How long will brand x car wax or paint sealant last?

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

How long will brand x car wax or paint sealant last?

New Sensationalism!

How long will brand x car wax or paint sealant last?

The above question is probably one of the most asked questions by people when it comes to choosing a wax or paint sealant. There is no definitive answer to this question because there are so many factors that have an influence or affect the length of time a protective coating will last that most of us have no control over, things like how a car is washed or the environment and climate our vehicles are exposed to.


Simply put...

"Anything chemically corrosive enough or abrasive enough to physically damage a modern, factory clear coat finish is also strong enough or abrasive enough to damage the micron, or sub-micron layer of protection you apply as a paste, liquid or spray-on wax"



What can you do to protect your auto investment?
The most important thing you can do is try to park your car under some kind of cover when not in use, like a garage or carport. The next most important thing you can do is keep the car clean so dirt, road grime and other contaminants cannot build-up on the surface, mix with moisture and attack the finish. Besides these two things, then next best thing you can do is to maintain a layer of protection on all the painted surfaces.

I've seen first hand the Uric Acid in a bird dropping etch paint in less than 10 minutes after the paint had been compounded, polished and sealed with two coats of wax.

A car wax, or a paint sealant is a Sacrificial Barrier Coating. That is it's a coating you and I can easily apply that will slow down the harmful effects of corrosive elements that land on the paint and/or anything else harmful that comes into contact with the paint. Key words being slow down, not 100% stop or prevent.

The idea being that as your car's finish sees wear-and-tear and the wax or paint sealant wears off or in other words, sacrifices itself so your paint doesn't have to sacrifice itself, that you and I can then wash the car to remove any loose dirt, clay the paint if needed to remove any above surface bonded contaminants, and then re-apply our choice of wax or paint sealant whether it's a liquid, paste or spray-on product.


The key is to,

"Find something you like and use it often"


If you find something you like then obviously you like,

• How it applies
• How it dries or doesn't dry in the case of a non-drying wax
• How it wipes off
• how it looks
• How you perceive it to last
• How you perceive it to protect

That's pretty much the majority of reasons we all wax our cars.

Then... if you do this often... your car's finish will always look new. It's only when you and I neglect our car's finish and the car is used as a daily driver and thus exposed to the elements and wear-and-tear, that finish goes down hill without intervention.


How often is often?

If you park your car in a garage and only drive it on sunny Sundays then you won't have to re-apply any company's wax or paint sealant very often in order to maintain that show room new look.
​

If you drive your car everyday, and for a portion of each day it's parked outside, for example when you're at work, and/or when you're home if you don't have a garage or covered parking at your place of residence to shelter the paint, then you will have to re-apply any company's wax or paint sealant more often in order to maintain that show room new look.
​

Pretty simple really...


The good news...
Modern clear coats are actually pretty tough compared to automotive paints commonly used before clear coat paint technology was introduced starting in the 1980's. For most people, the best defense is a good offense, so find a premium quality car wash that offers safe cleaning ability with good lubricating characteristics and maintain a layer of protection using your favorite wax or paint sealant.



:dblthumb2:

 

[waxman1]

well i had a test hood that i had several 6 in by 12in areas,and put all kinds of waxes,sealants,etc and most lasted about the same. some were less than a mo,others were longer. all were applied by the instuctions on the bottle. it was a red s10 hood from a body shop that was slightly bent. paint was good. sat it on saw horses outside,washed it every wk.didnt treat any spot separate from the others. carbrite,mothes,meguiars,detail plus,pink wax,kit,turtlewax,eagleone, "oem " paint sealant,and others used. just what i had laying around.

 

[BobbyG]

Anyone that owns a car or truck should religiously maintain its finish much like they change the oil and filter.

Washing, Sealing, and Waxing the vehicles finish will help it keep looking fresh and bright almost indefinitely. Now you might want to throw in an occasional clay and polish but I think you get what I mean..rops:

 

[James K]

All great info Mike, but if I may ask one question. When will autogeek start carrying sensationalism sealant? I would like to order some.

Thanks.

