Cleaning And Maintenance Of New Es350

[rjt65]

Ok my dirty towel and applicator Pile (wash towels in wash, applicator in sink with dawn liquid) and My little shelf of products (man 300$ for this stuff--DDOC must be over 5 figures with that setup!) they could have thrown in the Porter cable !! ;-)

[rjt65]

Ok so I have some OCD anal stuff going on.. would ya notice left side towels applicators (not used yet-the dirty will go there when cleaned), middle is mix Sonus,Pinnacle wax, and Ultima product for the exterior and on the right the interior mix-sonus and Ultima.

Future (1 year) porter cable i think, some clay lubricant, more clay, pinnacle sovereign wax, Some tire stuff (I used some eagle one cleaner I think which is still with old supplies for my wifes car in the garage), maybe some Zaino products...etc...

quote name='rjt65' date='Apr 10 2008, 01:36 PM' post='301467']

Ok my dirty towel and applicator Pile (wash towels in wash, applicator in sink with dawn liquid) and My little shelf of products (man 250-300$ for this stuff--DDOC must be over 5 figures with that setup!) they could have thrown in the Porter cable !! ;-)

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

OK...ok...ok detaildoc and rtj..............I am not worthy!!!! I am not worthy!!!! (he said on bended knees!!!). God, and I thought my little Excel spreadsheet of the products I was going to buy was anal!!!! LOL!!!! I bet you guys are like the one guy on the Moment of Truth who slept with over 100 women and had a spreadsheet on it (no, wait, I wanna be that guy..ha ha...no just kidding (my wife is standing behind me now).).

Hey AZ, you that anal? I have been called an A-hole but phew, this is amazing! :P

Hey rtj, gr8 pix!!! Thanks for sharing. Now, to make me put you on a pedastal (like I have detaildoc), you have to send pix on the organization schema for your supplies. I would send you mine....but you all know what an old towel hamper looks like (LOL)!

And who would have thunk it that my little post would grow to 10 pages and create detailing monsters like rtj!!!!

But you have to admit, this has been fun (at least for me and hope you also)!

No, I am not very anal. I am not good with lists, I used to make them and never go back to them. At work I wish I could hire a good list maker and maintainer, it's a skill that is so hard to find! I did print your list of what you purchased and put check marks by what I ordered to see what I will need next, so thanks! That's about as anal as I get.

My wife is the list maker, honeydos, family goals, tasks, what purse she wants to buy next, etc. My son and I just follow what pertains to us.

Hey AZ, thank you, thank you, thank you. rtj and ddoc started making me feel unworthy to even post in this forum! God, I hope this weekend is nice...but I think it is supposed to rain again and I go on business travel the next 2 weeks. Oh well.

Hey rtj, from the directions I read and from what ddoc has said, the paint guard plus sealant should be fine by hand...I plan to do it by hand. On the autopia-carcare.com in the How-To section under the product description says it should be 10 minutes or something like that...you just need to let it cure for 12-14 hrs.

[detaildoc]

DDOC: when would u use Pinnacle Souv. paste versus/over the P21-s carnuba? Switch em up? every month do 1 2 weeks the other 2 weeks later?

I cant wait to see how these products help me get my wifes 4 year old (and in bad need detailing) Expedition back in shape--will let ya know)

RJT, great pics, the car looks great, very reflective and great depth. For your black car I would also recommend Pinnacle Souveran Paste, you will love it.

P21s100% lasts about 4 weeks, so I would just wait until after then. They are two different looks and they are both great, so just enjoy the P21s100% for now and try Souveran later. See which one you like more.

[detaildoc]

Ok JGT time for you to change your screen name--to DR. Frankenstein, because you have created a detail monster! you and and DDOC can fight over who is Dr. Frankenstein and who is IGOR, assisting the DR, wait detailDOC arrgh he must be DR Frankenstein!!!!

You created the thread and DDOC added all that detail (others too) so maybe u both are, thanks t I would have reinvested in the 'shabbier' store bought products (seems like only the Meguiars is considered up to snuff in Detail-Land) I will shoot a pix of my stuff when I organize later

JGT: who has time for sleeping with 100 woman I have to clean my Car!!!!!!!!!! Well, maybe I can find some time for that, My wife is at at the gym hahahaha.

