I just got through washing my car and had some questions to ask from all of you. This might just apply to white maximas, or some light colored cars. When you guys wash your cars, do you get all those little tiny dots of dirt deposits on your car that you can't get off? They will scratch off using your fingernails but I'm pretty sure that's hurting the paint job. It takes me forever to wash my car because I try to be a perfectionist and get as much of those dots off my car.

Anybody have this problem and figured out an easy way to get rid of them?

 

I have the exact same problem on our white pathfinder, and I haven't taken the time to find a proper way to get them off, so they stay on for now...but I think claying the car might help, someone more experienced will stop in sooner or later.

 

You're exactly right, using the clay bar will help a TON. Here's what I do when it gets bad (this is with any car)

1) Wash with dish detergent (Dawn) to strip wax and clean it

2) Clay bar it, make sure to use enough lubricant

3) Polish it, or glaze, whatever floats your boat

4) Wax it up

You can also clay bar your wheels and wax them, at least the stock rims you can. This helped my car(s) out tremendously. Careful though, make sure you have a full day. This takes a LOT of time.

Neal

 

Mine was like that too but a good buffing took care of that

 

Not trying to spark an argument or anything, but I've always followed the belief that washing a car with dish detergent can be hell on your paint. Isn't it full of abrasives and other bad things..?

John

 

Not really its hell on your wax though it stripps it right off and even cleans your paint a little. In other words it just "preps" your paint for the clay bar

 

Do I need to buff the clay bar stuff in? Or do I just rub and polish it off? I've always seen it in the stores, but I've never actually seen how it's applied to the car.

 

my back bumper was practically black with little black dots. i clay barred it, and it was like new. i dont know why the back bumper always gets dirtiest, maybe the airflow or something, but take the time to claybar the car and every single little black dot will be gone. do a search for my thread a few weeks ago on claybarring. i have a pic on there of the back bumper, half claybarred and half not. youll see what im talking about.

 

The clay bar doesn't leave any residue behind. It's a particle trap, not a coating. You apply the clay bar by lubricating a small area (usually with something like Mothers Instant Detailer) and then rub the bar lightly over the paint. You will likely hear a light scratching noise (kinda like sandpaper but very very quiet) at first but as you work the SMALL area the noise will disappear and the bar should glide very smoothly over the finished area. The bar works by picking up (and absorbing) the impurities (rail dust, overspray, etc) on the surface of the paint. You can think of the clay bar as a lint brush for your car. After doing a small area you then stretch and kneed your bar to expose a fresh and clean piece and continue.

If you find your clay bar leaving any kind of residue then you don't have enough lubrication or your bar is way to dirty. Also note that your car has to be absolutely clean before you do this. Any large pieces of dirt on the car will become trapped in the bar and just scratch up the rest of your paint. This is why you only work small areas and fold the bar often. It takes a long time to clay properly but the results are usually worth it. Just make sure you wax your car up good when you're done.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself.

BTW, check the sticky on cleaning your Max for a short review on clay bars.

 

Turns out it was brake dust .... you can take it off if you're patient.

My thread from last year: http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....ght=brake+dust

 

Exactly. And you only use it when you want to strip the wax on your car. Otherwise , use a good quality car wash product that wont strip wax.