Top 5 Reasons Why a Car Should Be Sealed and Waxed

[AYAutocare]

Most everyone has heard that it’s a good idea to regularly seal/wax their car, but not everybody knows why. What benefits people can gain by sealing/waxing their car? Here's a few great reasons here for all to see!

1)Shine – Well here's the one we all know. You want a shiny car right? Sealant/Wax is the easiest way to get your car looking glossy and new. A carnauba based wax generally will provide wonderful depth and clarity, though modern synthetic paint sealants have taken big leaps in this area and there are some fantastic options out there that will provide a decent shine as well.

2)Protection From Airborne Contaminants – If your paint is left unprotected (naked paint) by a layer of wax or sealant then it’s at risk. Bugs, acid rain, salt and other corrosive materials can settle into your paint and etch it, causing damages to your beautiful and expensive clear coat/paint. A layer of sealant/wax will create a barrier between your paint and the rest of the world so that these contaminants become embedded in the sealant/wax instead of your car.

3)Easy Washing – One great reason to seal/wax your car that many people might not know is that a sealant/wax will make you car MUCH easier to get clean. When you inevitably get bugs, sap, and all other sorts of things dripping onto your car, the sealant/wax will prevent them from making contact with your paint. They will then be wiped away with a car wash or will come off when the sealant wax is removed. Without a coat of sealant/wax these things may need a full detail to be properly removed.

4)Prevent Paint Chips – Little paint chips can occur when you’re driving at high speeds and tiny rocks and stones jump up and hit your paint. Car sealants/wax smoothes the paint surface and will reduce the friction between debris and your car, meaning that tiny debris is more likely to slide off your car rather than damage it. This will help prevent your car from becoming the victim of little rock and paint chips which are not only unsightly but can be expensive to repaint correctly. Of course, there are other reasons to have a freshly sealed/waxed car on the highway as well.

5)Fills In Scratches – Make no mistake, sealant/wax will NOT remove scratches from your car. But it can fill some of them in to a certain extent. When shallow scratches are filled in by wax they could become less apparent. Filling in scratches can be a more *affordable* way to temporary "hide" some of the scratches (only to a certain extent, not all). But of course, for 100% show car condition/ shine, paint correction is still preferred.

Any other ideas? Leave them in the comments below!

[AVS_Racing]

I'm still wondering about this. x2 sealant layers or seal + wax? cuz I know the debate is diminishing returns or second layer won't even stick since its not paint and might remove the first layer.

[AYAutocare]

There are products out there that are specifically designed to have wax go on top of the sealant. This is the ultimate combination in my humble opinion.

I guess I should change the title to having a car sealed OR waxed , since the focus really isn't about the "layering" but more about the common benefits that these two products provide.
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[Zupra]

Minor gains in fuel economy

[LiquidTurbo]

How often do you recommend?

[AYAutocare]

Sealants(protection)-every 3-5 months. Depending on the way you store your car. ie parking inside or outside.

Wax(shine,minimal protection)-lasts maximum 1 month.
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[Zedbra]

tried the AutoGlym Resin Polish and HD Wax today - I'm quite impressed with the shine on my old car. We'll see how long it lasts - but I'm used to polishing three times per year and adding Carnuba every month.

[AVS_Racing]

I'm trying sealant this year, along with collonite? 845. So far I'm impressed with AG Extra gloss protection. I had Meguiars NXT applied at the beginning of march and the car stopped beading after a wash 2 weeks later.

[AYAutocare]

Originally Posted by Zedbra

tried the AutoGlym Resin Polish and HD Wax today - I'm quite impressed with the shine on my old car. We'll see how long it lasts - but I'm used to polishing three times per year and adding Carnuba every month.

Be very careful when it comes to compounding/polishing. I wouldn't recommend polishing three times a year, since every time you polish, your clear coat is getting thinner and thinner.

There really is no need to compound/polish your car once the car's paint is corrected. Just make sure you are washing/drying the car properly. Then seal it every 3-5 or 4-6 months (depending on the product you use) to keep your paint protected. If you think the sealant's shine isn't enough, then choose a product that is designed to utilize the "layering technique" Sealant bottom, Wax on top. Don't mix and match random products.