I plan to stick my cleaning stuff in my bookcase in my home office until I create a good spot in my garage (traveling business for 2 weeks--so my constant posting and badgering will somewhat slow down!)

I have my ssheet (now color coded) out to 52 weeks and will have target weeks to ensure I meet the 3-4 x a year stuff and annual stuff. Washing & waxing easy to stay on track with, though winter a challenge but ONR will be on my next order!

PS- Of course it rained last nite into the morning (april showers blah blah blah but come friggin on already) I am happy to report checking last night and this morning beautiful water beading . Went to gym this early am, so air blew off the beads,and I have little to none water spots. More rain expected so maybe I will try the detail spray plus this weekend to clean er up! Also parked next to the the same model car at my gym my outshone the other by a mile!

OK...ok...ok detaildoc and rtj..............I am not worthy!!!! I am not worthy!!!! (he said on bended knees!!!). God, and I thought my little Excel spreadsheet of the products I was going to buy was anal!!!! LOL!!!! I bet you guys are like the one guy on the Moment of Truth who slept with over 100 women and had a spreadsheet on it (no, wait, I wanna be that guy..ha ha...no just kidding (my wife is standing behind me now).).

Hey AZ, you that anal? I have been called an A-hole but phew, this is amazing! :P

Hey rtj, gr8 pix!!! Thanks for sharing. Now, to make me put you on a pedastal (like I have detaildoc), you have to send pix on the organization schema for your supplies. I would send you mine....but you all know what an old towel hamper looks like (LOL)!

And who would have thunk it that my little post would grow to 10 pages and create detailing monsters like rtj!!!!

But you have to admit, this has been fun (at least for me and hope you also)!

I always love doing those comparisons and seeing how mine outshines the others. B) I would not recommend using the detailing spray if the car has dust on it, you might scratch the paint.

[detaildoc]

Does Smokey Granite have a clear coat? Any special instructions for that?

Yes, it does have a clearcoat. My car is a smoky granite. Love that color. Follow the same recommendations you have read in this thread.

Thanks, I have been quietly reading these. I am sure after I go through a whole detailing session it will not be as overwhelming. Right now, to start, it seems like a lot! Just got my first order from Autopia today, so this weekend I will do my first attempt!

Nice! What did you order?

I got the PS21 and a foam applicator (which will not fit in the wax container, haven't tried it yet to see if it will be a problem), the Sonus wash kit which has the shampoo, drying towels and other towels, and the wash mit. So, $80 later, I figured I wait for the rest. In reading the directions from the shampoo bottle, it says I should seal or polish first, so I guess I should order the Ultima Paint Guard Plus and applicator before I do the wax. I do not plan to get any machines for a while, so I want to make sure that whatever I get and use is safe to be done by hand. This may have been asked, but is applying the Paint Guard by hand safe?

The Ps21 (at least the 100%) comes with a foam applicator that fits. If it did not, you can always take it out of the jar (making sure you wear some plastic gloves, or a sandwich bag, or you can just squeeze the foam applicator inside the jar. You don't need much of it to apply it, in fact, you are supposed to apply it lightly. The back of the bottle of the Sonus Gloss Shampoo reads that it is mild so it won't remove the wax or sealant off your car (if it has been applied), not that you should seal or polish first. You can apply a wax without the sealant. My preference is to apply 2 -3 coats of the sealant and then a wax, or just leave the sealant by itself. The reason why I always apply the sealant first is because the sealant will last several months, hence keeping the paint protected, while the wax will only last a few weeks. Ultima Paint Guard Plus is meant for hand application with the included Microfiber applicator, not by machine, it is not a polish so yes it is safe.

[detaildoc]

Ok my dirty towel and applicator Pile (wash towels in wash, applicator in sink with dawn liquid) and My little shelf of products (man 300$ for this stuff--DDOC must be over 5 figures with that setup!) they could have thrown in the Porter cable !! ;-)

Nice. A really nice start. I can predict that collection is going to grow larger.

[detaildoc]

Ok so I have some OCD anal stuff going on.. would ya notice left side towels applicators (not used yet-the dirty will go there when cleaned), middle is mix Sonus,Pinnacle wax, and Ultima product for the exterior and on the right the interior mix-sonus and Ultima.

