Cleaning And Maintenance Of New Es350

[rjt65]

Got 1 hour of cloudy sun, so took a few pix--though under 2 megs could not upload so I halfed the pixels (anyone know the max pixel count or true megs to upload pix?--could not find on the site search.

forecast rain Friday and Saturday so my detailing weekend derailed. But on a positive note I will order Sonus polish and add that to my next week (no rain please) regiment.

[rjt65]

DDOC and all:

Autopia is gr8! Maybe can find a few dollars less from other sites.. But the cust svce --unbelievable. I created an initial order and got the 15% off as I was in the 250$ range...than wanted to add an mf mitt--sent and email than remembered need a foam interior applicator added that via email...next AM had 2 emails stating they were added and with my 15% discount was applied to these adds.

Should be here Friday.

So after reading more posts from the G.O.D. 's on clay polishing, and the detailing guides on guide on autopia.org i placed another order for green clay, more mf towels, and another foam applicator for the sonus paintwork cleanser. another 50$

Clicked on the online chat operator and asked her (Lynn the same gr8 rep who handled my emails) if they would give me the 15% discount --she did and fixed a problem with my mailing address i did not notice when i submitted the order.

Great customer service thanks for the site!

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

Hey rjt, great to hear it! Nice pics too............hey! When did you take my car!!!! Mine is exactly the same....love the black on black and pan roof!

Hey detaildoc....I am hurt ... :cries: You didn't remember me and with all the questions I have given you.....ha ha!!!! just kidding. I think we need to make a new instant message abbreviation though...maybe Join Great Team (JGT) of detailing...ha ha!

I am mad though...I came home early to potentially start my virgin detail.......and it is frickin' 40 with the wind chill....and it's supposed to rain this weekend. I want to use my stuff (so I can ask you detaildoc more questions)!!!! :D

[detaildoc]

Got 1 hour of cloudy sun, so took a few pix--though under 2 megs could not upload so I halfed the pixels (anyone know the max pixel count or true megs to upload pix?--could not find on the site search.

forecast rain Friday and Saturday so my detailing weekend derailed. But on a positive note I will order Sonus polish and add that to my next week (no rain please) regiment.

Nice car. Paint looks in good shape, though hard to tell from the pics. Best way to see swirl marks is under the sun and taking pics up close. Second best way is under halogen lights, I have these ones from sears http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_0...eyword=halogens They are usually on sale for $20 and they work great. You will probably be fine without polishing, but if you clay, will have end up having the need to polish by machine, trust me.

[detaildoc]

DDOC and all:

Autopia is gr8! Maybe can find a few dollars less from other sites.. But the cust svce --unbelievable. I created an initial order and got the 15% off as I was in the 250$ range...than wanted to add an mf mitt--sent and email than remembered need a foam interior applicator added that via email...next AM had 2 emails stating they were added and with my 15% discount was applied to these adds.

Should be here Friday.

So after reading more posts from the G.O.D. 's on clay polishing, and the detailing guides on guide on autopia.org i placed another order for green clay, more mf towels, and another foam applicator for the sonus paintwork cleanser. another 50$

Clicked on the online chat operator and asked her (Lynn the same gr8 rep who handled my emails) if they would give me the 15% discount --she did and fixed a problem with my mailing address i did not notice when i submitted the order.

Great customer service thanks for the site!

Yes, their customer service is excellent and Lynn Phillips is just amazing, she really is all about customer service. For all your future purchases, you can also add the coupon "autopia" for a 10% off or "shipfree" (or maybe it is "shippedfree") for free shipping on orders over $75, but you can only use one code so see which one would save you more money.

[detaildoc]

Hey rjt, great to hear it! Nice pics too............hey! When did you take my car!!!! Mine is exactly the same....love the black on black and pan roof!

Hey detaildoc....I am hurt ... :cries: You didn't remember me and with all the questions I have given you.....ha ha!!!! just kidding. I think we need to make a new instant message abbreviation though...maybe Join Great Team (JGT) of detailing...ha ha!