[AYAutocare]

Originally Posted by AVS_Racing

I'm trying sealant this year, along with collonite? 845. So far I'm impressed with AG Extra gloss protection. I had Meguiars NXT applied at the beginning of march and the car stopped beading after a wash 2 weeks later.

I think it would be better if you just seal your car with AutoGlym Extra Gloss Protection. Like I said in the post above, try not to mix and match different products, different issues can occur. Especially when you are mixing 2 category of products from 2 different companies. (Collonite and Autoglym)

From my experience, Meguairs was never really good at waxes and sealants. Their abrasive products(compounds, polishes) are killer though!

[Zedbra]

Originally Posted by AYAutocare

Be very careful when it comes to compounding/polishing. I wouldn't recommend polishing three times a year, since every time you polish, your clear coat is getting thinner and thinner.

There really is no need to compound/polish your car once the car's paint is corrected. Just make sure you are washing/drying the car properly. Then seal it every 3-5 or 4-6 months (depending on the product you use) to keep your paint protected. If you think the sealant's shine isn't enough, then choose a product that is designed to utilize the "layering technique" Sealant bottom, Wax on top. Don't mix and match random products.

I only use the orbital once per year to try to correct the paint - then the other two times (sometimes only one) are hand polish (like the AG). My paint is in rough shape from all the km I drive, so it really is to keep it clean and offer protection from rust and debris.

Here is a pic of the AG polish/HD Wax. I haven't seen a decent reflection in my paint for years - the shine is impressive.

[Matlock]

I am planning to claybar + wax my car very soon.

I've never used sealant before but I'm figuring maybe I should look into it if I'm going to go through all the work of clay and wax?

Also, I recently bought a cheap $69.99 Makita grinder for the purpose of grinding metals. Could this tool be used as a polisher or is it a different tool I see people using for detailing cars? I still have the receipt and could always trade it in.

[AYAutocare]

Originally Posted by Zedbra

I only use the orbital once per year to try to correct the paint - then the other two times (sometimes only one) are hand polish (like the AG). My paint is in rough shape from all the km I drive, so it really is to keep it clean and offer protection from rust and debris.

Here is a pic of the AG polish/HD Wax. I haven't seen a decent reflection in my paint for years - the shine is impressive.

Gotcha.

It look's quite nice!

Just keep in mind that there's only so much that you can compound and polish your car before it loses its clear coat and actually gets to the color base coat.

From time to time, I would tell my customer something like "hey, your paint is really damaged but I can't fix it by compounding/polishing because the clear coat is SOOOO thin already and I don't feel comfortable taking away the clear coat. (No clearcoat= no UV protection etc etc).

Keep adding layers and layers of sealants/wax then your car's paint should stay in pretty good condition!

[911fanatic]

Originally Posted by AVS_Racing

I'm still wondering about this. x2 sealant layers or seal + wax? cuz I know the debate is diminishing returns or second layer won't even stick since its not paint and might remove the first layer.

The second layer will stick to the first and provide longer ( not double, but longer ) protection. Reason being is as you stated, sealants are designed to stick to paint so the second layer will be thinner than the first.Pretty much all sealants require 8-12 hours of curing before applying the second coat other than Werkstat Acrylic Jett Trigger which can be layered after 30 minutes. Two coats of AJT will last around 6 months.

Originally Posted by LiquidTurbo

How often do you recommend?

One coat of most sealants will last 3-4 months. Waxes vary from 4 weeks ( P21S Carnauba ) to 5-6 months ( Colli 476, 845, Raceglaze 55 and Black Label). Most modern nubas fall into the 8 week range.

Originally Posted by AYAutocare

Sealants(protection)-every 3-5 months. Depending on the way you store your car. ie parking inside or outside.

Very important fact. Storing your vehicle under cover at night, at work etc will have a huge effect on how long it lasts.

Originally Posted by AVS_Racing

I'm trying sealant this year, along with collonite? 845. So far I'm impressed with AG Extra gloss protection. I had Meguiars NXT applied at the beginning of march and the car stopped beading after a wash 2 weeks later.

If you are using the EGP / 845 combo, be prepared to not do anything for a long while. Those two are VERY durable in their own right. You'll get a solid 6 months out of that combo.

