Hello,
Now that I have this beautiful Mercedes...I'm wondering what kind of Wax/Cleaner to get...I don't want to take it to a car wash....It does sit outside; How often should I polish it to keep it shiny and the paint in good condition, so it doesn't oxidize....And I assume I can just wash it between waxings, right?....The guy I bought it from recommended Maguiars products...Also, what should I use to wash it with? as in towels, etc....I'm trying to purchase as little as possible since I'm fairly broke.

And I want to buy a Club steering wheel device; Do you think this is a good idea?
I looked on E-bay (where I got the car by the way)...and there are so many different kinds; are there any in particular to look for?
I can't believe I own this car; I drove it yesterday and actually have a back seat to put groceries in....I love It!...I must admit, its a little different than driving my VW bug.....
Thank you....
LindaJane

Regarding steering wheel lock:

I use Lawman Armor's "Unbreakable Car Bar," as seen here.

Not as cheap as some, not as expensive as others, provides a nice visual deterent, and I can always use it in a future car if it comes with an airbag...

I have had good results using Meguires products. I just started using Zymol and I like it a lot. Goes on easier and is faster to use. A little more expensive but not a big deal considering how much wax you actually use. Wax the car every 3 months, minimum, but monthly is the best. The longer you go between wax jobs the longer it takes to do them. With the Zymol I can do the whole car in about 1.5hrs. I like to wash my cars once a week but I can't always stick to that schedule. I would say wash once a month and wax every three months and you will be doing more than 99.9% of car owners anyways. You might want to try a car detailer once a year for a really thorough cleaning. I have a friend who is a detailer and he offers better prices to regular customers since the more often he cleans/waxes a car the easier it is for him. Normal price is $125-$150 a pop for anyone off the street but $75 if you bring it in every three months. Enjoy, RT

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When all else fails, vote from the rooftops!
84' Mercedes Benz 300D Anthracite/black, 171K
03' Volkswagen Jetta TDI blue/black, 93K
93' Chevrolet C2500HD ExCab 6.5TD, Two-tone blue, 252K

I read and heard of something called autolock?...locks on the brake pedal and it is supposed to be more effective than a steering wheel lock.....
LindaJane

Honestly, stay away from the club devices, if a criminal wants your car, they take it, club and all. And I don't know if diesels are hot on the stolen car markets, they don't make great get-a-way cars, and their following doesn't lend them to the "worth more in parts" club like most Japanese cars. But who knows...

Anyway, use Mequiar's waxes and plolishes, for the money, they are the best. Used Zymol for years but IMHO, it's all hype... Very weak wax that has to be used often. This is what I've found anyway....

Okay, now bring on the nay sayers and the debate... (wink)

Umm, yeah. It's up above -- the little underlined linky-dinks...

Well, I actually agree with you. If a real bad guy wants your car, he'll find a way. It's the little punks and ne'er-do-wells I'm worried about...

Linda, friend of mine had the club device..... said it was hassle locking and unlocking it all the time - so just used it in unlocked position.

Regarding polish and wax: polish will remove old wax and dirty surface film..... so first you polish the car - then you wax it. I like paste waxes; they seem to last longer than liquid wax.

For interiors, IMHO armorall cleaner is better than armorall finish coat.... i use the cleaner and skip the finish coat.

Another product you might like is RainX glass treatment on all windows.... it puts film on glass that repells water and dirt like crazy. Also good for inside of rear window and mirrors. Its really amazing stuff.

Enjoy the new Benz; these are incredibly driver friendly automobiles that seem to remember all the attention the owner puts into them.

For the interior, nothing works better than Vinylex by Lexol. The best darn plastic/interior surface cleaner there is....

Well once again, Randall, I agree with you! Vinylex rocks, and pretty much blows everything else out of the water...

I agree that if someone wants your car and it has a club on it that won't slow them down much, they'll just cut the steering wheel and remove the club. I've heard the brake pedal one is much better because the brake pedal is very, very strong and hard to cut.... among other problems that creates. But I doubt there is a big market for older Diesel parts either.

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1985 300D Turbo ~225k
2000 F350 (Powerstroke) 4X4, SWB, CC, SRW, 6spd ~148k
1999 International 4900, DT466e (250hp/660 ft/lbs), Allison MD3060 ~73k

Umm, let's see. I leave my door unlocked 'cause the locks don't work. Usually remember to take the key but.... Now cleaning is easy, big rain, big puddle, big speed ------ all clean :-)

Seriously, Zymol's nice, Meguiar's #3 is too. If the car's not really in super paint shape even turtle wax'll protect it. If the finish is actually very good, never go to a car wash, they all scratch. Paste wax does seem to last better, but liquid is really easy and really easy makes really often a lot more of a possibility.

One thing about Zymol... it smells great! COCOANUT!!

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Mr Goodfahrt (pronounced FAIRT... means "good trip" in German)

1982 300D Turbo Pastel Gray (off-white) 200k+(?)
newbie but willing

Check the detailing board and see what the opinions are on that board for making a long lasting shine. I found out about Zaino Brothers products there and can tell you it is the longest lasting stuff of its kind. I put it on my daughter's 1982 240D before she left for San Diego and now that she is back, we washed it and gave it a squirt of their shine maintaining product (called "Z6") and the finish looks like we detailed the car yesterday. It is some chemical concoction and not a wax as used in most products, and it is the only thing I have seen that lasts. Pain to put on the first time, but well worth it. Good luck, Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

One of those shows like 20/20 did a story on the the club... after the thief was in the car they took an ordinary hacksaw and cut the steering wheel rim at its most flexible place near where the club was... and just bent it enough to get the club off..... UNDER 30 seconds total. So it is not how hard the club is to hacksaw... but the positioning of a device like that which counts... I would think one down low and attached to the metal part of the brake pedal would be MUCH harder for a thief to deal with.

lindajane, your new Mercedes already has a steering wheel lock that is much stronger than any "club" device. It is very well protected, making it highly unlikely that anyone would try to steal your car unless they have the key. If you're up for some reading, this thread has a lot of info about the lock. This is not to scare you regarding your switch, but there are some good tidbits in the thread about how hard it is to get to without the key. There's no way a thief would go to this trouble for a $4000 car. Ginger's Key Switch Thread

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Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
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