I am mad though...I came home early to potentially start my virgin detail.......and it is frickin' 40 with the wind chill....and it's supposed to rain this weekend. I want to use my stuff (so I can ask you detaildoc more questions)!!!! :D

Lol! I would have known what he meant had he spelled out the name fully :D. The solution for me when it is raining and I really want to detail (if you have an available garage) is to wash with ONR in my garage http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-no-rinse.html. It is still a good idea though to pre rinse the car first with a hose to remove excess grime and dirt. I love this nozzle http://www.autopia-carcare.com/bai-hn-10c.html at autopia, simply one of the best I have used.

Your wife is going to hate me, I am turning you into an addict :)

[rjt65]

ok guys-

1- DDOC - I am the classic lazy IM and email typer. I type to much all day (work from home so i type all day on my laptop), so DO plead guilty to name chopping. I plan to send your name to my wife so after she gets these bills she will hunt you down '; He made me buy this stuff!' I will cry.

As a carrot I told her I will detail her Ford expedition which is in sore need of detailing.

2- JGTnewLexus - My car is obviously superior to your car 'cause it is in my driveway!!!! How was the black interior in the summer. With it 50 degrees but sunny I felt the heat on the dash and wonder about the back seats. You garaging? I won't until i clean up the garage, get rid of some stuff, hope in 1.5 months to get it inside.

Hey, all, the ONR, that looks like the Winter magic needed, can you use this n freezing temps to clean your car when no hose is available ?

[detaildoc]

ok guys-

1- DDOC - I am the classic lazy IM and email typer. I type to much all day (work from home so i type all day on my laptop), so DO plead guilty to name chopping. I plan to send your name to my wife so after she gets these bills she will hunt you down '; He made me buy this stuff!' I will cry.

As a carrot I told her I will detail her Ford expedition which is in sore need of detailing.

2- JGTnewLexus - My car is obviously superior to your car 'cause it is in my driveway!!!! How was the black interior in the summer. With it 50 degrees but sunny I felt the heat on the dash and wonder about the back seats. You garaging? I won't until i clean up the garage, get rid of some stuff, hope in 1.5 months to get it inside.

Hey, all, the ONR, that looks like the Winter magic needed, can you use this n freezing temps to clean your car when no hose is available ?

Sure, you can, some warm water will help. As long as you don't have ice on the car you should be fine.

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

detaildoc, I am just glad you live is CA....yes, my wife hates you...but she still doesn't believe that I will do it!

Hey rtj, yep, I am doing my wife's first so I can finally get out of the doghouse! And, yes your car is superior cause it is in your driveway! But mine isn't that bad either! :D

As far as the summer, only have had my car since Dec and here in PA, not hot yet...but hey, that's what the cooled seats are for, right?

Will post pics.....when I get the chance to use this cool stuff!!!!

[rjt65]

I should have mentioned it is superior 'cause in my driveway and I have the key fobs for it! couese since UPS had a train derail Friday, and my supplies not here I get a friggin 60 degree sunny day to look at my rain spots arrghh

So the great weather forecasters predicted rain morning and day , but of course 58 and sunny hahahahahahaha

Maybe the G.O.D.S of detailing are doing this to ensure I polish (light Sonus stuff-by hand) first than seal.

So detail doc if I do the 12 hour thing the 2-3 coats of guard.. and i have to drive the car in-between should I wash before applying the sealant each time?

thanks yet again for advice...

[detaildoc]

I should have mentioned it is superior 'cause in my driveway and I have the key fobs for it! couese since UPS had a train derail Friday, and my supplies not here I get a friggin 60 degree sunny day to look at my rain spots arrghh

So the great weather forecasters predicted rain morning and day , but of course 58 and sunny hahahahahahaha

Maybe the G.O.D.S of detailing are doing this to ensure I polish (light Sonus stuff-by hand) first than seal.