Originally Posted by Zedbra

tried the AutoGlym Resin Polish and HD Wax today - I'm quite impressed with the shine on my old car. We'll see how long it lasts - but I'm used to polishing three times per year and adding Carnuba every month.

Thats a great regimen to keep the car looking mint. Just be sure that when polishing, you are using a pad/polish combo that is only strong enough to remove the light swirls you have attained through washing and drying. Menzerna Power Finish or 106FA on a green pad should be enough and through my experience, using that combo will reduce the clear by such a small amount, it's not measurable with my paint thickness gauge.

Originally Posted by AYAutocare

Like I said in the post above, try not to mix and match different products, different issues can occur. Especially when you are mixing 2 category of products from 2 different companies. (Collonite and Autoglym)

From my experience, Meguairs was never really good at waxes and sealants. Their abrasive products(compounds, polishes) are killer though!

I agree. I have had issues with 845, but only when trying to top it with something. It has a high solvent content that doesn't seem to play well with others. If you are going to layer it, better to layer it on itself. You're right, Megs polishes are very good but their sealants just plain suck. They look great for a few weeks and that's it based on the reviews I've seen.

Originally Posted by Matlock

I am planning to claybar + wax my car very soon.

I've never used sealant before but I'm figuring maybe I should look into it if I'm going to go through all the work of clay and wax?

Also, I recently bought a cheap $69.99 Makita grinder for the purpose of grinding metals. Could this tool be used as a polisher or is it a different tool I see people using for detailing cars? I still have the receipt and could always trade it in.

Don't feel you "need" to use a sealant. Most sealant's and waxes these days are almost colour specific meaning they look good on everything, but really stand out on one. Is it a dark solid or metallic? Light solid or metallic? Selants tend to lend themselves to metallics as they help the flake "pop" due to the polymers in them. The polymers also aid in durability which is why sealants tend to outlast most waxes. Waxes lend themselves to solids, especially dark ones where you want, a deep, wet look versus the bright finish associated with sealants. In the end, it comes down to personal preference so play around until you find what you really like. As for that polisher, take it back. A rotary in the hands of a newb will almost always result in a trip to the body shop to paint a panel. Get a Porter Cable 7424 dual action polisher. Very safe for beginners. I use DA's in my shop for 99% of my polishing. We sell the Porter Cables and all the accessories if you're interested. I always give purchasers a lesson on how to use it as well.

[911fanatic]

Thanks AY for posting this. I think a very important thing to remember is that proper preparation will have a huge effect on how long your wax or sealant will last. Wash the car with dish soap to make sure all previous waxes or sealants are stripped. It's not recommended to use dish soap regularly as it will kill off your wax or sealant prematurely and theoretically will dry out your clear coat. After that, clay your car. Your wax or sealant is designed to stick to paint, not crud. I like to rewash the car after claying with a very light Dawn wash after claying to ensure all silicones from the clay lube are removed. You can go one step further and use a prewax cleaner but as not all manufacturers make them, I'm still undecided as to whether or not they are necessary.

[Matlock]

Originally Posted by 911fanatic

Don't feel you "need" to use a sealant. Most sealant's and waxes these days are almost colour specific meaning they look good on everything, but really stand out on one. Is it a dark solid or metallic? Light solid or metallic? Selants tend to lend themselves to metallics as they help the flake "pop" due to the polymers in them. The polymers also aid in durability which is why sealants tend to outlast most waxes. Waxes lend themselves to solids, especially dark ones where you want, a deep, wet look versus the bright finish associated with sealants. In the end, it comes down to personal preference so play around until you find what you really like. As for that polisher, take it back. A rotary in the hands of a newb will almost always result in a trip to the body shop to paint a panel. Get a Porter Cable 7424 dual action polisher. Very safe for beginners. I use DA's in my shop for 99% of my polishing. We sell the Porter Cables and all the accessories if you're interested. I always give purchasers a lesson on how to use it as well.

Thanks so much! My car is midnight black metallic.

[AYAutocare]

Originally Posted by Matlock

I am planning to claybar + wax my car very soon.

I've never used sealant before but I'm figuring maybe I should look into it if I'm going to go through all the work of clay and wax?

Also, I recently bought a cheap $69.99 Makita grinder for the purpose of grinding metals. Could this tool be used as a polisher or is it a different tool I see people using for detailing cars? I still have the receipt and could always trade it in.