Future (1 year) porter cable i think, some clay lubricant, more clay, pinnacle sovereign wax, Some tire stuff (I used some eagle one cleaner I think which is still with old supplies for my wifes car in the garage), maybe some Zaino products...etc...

quote name='rjt65' date='Apr 10 2008, 01:36 PM' post='301467']

Ok my dirty towel and applicator Pile (wash towels in wash, applicator in sink with dawn liquid) and My little shelf of products (man 250-300$ for this stuff--DDOC must be over 5 figures with that setup!) they could have thrown in the Porter cable !! ;-)

The OCD will only get worse as you add more supplies, trust me. That's not Pinnacle Souveran wax, that's P21s. This is Pinnacle Souveran: http://www.autogeek.net/pinsouvwax.html. Also, the P21S wax that I have been referring to is the P21s100%, which is the newer version of the P21S you have and it lasts a bit longer and it gives a brighter and clearer look, here it is: http://www.autogeek.net/p21s-100--carnauba-wax.html. But don't worry, your P21s is still a great wax.

[Randy&Bonnie]

..

[rjt65]

thanks. I definitely plan to wash it again spring has sprung and my car had a nice fluorescent green coat on it...arrghh--I think I iwll add a ramp to my shower and drive my car in a nd wash every day when i shower!!

thanks again for all the advise....

Ok JGT time for you to change your screen name--to DR. Frankenstein, because you have created a detail monster! you and and DDOC can fight over who is Dr. Frankenstein and who is IGOR, assisting the DR, wait detailDOC arrgh he must be DR Frankenstein!!!!

You created the thread and DDOC added all that detail (others too) so maybe u both are, thanks t I would have reinvested in the 'shabbier' store bought products (seems like only the Meguiars is considered up to snuff in Detail-Land) I will shoot a pix of my stuff when I organize later

JGT: who has time for sleeping with 100 woman I have to clean my Car!!!!!!!!!! Well, maybe I can find some time for that, My wife is at at the gym hahahaha.

I plan to stick my cleaning stuff in my bookcase in my home office until I create a good spot in my garage (traveling business for 2 weeks--so my constant posting and badgering will somewhat slow down!)

I have my ssheet (now color coded) out to 52 weeks and will have target weeks to ensure I meet the 3-4 x a year stuff and annual stuff. Washing & waxing easy to stay on track with, though winter a challenge but ONR will be on my next order!

PS- Of course it rained last nite into the morning (april showers blah blah blah but come friggin on already) I am happy to report checking last night and this morning beautiful water beading . Went to gym this early am, so air blew off the beads,and I have little to none water spots. More rain expected so maybe I will try the detail spray plus this weekend to clean er up! Also parked next to the the same model car at my gym my outshone the other by a mile!

OK...ok...ok detaildoc and rtj..............I am not worthy!!!! I am not worthy!!!! (he said on bended knees!!!). God, and I thought my little Excel spreadsheet of the products I was going to buy was anal!!!! LOL!!!! I bet you guys are like the one guy on the Moment of Truth who slept with over 100 women and had a spreadsheet on it (no, wait, I wanna be that guy..ha ha...no just kidding (my wife is standing behind me now).).

Hey AZ, you that anal? I have been called an A-hole but phew, this is amazing! :P

Hey rtj, gr8 pix!!! Thanks for sharing. Now, to make me put you on a pedastal (like I have detaildoc), you have to send pix on the organization schema for your supplies. I would send you mine....but you all know what an old towel hamper looks like (LOL)!

And who would have thunk it that my little post would grow to 10 pages and create detailing monsters like rtj!!!!

But you have to admit, this has been fun (at least for me and hope you also)!

I always love doing those comparisons and seeing how mine outshines the others. B) I would not recommend using the detailing spray if the car has dust on it, you might scratch the paint.

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

Wow.. I'm amazed at what I "didn't know"!!!! Great info!! Thanks, guys!!

Hey, welcome to the post Randy. Feel free to post pics when you do your first detail. I started this post seems like months ago and I haven't had the time or weather to do my first detail...oh well. But good luck!

