I just got back from my weekend trip to my hometown in Vancouver BC, driving up there from Seattle. I was parked near my home (currently rented out) and staying at a friend's house, and discovered the whole car was spotted with Maple Tree sap. ARRGGGHHH... I know I should not be putting my car through those automatic car washes, but I have not yet moved into my home here in WA, still staying at a temporary residence. The automatic car wash did make the tree sap stuff go away, but left behind a few very fine hairline scratches. Oh well, will try to revert to hand wash asap.

Following the wash, used the Meguiar's ultimate detailer on my sensational blue pearl, and I have to say the stuff works great! Easy on and easy wipe off, and the car looks like it was off the showroom. Leaves behind a smooth paint surface. I have not yet actually waxed my Fit which is only 2 weeks old. I detailed the Fit in only 15 mins with the Meguiars ultimate detailer.

 

My '09 Sport MT is the same color, and after 80,000 kms of mostly highway driving and "self-serve" wand washing the scratches and chips are quite noticeable---- certainly more so than on any of the older cars I'd owned. The new "enviro friendly" paints used are not very durable. (and yes, I ALWAYS make sure the wash brushes are clean and sand-free before using).

Has anyone had any success using the Meguiar's on the more prominent imperfections? I can't see it working where the color coat has been breached, but will it remove scratches that don't penetrate all the way through the clearcoat?

 

Ok I don't know where to start.
First off never ever ever use automatic car wash brushes.
Second if you hand wash your car make sure to dry only with waffle weave or micro fiber towels lightly dabbed onto the paint to only remove existing water. Never wipe across the paint because you will inflict scratches.

Mav238: To fully remove tree sap actually you should use a nice quality clay bar to remove contaminants from the paint before waxes & sealants are used. Here is a professional grade clay I use... Pinnacle’s Ultra Poly Clay is the single finest clay composition available today. Use auto Detailing clay to deep clean car paint, glass and chrome.

Meguiar's makes clay bar kits..they are a lot cheaper (and not as good of clay) but they do work and something is better than nothing.

Aviator: As for deeper swirls and scratches it is possible to remove prominent swirls safely using a dual action polisher, correct pads and professional polishes (Poli-Seal, M105/M205..etc)...learn more here.
Auto Detailing Facts, auto detailing Tips, How to detailing Guides, how to polish, how to wax, DIY detailing, do it yourself guides
It is very important to keep a nice coat of sealant or wax on your car at all times. I prefer sealant due to their longer life and better protection compared to even the best of waxes (carnuaba)
My personal opinion wash the car thoroughly, clay bar the entire car, polish (to correct any swirls, bird poop etching..etc. and then apply two coats of sealant like Opti-seal (Polymer sealant)and Klasse High Gloss Sealant (Acrylic sealant) my current favorite and do this twice a year and your car will look brand new for the lifetime of the car.

Both my cars (07 TSX and 09 Fit) look better than the day I bought them because I properly maintain them. There is no excuse on eco friendly paint. It's just an excuse of neglected paint.

Just to let you know I do professional paint correction & protection detailing on the side check out some of my work (photo gallery has before and afters)

Home - Premium Auto Detailing by Bradly Schaefer

 

Thanks for the info, and I'll try this once I return home from my current arctic work tour. I wash my car at least twice per week and wax three to four times per year, so it's certainly not neglected.

As for the eco-friendly paint, I've owned several vehicles over the past 30 years, somewhere north of 30 at last count. None of the older ones had the kind of durability issues that this one does, even though they were subjected to only three-per-year waxes, automatic car washes (I now only use hand washing when it's available to me and self-serve wand-washes when it's not, which is most of the time---- especially since this car is primarily used on long road trips), hard winters and lots of people brushing up against them in parking lots, allowing zippers on their clothing to come into contact with the pre-eco-friendly paint of the day.

Even with the above harsh environment it took a pretty firm swipe to do serious damage to these older paints. But with the Fit it seems you can leave a scratch just by thinking about it. Stone chips seem much more frequent and severe too. Even large insects smacking into the front leave imperfections that don't come out with normal waxes. And yes I use micro-fiber to dry.

The options to prevent this type of damage seem to be a) don't drive it at highway speeds, b) stay close enough to home to wash and wax your car only in your driveway using the most gentle techniques possible and c) park on public lots only at a 45-degree angle taking up two spaces so that others don't park too close or have to squeeze between their car and yours.

The first two options are not even close to realistic, and the last one is guaranteed to cause other drivers to key your car for being such an ass-wipe as to hog two parking spots. Can't say that I'd blame them.

So if a sealant as opposed to a wax will make up for the eco-friendly paint's short-comings I'm definitely going to try that next.

 

Thanks for the advice, and I sincerely believe that you are truly a qualified source for advice on maintaining a car's exterior.

But I think your comment about it is not rigght to blame it on the eco friendly paint used in cars these days is a little presumptious. I think the comment on the quality of the eco friendly paint, is in regards to the durability of the paint to stone chips. My old 2001 BMW 330i had the water-based eco friendly paint, and it chipped so easily. No expert maintenance can protect your car's paint surface from stone chips if it can't the impact from these stone chips. All the best wax or polymer sealant cannot really prevent stone chips if the base paint surface does not have the flexibility to resist chipping from a stone.

I am no professional detailer, but I do know the basic knowledge of clay bars, polish and sealant. The few times I sent my car into the automatic car wash was due to the fact that I was staying in a temporary residence while waiting to move into my new home. And the car was in need of a cleaning.

I got a few fine scratches in my Fit now from the car wash, but heck, I just have to use a good scratch remover and it should be adequately removed. And heck, it is still just a car, our lives does not revolve around a car. And no offence, the Fit is no Ferrari or lambo, or expensive vintage car. A couple of automatic car washes out of necessity won't cause a huge impact in life, except for the few fine scratches. And if one were to refer to a Ferrari, that would be a different question, because if one can afford to own a Ferrari or some exotic car, you can afford to have a fulltime servant looking after it.

JMHO

 

Honda paint does tend to be a little softer than other manufacturer's I have noticed this when correcting. Bavarian cars and even Chevy cars/trucks tend to have harder clear coats.
One thing noticed on the Fit is the steep slope of the hood in the front. That slope tends to be harsh on the paint when rocks hit the paint. You can do what I did and applied 3m clear bra on the front of your car. I did my whole front end for fairly cheap (compared to dealership applied bra's). Buying bulk sheets and applying it yourself really cuts the price down to a third of the price if you have it done somewhere. Here is where I bought mine from. 3M Bulk Paint Protection Film


As far a sealants go...yes they keep the paint better protected from bugs, UV rays, and industrial fallout. The water and dirt beads up and falls right off of my car with properly applied sealant. Makes your weekly washes a lot easier and you might not have to wash for every two weeks if it stays cleaner longer. Make sure you are using ph balanced soap that won't strip away your wax/sealant (like dawn dish soap does that I see so many people use). That would pretty much make all the time applying/protecting wasted.