Awesome!
Yes, claybar is very important, because you want to remove anything that's sitting on top of the clear coat so when you apply sealant/wax, the product is going to go right into the "pores of the paint". Remember to have a constant good amount of lubrication when claying your car, and don't push too hard.

It's definitely more important to seal your car than waxing your car. Since sealants are synthetic(man made) and they are chemically engineered to be "protection oriented", they are much stronger, thicker, and lasts a whole lot more longer than wax.

While on the other hand, Carnuaba wax is organic, it comes from a tree in Brazil. There's only so much protection that it can offer ie sealants can stand up to 300F +-, Wax 150F +-. The idea is, something that is organic can only offer protection to a "particular point", imagine if the earth got up to 150F or more, the trees simply wouldn't survive. So for me, wax is only for the shine, not protection.

As for the tool you mentioned, I wouldn't use that for paint correction for now. It appears to be very similar to a rotary buffer(gear driven). That means you can put tons of pressure on the buffer while buffing and the pad will keep on spinning. This can create a massive amount of heat in a super short time which causes burn through.

Pick up a DA polisher, just make sure you put the right amount of pressure so the pad is still spinning. When it stops spinning and only oscillating, it is actually not cutting anything. But that also acts a safety for a beginner, So as soon as you see the pad stop spinning, you can tell that you are putting just a bit too much pressure. BUT If you were to use a rotary in this case, you would've burned right through the paint already.

Rotary is super awesome but practice with DA first!
Have fun!

[Happy]

Originally Posted by 911fanatic

Don't feel you "need" to use a sealant. Most sealant's and waxes these days are almost colour specific meaning they look good on everything, but really stand out on one. Is it a dark solid or metallic? Light solid or metallic? Selants tend to lend themselves to metallics as they help the flake "pop" due to the polymers in them. The polymers also aid in durability which is why sealants tend to outlast most waxes. Waxes lend themselves to solids, especially dark ones where you want, a deep, wet look versus the bright finish associated with sealants. In the end, it comes down to personal preference so play around until you find what you really like. As for that polisher, take it back. A rotary in the hands of a newb will almost always result in a trip to the body shop to paint a panel. Get a Porter Cable 7424 dual action polisher. Very safe for beginners. I use DA's in my shop for 99% of my polishing. We sell the Porter Cables and all the accessories if you're interested. I always give purchasers a lesson on how to use it as well.

I read through this thread and there's some great info here. I would just like to say thanks and I have a few questions if someone can answer it.

I'm also going to begin to claybar and wax my car for the first time. Is there any brands that are noticeably better than others? Also which is a good lubricant to use with the clay bar? My paint is carbon black metallic.

I saw in the paragraph above that sealant is better for metallic paints. I'm not too comfortable with machine polishing yet. So I rather use claybay and wax to see how it goes. If all goes well, what would I need with that Porter Cable 7424 dual action polisher you recommended?

[AYAutocare]

Originally Posted by Happy

I read through this thread and there's some great info here. I would just like to say thanks and I have a few questions if someone can answer it.

I'm also going to begin to claybar and wax my car for the first time. Is there any brands that are noticeably better than others? Also which is a good lubricant to use with the clay bar? My paint is carbon black metallic.

I saw in the paragraph above that sealant is better for metallic paints. I'm not too comfortable with machine polishing yet. So I rather use claybay and wax to see how it goes. If all goes well, what would I need with that Porter Cable 7424 dual action polisher you recommended?

Great that you learnt a thing or two from this post!

Go ahead and try what Zedbra mentioned, The HD wax. I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

As for lubrication during the claying process. I use soapy water(looooots of paint soap) as lubrication when I'm doing the whole car. When I'm doing a specific area, I would use spray wax.

Seems like you are thinking that sealing a car requires machines? Sealing a car is just like waxing a car. Get a foam applicator pad and apply it like how you would applying wax onto a car. Remember, Straight lines only, no circles. Just incase some kind of dust or whatever gets caught in the foam pad during the sealing/waxing process, you won't be putting circle scratches into the paint. (Circle scratches are a LOT more harder to get out than straight line scratches) Keep paying close attention to see if anything gets caught in the foam pad during the process!