So detail doc if I do the 12 hour thing the 2-3 coats of guard.. and i have to drive the car in-between should I wash before applying the sealant each time?

thanks yet again for advice...

If it does not end up too dirty or with heavy grime you can probably just hose it down at full pressure and then QD.

[rjt65]

You found the perfect avatar for you detail Doc!

JGTnewLexus: I am assuming you in PA (I think) might have had the good weather on Saturday we had in NY, so did you get to detail? if so let me know how it came out.

I am supposed to get most of my stuff today, hope to get the polish cleanser and more MF towels Tuesday I work from home so plan to try to sneak out when i get my 2nd shipment (sent by air this time so should be faster), Polish (sonus Paintwork Cleanser), than the 2 or 3 coats of the Sonus paintguard- than carnuba.

Inside as well.

cheers guys

I should have mentioned it is superior 'cause in my driveway and I have the key fobs for it! couese since UPS had a train derail Friday, and my supplies not here I get a friggin 60 degree sunny day to look at my rain spots arrghh

So the great weather forecasters predicted rain morning and day , but of course 58 and sunny hahahahahahaha

Maybe the G.O.D.S of detailing are doing this to ensure I polish (light Sonus stuff-by hand) first than seal.

So detail doc if I do the 12 hour thing the 2-3 coats of guard.. and i have to drive the car in-between should I wash before applying the sealant each time?

thanks yet again for advice...

If it does not end up too dirty or with heavy grime you can probably just hose it down at full pressure and then QD.

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

You found the perfect avatar for you detail Doc!

JGTnewLexus: I am assuming you in PA (I think) might have had the good weather on Saturday we had in NY, so did you get to detail? if so let me know how it came out.

I am supposed to get most of my stuff today, hope to get the polish cleanser and more MF towels Tuesday I work from home so plan to try to sneak out when i get my 2nd shipment (sent by air this time so should be faster), Polish (sonus Paintwork Cleanser), than the 2 or 3 coats of the Sonus paintguard- than carnuba.

Inside as well.

cheers guys

Yep, I am in PA, but it rained here....crap! Don't you have a new car? Do you need polish? Be careful, I wouldn't use it unless you have an older car with a bunch of swirls in the paint. I am afraid to use the clay bar but detaildoc helped me with that (even though with my new car, I plan on washing and drying my car, putting on a sealant (Ultima) and letting it cure for 12-14 hrs, then waxing with P21S-100 carnauba wax). So, I wouldn't use the polish until you check with detaildoc (or unless you know for sure you need it). I probably will do it this weekend...but the Masters (:golf:) is on TV so I will probably work around that! Priorities you know!!

And I agree that detaildoc has the right Avatar....I hope to get one too...but much smaller....haha!

[rjt65]

I have some swirls and minor scratches, which was brought on by a car wash (supposedly only boar head brushes-whatever it seemed to surface scratch me alot)

I am using the SONUS paintwork cleanser by hand, (why the warning?---ddoc advised using it), and also if u r using the clay DDOC also said you would have to polish (with machine).

Ok so I bought clay but as it is new I am saving it for down the road, as I am not buying a polish machine for a while.

cheerio

You found the perfect avatar for you detail Doc!

JGTnewLexus: I am assuming you in PA (I think) might have had the good weather on Saturday we had in NY, so did you get to detail? if so let me know how it came out.

I am supposed to get most of my stuff today, hope to get the polish cleanser and more MF towels Tuesday I work from home so plan to try to sneak out when i get my 2nd shipment (sent by air this time so should be faster), Polish (sonus Paintwork Cleanser), than the 2 or 3 coats of the Sonus paintguard- than carnuba.

