In my youth I was always told you had to wait 6+ months before you wax a new car. Something about letting the paint cure. The last 3 new cars I've gotten my dad gave me a hard time about waxing after less than 6 months (I like my cars smooth). Does the same apply to cars (the 2015 Fit) today? I suspect not but I thought I'd ask in case someone knows for certain.

 

Newer cars don't need a lot of waxing, if at all. It depends on more on where you live and it it's garaged or not. A darker car here in the desert that's out in the sun will have its paint eaten through and the paint layers showing in less than 10 years if not regularly cleaned and occasionally waxed.


The easiest rule to follow is that if water doesn't bead up on the roof and hood on a clean car then you should wax it, but not until then. All waxes except pure carnuba have abrasives in them and they will put minute and almost invisible scratches on a painted surface and over use could eventually dull the finish (that would take a lot of waxing). Residues and chemicals from the air settle on a car and eventually cause a rough, non smooth feel as you run your hand over a painted surface. I know of no other procedure besides a cleaner/wax that will achieve a new appearance and feel. Meguiar's or Mothers offer a full line of products and you'd be hard pressed to find anyone in the show car set using anything else. Generally a one step process cleaner/wax is the easiest way to go, but you could use a separate polish and then straight wax if the paint isn't in great shape.

 

Automotive paint processes have changed a lot over the years, and even in relatively recent times due to changing environmental regulations.

I would recommend waiting until you've actually signed the paperwork and taken possession of the car to wax it. Most dealers would be rather concerned with somebody randomly waxing new cars on their lot, I suspect.

I think my dealer waxed my Fit when I bought it new as part of their delivery prep. I may be misremembering or mistaken about that, though.

 

With the new 3-coat process the problem is really undefined. It used to be that you had to wait for all the solvents to work their way out, but these days most of the solvents are water. With people reporting rather striking defects right from the showroom I would be very leery of doing anything to the finish for which the dealer could lay blame for a defect.

I tend not to wax cars since the clearcoat is supposed to take the place of wax and there is no way to wax a car without putting wear and tear on the paint. Damage that clearcoat and the paint will look really bad for the life of the car.

 

Contaminants are constantly on your clear coat finish and will bond to it if the finish is not maintained. If it goes too long then extra the steps of clay and polish besides just waxing need to be taken to return the finish to new condition.
Here's an outline from Edmunds.com:

"Cleaning the Gunk
Next, inspect the paint, searching for above-the-surface bonded contaminants such as a thin film of tree sap, bird droppings or pollen and below-the-surface defects such as swirls, oxidation caused by the sun's ultraviolet radiation or etching from acid rain.
Lightly sweep your flat hand along the paint. If it does not feel as smooth as glass, you have above-the-surface contaminants. A clay bar designed for car care (such as the one included in Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit or in Mothers California Gold Clay Bar Kit) is mildly abrasive to shear off and remove these contaminants. It should be the first product you use to try to remove them. Rub it over the affected area, kneading and turning it to expose a clean area when necessary.
For below-the-surface defects, you can use a cleaner with mild abrasives (such as Meguiar's Ultimate Compound or Mothers California Gold Pure Polish). Use a microfiber-covered or foam applicator pad to apply it, using small circular, overlapping strokes. Never use hard pressure.
Cleaning a section of the vehicle at a time, remove the cleaner with a microfiber towel that you've folded into fourths. Use one side to break up and wipe away the hazy product, then flip the towel over to a clean side to remove any additional residue. Your paint should now feel smooth and should be free of swirls and defects.
If upon the initial inspection you do not find any defects — either above or below the surface — you can skip the cleaning step altogether and go straight to polishing and waxing. However, experts say that use of a clay bar probably will be necessary every six months.
Polishing
Polishes and glazes add luster but do not protect the finish, so using them is entirely optional, especially since clear-coat finishes are highly resistant to oxidation. Even years-old cars generally retain their shine today.
Nevertheless, products such as Meguiar's Ultimate Polish and Mothers California Gold Micro-Polishing Glaze can restore the natural oils your paint once had, making the car's surface more reflective and shiny. Using a polish or glaze once a year may be helpful. Although light-colored paints such as white, silver and tan may not display much change, darker colors such as black, burgundy and navy blue will reflect light like a mirror after proper polishing.
As you did during the cleaning process, apply the polish or glaze by hand, using small circular, overlapping strokes with a microfiber-covered or foam applicator pad on one section of the car at a time, removing the polish with a microfiber towel after the product becomes hazy. Don't allow the polish to dry completely. Trying to remove dry polish will almost certainly result in scratches to the finish."

