Advice For A New Black 250 In The Open, In The Winter!

[Missy250]

Hi all,

Recently I just purchased my very first Lexus.... more specifically, my very first car! And my head is spinning over what to do with it, as far as maintenance goes. Pretty much everything I read online contradicts something else I read a few minutes ago, and I'm not sure where to even start!

Now, for some quickie information, I'm a college student, and as such, will not have the luxury of housing my IS250 in a garage for the duration of a harsh Wisconsin winter, and therefore need urgent advice on just how to best take car of it before a self wash and wax is out of the question!

So far, I've only given it three car washes, which probably did more harm than good since now the car has scratches that I never noticed before. At first, I tried to rinse, soap, and rinse the whole car in one go, but that left water spots all over. On my third and most recent try, I've decided to wash the car in sections (roof of car, boot, left side, front side, hood), and dry each section right after I soap and rinse. It takes a while, but the water spots went away.

The way I soap the car is in a circular pattern covering about a square foot, and that's the way I dry it too.

For the wash, I used Turtle ICE car wash soap, and went over it with microfiber towels. I also used a microfiber sponge to soap the car with.

On my third and last car wash, I tried waxing the car with Mother's Cleaner Wax, which looked great and caused noticable rain beading the very next day. Even though I tried buffing it as well as I could, I noticed that in direct sunlight, swirls could be seen (presumably from the wax), and when the temperature dropped at night, causing the car to condense, you could see circular patterns around the paint.

My main question is this:

Is there ANY wax/sealant/whatever that you would recommend for putting on the car? Remember that I need something with the absolute best durability, since I won't have the means to wax the car again once the snow gets here. I basically need something that will be able to survive Oct/Nov-March/April with just a single layer. Glossiness is a definite plus!

Also, is there anything that I'm doing wrong with my routine so far? I've noticed that there are bug 'splats' across the hood and front bumper, and even on the license plate that just refuses to come off. I've tried scrubbing with the sponge, with the wax, and even with a bug remover car spray, but there are still a few stubborn "splats" that refuse to come out!

And finally, is there a better way to clean the sponges? They are getting dark spots, and also tend to collect tiny leafs/seeds/other-plant-matter during the wash, and those things manage to embed themselves deep within the sponge, refusing to come out.

I know this is a tall order, and any and all help is very much appreciated!

[smooth1]

Welcome to the LOC first of all. :)

I would read this really closely. Car washing tips

The only difference is I would mix in a Dawn dish soap to clean the car with this time to remove the wax you just put on. Then change to a Paint Sealant instead of a wax. Then if you want put a coat of wax over the paint sealant.

I'm not the resident detailer pro though. But that's what I would do. You might want to look into some equipment also. Like Griot's Garage has a kit that works really well. Click on this: Griot's garage That's what I use. Some others here swear by Autotopia.

[rjt65]

First Congrats! I too have a black car, an eS350. Been having my own issues after taking it to a car wash-first month rain every day and huge pollen this spring and I had not yuet cleaned out my garage to get it in. -never will do that again and I had lexus put in my profile at service center to never wash-and I always reenforce when i bring it in! and in the garage now.

Found out (at least for my 350 I assume it same with all black Lexus but confirm) than my LEx has no clear coat and Lexus uses soft paint which shines well but scratches easily. mine had a thousand fine surface scratches from that supposed boars hair car wash... ;-(

I suggest you get some wine(assume you are 21 +) or some Hot chocolate and read all 23 pages of this thread JGT Lexus started it has so much gr8 info on how to take care aof your Lexus!

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=45222

If you look one post below in the detailing section of forum you will see that just this weekend I used a flex machine to buff out the scratches. I got all my info from gr8 experienced guys like detail doc.

I suggest a few things that I was told about and have been using for 6 months plus, the links are below as well Put the DWG and UPGP on and you will outshine every other black car on the road!

Ultima Paint Guard Plus - sealant apply very little product! as u will not do this (virtually impossible your first time to believe how little u need to put on the applicator) puts on a gr8 shine-in 5 mins or less--needs 12 hours to cure but you can drive around in car after an hour. http://www.autopia-carcare.com/ult-1004-100.html last for months. I do put on each month though, as it takes 5 mins--y not?