Inside as well.

cheers guys

Yep, I am in PA, but it rained here....crap! Don't you have a new car? Do you need polish? Be careful, I wouldn't use it unless you have an older car with a bunch of swirls in the paint. I am afraid to use the clay bar but detaildoc helped me with that (even though with my new car, I plan on washing and drying my car, putting on a sealant (Ultima) and letting it cure for 12-14 hrs, then waxing with P21S-100 carnauba wax). So, I wouldn't use the polish until you check with detaildoc (or unless you know for sure you need it). I probably will do it this weekend...but the Masters (:golf:) is on TV so I will probably work around that! Priorities you know!!

And I agree that detaildoc has the right Avatar....I hope to get one too...but much smaller....haha!

[detaildoc]

Yeah, that's the avatar I use on other forums like Autopia. I think that by polishing, RJT means using the Sonus Paintwork Cleanser and applying it by hand, which really won't polish (correct swirls), just do some paint cleaning which will be good.

[rjt65]

Hmm thanks for the pinnacle video info JGTNLO

u a scared me with the polishing. As the Paintwork cleanser is the least abrasive polish/cleanser I think I would be ok applying by hand, but I will skip it for the first time.

Detail doc: some advice here, when u can for the 2 questions below:

1 -Is there anything to be afraid of with the Sonus Paintwork Cleanser (as you would with a normal polish that is much more abrasive I would think). Any tricks with this I should be aware of. I think just apply with the applicator, rub in a little than wipe off.followed by 2-3 coats of Ultima guard, than Carnuba. Maybe best to live with the minimal swirl type scratches for a few months than do the paintwork cleanser?

2- JGTNLO stated he might clay (but than no polish, JGT?), if you clay you have to polish after, right? and should u use some type of liquid spray when claying? Saw it on the pinnacle site, they say use a lubricant in tandem w/clay. Wondering why Sonus green clay didn't advise to use a lubricant(at least that I saw).

[AZ08LexusES]

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

[rjt65]

Tales of a lunatic new car owner Part I (many more to follow!)

I think I beat ya to detailing JGT! :P So got up early (skipped gym but got enough stretching and aerobic in by servicing my car) and braved 39 degree chill to wash it!

1- Washed (of course the Ultima little plastic spout thing popped off so instead of an ounce 6 ounces went into bucket..beware cheap clear plastic spout inside bottle! used der wunder MF mitt... nice! (tires cleaned first) than dried with der wunder drying towels

2- used Sonus paintwork cleanser- worked well buffed off with polishing der wunder towels--really shined and cleaned it!

3- 1st coat of Ultima paintguard on -around 9AM - (than had to go to work) buttttt

4- snuck out to use the Sonus cockpit bundle 1st cleaner than back in for work

5- than to my horror my landscapers had come to do my spring clean-up--- arrggh my car covered in dust... (Simple MF towel fixed that!)

6- run off to lunch errand at supermarket sooo there I am applying part II of the cockpit bundle in Pathmark parking lot in an exrta wide spot at the end of parking lot. Also this kept my car out of driveway from evil landscapers <_<

7- back on calls on mute applying --the Ultima Interior Guard so doors open still airing out

8- Plan to wait till last moment--about 6:45 7PM to apply the 2nd coat of Paint guard Plus--

9- Carnuba wax goes on Weds in the AM

than rain will come for 40 days again!!!

Thanks for all the help ddoc/JGT and others in this thread!l

[rjt65]

JGTNLO:

Do you see any scratches in your black Car when you look at certain angles to the sun? How have you washed for the last 3 months--no car wash issues? Mine is not noticable looking straight on, just see a lot of scratches at 45 degree angle.

Alas, my easy cleansing polish (as ddoc stated) did not remove those scratches (curse the damn car wash!)

I luv my car but the Obsidian black will pray on me, making me mad.

I think I will continue my light detailing course, wait a year or so than invest in a porter cable orbiter or equivilent and than polish out the scratches.

Cheers guys

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

JGTNLO:

Do you see any scratches in your black Car when you look at certain angles to the sun? How have you washed for the last 3 months--no car wash issues? Mine is not noticable looking straight on, just see a lot of scratches at 45 degree angle.