As for the porter cable, you can get the foam compounding/polishing pads, or microfiber cutting pads. A good basic compound would be Meguair's correction compound and use Sonax Nano Polish for polishing.

This combination should work pretty good for any weekend warriors!

[Happy]

Originally Posted by AYAutocare

Great that you learnt a thing or two from this post!

Go ahead and try what Zedbra mentioned, The HD wax. I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

As for lubrication during the claying process. I use soapy water(looooots of paint soap) as lubrication when I'm doing the whole car. When I'm doing a specific area, I would use spray wax.

Seems like you are thinking that sealing a car requires machines? Sealing a car is just like waxing a car. Get a foam applicator pad and apply it like how you would applying wax onto a car. Remember, Straight lines only, no circles. Just incase some kind of dust or whatever gets caught in the foam pad during the sealing/waxing process, you won't be putting circle scratches into the paint. (Circle scratches are a LOT more harder to get out than straight line scratches) Keep paying close attention to see if anything gets caught in the foam pad during the process!

As for the porter cable, you can get the foam compounding/polishing pads, or microfiber cutting pads. A good basic compound would be Meguair's correction compound and use Sonax Nano Polish for polishing.

This combination should work pretty good for any weekend warriors!

I just picked this up from my local canadian tire: Mothers® California Gold® Clay Bar System

I'm ready to clay bar but since you mentioned sealant doesn't require machining. Should I just pick that up instead of wax? since my car is darker metallic paint. 911fanatic mentioned sealant is better for metallic paints. Then apply it the same way as wax (like you mentioned)?

Thanks again for the info

[AYAutocare]

You definitely will have to Seal/wax your car after claying. Since after claying, everything is "stripped", leaving you with naked paint/clear coat.

Yup! you can just get sealant and seal your car up! That will make sure your paint is nice and protected.
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[1exotic]

I'm getting my car polished this week.
In the past I just wash my cars and that's about it.
I really wanna take care of the paint, and never really used wax.. but it's time to start.

Can I get some that can be applied by hand? as I don't have an orbital machine. How long does it usually last? after time will the wax just wash away or should I clay bar the car + re-wax it? Is there something nice I can get at Lordco?

thx

[AYAutocare]

Originally Posted by 1exotic

I'm getting my car polished this week.
In the past I just wash my cars and that's about it.
I really wanna take care of the paint, and never really used wax.. but it's time to start.

Can I get some that can be applied by hand? as I don't have an orbital machine. How long does it usually last? after time will the wax just wash away or should I clay bar the car + re-wax it? Is there something nice I can get at Lordco?

thx

Wax and sealants can both be applied by hand.

Wax will last somewhere around a month or so while sealants last around 4-6 months. And yes, both wax/sealant goes away, you should clay and re-wax/re-seal from time to time to keep your paint protected.

I never had any experiences with products that Lordco carry..so this part, I'm not too sure.

[AVS_Racing]

I would go with sealant. the weathers been pretty crappy lately and I haven't washed my car for like a month, I'll have to see how my layer of sealant is holding up. also don't go to Lordco for detailing stuff its SUPER over priced. go find Ken "911fanatic" or maybe canadian tire when they have specials on Auto Glym stuff.

[911fanatic]

Originally Posted by Happy

I'm also going to begin to claybar and wax my car for the first time. Is there any brands that are noticeably better than others? Also which is a good lubricant to use with the clay bar? My paint is carbon black metallic.

I saw in the paragraph above that sealant is better for metallic paints. I'm not too comfortable with machine polishing yet. So I rather use claybay and wax to see how it goes. If all goes well, what would I need with that Porter Cable 7424 dual action polisher you recommended?

The brands of clay found at Canadian Tire like Mothers / Meguiars are good but are not as aggressive as some of the boutique brands like Sonus, ClayMagic etc. Proper clay lube is your best bet as it typically has more lubricants in it than a quick detailer. Our QD can be diluted 4:1 to be used as a clay lube if you are interested. A sealant has nothing to do with using a machine. Polishes are used to correct any defects in the paint -oxidation, swirls and scratches, but does not offer any protection. Waxes and sealants offer protection, but no correction abilities. Waxes and sealants can both be applied by hand. You would need a polisher, backing plate, 3-4 pads and one, possibly two polishes depending on your paints condition and how fussy you want to be.