For the deepest depth shine! - Danase wet Glaze - Put on 2 coats before UPGP (30 mins curing between coat and UPGP) and gloss and smells like grape! DWG – 17$ Danase Wet Glaze http://www.danase.com/daspgl1pi.html (join detailing forums website for discount at danase)

Wash - Optimum no rinse - I got this for winter---go to coin op or find way to hose off any big buildup if not to dirty u just get bucket and add this and u do not have to rinse off-wipe off with few MF towels--the towels take off dirt so will get dirty. ~16$ 32 oz http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-no-rinse.html

wash - Ultima Paint Guard Wash - Washing soap 20$ autopia.com for use as regular wash---works great prevent scratches by it's lubrication but need hose to rinse--I put this hear because I was told to never use Dish soap or household soap as this will strip sealants wax's off your car--washs like ultima or onr will leave them on.

wash - A GRIT bucket - GEt a grit bucket (about 10-20$) has a grid 2 -3 inches off bottom that traps grit at the Bottom of the bucket or use the 2 bucket method to wash.

Micro-Fiber (MF) Mitt - I will never use a sponge again the MF mitt is gentler and less worry on trapping things in the sponge that will scratch!

that is just the exterior--You should seal up the interior too- Ultima INTERIOR guard plus will help seal the interior from the harsh winter stuff

I like to use Sonus Cockpit kit - cleaner and UV protection to clean and protect than seal it with UIGP--- both these are on the Autopia site.

For other products and how to's alternative (ie woolite with water to clean leather) read that 23 page link above!

congrats Suggest you stay away from using conventional sponge, getMF mitt and a grit bucket, and the only car wash u should ever use is one where you do it and just to use a touchless spray one... with this soft black paint car wash will always swirl mark scratch it...

[Pho_Tai]

Hi all,

Recently I just purchased my very first Lexus.... more specifically, my very first car! And my head is spinning over what to do with it, as far as maintenance goes. Pretty much everything I read online contradicts something else I read a few minutes ago, and I'm not sure where to even start!

Now, for some quickie information, I'm a college student, and as such, will not have the luxury of housing my IS250 in a garage for the duration of a harsh Wisconsin winter, and therefore need urgent advice on just how to best take car of it before a self wash and wax is out of the question!

So far, I've only given it three car washes, which probably did more harm than good since now the car has scratches that I never noticed before. At first, I tried to rinse, soap, and rinse the whole car in one go, but that left water spots all over. On my third and most recent try, I've decided to wash the car in sections (roof of car, boot, left side, front side, hood), and dry each section right after I soap and rinse. It takes a while, but the water spots went away.

The way I soap the car is in a circular pattern covering about a square foot, and that's the way I dry it too.

For the wash, I used Turtle ICE car wash soap, and went over it with microfiber towels. I also used a microfiber sponge to soap the car with.

On my third and last car wash, I tried waxing the car with Mother's Cleaner Wax, which looked great and caused noticable rain beading the very next day. Even though I tried buffing it as well as I could, I noticed that in direct sunlight, swirls could be seen (presumably from the wax), and when the temperature dropped at night, causing the car to condense, you could see circular patterns around the paint.

My main question is this:

Is there ANY wax/sealant/whatever that you would recommend for putting on the car? Remember that I need something with the absolute best durability, since I won't have the means to wax the car again once the snow gets here. I basically need something that will be able to survive Oct/Nov-March/April with just a single layer. Glossiness is a definite plus!

Also, is there anything that I'm doing wrong with my routine so far? I've noticed that there are bug 'splats' across the hood and front bumper, and even on the license plate that just refuses to come off. I've tried scrubbing with the sponge, with the wax, and even with a bug remover car spray, but there are still a few stubborn "splats" that refuse to come out!

And finally, is there a better way to clean the sponges? They are getting dark spots, and also tend to collect tiny leafs/seeds/other-plant-matter during the wash, and those things manage to embed themselves deep within the sponge, refusing to come out.

I know this is a tall order, and any and all help is very much appreciated!