Alas, my easy cleansing polish (as ddoc stated) did not remove those scratches (curse the damn car wash!)

I luv my car but the Obsidian black will pray on me, making me mad.

I think I will continue my light detailing course, wait a year or so than invest in a porter cable orbiter or equivilent and than polish out the scratches.

Cheers guys

Hey no fair you beat me to it!!!!! Don't forget to post pics. You answered my question about polishing when you told me you had swirls and then ddoc said what you were using...so sounds like you are good!!!!

As to swirls on my car, I have only used the spray car washes....I will never go to a auto car wash that has anything touching my cars paint. Did that with my last car and regretted it; also used cheap crap on my wheels and ruined them on my last car....that is why I started this post. Thanks to ddoc and SW03ES and mrburnikas and others, I won't make that mistake again and I will use good stuff. Now, I am probably not going to ever grow up to be like my hero detaildoc (ha ha), but I want to at least seal the paint and wax the car every so often to make it look good when I want it to. detaildoc is a mad man with his regimen (detaildoc were you in the Army?). Phew, I am not sure I could keep up with that and do my hobby (golf).

On the PC or UDM, I may do that in a year or so also....but right now, I want to do it by hand. But hey rtj, you are now the expert huh (don't forget to post pics). Pretty soon I will have a second hero...you! ha ha!

[rjt65]

yah those swirl-scratchs making me bang my head. thought going to a hand wash (with boars hair brush's only supposedly) would be ok. ah well

So u r only going to seal PG + and wax ?or are u claying polishing (by hand?) than seal wax?

PS - the internal stuff worked well. much different than armor all - no oily residue, the interior guard looked excellent, the anti static cleanser in the sonus pack really did get the dust off. at first when applied I was like this is not getting rid dust on the upper dash by window oh well... than later when came back in dust free.

I am a waffling on wheter i might put on a 3rd coat of paint guard-wax later day, or carnuba in the AM...hmmm

Good luck this weekend post your pix after too...

JGTNLO:

Do you see any scratches in your black Car when you look at certain angles to the sun? How have you washed for the last 3 months--no car wash issues? Mine is not noticable looking straight on, just see a lot of scratches at 45 degree angle.

Alas, my easy cleansing polish (as ddoc stated) did not remove those scratches (curse the damn car wash!)

I luv my car but the Obsidian black will pray on me, making me mad.

I think I will continue my light detailing course, wait a year or so than invest in a porter cable orbiter or equivilent and than polish out the scratches.

Cheers guys

Hey no fair you beat me to it!!!!! Don't forget to post pics. You answered my question about polishing when you told me you had swirls and then ddoc said what you were using...so sounds like you are good!!!!

As to swirls on my car, I have only used the spray car washes....I will never go to a auto car wash that has anything touching my cars paint. Did that with my last car and regretted it; also used cheap crap on my wheels and ruined them on my last car....that is why I started this post. Thanks to ddoc and SW03ES and mrburnikas and others, I won't make that mistake again and I will use good stuff. Now, I am probably not going to ever grow up to be like my hero detaildoc (ha ha), but I want to at least seal the paint and wax the car every so often to make it look good when I want it to. detaildoc is a mad man with his regimen (detaildoc were you in the Army?). Phew, I am not sure I could keep up with that and do my hobby (golf).

On the PC or UDM, I may do that in a year or so also....but right now, I want to do it by hand. But hey rtj, you are now the expert huh (don't forget to post pics). Pretty soon I will have a second hero...you! ha ha!

[rjt65]

Hey here is my Columns and week markers for my list on my car... (yah no excell ssheets) truncated my wrap text and the week columns are in the ssheet to the right of the tasks obviously.