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

Ok, I finally did it....in between the rain drops. Here are the pics (I hope if they uploaded). Two of my car and one of my wife's . OK, here are the Lessons Learned for all those novices like me. By the way, this is with only 1 coat of Paint Guard Plus...not bad. Will be doing another coat tomorrow. :)

Lesson Learned 1. Do the wife's car!!!! If you want to keep spending this much money on detailing supplies; you better do your wife's car!!! :whistles:

Lesson Learned 2. Sonus products are good; BUT, (excuse me for yelling but I need to emphasize this point) TAKE THE CAP OFF AND USE A KNIFE TO TAKE THE CLEAR/WHITE INNER CAP OFF! This is for the Body Shampoo and the Tire Gel. I like rtj, lost some of the product (but I put mine over a cup and was able to put some back).

Lesson Learned 3. If there are only a few rain drops, don't do it! Rain must have something in it because there were spots after I washed the car and had to go over them again.

Lesson Learned 4. Be caution when using detail spray but not afraid (like I was). I probably did my paint guard sealant over some areas that I should have gone over with the detailing spray first (I did my car first and should have done my wife's car first......I wasn't afraid on her car (ha ha), and the detailing spray actually did well....you have to be gentle but not afraid. I was so scared to marr the paint I think I didn't use it well.)

Lesson Learned 5. The Pinnacle Wheel and Tire Kit is great. However, I think I used too much Wheel & Tire Cleaner since I may only have enough to do this one more time.

Well hope this helps.

[rjt65]

yes! nice job both cars look gr8! nice tire shine...

But now u r really in!!! u will be compelled to wash after all rain and pollen attacks (With the pollen I will be washing Tomorrow as I leave for business trip (and the rain for 2 days and pollen are !@#$% me off).

Hey a ?---you used the detailing spray before the PG + sealant (just to clean off rain spots?) and did u did u wax at all ?

cheerio

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

yes! nice job both cars look gr8! nice tire shine...

But now u r really in!!! u will be compelled to wash after all rain and pollen attacks (With the pollen I will be washing Tomorrow as I leave for business trip (and the rain for 2 days and pollen are !@#$% me off).

Hey a ?---you used the detailing spray before the PG + sealant (just to clean off rain spots?) and did u did u wax at all ?

cheerio

yes, I used the Ultima detailing spray before I used the Ultima paint guard plus. It was right after washing and I saw some of the nasty up close and personal stuff you see when you do things by hand. Didn't wax yet....plan on doing 1 more paint guard +, let it cure, and then I plan to wax with P21S-100. I am hoping the paint guard plus works as advertised so I can just wash/dry/wax from here until the next year when I may Paint Guard Plus it again.

[detaildoc]

yes! nice job both cars look gr8! nice tire shine...

But now u r really in!!! u will be compelled to wash after all rain and pollen attacks (With the pollen I will be washing Tomorrow as I leave for business trip (and the rain for 2 days and pollen are !@#$% me off).

Hey a ?---you used the detailing spray before the PG + sealant (just to clean off rain spots?) and did u did u wax at all ?

cheerio

yes, I used the Ultima detailing spray before I used the Ultima paint guard plus. It was right after washing and I saw some of the nasty up close and personal stuff you see when you do things by hand. Didn't wax yet....plan on doing 1 more paint guard +, let it cure, and then I plan to wax with P21S-100. I am hoping the paint guard plus works as advertised so I can just wash/dry/wax from here until the next year when I may Paint Guard Plus it again.

The cars look great, it is really starting to take shape, reflective and deep. Just wait til you put the second coat of UPGP. It will blow you away. I recommend that after the second coat has cured, you buff the car with a MF towel, this will remove any streaking and will really bring out the gloss. Take a pic of your car before you apply the P21s100% so you can remember what the car looked like for comparison; you might end up liking the look of just the UPGP. Also take some pics after the P21s100% and post them so we can see the difference. Why wait so long to apply another coat of UPGP, it is super easy to apply. I always apply one coat 1 x month, just for the fun and the look. I would recommend 2-3 coats at least every 4 months, especially if your car is exposed to some harsh elements.

Regarding your question in your PM about the paint chips my best advise is leave them alone and try not to look at them, just gotta learn to live with them. Fixing one requires a very tricky and complicated process involving wetsanding and if you have that many, it is not even worth it. I don't even like trying to hide them with those little pens with paint from the dealer as they are not any good. They won't match your paint exactly and they leave horrible blobs.