Welcome aboard! And congrats on your first car. If you are on a limited budget, than I would recommend the Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze over the Ultima Paint Guard Plus; not because the Klasse is better than the Ultima, but because the Klasse is cheaper. Whether you decide to use UPGP or Klasse sealant, apply them sparingly; especially for the Klasse because it is hard to buff off once it is dried. And the Klasse also has a 12hr cure time before the next coat of Klasse. Just like "rjt65" have replied, I would also recommend DWG. So, for the harsh Wisconsin winter, this is what I would do: 2 coats of DWG(30min. cure time between coats and before applying sealant) and then 2 coats of either UPGP or Klasse sealant(12hr. cure time between coats).

For your stubborn bug "splats", apply whatever bug & tar remover you use and let it soak the splats for about 1min. or more and then scrub off. In this way the splats will be softened and can be scrubbed off easily with very little pressure. Good luck.

[Pho_Tai]

Also, just in case you are willing to spend $$$ and go for the UPGP, you might want to check out DetailCity.com. The Ultima product line is on sale and you also get 10% off on top of that.

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

Welcome Missy! Listen to rjt65 and go to the thread he mentioned. rjt is now one of the experts, along with detaildoc. I started the thread and those guys passed me and left me in the dust (cough, cough)! Seriously, there is alot of good information that should help! Good luck and welcome to the LOC!

[SW03ES]

Welcome Missy! Listen to rjt65 and go to the thread he mentioned. rjt is now one of the experts, along with detaildoc.

I suppose I'm just grass seed now? ;)

Welcome to the forum Missy!

What you first have to do is decide, how much effort do I want to assign to keeping the car looking great all the time?

Sitting outside and being black...you could spend 4 hours a week on the car and it would still need more at times to look perfect all the time. If I were you, I would reconcile myself to an hours work once a week, and come to the realization that it will become dirty during that time.

One of the things I can add to the good info you've been given here is never to touch the paint in a circle. Always wash and dry (this includes buffing too) in straight lines from front to back. The reasoning behind this is that scratches you see are visible because the edge of the scratch reflects light. If the scratch is circular it will be visible from more angles than if its straight. So only wash in straight lines.

You also need to invest in some basic detailing tools...good quality washing and drying media, etc. I would buy two big waffle weave microfiber towels, several microfiber sponges (I like these for washing), and several other ultra plush microfiber towels, I like them from www.pakshak.com

For your situation I like a product called Optimum NoRinse as rjt suggested, or ONR. You can buy it from Pakshak I believe, or anywhere online detailing supplies are sold. This product works great for your needs because you don't need a hose.

As for sealants, the Klasse SG might be cheaper than the Ultima, but the Ultima is *much* easier to work with. Klasse is really tricky to use, I'd even reccomend Zaino over Klasse purely because of ease of use. But the Ultima is the product I'd pick.

Lastly for your swirls. They may actually be smearing from the wax and NOT swirls. You'll know after a good quality wash using the tools and techniques we've outlined here.

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

Welcome Missy! Listen to rjt65 and go to the thread he mentioned. rjt is now one of the experts, along with detaildoc.

I suppose I'm just grass seed now? ;)

Welcome to the forum Missy!

What you first have to do is decide, how much effort do I want to assign to keeping the car looking great all the time?

Sitting outside and being black...you could spend 4 hours a week on the car and it would still need more at times to look perfect all the time. If I were you, I would reconcile myself to an hours work once a week, and come to the realization that it will become dirty during that time.

One of the things I can add to the good info you've been given here is never to touch the paint in a circle. Always wash and dry (this includes buffing too) in straight lines from front to back. The reasoning behind this is that scratches you see are visible because the edge of the scratch reflects light. If the scratch is circular it will be visible from more angles than if its straight. So only wash in straight lines.

You also need to invest in some basic detailing tools...good quality washing and drying media, etc. I would buy two big waffle weave microfiber towels, several microfiber sponges (I like these for washing), and several other ultra plush microfiber towels, I like them from www.pakshak.com

For your situation I like a product called Optimum NoRinse as rjt suggested, or ONR. You can buy it from Pakshak I believe, or anywhere online detailing supplies are sold. This product works great for your needs because you don't need a hose.

As for sealants, the Klasse SG might be cheaper than the Ultima, but the Ultima is *much* easier to work with. Klasse is really tricky to use, I'd even reccomend Zaino over Klasse purely because of ease of use. But the Ultima is the product I'd pick.

