# What is your favorite Wax and Sealant ?



## emc9242 (Jan 31, 2019)

Hey guys,

Looking to see what brand waxes you all use on your BMW. Having a black BMW by the ocean... I have to wax often. I have been using the Meguire's. What do you guys use? and do you also use some sealant ?

Looking forward to your responses!


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## southcoastguy (Jan 3, 2017)

Not much difference between waxes IMHO. I have used Meguiars' products most of the time. I just used P&S Bead Maker on my car, but will switch th Meguiars' Ceramic Wax hybrid in a few months. Currently my process is was and prep the surface and apply a sealant; not bothering with wax any more.


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## emc9242 (Jan 31, 2019)

Ceramic Wax bing Cab + sealant combo? 

May I ask why you are not bothering with wax anymore / Would love not to wax but living by the beach and having a black car....


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## crazy4trains (Mar 30, 2011)

Menzerna/Jescar PowerLok. No wax for me.


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

Doug***8217;s DIY Shinola.


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## emc9242 (Jan 31, 2019)

Theres some "nano tech" bs "wax type" spray they have been advertising like crazy... Any thoughts?


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## F1Crazy (Dec 11, 2002)

In your situation you need to stay away from waxes, they won’t last. You should think about investing in ceramic coating or a good polymer sealant like Menzerna Power Lock mentioned earlier. There a few good sealants out there and they are much cheaper than ceramic coatings but require reapplication every 4-6 months. I would also get Sonax Polymer Net Shield for touch ups. I’m also a fan of Optimum products, their No Rinse Wash and Wax is superb for quick washes, followed by quick application of Opti Seal.


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

emc9242 said:


> Theres some "nano tech" bs "wax type" spray they have been advertising like crazy... Any thoughts?


Sure. Without more specific information it is Dimethicone, more properly known as PolyDiMethylSiloxane - PDMS.

"Wax type," yep, it is made in the full range of viscosities, from 100 cst all the way to solid, love in silicone kitchen utensils.

I use Doug's DIY Shinola in a spray bottle full of distilled water, a dash of emulsifier and a soupçon of 200 cst PDMS.

Eight ounces of polydimethylsiloxane cost ~US$10 from AmaXon.

https://www.amazon.com/MicroLubrol-Silicone-Polydimethylsiloxane-centistokes-viscosity/dp/B00ZM36ER8

In re "nano". PDMS is a silicon functional group stuck on the end of a plastic 'mer' (a bunch of mers make a polymer). Silicon (dioxide) is sand / glass and hard and scratchy. So SiO2 is blown through a plasma torch and fumed into nano-fine particles that are then chemically attached to the polymer functional ends.

In re "wax", PDMS is made in the full range of viscosities and when semi-solid is oily and waxy.


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## emc9242 (Jan 31, 2019)

F1Crazy said:


> In your situation you need to stay away from waxes, they won't last. You should think about investing in ceramic coating or a good polymer sealant like Menzerna Power Lock mentioned earlier. There a few good sealants out there and they are much cheaper than ceramic coatings but require reapplication every 4-6 months. I would also get Sonax Polymer Net Shield for touch ups. I'm also a fan of Optimum products, their No Rinse Wash and Wax is superb for quick washes, followed by quick application of Opti Seal.


Thank you for your input! Being still a newbie in the detailing community, would you recommend the ceramic coating on my first try ?


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## crazy4trains (Mar 30, 2011)

Doug Huffman said:


> Doug's DIY Shinola.


Doug, how long does your shinola last? Have you tried to determine a reasonable estimate of longevity?


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

What is a reasonable end of life criterion? Likely the last time I washed the X5 was in October as the freeze starts at about Halloween. It is still shiny when ever the temperature gets high enough for the snow dust and mud to melt off. The engine heat melts snow and ice to bead up on the hood still.

Do y***8217;all test the magic-nano-ceramic chichi expensive carp?!