 

[slimnib]

If some say's to you . I buy my cars new and never keep them more than 3 years.
I have them hand washed every two- three weeks and I never wax or polish and they look great up to the date I sell it. I have no need to go through all that detaling stuff.

What is your answer?

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

If some say's to you . I buy my cars new and never keep them more than 3 years.
I have them hand washed every two- three weeks and I never wax or polish and they look great up to the date I sell it. I have no need to go through all that detaling stuff.

What is your answer?

"Find something you like and use it often"


Hey in the hypothetical situation you describe all I can say is more power to the person...

Doing nothing to a clear coat finish except washing it won't make it look better and better, sooner or later the quality will degrade just from swirls and scratches accumulated by washing and drying.

You might only see this degradation on a medium to dark color car, not a light color or especially as silver metallic finish but it's taking place.

I met a guy once that used the entry level Turtle Wax product on his Bronco's paint and the paint looked pretty good. The key to his success was to wash and wax often, i.e. maintenance.

Point being is I really don't care too much what a person uses or if they use nothing at all as long as they're happy.

 

[michelliot]

I have no need to go through all that detaling stuff.

Then why would you be a senior member with 509 posts

I'm confused

 

[jankerson]

If some say's to you . I buy my cars new and never keep them more than 3 years.
I have them hand washed every two- three weeks and I never wax or polish and they look great up to the date I sell it. I have no need to go through all that detaling stuff.

What is your answer?

You could go into the explanation...

You could look at their car and if it's swirled out and likely will be you could point that out.

Compare it to what you are driving...

But for the most part if someone is like that... Well you will have to decide if they are worth your time and effort to even begin a conversation.

And even if you did convince them to actually work on their car you will have to make a judgement call based on their attitude if you would really want to do it..... And deal with that type of person..... They are going to want the whole world for nothing believe me and it will never be right because they spent money on it......

 

[Evan.J]

Any one see that was from July of 2011?

 

[dpk20x]

Then why would you be a senior member with 509 posts

I'm confused

I think you need to re read what he wrote. He was asking for advice on how to deal with customers who said that sort of thing. Also this thread is over 2 years old

 

[dpk20x]

Any one see that was from July of 2011?

I did lol

 

[Romans5.8]

Anyone that owns a car or truck should religiously maintain its finish much like they change the oil and filter.

Washing, Sealing, and Waxing the vehicles finish will help it keep looking fresh and bright almost indefinitely. Now you might want to throw in an occasional clay and polish but I think you get what I mean..rops:

Amazing how many 'maintenance freaks' do nothing to care for their paint. Not realizing it need maintenance as well!

I'm in that awful category with outside parking for my car. She lives outside 24/7. So she gets washed weekly (or as soon as I can after driving in rain/snow where it gets dirty quick; even if it hasn't been a week) and waxed monthly. Since learning more on AutoGeek I've also gone to sealants applied under the wax, and will be doing a clay and IPA wipedown followed by a fresh coat of sealant, and then wax, every few months.

 

[michelliot]

If some say's to you . I buy my cars new and never keep them more than 3 years.

I have them hand washed every two- three weeks and I never wax or polish and they look great up to the date I sell it. I have no need to go through all that detaling stuff.

What is your answer?

I stand corrected, he was responding to a statement.....sry slimnib

 

[jankerson]

Amazing how many 'maintenance freaks' do nothing to care for their paint. Not realizing it need maintenance as well!

I'm in that awful category with outside parking for my car. She lives outside 24/7. So she gets washed weekly (or as soon as I can after driving in rain/snow where it gets dirty quick; even if it hasn't been a week) and waxed monthly. Since learning more on AutoGeek I've also gone to sealants applied under the wax, and will be doing a clay and IPA wipedown followed by a fresh coat of sealant, and then wax, every few months.

That's because of the urban legend that states clear coats don't need any maintenance... Urban Legends die very hard......

I can't even remember how many times I have heard that over the years.

 

[Romans5.8]

If some say's to you . I buy my cars new and never keep them more than 3 years.
I have them hand washed every two- three weeks and I never wax or polish and they look great up to the date I sell it. I have no need to go through all that detaling stuff.