Lastly for your swirls. They may actually be smearing from the wax and NOT swirls. You'll know after a good quality wash using the tools and techniques we've outlined here.

OMG, how could I forget you SW03ES!!!! I guess I let my jealosy of rjt and ddoc get the best of me. I forgot to be jealous about you too!!!! ha ha! Yep, Missy, SW is good too!!!!

[F4DPhan]

Steve and Everyone,

Quick question with regards to this thread and products; if you kinda follow the recs here, (DWG & UPGP), is the Sonus Arcrylic Spritz compatible for in-between washes & treatments?

I used the Ultima Spritz, and was VERY unimpressed with the results. I've used the Klasse products until recently, and the Sonus spritz seemed to work nicely for quick clean-up & detailing.

I agree with other's comments here: Klasse is nice, but hard to work with- thus, I'm switching to the Ultima line.

THanks for any follow comments.

Cheers,

Mike

[SW03ES]

Sure, I don't see how you'd have any issues...

[rjt65]

Following DDOC and others advise i started using FK-425 spray detailer http://fk1usa.com/products-consumer.htm#express it is easy on and really gives a very deep shine to the car. Using it for about 5 months now...gr8 stuff!

I always try to wash first if not to dirty ok to quik detail it with spray, but beware for scratching. As I have the soft non clearcoat obsidian (black) I am becoming very anal on scratches--trying to instruct wife and 2 gals how to open and close doors is a task! dang rings!

I love Ulitma UPGP, interior guard, and car wash, but the quick detailing spray IMO stunk. I relegated that to getting off birds and bug crap. Worked gr8 for that! ran out when i spilled the dang bottle

Love the Sonus fx 2 and 3 Polish, the Sonus interior cockpit cleaner kit and leather conditioner cleaner. Have not tried the spritz spray....

cheers

Steve and Everyone,

Quick question with regards to this thread and products; if you kinda follow the recs here, (DWG & UPGP), is the Sonus Arcrylic Spritz compatible for in-between washes & treatments?

I used the Ultima Spritz, and was VERY unimpressed with the results. I've used the Klasse products until recently, and the Sonus spritz seemed to work nicely for quick clean-up & detailing.

I agree with other's comments here: Klasse is nice, but hard to work with- thus, I'm switching to the Ultima line.

THanks for any follow comments.

Cheers,

Mike

[F4DPhan]

Followed rjt65 recs, and am very happy with the results (with hand application only; sorry, don't have a buffer....)..

The forumula of

- 2 coats DWG

- 2 coats UPFP

- Wax

.....seemed to work very nicely.

Also, per your suggestion, have tried and like the FK1 425- very nice!!!! Great gloss. My only complaint, not very durable, and you need to watch for streaking....thus, I'll use the FK1 when I want the car to look glossy for the night; but for my 'week' cleaning, I'll still stick to the Sonus Acrylic Spritz- good gloss with more durability.

FYI- My 2¢ worth...

Cheers,

Mike

....

Following DDOC and others advise i started using FK-425 spray detailer http://fk1usa.com/products-consumer.htm#express it is easy on and really gives a very deep shine to the car. Using it for about 5 months now...gr8 stuff!

I always try to wash first if not to dirty ok to quik detail it with spray, but beware for scratching. As I have the soft non clearcoat obsidian (black) I am becoming very anal on scratches--trying to instruct wife and 2 gals how to open and close doors is a task! dang rings!

I love Ulitma UPGP, interior guard, and car wash, but the quick detailing spray IMO stunk. I relegated that to getting off birds and bug crap. Worked gr8 for that! ran out when i spilled the dang bottle

Love the Sonus fx 2 and 3 Polish, the Sonus interior cockpit cleaner kit and leather conditioner cleaner. Have not tried the spritz spray....

cheers

Steve and Everyone,

Quick question with regards to this thread and products; if you kinda follow the recs here, (DWG & UPGP), is the Sonus Arcrylic Spritz compatible for in-between washes & treatments?

I used the Ultima Spritz, and was VERY unimpressed with the results. I've used the Klasse products until recently, and the Sonus spritz seemed to work nicely for quick clean-up & detailing.

I agree with other's comments here: Klasse is nice, but hard to work with- thus, I'm switching to the Ultima line.

THanks for any follow comments.

Cheers,

Mike