Looking After Your New Car

[pstones578]

Any recommendations on cleaning products etc for looking after your car. Any things to avoid like Jet Wash etc.

[jaxx]

autoglym here, cant fault it

although i will be trying this meguires three stage wax shortly

[Nizan]

hi

I use autoglym products, i find them to be very good, im sure there are some other good makes around too.

Oh and i never use a car wash

Niz

[Radtoy]

I use Meguiars its fantastic if you use the 3 stage crystal system. I recomend it for sure. www.Speeding.co.uk have got it on special. all 3 stages for £20 delivered which is a bargain, I paid a lot more! :(

As for tips, i use a flexi blade and then a proper leather chamois to finish off, always looks perfect. unfortunately there is no quick fix when it comes to car cleaning, it all depends on the effort you want to put in.

[Viper_7]

Clean ya arches well...get that hose right in there, ensure the wheel arch is free from crud. Crud is damp...damp eventually eats through ya arches....and the sills...ie don't just clean the parts you can see.

Never ever ever ever..... use a car wash.

Nothing wrong with a jet wash...although it's too easy to ****** the body work with the wand.

shoot that guy on the tele who implies that washing a car yourself is tight, and that there are better ways to save money ( silly :censor: ) . Washing the car yourself..makes sense, and the job is a good un....nothing to do with saving money...although it will when you come to re-sell it..not to mention car wash tokens.

Wash at least once a week if you can ( Especially in winter to get the salt off), even if it's just a quick swill...in winter I usually wash in at weekends,,and give it a good hose off mid-week.

Loads of products on the market... take ya pick..but Autogylm are pretty safe.

oh..and don't wear your work shoes when washing the car... I must stop doing that!

Vipes

[+Steve]

i have just ordered a perfect shine kit

its from the states but this stuff is the mutts nuts!!

http://www.lexuscarcare.com/

also there are tips on there which are fantatstic.. best advice i have ever read!

[ricomr2]

I use a silicone based polish my mate gets from his work

Easy on and off and the results are amazing.

Ever wonder how they get cars in showrooms so shiney?

This is the stuff!

[kaz]

I've just given my YTS a though clean inside and out. I use Autoglym

first a wash n wax

then autoglym wax then autoglym resin (boy does my car gleam after!)

Mind you I just noticed my alloys they seem to be pitted especialy around the centre. I'm taking my car for it's 2nd service in May do you think they will do something about them?

Kaz

[vmail]

is that the one in a blue bottle with a gold lid

[ricomr2]

Mind you I just noticed my alloys they seem to be pitted especialy around the centre. I'm taking my car for it's 2nd service in May do you think they will do something about them?

There was a post recently, cant remember who by but it was a yaris driver who got new wheels under warranty due to the same thing.

[ricomr2]

Wheels under warranty

Found it. ;)

[jerry phipps]

Hi everyone

Jerry's guide to keeping it bling

1, Ok rinse car off first to get rid of crap etc etc.

2, Cover door mirrors with 2 old shopping bags to stop water from getting into mirrors.

3, Then i use Halfords shampoo and body conditioner. I have used auto glym and i think it's just the same only thing it's cheaper I use a brush on my car from my karchar jet wash. I never use a sponge as they hold dirt and grim in them and they can scratch the paint work well only on my wheels

4, Wash the roof of the car first and then the bonnet and the rear of the car leaving the sides and wheels and arches till last. That way the water doesn't get to mucky Not forgetting that stainless steel exhaust too

5, Remove plastic bags and wipe down mirrors with a damp cloth.

6, Dry with a good quality chamois leather. I always use a real leather instead of the fake stuff

7, Use separate chamois leather to do doors and alloy wheels. Be sure to dry wheels good as you dont want your new bling rims to rust and your exhaust too

Ok now the car is looking bling Go for a cruise without the fear that water is going to come out of your door mirrors and ruin you nice and clean ride with water marks Now if you want it to shine more then read on

8, Polish time i use auto glym super resin polish. Best to apply thinly all over the car. I like to leave this on for about a hour Make sure that the sunroof is wound back so that you can polish properly with out the fear of putting polish over the rubber.

9, Remove polish. looks good yeah If thats not enough i go in for the kill.

10, I like to put added protect on the car. I use auto glym gold. Again apply thinly all over the car and open the sunroof again to be sure. Now heres the killer. I like to leave this on over night if i got the time. If not 3 - 4 hour. And i apply it to the bumpers and door mirrors as well it's cool for the bumpers + mirrors especially if they are colour coded

11, Remove polish oh better have a pair of sun glasses on because you are looking bling

12, For the wheels apply a little bit of auto glym polish to the alloys this will make them shine as well.

13, The stainless steel exhaust i always use auto sol. This is a metal polish which is awesome for shiny metal. Comes in a tube. like tooth paste style just rub on and rub off. Even you exhaust will look bling to

So there you have it. Jerry's guide to keeping your car bling Hey works for me :D :P

jerry!!

[ricomr2]

2, Cover door mirrors with 2 old shopping bags to stop water from getting into mirrors.

Just a wee tip!

If you drill a small hole on the underside of your mirrors,

the water will run out before you are ready to wax.

[kaz]

Thanks for the link re Alloy wheels.

At my first service the girl there said I'd curbed them but I knew I hadn't, but I didn't argue but this time I will as the pitting is around the middle hub and is now quite bad on all wheels. I had alloys on my last car for eight years without a mark on them ! (sportif alloys) Also does anyone else find that the YTS wheels are really hard to keep clean as the drty seems to embed it's self in. my last alloys cleaned up lovely every time but these still seem to look grubby.

Kaz

[john23]

Autoglym is very good, although personally, my favourite is Mer - seems to give a really nice deep shine.

My wheels had corroded on the surface quite a bit after 2 years, and were replaced by Toyota no questions asked. I was told its a common problem with the YTS wheels.

[jaxx]

if we follow jerrys advice then all the sunlight will bounce back off the earth cos of them bein so shiney.

so itll be cold and dark!

:D:D:D:D

[ricomr2]

I think it must be toyota Wheels in general cos you always

see loads driving about with knackered looking wheels.

mine were the same when i got it but they are 13 yrs old!

[jerry phipps]

if we follow jerrys advice then all the sunlight will bounce back off the earth cos of them bein so shiney.

so itll be cold and dark!

:D:D:D:D

Ha Ha I just love keeping my car clean. Put's a smile on my face when people always comment on how clean it looks ;)

jerry!!

[jaxx]

cleaned mine today.

stood back to check the bling and then it threw it down!

[jerry phipps]

I think it must be toyota Wheel sin general cos you always

see loads driving about with knackered looking wheels.

mine were the same when i got it but they are 13 yrs old!

Mine are still looking fine and they are over 2 years old Oh by the way good idea with the small hole on the under side of the mirror. But it's more of the water sitting around the mirror's edge not actually inside the mirror it's self. But thanks anyway it's still a good idea

jerry!!

[jaxx]

water in the mirror and round the bottom of the the rear windows!

nightmare!

[jerry phipps]

cleaned mine today.

stood back to check the bling and then it threw it down!

Isn't that always the case?? Or you always get bird's muck on your car just when you have finished cleaning it

jerry!!

[jaxx]

broke my heart jezz

i was stood in the garage cursing!

[ricomr2]

I dont mind if it rains after i polish the car,

its when it starts chucking it down after you've just put the polish on

that does my head in!!