I stand corrected, he was responding to a statement.....sry slimnib

I'd just point out the swirls!

But then, some just won't care. It's like maintenance. I met a guy who was CONVINCED oil changes were a conspiracy. It didn't need changing because it still 'feels slick' even after several thousand miles. The best part? One of the reasons he's convinced it's a conspiracy, is that he took it to the dealer for an engine knock and the dealer told him that the engine was trashed from not changing the oil. Of course, in his mind, the engine knock had nothing to do with never changing the oil; only topping it off!

I explained how to prevent swirls on a buddy's Harley that was all swirled up. He looked at me like I told him to do brain surgery and said "I think I'll just stick with what I'm doing" and continued to wipe the dust off with an old rag. To him, it's just not worth the work. So; go for it I guess!

If you only keep a car for 2 or 3 years; then you could probably take it through the auto car wash if you didn't mind the swirls and do nothing else and be just fine. My wifes parents are very bad about car maintenance. They'll do the occasional oil change but that is IT. No brake flush (until the calipers fail) or coolant flush (until it becomes clogged), no tire rotations, etc. Definitely no maintenance on the paint. They also keep their cars for a long time. Generally, they go 5 or 6 years before clearcoat failure sets in. Then they'll drive it for another few years as the clearcoat peels!

And... More power to them! Who cares, it's their car- not mine!

That's because of the urban legend that states clear coats don't need any maintenance... Urban Legends die very hard......

I can't even remember how many times I have heard that over the years.

Yeah it's basic cause/effect stuff. If I don't see immediate problems, then I won't see eventual problems. If you didn't maintain a single stage paint, you saw problems very, very soon. Don't maintain a clearcoat finish and it'll be years before you see clearcoat failure (the first issue people actually notice; like Mike says; most don't know a swirl from a squirrel!).

It's like fuel injection that is just starting to make it's way into mainstream motorcycles and ATV's. Now people don't think they need winterizing. True, fuel injected engines will start and run on bad gas. However, it's harmful to the system and will cause problems down the road! But before, with a carbed bike, it wouldn't start come spring if you didn't winterize- period. It took hours of work and lots of cleaning to get running again and would run rough for a while after. But now, come spring, it starts up. Must mean no maintenance necessary, right? Except come the 3rd or 4th spring it's gonna be time for new injectors or a new fuel pump, not to mention rust accumulating in the fuel tank!

Or even this oil change conspiracy theorist I met. He talked about guys who went 30 and 40k without oil changes before anything went wrong (When he conceded that MAYBE oil changes were necessary but not at the 3k quick change places say or the 7500-10k most car manufacturers say). Again, what he isn't realizing is, that oil had failed well before that 30 or 40k mark, it just took that long for the engine components to wear to a fail point.

If you don't maintain your car, whether it's the engines, brakes, or paint; chances are you won't have any issues for quite a while because, the fact is, stuff is built much better now (no matter what the old timers say). But that doesn't mean you aren't doing damage and you won't have eventual problems! Look at some of the older cars owned by geekers or that are continually maintained. Like gorgeous 80's Porsche's with factory paint that look brand new inside and out. Of course those are higher end, rarer cars. But so what? I want my daily driver to be in just as great of shape! Just sold my 2000 Saturn with 0 cleacoat failure and a nearly stain free interior (one crayon stain from a kid leaving a crayon in the back window), looked great inside and out. Go to craigslist and try and find a 2000 Saturn that isn't covered in peeling clearcoat or ripped/faded/stained interiors. Maintenance of the interior and exterior of the car DOES pay off (And that was long before I found AutoGeek and REALLY started to learn about this stuff!)

 

[jankerson]

If you only keep a car for 2 or 3 years; then you could probably take it through the auto car wash if you didn't mind the swirls and do nothing else and be just fine. My wifes parents are very bad about car maintenance. They'll do the occasional oil change but that is IT. No brake flush (until the calipers fail) or coolant flush (until it becomes clogged), no tire rotations, etc. Definitely no maintenance on the paint. They also keep their cars for a long time. Generally, they go 5 or 6 years before clearcoat failure sets in. Then they'll drive it for another few years as the clearcoat peels!