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## Ridin'Dirty (Apr 13, 2017)

I'm a big fan of Meguiar's Ultimate Wax in the paste form but the liquid gets great reviews too. Another product that I use right after a wash is Duragloss Aquawax, should you not want to brew your own "shinola". I dilute it by about 20% and use it as a detail spray for touch-ups between washes.


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## F1Crazy (Dec 11, 2002)

emc9242 said:


> Thank you for your input! Being still a newbie in the detailing community, would you recommend the ceramic coating on my first try ?


I would let a pro detailer apply ceramic coating.


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## emc9242 (Jan 31, 2019)

F1Crazy said:


> In your situation you need to stay away from waxes, they won't last. You should think about investing in ceramic coating or a good polymer sealant like Menzerna Power Lock mentioned earlier. There a few good sealants out there and they are much cheaper than ceramic coatings but require reapplication every 4-6 months. I would also get Sonax Polymer Net Shield for touch ups. I'm also a fan of Optimum products, their No Rinse Wash and Wax is superb for quick washes, followed by quick application of Opti Seal.





southcoastguy said:


> Not much difference between waxes IMHO. I have used Meguiars' products most of the time. I just used P&S Bead Maker on my car, but will switch th Meguiars' Ceramic Wax hybrid in a few months. Currently my process is was and prep the surface and apply a sealant; not bothering with wax any more.





crazy4trains said:


> Menzerna/Jescar PowerLok. No wax for me.


I'm gearing more towards Menzerna/Jescar PowerLok, the more I read. This is incredible stuff, I did read though it will leave white residue on black plastic, have you guys ran into this with sealants?

I know to prep the surface I must polish, clay, then full clean (removing wax) then sealant; what about 4-6 months later when I am trying to re-apply the Jescar sealant, do I have to remove the sealant first, if so how ?

What is your guy's experience with Jescar on clear plastic such as head lights?

Thanks for all your input! it is highly valued


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## emc9242 (Jan 31, 2019)

Doug Huffman said:


> Sure. Without more specific information it is Dimethicone, more properly known as PolyDiMethylSiloxane - PDMS.
> 
> "Wax type," yep, it is made in the full range of viscosities, from 100 cst all the way to solid, love in silicone kitchen utensils.
> 
> ...


Hey Doug, as always, you are super technical and provide great scientific feedback! Thank you for your input ~ I am not comfortable yet to make my own Shinola, but would love to learn fully after I get passed the sealant "learning curve." Very interesting to know that the "nano" is named/made from the silicon type material. I would have never guessed... DIY version I'm sure is more suitable in price and quality, do you plan on selling any magical sauce  ?


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## emc9242 (Jan 31, 2019)

So I went ahead and purchased Mother's Clay kit and Jescar Power Lock. With my BMW being a 2018 model along with minimal swirl marks ~ I was planning on doing this process to apply my first coat of Power Lock WITHOUT polishing my car, let me know your thoughts! If I should really polish, which polish should I use? I am worried I will mess it up when the car is basically pretty new 

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. IPA Wipe down (I hope this is enough after claying using a "wax type detailer")
4. Start Applying Power Lock one area at a time
5. Quik Detailer on top of the Power Lock (heard this was always a good finesse if I want)


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## crazy4trains (Mar 30, 2011)

That works. Make sure you use plenty of lube when claying. It does not take long at all, especially on fresh paint.


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## southcoastguy (Jan 3, 2017)

No reason to spray "quik detailer" on top of recently-applied sealant.


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## charles brenner (Feb 27, 2016)

So many choices. My 2016 M4 has Wolfgang deep gloss sealant, topped with McKee’s fast wax. Cayman S has Duragloss 111 topped with Aquawax.


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## Ridin'Dirty (Apr 13, 2017)

charles brenner said:


> So many choices. Cayman S has Duragloss 111 topped with Aquawax.


They make a wicked good car wash soap also:


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## spazzz (Nov 10, 2017)

I like the Mothers clay, it is more of a mild clay.
Go light with it using the Showtime detailer to keep the areas wet. Up/down, then across.
Careful on the edges to prevent marring.

Do a test spot on the inside door jamb somewhere with the clay. Inspect it before and after with a LED flashlight for swirls/marring.
This alone will let you know whether to proceed.

