customer and not an annoyance.

I agree completely.



If they think their product is too good for ya, then guess what ... my $$ is too good for them.



heres a little cautionary tale .......

This is 100% true (I was sat outside in the truck when this happened lol)



I used to work for a guy that ran a removals/delivery business.



He had 4 ford Luton panel vans and two fullsize Mercedes house removals trucks in his fleet that worked a solid 12 hours a day, 6 days a week.



He used to drive one of the trucks as well as organise his business, so used to dress pretty scruffily.



Anyways, one day when he had finished early he decided he wanted a new car and stopped by the local Mercedes dealer.



He hopped out and started walking around, opening the show cars doors and sitting in them.



Seeing this untidy man in his showroom molesting 'his' cars was too much for the salesman and he did his best to get rid of the man as fast as possible.



Catching on to what this snooty salesman was doing, the guy gets out his cellphone and calls his bank manager, explains whats going on and hands the phone to the salesman, who is then asked what the most expensive car in the showroom was.



I forget the figure but the bank manager then explained that the scruffy guy stood in front of him could easily afford three.



Anyways, by then the damage was done, the customer walked out, went next door and spent $50k on a BMW.



Maybe a person doesnt LOOK like they have money ... but ya can never be sure..........

 

[Mike_Phillips]

Mike,



Could you tell me where to look on the bottle of Quick Wax, or on Meguiar’s website, where it will tell me that it is intended for use over an already pristine & properly prepped surface? I looked and I can't find it. What I did find was statement that Quick Wax will remove light oxidation, and actually "remove" swirls. If people are disappointed by Quick Wax it may be because the product labeling creates unrealistic expectations.

I agree BlackRegal,



I can't find that tidbit of information anywhere either.



My question for Cindy was just an honest effort to help her, not lay blame at her feet for potentially using it on a finish that wasn't already in good condition with a base coat of wax, (which I still don’t know the answer too).



�I know� what type of finish it works best on and how to use it, and while the label information isn’t perfect and the web information is also lacking, my intentions were help her and anyone else with “unrealistic expectations� to understand what type of finish this product is intended for use with, and how to best use it.



Quik wax does work incredibly well, like I said, it's one of my favorite products. It doesn't "remove" swirls, it does however fill in light swirls and cobweb-effect, which pleases many people, especially for $5.00 a bottle.



It also does accomplish most of what the label claims it will do,



It makes your paint darker with deeper, more clear reflections

It increases surface shine

It's easy to use

It's fast, (compared to a traditional application of a wax be it natural or synthetic).



I don’t know about the “removes light oxidation claim�, I think this may be incorrect. I don't know though, because I haven’t been around anything lightly oxidized lately. I think this would depend on the definition of “light oxidation�.



I have printed out your response and will show it to a few people here that should be concerned over your frustrations with our products and our labeling.



That said… have you tried the new formulation?



If you like, I will send you a free bottle?



Your call.



I notice your pretty unhappy with Meguiar’s most of the time, this is just an honest attempt to send you a free bottle for you to try.



I can’t solve all the problems people have with Meguiar’s, in fact it’s pretty much impossible to satisfy 100% of the people 100% of the time, I just try to make a little “dent� here and there.



The untold story goes like this,



For every person that complains, has a problem, or feels frustrated, there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of “satisfied customers� around the world that do get great results from Meguiar’s products and you just never here about it.



When I see someone post they think the Quik Wax is horrible and then compare that to my experience, and the experinece of many others that have given it a try, I have to stop and wonder, “What went wrong�?



As you point out, the problem is highly likely on Meguiar’s part for not labeling the product with the necessary information to enable a person to make a valid judgment as to whether or not this is the right product for them and their car care needs.



Thanks to the Internet and open discussion forums like this, a person such as myself can “chime inâ€�and try to make up for these deficiencies. I don’t know how many labels have been printed up, applied to products and then placed into the pipeline, but it’s probably a safe bet… many.



I know there are at least a few more people who have tried and liked this product and appreciate the extra information on it’s intended purpose and usage, because of the information posted here.



Should I stop posting?



What do you think?

 

[2500Hemi]

Mike

I have always found you posts to be very informative. Please continue to try to share the info. I appreciate your insight on meguiars and wish some of the other manufacturers had someone here to help clarify some misunderstandings. (Meguiars is not the only company that is vague with product descriptions) Thanks Again

Bryan

 

[VetteToVair]

I would say almost every bottle i own makes some claims that aren't entirely true. Meguiars, Mothers, Zaino, etc. etc.



Mike,

Stay!!!

 

[Mike_Phillips]

Where my "feud" arises with Meguiar’s is the lack of quality, consistent technical resources.

If anyone has noticed I actually post here less often than I use to, and less often than I would like.



If you have ever been to my new forum, (powered by Autopia.org), you will notice I don't even post there, which I would also like to remedy.



Instead, I am working on creating,



* Application Bulletins for all Meguiar's products

* Technical Bulletins for all Meguiar's products



Plus a host of other information related material with the intended purpose of helping people get the best results from they're, time, money, and efforts.



And while I have a really good start on all of these things, I am leaving here after I post this to start wet-sanding, cutting and buffing the hood and fenders on the new Special Events Truck.

Believe it or not, I am like you, when it comes to product information, I prefer more meat and less fluff.



I try to steer label copy that way but there are usually two groups that contend for label real-estate and it usually comes down to a compromise on both sides.



You all have a good day and... keep the shiny side up!

 

[imported_Larry A]

Hy Mike dont you even think of leaving this forum we need your input.We need Forrest input also. Its great to have Meguiars and Mothers experts on board.

 

[Jake11375]

Maybe Mike can chime in here if I'm applying Meg's QW wrong or something. The beef I have with Meg's quik wax is that is turns into white powdery stuff all over the car. If a little wind or something comes along and I spray QW, I splatters all down the side of the car. It turns hard very quickly and you have to moisten it with a another mist. It just creates a powdery mess. :nixweiss

 

[unclearty]

I'm curious as to how you're applying it...I use a yellow foam applicator...mist w/ quickShine...then start misting small areasw / QW and wiping around in small areas w/ foam pad. I only do one section at a a time and I have not experienced the white powdering that you speak of. I'm also working a small amount into a large area. I really like QW partly because there is so little clean up involved. I can do my entire car ..with a QD and QW application in about 20-25 minutes ..start to finish. I guees the trick is to not think of it like a wax and more like a quick detailer..aplly thin and buff with MF.

 

[Jake11375]

I think that's the problem, I was using it like a QD. I mist directly on the vehicle and buff with a MF. (no applicator involved) That's where the misting down the side of the car occurs with the wind. If it were not windy, the drifting and powdery residue probably wouldn't be am issue. I think the idea of using an app will solve it when it's windy. (and it almost always is to some extent) Mist the pad and apply, then buff. Thanks.:xyxthumbs