That's VERY typical of what I normally see on a daily basis....

 

[jankerson]

I'd just point out the swirls!

But then, some just won't care. It's like maintenance. I met a guy who was CONVINCED oil changes were a conspiracy. It didn't need changing because it still 'feels slick' even after several thousand miles. The best part? One of the reasons he's convinced it's a conspiracy, is that he took it to the dealer for an engine knock and the dealer told him that the engine was trashed from not changing the oil. Of course, in his mind, the engine knock had nothing to do with never changing the oil; only topping it off!

I explained how to prevent swirls on a buddy's Harley that was all swirled up. He looked at me like I told him to do brain surgery and said "I think I'll just stick with what I'm doing" and continued to wipe the dust off with an old rag. To him, it's just not worth the work. So; go for it I guess!

If you only keep a car for 2 or 3 years; then you could probably take it through the auto car wash if you didn't mind the swirls and do nothing else and be just fine. My wifes parents are very bad about car maintenance. They'll do the occasional oil change but that is IT. No brake flush (until the calipers fail) or coolant flush (until it becomes clogged), no tire rotations, etc. Definitely no maintenance on the paint. They also keep their cars for a long time. Generally, they go 5 or 6 years before clearcoat failure sets in. Then they'll drive it for another few years as the clearcoat peels!

And... More power to them! Who cares, it's their car- not mine!




Yeah it's basic cause/effect stuff. If I don't see immediate problems, then I won't see eventual problems. If you didn't maintain a single stage paint, you saw problems very, very soon. Don't maintain a clearcoat finish and it'll be years before you see clearcoat failure (the first issue people actually notice; like Mike says; most don't know a swirl from a squirrel!).

It's like fuel injection that is just starting to make it's way into mainstream motorcycles and ATV's. Now people don't think they need winterizing. True, fuel injected engines will start and run on bad gas. However, it's harmful to the system and will cause problems down the road! But before, with a carbed bike, it wouldn't start come spring if you didn't winterize- period. It took hours of work and lots of cleaning to get running again and would run rough for a while after. But now, come spring, it starts up. Must mean no maintenance necessary, right? Except come the 3rd or 4th spring it's gonna be time for new injectors or a new fuel pump, not to mention rust accumulating in the fuel tank!

Or even this oil change conspiracy theorist I met. He talked about guys who went 30 and 40k without oil changes before anything went wrong (When he conceded that MAYBE oil changes were necessary but not at the 3k quick change places say or the 7500-10k most car manufacturers say). Again, what he isn't realizing is, that oil had failed well before that 30 or 40k mark, it just took that long for the engine components to wear to a fail point.

If you don't maintain your car, whether it's the engines, brakes, or paint; chances are you won't have any issues for quite a while because, the fact is, stuff is built much better now (no matter what the old timers say). But that doesn't mean you aren't doing damage and you won't have eventual problems! Look at some of the older cars owned by geekers or that are continually maintained. Like gorgeous 80's Porsche's with factory paint that look brand new inside and out. Of course those are higher end, rarer cars. But so what? I want my daily driver to be in just as great of shape! Just sold my 2000 Saturn with 0 cleacoat failure and a nearly stain free interior (one crayon stain from a kid leaving a crayon in the back window), looked great inside and out. Go to craigslist and try and find a 2000 Saturn that isn't covered in peeling clearcoat or ripped/faded/stained interiors. Maintenance of the interior and exterior of the car DOES pay off (And that was long before I found AutoGeek and REALLY started to learn about this stuff!)

A lot of it is people just don't want to spend the money on their cars., They just won't do it.....

The only time they will is when they break down and by that time it's so expensive it's unreal.

I see so many rattle traps around AND THEY AREN'T BUT A FEW YEARS OLD.... TO MAYBE 5.

 

[Romans5.8]

A lot of it is people just don't want to spend the money on their cars., They just won't do it.....

The only time they will is when they break down and by that time it's so expensive it's unreal.

I see so many rattle traps around AND THEY AREN'T BUT A FEW YEARS OLD.... TO MAYBE 5.