[detaildoc]

Lesson Learned 2. Sonus products are good; BUT, (excuse me for yelling but I need to emphasize this point) TAKE THE CAP OFF AND USE A KNIFE TO TAKE THE CLEAR/WHITE INNER CAP OFF! This is for the Body Shampoo and the Tire Gel. I like rtj, lost some of the product (but I put mine over a cup and was able to put some back).

I think you meant Ultima, if you are referring to the little plastic cap inside the Ultima Paint Guard Wash. Yes, that little sucker is annoying. The same thing happened to me with my first bottle. Not sure why they even put it in there.

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

Yes, Ultima...oops did I blame Sonus. Yeah, I was trying to figure out the purpose of it also...? Thanks again, you have been a great help!

[Omegaman]

Does anyone know how to get scratches off of the instrument panel cover (plastic I guess)? My 2008 GX470 had scratches on this panel, the one covering the speedometer/tach/temp/gas gages. I showed it to the dealer (not the one I bought it from) and they changed it will no questions. The new one has just about as many scratches. I do not know if it was scratched before they put it on, if they scratched it, or if I did trying to clean it (I used only a dry clean cloth). The steering wheel cover now also has some scratches down the left side that are about 1/2 inches long and it is obvious these little gouges were caused by a screwdriver sliding down it. I certainly did not do this. I never had any tools anywhere close to the vehicle.

I could ask the dealer to replace it again, and might, but since I cannot be sure the scratches are something they did (the steering wheel cover small gouges they definitely did) or something I did. I really do not feel right asking them to replace it again under these circumstances. So can anyone help? Here are my specific questions:

1) This thing seems to be easily scratched. Can it get scratched by just using your finger or a soft cloth/Kleenex to remove dust? I have had many new vehicles over the years (first Lexus) and have never scratched this cover by cleaning on any of them.

2) Is there some product that will remove these scratches? I do not think they are deep but are surface scratches.

3) Is there some product that would cover up these small gouges on the steering column cover that would blend in with its color? These are like four or five small gouges in a line like would be made by running a screwdriver accidently across it (like would half to have been used to change the plastic gage cover).

Thanks for any help.

Omegaman

[SW03ES]

You NEVER want to rub that plastic with a dry cloth. Use only plastic or glass cleaner and only use ultrafine microfiber towels. Plexus is a good plastic cleaner.

You can repair it, there are some tutorials in the detailing forum.

[rjt65]

hey there nice pix.... ... Can you take one from behind to show the tail-fin? can see it a little from the side, but like all said subtle versus big and bling...

Ok, I finally did it....in between the rain drops. Here are the pics (I hope if they uploaded). Two of my car and one of my wife's . OK, here are the Lessons Learned for all those novices like me. By the way, this is with only 1 coat of Paint Guard Plus...not bad. Will be doing another coat tomorrow. :)

Lesson Learned 1. Do the wife's car!!!! If you want to keep spending this much money on detailing supplies; you better do your wife's car!!! :whistles:

Lesson Learned 2. Sonus products are good; BUT, (excuse me for yelling but I need to emphasize this point) TAKE THE CAP OFF AND USE A KNIFE TO TAKE THE CLEAR/WHITE INNER CAP OFF! This is for the Body Shampoo and the Tire Gel. I like rtj, lost some of the product (but I put mine over a cup and was able to put some back).

Lesson Learned 3. If there are only a few rain drops, don't do it! Rain must have something in it because there were spots after I washed the car and had to go over them again.

Lesson Learned 4. Be caution when using detail spray but not afraid (like I was). I probably did my paint guard sealant over some areas that I should have gone over with the detailing spray first (I did my car first and should have done my wife's car first......I wasn't afraid on her car (ha ha), and the detailing spray actually did well....you have to be gentle but not afraid. I was so scared to marr the paint I think I didn't use it well.)

Lesson Learned 5. The Pinnacle Wheel and Tire Kit is great. However, I think I used too much Wheel & Tire Cleaner since I may only have enough to do this one more time.

Well hope this helps.

[rjt65]

DDOC A ? on Wheel care kits

I see Sonus and pinnacle kits (2 bottles each cleaner and gel 16 oz each i think), sonus one brush Pinnacle 2, Sonus one sponge applicator Pinnacle 2)

but it still seems like a lot $45 for 2 bottles @ 16 oz, y r these superior to other tire cleaners/dressings? What about p21s tire cleaners gels, mothers, Optimum tire shine, etc.

