*Official* Ask A Detailer Thread

Use a steam cleaner.

 

Is the haze on the paint or the trim? Post up a picture if you can.

Use solvent to remove the sticker as long as it's only on a painted surface. Do not let the solvent touch any plastics. After a thorough cleaning, use some alcohol to remove the solvent then seal/wax the portion you cleaned as the solvent and alcohol will remove any sealant or wax that was previously on it.

 

I just bought my 2011 but I did not purchase any special dealer paint protection like my older 4 Runner they offered a 4 year Simoniz? type of protection. I am not sur eif it was a gimmick, but I got it back then. This time they did not offer any such paint protection.

Does Toyota apply any long term sealant?

Is it better not to wash/wax it using the regular car wash "throw it on and wash it off" until a few months? or is that a myth that you should not wash/wax a new car/truck?

 

haze on paint upper part about the right door where there metal between the roof and the door. the curve part and below the window on the ledge part of the door

 

Wash and wax it as soon as you get home if you want to. However I would urge you not to let the dealer wash the truck prior to delivery because the dealer will introduce swirl marks into the clear coat and you will need to remove them.

Also save yourself a bundle and apply the sealant yourself. There are a lot of sealants out there and in all price ranges. Most do a decent job.

 

Not sure if the OP will chime in or not, so I will give it a shot...

Simoniz has mixed reviews... I researched it a while ago, I found that most people only see the benefits for 6 months or so.. My conclusion was that it is a way for dealers to make extra money.

I have always waxed my vehicles once per month, but I think that may be a little on the excessive side.. I actually enjoy doing it. If you can do it at least 2 times a year, your paint should maintain the shine for years.

One way to tell if your wax is still protecting is when it rains or you wash it, if the water has a nice bead to it. If the water doesn't "bead", it is time to wax.

Good luck.

 

First thing I would do is take a clay bar to the whole truck. Then polish it up and slap some wax on there. Something that lasts. Get a carnuba based spray wax to shine it up before hitting the town. No need for giving the dealer any more cash.

 

Take your car to a professional. I could tell you how to potentially fix the problem, but with the flaw so close to soft plastics there's a good chance you will damage it. For a professional to fix that small area should not cost very much. Replacing damaged trim IS costly though.

 

what about the lights?what can i do 4 the faded yellow stuff on them

 

No need to purchase paint protection from the dealer, as its just a way to jack up the price of the vehicle for no real value added. Start reading the detailing threads and forums and take care of the paint yourself.

It is unprotected when you buy it, and is usually in need of a clay bar treatment. My mother just bought a Venza and it is rough as hell. I will clay bar it in the next couple weeks and apply an acrylic sealant (Klasse SG) and some carnuba wax (P21S).

But the basic care process, that you should do twice a year is:

-wash (use soap intended for cars, and read up on the two bucket system)
-clay bar treatment (really makes a big difference)
-polish (not necessary for a new car)
-synthetic sealant (Klasse SG is excellent)
-wax (really helps protect against bugs, as well as gives a deeper luster shine)

Best strategy is to do the full treatment just before winter, and then in the spring after winter has cleared. Once you've done those steps, a simple wash and wax ever 1-3 weeks is all you need to keep it beautiful.

One note: use only microfiber towels, not terry or any other cloth on the paint (lambs and sheep mitts are ok, and The Absorber as a drying towel is ok). Other materials leave fine scratches.

Read up on all these steps as there are plenty of threads about them, and plenty products to choose from.

 

So I used a clay bar on my hood the other day just to test it out.

I noticed the it was leaving really fine scratches in places that I could see at the right angle.

Is this normal?

I did wax it afterward and covered these scratches.

Sorry if this has been covered already, I didn't want to read through all 26 pages.

 

Did you wash before you used the clay bar? You don't want to rub dirt into the paint. If you did wash, and you did not drop the clay bar on the ground, I doubt the scratches came from claying.

If you drop clay you need to start with new clay. Its important to make sure you don't drop it. I know that's hard because you are rubbing it all over, but the main thing is to be patient and careful.

If the wax covered the scratches you are talking about, chances are they will buff out with polish. If you can feel the scratch, you cannot buff it out, but you can make it shorter, by polishing out the shallow parts (beginning and end of the scratch, that aren't too deep).

But to answer your comment, the clay will not leave scratches unless it is contaminated, or you used it without a proper washing. You don't want to rub dirt into the paint, because it will scratch..

 

Ok thanks for the advice. No it was freshly washed, new bar straight out of the package, using exactly as instructed. As soon it the clay would start to discolor slightly I would remold it so it was clean...

I think part of it might have been using to much pressure. I started almost just letting the weight of the bar rest on the paint and that seemed to help.

It didn't seem like it was picking up as much contaminants as quickly, but was still getting the job done.

 

Hit them with a buffer and a mild polishing compound.

here is some work I did on my Nephews Tacoma.

Before


Taped up so not to wreck the paint or chrome.



Half and half shot


Finshed results.


He was pleased with the outcome.

 

Sounds like you were careful. I somehow doubt you created the scratches with the clay but maybe are noticing them now that you are paying attention to the details by claying.

Do you have a random orbit polisher? Sounds like it may be time for a good polishing. How old is the truck?

 

to 95sle...thanks they look really goood

 

First of all muSH7 and the rest of you, thanks for taking the time and effort you have spent on this thread. I've learned a lot and will use this knowledge to hopefully keep my truck in showroom condition.
I do have a product question. I've read over most of this 26 page thread (hours of reading) and don't recall seeing anything.
What are your thoughts on Meguiar's Ultimate Paste Wax and their Gold Class Carnuaba Plus wax?

 

In general, most people are very happy w/ the gold class line of products, especially for an OTC product.

 

If you want a quality paste wax get some p21s 100% carnauba or Pinnacle Souveran.

 

Hi Guys

Up here in Canada, they use a lot of road salt and sand in the winter months. This just eats up our aluminum rims. any tips on cleaned them, or trying to bring back that factory shine?
The same goes for the oxidation, where they balance the rim with lead weight. after a few years... it looks like crap.
Thanks again.