The money they waste is what amazes me. I was out flushing the brakes in my wifes Taurus and my neighbor asked me 'what was wrong with my brakes'. 'Nothing, just flushing them'. He couldn't understand why someone would flush brakes that are still working? Then I showed him the JET BLACK brake fluid (It's supposed to be clear) and explained how if it isn't done occasionally, that fluid will eat through seals and things and that's when you have failed calipers or leaks. He said "I dunno man, I've never done that to mine and it works just fine". Again, that, "If it works now, it doesn't need to be maintained' mentality. Then, instead of $10 for a bottle of brake fluid, he'll pay hundreds to repair his brakes! OR, he won't, and they'll work forever without maintenance. Who knows! But it's worth the $10 for me not to take that chance!

It's a pet peeve of mine. Tripping over a dollar to pinch a penny. Like buying ultra-cheap tires. Not only do they reduce braking performance and handling in an emergency, they actually COST you money. My old car was bought used, and they bought new tires from Wal-Mart when they sold it to me. 25,000 miles later they were nearly bald. Put a set of Pirelli's on there that were maybe $50 a tire more, and I replaced them 90,000 miles later with another set of Pirelli's! The tires ALONE came out ahead in longevity, and when you add the cost of mounting and balancing (needing to do it almost 4 times less), it REALLY comes out ahead. Kept using those tires. Sold the car with 297,000 miles on it, looking great and running great. In that time span, imagine how much 'cheap tires' would've cost me? ESPECIALLY if I didn't get free mount/balance!

My wifes parents couldn't believe what I spent on tires because "You can get them for $49 at wal-mart!". Again, tripping over a dollar to pinch a penny!

 

[jankerson]

The money they waste is what amazes me. I was out flushing the brakes in my wifes Taurus and my neighbor asked me 'what was wrong with my brakes'. 'Nothing, just flushing them'. He couldn't understand why someone would flush brakes that are still working? Then I showed him the JET BLACK brake fluid (It's supposed to be clear) and explained how if it isn't done occasionally, that fluid will eat through seals and things and that's when you have failed calipers or leaks. He said "I dunno man, I've never done that to mine and it works just fine". Again, that, "If it works now, it doesn't need to be maintained' mentality. Then, instead of $10 for a bottle of brake fluid, he'll pay hundreds to repair his brakes! OR, he won't, and they'll work forever without maintenance. Who knows! But it's worth the $10 for me not to take that chance!

It's a pet peeve of mine. Tripping over a dollar to pinch a penny. Like buying ultra-cheap tires. Not only do they reduce braking performance and handling in an emergency, they actually COST you money. My old car was bought used, and they bought new tires from Wal-Mart when they sold it to me. 25,000 miles later they were nearly bald. Put a set of Pirelli's on there that were maybe $50 a tire more, and I replaced them 90,000 miles later with another set of Pirelli's! The tires ALONE came out ahead in longevity, and when you add the cost of mounting and balancing (needing to do it almost 4 times less), it REALLY comes out ahead. Kept using those tires. Sold the car with 297,000 miles on it, looking great and running great. In that time span, imagine how much 'cheap tires' would've cost me? ESPECIALLY if I didn't get free mount/balance!

My wifes parents couldn't believe what I spent on tires because "You can get them for $49 at wal-mart!". Again, tripping over a dollar to pinch a penny!

Oh I know, tires are expensive... Well good tires are that is..

But they do last so they are worth it in the long run. :xyxthumbs:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I was looking for this article because someone asked me for an article that would help them to educate their customers about the importance of regular maintenance and then I found this quote in the process....

Any one see that was from July of 2011?

Heck it's almost July of 2014 and what I wrote in the first post of this thread is still as accurate as when I wrote it.

Point being is in most cases, it doesn't matter how old a thread is or how many years ago it was written because in most cases the information is still relevant.

I'm never hesitate to bring an old thread back to life simply because it's old. As long as the information is accurate time doesn't really matter.

As far as replying to older posts years down the road... heck I do that all the time when I find a question that was posted but never answered as it completes the discussion.