 

Remember, "Polishing" generally means "sanding the paint with very fine grit polishing compound" and it will remove a bit of paint. That's how it gets rid of tiny scratches.

Polish your way through the clear-coat on one of the car's sharp edges and your car will look a lot worse than if you had left it alone!

We had a guy across the street from us that we called "Mr. Car Care" because he'd always be out polishing one of his cars. He had very fancy equipment and many tins and bottles of magic potions. His cars looked spectacular for a couple of years, but eventually he got through the clear coat and then they just looked old.

 

Doesnt your new car come with the Zaktek paint protection or were you able to decline it?

 

Immediately when you get it. About 2 hours after painting the car its safe to go. I hit mine up with this after 1 day:


Works great. If you dont wax it, it wont have a barrier and the paint will fall apart.

 

I drove our new EX from the dealer, straight to our insurance agent's office, and from there to Ziebart to get most of the stuff in my .signature.

 

Hey my first post in the forum.....

What about using NuFinish? I have 500km on my fit right now and once it warms up I was thinking of putting a coat of NuFinish to keep the clear coat and paint nice. I am already using RainX on the windows .

ideas? Nufinish?

 

I have used Nu Finish and have always liked it because it lasted so long. Most of the time it lasted 10 months or so parked outside in NC.

I got tired of staining the trim with it so I moved on to try NXT 2.0 by Meguiars to see how that compares when I got my '15 Fit. It was definitely easier to remove and buff after application.

 

We use Meguiars on our Modern Steel Grey that's parked on the street with tree droppings, bird poop, pollen, etc hitting it constantly. Makes it feel like brand new!

 

yes, you remembered correctly.......my dealer had my car waxed before it left the lot - it had never been driven (yah, I put the first mileage on the car).

 

I've read that new paint from the factory doesn't need to cure anymore on the new cars. I waxed my wife's civic just days after we got it. I used P21X.

 

This is correct.

The only time you need to leave the car alone to "outgas" is possibly (depending on the paint) if you get a repaint or a new part painted at a body shop.

That said, dealers leave their cars out, drive them, etc. Then you drive it home. Mine was covered in pollen and grime, so my dealer gave me a free full wash, which actually ended up giving the car paint swirls, likely because they reuse the cloths and contaminants from one car end up scratching another.

Everyone who wants to use a SEALANT (vs a regular wax) on the car should make sure they do a THOROUGH job cleaning the exterior of the car, or leave the paint protection to the professionals. I don't know of any true permanent sealants that regular enthusiasts really use, but using even the 6+ month synthetic sealants with contaminants on your clearcoat will give them time to dig in there.

 

For a smooth finish i would recommend clay baring the car before the wax.

 

Yep, had mine clay barred the first week I had it. My guy claims that the cars sit on the dealer lot etc and just attracts junk so best to remove that crud and get a nice clean finish. He does a great job and it makes it easier to keep clean.

 

And clay is also great for removing the rail dust from transport of new cars.

 

Considering your car isn't really "new" when you get it (counting time in transit, sitting in warehouse lots, dealer's lots), the point is mostly moot, anyway. I bought mine in March of this year, but it had been built the previous September. Thus, it was already six months old.

As has been stated, the only time I'll wait to wax a car is if I've had body work and repainting done. Then I usually go by what the body shop guy says, as I figure they know the paint they use and how long it needs to cure.

And, yeah, the clay bar is the cat's meow! Makes your car's finish as smooth as the proverbial baby's behind.