anyone know why polish's like Meguiar's and wax like Groit's say not to apply on hot car or in direct sunlight?

I ask because yesterday I washed car and dried in cloudy conditions, but when I polished and waxed the sun was out and temps were in upper seventies or eighties. And the paint looked awesome afterwards. Applied around five coats of polish. applied meguiar's polish and buffed out then repeated four more times. Then applied two coats of Griot's paste carnuba. The results were very good and I think the heated paint surface helped the polish and wax soak in.

Now thats dedication!



I think Meguairs is worried about the surface heat. If you put the polish on with a very high surface heat it dries too quickly. I think five coats of polish would compensate for that though

Yal is right, most polishes and waxes dry too quickly and are impossible to remove if they've sat in the sun. Many of the newer polymer sealants however are easier to apply in the sun and don't have problems with heat.


Ethan I have a question for you. I've been considering the Griots Purple Carnauba Paste and was wondering what your opinion is. Is it easy to apply, does it work well, does it whiten trim, how long does it last and can you post pics?

__________________
Afshin

Current:
02 C32 AMG

Previous:
92 500E
84 190E 2.3 5 Spd

I had trouble posting my picture. As far as Griot's Carnuba Paste goes; it applies with ease with a foam applicator and it buffs out with ease. Griot's dosen't leave a white mark on rubber window trim, but it does dry white when it gunks up in small creases. I prefer the Griot's to 3M Paste Wax and Sonax Liquid Wax, doesn't seem as toxic as the other's.
I try to wash and use Quick Detailer on my black car weekly, plus polish at least twice a year and wax about every five weeks so my car maintains a great shine.
I use Meguiar's Polish and like some people complain with German black paint hazing is an issue, so that is why I touch up with Quick Detailer which seems to fix the haze.
I take care of two black Benz and the Griot's paste wax seems to be a GOOD value in terms of how many car's it will wax.
I also use a car cover as often as possible when parking in direct sun light so I feel this may also increase the longevity of the wax protection.

Wax coatings are measured in microns therefore if the surface is too hot then it may not allow enough time for the compound to be spread before it dries. Remember when it dries then the wax (natural or synthetic) will cross-link (hopefully with your paint surface) and you have no other opportunity to spread it anymore (wasted and will be buffed off).

Yes with 5 coats, you will probably cover all your surface area but it seems like you might be wasting the wax. You just end up buffing dried wax that didn't bond to your surface but rather on top of more wax that already bonded on your paint. There's always been debate about anything more than 2 coats...additional coats will strip the previous coats, again because wax is only microns thin.

I think your 5 coats gave you a better result as opposed to the fact it was done in hotter temperatures (unless you always do 5 coats?).

FYI did you know #66 Quick Detailer is quite abrasive. It is used more to remove contaminants rather than rejuvenate the existing wax. On Meguiar's scale of abrasiveness (1-10 with 10 being the most abrasive (Diamond Cut Compound)):

#66 QD is a 4 while #9 Swirl Remover is a 3

That is interesting about the Quick Detailer, is it good for anything? Would you know why it has abrasives? simply for cleaning? does QD have a negative effect on newly waxed paint?
Meguiar's also has a spray wax - Quick Wax, any info on this product

BTW, I did five coats of polish and two coats of wax. I find the polish adds deep gloss, so that is why I tried to polish so extensively, to see if the results were impressive. Normally I do one coat each.

It's been a subject of debate whether Quik Wax has any more wax or is any better than QD. Think of the QD or QW as a quick clay job on your paint. It works well to quickly clean bird dropping or road or bug splatter. Some people keep a bottle of QD in their car for such emergencies (I'm not one of them).

It's misleading because most people think that it rejuvenates their wax on the paint between wax jobs but it really is not the intention.

I'll give you a A+++ for effort for 5 coats of polish. I guess it adds deep gloss by the fact you are really really cleaning the paint well prior to the final wax. Do what works for you!

I wouldn't take a chance applying anything to a hot finish. Hot paint is softer and easier to damage. All the manufacturers of car care products warn of generating too much heat when using abrasives (especially when using a machine to apply them). Starting with a hot surface is just asking for trouble.

With that said, under the weather conditions you describe you probably weren't in too much danger unless the car is a really dark color. My rule of thumb has always been if it's uncomfortable to touch, it's too hot to wax.

I think you may be right that a little heat helped the product work better, but I don't think it's because the paint was hot and let the product soak in. (That would actually be a BAD thing.) Rather, I think it was because the product warmed up upon contact with the surface and became easier to work with. One way to test is to wax in the shade, but warm up the product first - either by setting the container in the sun or in a sink full of hot water. You may find that softening up that paste wax gets you the finish you want without risking damage to the paint. Plus, you get to work in the shade instead of direct sun.

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Jay
1998 S320

Having undergone a full day's seminar at Meguiar's head office, putting multiple coats of wax is not a good way to spend your time. It is basically impossible (according to Meguiar's) to apply multiple coats. Successive coats basically obliterate the one beneath it. Or if there are no cleaning agents or polishing agents in the wax, then you are basically "waxing your wax", and not your paint.

Putting multiple coats of polish, on the other hand, is a good idea, as it feeds oils back into the paint, and increases gloss and depth. Your paint can only absorb so much polish at one time, so put on very thin coats.

Once you have achieved the level of gloss you desire, then put on one thin coat of wax for protection. That's all wax does. Protect.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

As long as we're nitpicking, wax does provide some gloss by filling in light scratches. Not to the extent of polish, of course, but still....

I've always been skeptical about Meguiar's claim of "feeding" oils back into the paint. It doesn't sound totally crazy, but it always seemed like marketing hype to me. What do the paint manufacturers say about products that are supposed to "feed" the paint?

__________________
Jay
1998 S320

I believe one of the ways polishes "feed the paint" is by replacing petroleum distillates that are continuously being evaporated into the air.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".