Target Week

1 2 3

Exterior

Wash Body - Ultima Paint Guard Wash w MF mitt -2 derwunder drying towels-2 buckets 1x week X

Wash Tires & Wheels - UPG wash - tire brushes 1x week X

Detail Tires & Wheels - wheel products 2 x Month X

Clean/Polish Glass Wet MF towel inside-SONUS perfect glass bundle green mf applicators 1x week

Detail Vinyl & Rubber Trim -SONUS cockpit bundle w green mf applicator 2 x month

Chrome & Polished Aluminum - Sonus glass and chrome polish (Part of glassbundle) every 6 weeks

Wax

Clay 1 x year

Polish - more abrasive use machine

Cleanse/lite Polish-Ultima Paintwork Cleanser 3x year X

Polymer Sealant -Ultima Paint Guard Plus- USE blue brick applicator 3/4 x year X

Prewax Cleaning

Carnauba Paste/Paste Glaze - P21-S with handi grip foam applicator-buff with MF towels 2 x Month X

Carnauba Cream

Ultima Detail Spray Plus - quick detailing use Buffing MF towel apply-other or flip for buff As Needed

Interior

Vacuum 1 x week x

Shampoo Carpet Annual

Shampoo Floor Mats 2 x year

Clean Leather & Vinyl - Sonus Leather Cleaner-use red-white interior applictor sponge every 6 weeks

Condition Leather & Vinyl - sonus conditioner use red white interior every 6 weeks

Vinyl.plastic rubber- Sonus Cockpit bundle - Sonus anti-static detailer and Eclipse spf-40 uv protection use green mf applicator 1 x month x

Seal interior - Ultima Interior Guard Plus 3-4 x per year x

Spot Clean 1 x week x

Clean nav screen - use warm water on mf towel- non ammonia cleaner only! 2 x month x

Dust Vents & Electronics 2x Month

Engine

Degrease/Wash ?

Rubber Protectant ?

Spray Wax/Engine Shine ?

Wipe Down/Dust ?

Miscellaneous

Treat Door & Trunk Seals 3/4 x year

Detail Door & Trunk Jambs 3/4 x year

Detail Wheel Wells 1 x year

Detail Underbody 1 x year

[AZ08LexusES]

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

Bump- Anybody have an answer to this?

[detaildoc]

Hmm thanks for the pinnacle video info JGTNLO

u a scared me with the polishing. As the Paintwork cleanser is the least abrasive polish/cleanser I think I would be ok applying by hand, but I will skip it for the first time.

Detail doc: some advice here, when u can for the 2 questions below:

1 -Is there anything to be afraid of with the Sonus Paintwork Cleanser (as you would with a normal polish that is much more abrasive I would think). Any tricks with this I should be aware of. I think just apply with the applicator, rub in a little than wipe off.followed by 2-3 coats of Ultima guard, than Carnuba. Maybe best to live with the minimal swirl type scratches for a few months than do the paintwork cleanser?

2- JGTNLO stated he might clay (but than no polish, JGT?), if you clay you have to polish after, right? and should u use some type of liquid spray when claying? Saw it on the pinnacle site, they say use a lubricant in tandem w/clay. Wondering why Sonus green clay didn't advise to use a lubricant(at least that I saw).

1) Nothing to be afraid of regarding Sonus Paintwork Cleanser. It will not hurt your paint at all or remove any clearcoat or paint, especially if applied by hand. You can apply it with a soft foam applicator or even a microfiber applicator, rubbing it in until it spreads well, then remove it with a clean MF towel. Do about 2 x2 square feet at a time. By hand it won't polish at all, it will simply clean the paint and leave a smoother finish. Trust me, you won't harm your car with this stuff. Even when applied by machine with a soft pad, you could do it every 3 months and not harm your car, it is that mild

2)As I clarified for him, you should not clay if you don't plan to polish by machine right after as claying will induce some marring. CLAYING ALWAYS INVOLVES THE USE OF A LUBRICANT. The Sonus Clay Bundle includes a lubricant and it is also sold by itself. Yes, the website does mention it, this is a quote from one of their pages: "NOTE: For paint surface protection, this product must be used with Sonus Glyde Clay Lubricant."

[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.