Wheel waxing, Si or no ?

thoughts here all?

[rjt65]

DDOC: ? on Sealing

Do you ever WAX without using PG + first? I am washing weekly (plus more due to pollen dust-hosing off only seems to move the pollen dust around not off!)), and planned to do another waxing (wax plan 2x or so per mo.)

Rereading these posts I saw u stated that u always seal (Ultima PG+) first, but PG+ seems to say to use 3-4x per year.

So what is the benefit to seal every mo versus 4 x per year ? Meaning if the paint is sealed and will be sealed for few months why seal 1-2x per mo versus 3-4 per year? Is that just wasting sealant or have you fund the sealent wears down with multiple waxing etc..

Wondering if i need to adjust my planned sealing ..as always thnakee sai for the advice

[AZ08LexusES]

How about the dash on the passenger side? It is made of this rubberized finish that seems to scuff awfully easily. Any advice on how to clean/repair this?

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

How about the dash on the passenger side? It is made of this rubberized finish that seems to scuff awfully easily. Any advice on how to clean/repair this?

AZ, detaildoc and SW03ES are the experts but I used Sonus cockpit cleaner and UV protectant on all of the dash and the plastic and it seemed to do well.

rjt, I used the SEALANT first since that is what ddoc said to. If you continue to read through the posts, where I asked this, he recommended to me that I take a pic after buffing out the PG+ the third time and then do the carnouba wax and take a pic to see what I like best. What I have gathered is you can use sealant OR wax OR both. It really depends on how you like the look of the results on your car. Apparantly, some think the carnouba wax gives a deeper color. I am going to do the wax next and then I will post pics....however, I really like the ease of the PG+ sealant. And, as I mentioned, my neighbor complimented me on how he never saw a paint job like this (it was like glass/a mirror). Also, if you look at some car care websites, they have sealants/wax in the same page.....kind of gives credance to the use can use either/or/both. My new pics are below from my 3rd detail with PG+(they were on an overcast day but you can still see the reflections...the spot on the trunk was rain on my camera lens, not the car..thanks goodness!).

[rjt65]

I will 2nd getting the detailing kit (Sonus Cockpit) use it (both cleaner and UV) every 2-4 weeks. Black interior (the pain of black on black) shows dust very fast so I find the anti-static cleanser here works excellent. Get (do not remember if it comes with MicroFiber applicator) the proper applicator (MF) to apply, do the whole inside in like 10-20 minutes for both coats.

JGTNLO - I am aware of the potential to use either/or in combo or alone etc. Just wondering If instead of just waxing I should ALWAYS put one coat of the sealant on, (as opposed to my 3x a year 3 coats PG+) for the waxing in-between. Or just wax sometimes as the sealant should last months, or maybe just do one coat PG+ after a wash sometimes too, no wax.

So how did the sealant only bead up with rain and how long did u wait to wax( or u have not waxed yet?)

PS - the tail-Fin looks cool and subtle !!

How about the dash on the passenger side? It is made of this rubberized finish that seems to scuff awfully easily. Any advice on how to clean/repair this?

AZ, detaildoc and SW03ES are the experts but I used Sonus cockpit cleaner and UV protectant on all of the dash and the plastic and it seemed to do well.

rjt, I used the SEALANT first since that is what ddoc said to. If you continue to read through the posts, where I asked this, he recommended to me that I take a pic after buffing out the PG+ the third time and then do the carnouba wax and take a pic to see what I like best. What I have gathered is you can use sealant OR wax OR both. It really depends on how you like the look of the results on your car. Apparantly, some think the carnouba wax gives a deeper color. I am going to do the wax next and then I will post pics....however, I really like the ease of the PG+ sealant. And, as I mentioned, my neighbor complimented me on how he never saw a paint job like this (it was like glass/a mirror). Also, if you look at some car care websites, they have sealants/wax in the same page.....kind of gives credance to the use can use either/or/both. My new pics are below from my 3rd detail with PG+(they were on an overcast day but you can still see the reflections...the spot on the trunk was rain on my camera lens, not the car..thanks goodness!).