Some questions about waxing...

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comma

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Hey guys. Very new to this.
I just bought a jeep wrangler. I have some basic questions.

If I want to wax the jeep, do I have to strip off any old wax? How do I know if there is wax on the finish?

Does waxing get rid of swirls? There are micro scratch swirls all over the finish from a previous owner.

And finally, the front/grille has a bunch of etching from bugs, nicks, etc. from the previous owner. I don't want to go crazy with it as this is a 15 year old jeep...is it OK to just wax over it to give it protection or is there something relatively easy I should do before waxing?

Here is a pic of the swirling (it was hard to capture) and the front grille.

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Using a "Cleaner Wax" will remove leftover wax from previous applications. It will also remove some stains and road film from the surface of the paint

Some waxes will fill minor scratches

The swirls on your Jeep will not be greatly reduced by application of wax, they need to be polished out

I would suggest washing and claying the car before waxing. The Meguiar's Clay Kit is very good and available OTC or thru AutoGeek

Meguiar's White Wax is a good cleaner wax, also available OTC or AGO
 
allenk4 said:
Using a "Cleaner Wax" will remove leftover wax from previous applications. It will also remove some stains and road film from the surface of the paint

Some waxes will fill minor scratches

The swirls on your Jeep will not be greatly reduced by application of wax, they need to be polished out

I would suggest washing and claying the car before waxing. The Meguiar's Clay Kit is very good and available OTC or thru AutoGeek

Meguiar's White Wax is a good cleaner wax, also available OTC or AGO
Click to expand...

Thanks! Are you talking about the Meguiar's G1016 Smooth Surface Clay Kit? And would you suggest claying the whole car or just the grille? The marks in the front honestly don't bother me too much. I'd rather just get a good wax on it to prevent any further damage. It's character to me.

And is claying difficult? I honestly want to stay away from anything I might do to make things worse.

Is there a way to tell if the car has wax on it now? I'd like to avoid using a cleaner if possible.
 
PS. Does claying actually help fix the problem or just cover it up?
 
comma said:
PS. Does claying actually help fix the problem or just cover it up?
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You can think of claying like shaving. It removes a lot that is on the top layer of the paint after washing. Leaving the paint exposed for a polish job or an LSP.

So claying can fix some problems and it's not something someone turns to and uses to "cover it up" it would be more the opposite. It would help reveal the true condition of the paint.
 
I don't really want to remove the whole original clean coat, which it seems most cleaners/compounds do like meguiar's ultimate compound.

Will just a wax cleaner remove only the wax and not the original clear coat?

Also, what are the negatives of just washing the jeep and then applying the wax? (if say it did have wax already on it).

I still don't know how to tell if it even has been waxed though.
 
hernandez.art13 said:
You can think of claying like shaving. It removes a lot that is on the top layer of the paint after washing. Leaving the paint exposed for a polish job or an LSP.

So claying can fix some problems and it's not something someone turns to and uses to "cover it up" it would be more the opposite. It would help reveal the true condition of the paint.
Click to expand...

Does it remove or hurt the original clear coat? And is it something I should do to the whole car or just bad areas like the grille?
 
A wax cleaner should not hurt the clear coat. Whether or not the jeep has been waxed. Wash the hood, put a piece of tape down the middle, wax one side of the hood only, poor water on the hood. You should be able to tell.
 
SATracker said:
A wax cleaner should not hurt the clear coat. Whether or not the jeep has been waxed. Wash the hood, put a piece of tape down the middle, wax one side of the hood only, poor water on the hood. You should be able to tell.
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Can I wax the jeep if it already has been waxed at some point? (without using a cleaning wax, just cleaning regularly with soap?)
 
I think it would help you to click on "Detailing How To" at the top of this page and start reading. I think most if not all of your questions will be answered. Great resource.
 
comma said:
Can I wax the jeep if it already has been waxed at some point? (without using a cleaning wax, just cleaning regularly with soap?)
Click to expand...

Most over-the-counter waxes actually are Cleaner Waxes

For a Daily Driven car, you do not need a high priced Finishing Wax


I highly suggest claying the car. It will remove things that washing will not. These include tree sap, brake dust, paint overspray, etc. It will not remove your clear coat.


I would suggest that you should start your detailing process by reviewing the "How to's" put together by the Forum Guru Mike Phillips. There is a section on claying here:

Auto Detailing Facts, auto detailing Tips, How to detailing Guides, how to polish, how to wax, DIY detailing, do it yourself guides
 
allenk4 said:
Most over-the-counter waxes actually are Cleaner Waxes

For a Daily Driven car, you do not need a high priced Finishing Wax


I highly suggest claying the car. It will remove things that washing will not. These include tree sap, brake dust, paint overspray, etc. It will not remove your clear coat.


I would suggest that you should start your detailing process by reviewing the "How to's" put together by the Forum Guru Mike Phillips. There is a section on claying here:

Auto Detailing Facts, auto detailing Tips, How to detailing Guides, how to polish, how to wax, DIY detailing, do it yourself guides
Click to expand...

Should I clay the whole car?
Will claying work if there is old wax on the car?

So you would say basic wash, then claying, then a regular cleaning wax like meguiar's A1216 Cleaner Wax would do the trick?

This is a daily driver that is not garaged or covered (no options at my apt). So I really just want something that will clean the jeep nicely without scratching and provide some protection.

It does already have swirling and some marks on the grille, but I don't necessarily need to detail all that. I want to keep it simple.
 
custmsprty said:
everything you want to know is explained in these easy to follow guides:

Auto Detailing Facts, auto detailing Tips, How to detailing Guides, how to polish, how to wax, DIY detailing, do it yourself guides

And I'd suggest a sealant for you as waxes don't last but a few weeks in most cases. Waxes are for us addicts, sealants are for guys like you who just want some protection and longevity.

Carnauba Car Wax vs. Paint Sealants, carnauba wax reviews, paint sealant reviews
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One thing I can't find in all the tips section is whether you can clay a car that has been previously waxed? If was waxed in the past, can you just do a regular wash then go to claying, then rewax or is there a step you should do before? Or does it not really matter?
 
comma said:
One thing I can't find in all the tips section is whether you can clay a car that has been previously waxed? If was waxed in the past, can you just do a regular wash then go to claying, then rewax or is there a step you should do before? Or does it not really matter?
Click to expand...

You only clay as needed. Maybe once or twice a year in your case. Did you read the section about claying? It covers that and the baggie test in detail.

Auto detailing clay, detail clay bar, clay lubricant, Pinnacle Poly Clay, Wolfgang, auto detail clay, meguiar's detailing clay, auto clay bar
 
You can clay any party of your car at any time. But, as allen mentioned it will remove old wax, which is a good thing.
 
comma said:
I did. It doesn't say if you should clay over a waxed car or if the car should be wax-free first.
Click to expand...

Yes you can. Clay basically grabs all contaminants off of your clear coat and basically leaves you with clean and naked paint. It will not harm your clear coat. Wash, clay and wax seems like a good process for your situation.
 
Easy way to tell. After you wash tne car do the Baggie Test. This will let you know if it needs to be clayed or not. Whether it's been waxed or not is really irrelevant.
 
Now get to your Homework.....

Read all of the Detailing How To's and take note of the process flow-chart
 
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