Detailing for Winter

[aelaan]

Hi folks, anyone here got experience with Klasse High Gloss sealant? It is that time of year again when salt trucks, ice and slush are the unwelcome competitors to the shine on the car. Just wondering what others in cold areas (which oddly enough seems to be all of the US and most of Canada right now) are doing to preserve the exterior?

 

[SayNoToPistons]

Yes, KSG is one of my frequent go to sealants. Its appearance may not be the best compared to other sealants and waxes, but durability is great. You can layer the sealant as well (given a 24hr cure time). It won't stain trim either, which is a huge plus for our abundance of plastic body claddings. Unfortunately, the biggest gripe about it is ease of application and removal. The surface needs to be absolutely pristine, and it is very hard to apply the required thin layers in extreme heat or cold.

My CX-5 actually had 3 layers of KSG during the early summer. I am using a different sealant now for winter. Nothing wrong with KSG, just that I like to try others.

I suggest having all surface sealed and protected. Sealant on all paint including door jambs, wheels, lights, and even windows. Plastic protectant for all place surfaces including the interior. Leather conditioner if applicable. Do not skimp and use Armor All or equivalent cheap crap. Hose the car, wheel wells, and under carriage off when necessary. That covers the basics, though you might have a hard time removing KSG without a clayed and polished surface. A warm moist microfiber towel will help in the removal process.

 

[Felt_Rider]

I cannot speak for the Klasse sealant and I know that it gets good reviews. I tried Wolfgang 3.0 just because it also got good reviews on a couple of detailing forums and now that I have used a decent sealant I am convinced to always use a sealant. On previous cars I used a low grade common wax, but the sealant sure does make a difference. The test done on the detail forum had many of the sealants lasting for months.

I applied the sealant back in September and it seems like it is still holding up well with regular washing. However, we have been getting rain in my area now for about a week straight so I have some work to do once we get a dry weekend and may add a coat of wax just to help the sealant go a bit longer. I now wished I had done the sealant work maybe late October so that it would hold up until early spring.

As SayNo mentioned it takes quite a bit of prep work and then the 24 hour cure time to keep it dry and for some of us that is difficult in the winter months being that I have to wash the car outside in colder temps and this is a very thorough washing. Once I have it washed I could probably convince my wife to give up her garage parking for a day and then clay it, add sealant and leave it in the garage to keep moisture off it for the 24 hours.

Once you have a good quality sealant on it you will be really happy with the work time invested and regular cleaning sure seems easier. I also picked up a tip from the detail forum that sealant works as good if not better than Rain-X so I gave that a try. For the first month and driving in a heavy down pour it was amazing how well it worked. It still works 3 months later, but I am now having to use my wipers to assist.

One note about the Wolfgang sealant is not to get it on the black trim. It will turn white after a couple of days. I got it on a few spots and had to use a toothbrush and BacktoBlack to scrub it off. Some sealants don't have a nice sheen like wax, but the Wolfgang sealant does have a nice gloss finish. It was a pure pain though putting it on the white finish since it goes on clear. I had a hard time seeing if I fully covered the car.

 

[Rich 65]

Nothing against sealant here but a quality Canubra wax works great too. Not all canubra's are created equal. Some - especially the German paste brands give an incredible shine but don't last long. I used One Grand for awhile and it was great. Last year I tried Sonax liquid and it worked pretty well too. I hear good things about the better Mequires waxes too. Wheneve I wash my car I user a good car soap so as not to strip the wax and a quick detailer after drying. This helps your wax/sealant last much much longer.

 

[craigo]

Anyone have some tips for taking off wax residue from the black plastic? The texture really holds it in there...

 

[vroom]

Anyone have some tips for taking off wax residue from the black plastic? The texture really holds it in there...

I've tried just about all tricks on the web (from peanut butter to detailer). The easyest and most efficient I found was to simply rubb with an eraser. I used one of those the white ones. No special product to buy and not a trace left!

 

[Rich 65]

Lots of different options/products. One thing I did learn is to clean/treat the plastic before waxing. Unfortunately, the CX-% has way too much trim next to metal so it is a pain.

 

[CXVille]

Anyone have some tips for taking off wax residue from the black plastic? The texture really holds it in there...

A brush with fine enough bristles to get down into the crevices. May require a soap or some kind as well to help lift it out.