Do I wax or wait?

[frazthewise]

My new Corolla 2.0 Touring Sports is being delivered on Thursday. Do I give it a quick wax on delivery, or wait for a while?

[Bernard Foy]

6 minutes ago, frazthewise said:

My new Corolla 2.0 Touring Sports is being delivered on Thursday. Do I give it a quick wax on delivery, or wait for a while?

Your dealership will already have in PDI cleaned and waxed your car and it should be gleaming. If you feel like work you could add a layer of polish protection which is useful over the bad winter weather.

[TonyHSD]

If there are no any special additional protection applied to the paint work you can do your own wax but as mentioned the car most likely been already done by the dealer and therefore may not be necessary to do it straight away yourself. I found last year brand new gfs car well polished and I only use one specific car shampoo that keeps the car paint work in great shape over time and looks as shiny as been polished every time I hand wash it. Here highly recommended stuff to all interested and diy washers old school style. 💦👌👍

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Holts-Car-Shampoo-Wax-Streak-Free-Professional-Wash-Polish-Shine-Detailing-5L-/184481377990?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m2548.l6249&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

 

[trashman1965]

If it was me (and it was this time and last time) - I got it home then next day full clean, clay, polish (very very mild) / cleanser and wax. Gives it a good start...I've yet to see even a brand new car form any dealer across now 5 cars come PDI'd to the level I can get mine, not even close. Worth treating it as a full clean to make sure all the crap form transport/standing in compound is all off before first coats of wax.

[AndrueC]

Lol, I'm awful for car cleaning these days. My car only gets cleaned when it gets serviced. Luckily it doesn't get particularly mucky anyway due to low mileage. My previous car didn't have that advantage but because it was orange you could hardly see the muck. It just went from 'bright, exciting orange' to 'oh, it's orange' 😄

[Swanthecat]

You would be surprised how much contamination and fall out will already be present on a new car from transportation and standing around. The preparation by the dealer is also a big worry for me as how many cars have been quickly cleaned with a bucket of increasingly dirty soapy water. Take a look at the paint surface with as bright a spotlight as possible and you will probably already see fine spider web like scratches or ‘swirls’ in the clear coat. Many car detaillers specifically ask to get their car delivered untouched to prevent any damage. Waxing or spray sealing at this time of year in the UK can be a problem but get it on the earlier the better

[Cyker]

Yeah I'm pretty bad too; I'll give it a quick once over with the pressure hose just to wash the worst of it off but I'm just too lazy to spend a day cleaning it properly when I know it'll look exactly the same after a week!!

 

[Mooly]

Hmmm... I used to be really keen on car cleaning and yes, my Auris is pretty mint but it doesn't get the attention I used to give. It does get dry weather use only though so that helps enormously. Once upon a time I would wax it every few months, now its every couple of years. Previous cars had me taking the wheels off once a year and waxing them back and front... not now.

The old Corolla gets a wash maybe once or twice a year. Its silver and looks surprisingly good all year round. Last wax was over a decade ago, the last wash (and this is true) used Flash Floor cleaner in really hot water.  As far as removing dirt goes (that thin film that dedicated car shampoo doesn't remove) the Flash has no equal. It removes it all.

When I used a Toyota dealer for servicing (for the Auris and its predecessor) I used to always say no wash and no valet please because whatever they used always seemed to remove the highly polished finish. Had to laugh one time because the service manager who I had dealt with for years said 'well we are supposed to wash and vacuum it but we've had a meeting and decided that whatever we might do would only make it worse. Is that OK?'.

Interior of the Corolla is very good and the Auris interior is genuinely pristine and far better than a new car on delivery even at 12yrs old and 83k.

[TonyHSD]

1 hour ago, Mooly said:

Hmmm... I used to be really keen on car cleaning and yes, my Auris is pretty mint but it doesn't get the attention I used to give. It does get dry weather use only though so that helps enormously. Once upon a time I would wax it every few months, now its every couple of years. Previous cars had me taking the wheels off once a year and waxing them back and front... not now.

The old Corolla gets a wash maybe once or twice a year. Its silver and looks surprisingly good all year round. Last wax was over a decade ago, the last wash (and this is true) used Flash Floor cleaner in really hot water.  As far as removing dirt goes (that thin film that dedicated car shampoo doesn't remove) the Flash has no equal. It removes it all.

When I used a Toyota dealer for servicing (for the Auris and its predecessor) I used to always say no wash and no valet please because whatever they used always seemed to remove the highly polished finish. Had to laugh one time because the service manager who I had dealt with for years said 'well we are supposed to wash and vacuum it but we've had a meeting and decided that whatever we might do would only make it worse. Is that OK?'.

Interior of the Corolla is very good and the Auris interior is genuinely pristine and far better than a new car on delivery even at 12yrs old and 83k.

Same here 👍✅ 

I still wash every week in the summer and every 2-3 weeks in the winter but weekly interior valet never been skipped, plus I do clean the matts every day, just don’t like stepping on anything but clean carpet matts 😂👍

[shufman]

The dealership I worked for TFR’ d the car, washed, dried, hoovered and tyres etc. unusually had be be done in less than an hour so I’d be surprised if anyone polished it. The water was clean(ish) so darker colours could swirl a bit. 
 

I’d prefer to do it myself now, but without that option I’d polish it as soon as I could after delivery. 

[Trewithy]

A new car will have been polished prior to delivery so I wouldn't bother polishing it again, but I would definitely apply a sealant to lock in the shine. 

[Catlover]

 I used a sealant last year - Carplan No 1,. Make sure car is clean and dry, just 3 -4 sprays per panel, using clean microfibre cloth wipe panel evenly ensuring no runs do same again another panel. About £8 per bottle, got mine from Wilko but saw it in Sainsbury’s just yesterday. Probably enough in the bottle for 4 medium size cars. It made washing car easier the next time.. Stated to last up to a year. 

[Woofwoof]

Silicon sealants will contaminate the paint

[Guest]

I’d do it if you have a whole day and a garage or some kind of sheltered place in the shade. Outdoor this time of year can be too easy to trap in salt or bad contaminants. 

If you’re cautious I’d definitely lock in that new car quality! 

[Gray86]

I left mine for a month after collection to allow most of the dealers products to wash off. 
 

HIGHLY recommend Collinite 476S or the more expensive 915, the former I use on the wife’s Yaris, the latter on my Corolla. If you like a wax that is durable like nothing else - this is the one for you. I get around 6 months of wax protection (water beading), so it’s only needed twice a year - the tin lasts for years. The wife’s car fares just as well, although the finish is just not as sharp on the 476S. 
 

 

[twintopp]

like everyone has their own favourite shampoo / polish i have just started using angel wax and it seems great,