A simple guarantee sealant is Collinite 845. If you hit the trim all you have to do is buff it off. Hell I used to do my sisters Outback trim/cladding with it. Apply and immediately buff off.
At less than 20 dollars a bottle it is a great deal. Easy on/ easy off .
Use it on your headlights to prevent yellowing.

Whatever you decide for a sealant remember ' thin is in ' when applying.

And when you get bored read the Autogeek forums or join and post your questions.

Here is an excellent doc. link put together by RippyD from Autogeek. These cats love testing.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1l1-nXjU94bZRtRzdeahRlakrUq1zoX3rTazX_oIpJK0/htmlview#

As far as my favorite, coatings for durability, sealants for ease of use. I use different toppers for drying aids and boosting whatever is on the cars.
I use Collinite quite a bit. When it comes down to it, the stuff lasts better than most and looks good.


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## charles brenner (Feb 27, 2016)

I have Collinite 845 on my F150 for all year round protection, put it on 2x a year (put it on thin, great links on autogeek on how to put it on)


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## 640ijims (Sep 14, 2015)

Collinite Aeronautical Wax...would post picture if 
I knew how.


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## Ctdave (Feb 20, 2018)

I wash,clay,compund or polish as needed buy definitely polish then use Griots garage one stp sealant (it has a light polish in it and sealant) it is the white bottle. I let the seal cure for 24 to 48 hours and then put on the liquid poly wax. I ue theit dual action buffer. I have done nothing but wash and wipe down all winter and the shine is great.


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## Ctdave (Feb 20, 2018)

I try most everything new and always come back to Griots or Meg's


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## 640ijims (Sep 14, 2015)

Everyone to his poison...I did a side by with M***8217;s Poly and my go.on new ride yesterday (Azurite Black Metallic X5), no contest to my 72 yo eyes..went to Collinite


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## WRinehart (Aug 12, 2015)

*Waxes and Selants*

I have a 2015 428i. Being retired, I can spend LOTS of time detailing it. My semi-annual routine is:
1. Wash car
2. Clay car (Mother's Speed Clay 2.0)
3. Polish and seal (Klasse All-in-One Polish/Seal)
4. Seal (Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze)
5. Carnuba wax (Pinnacle Souveran Paste Wax)

I usually wash the car every week or two weeks and use Pinnacle Souveran spray carnuba wax twice a month.The shine is superb and the protection from South Florida sun and rain is excellent.

My wife considers my car detailing to be OCD- probably true- but damn, the car looks good!


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## M2Pilot (Jun 1, 2007)

I've been using Zaino products for 25 years are so & I'm still very pleased with them.


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## Pete_NZ (Jan 28, 2018)

I've owned about 70 cars & bikes and over the years have become a total slack-arse when it comes to cleaning them. (My 4WD is lucky to get hosed more often than every 6 months.) Luckily BMW have had fantastic paint quality (European made ones at least) since the late 80's. 

When I do wash them tho, I do the washing properly. 2 bucket, pre rinse etc etc. I've tried many things and the one single product I come back to as an all-roinder is the basic Turtle Wax Hard Shell liquid wax. That by itself after a straight wash is all my eyes and fingers need. Lasts a good 6 months fine. 

My last 2 BMWs have been silver which hides everything. However my latest is Mystic Blue which in one week, picks up dust & pollen that would be a year's worth on the silver cars so will be interesting to see how often I wash it. Still, that Hard Shell Turtle Wax does a fine job and allows a weekly hose off to get the shine back between washes.


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## Semi-Retired (Oct 31, 2018)

Lucas Slick Mist. It's like RainX'ing your entire car, which is something you could never do with RainX, which would destroy any paint or plastic it contacted (and quite frankly, never really lasted as long as they claimed). Spray and wipe with a microfiber cloth, car wet or dry. And once you've treated the car (or in my case the car, p.u., and Harley) and the bugs get on it in the warm weather, a quick spray and wipe and they come off easily. And once you've done the car you can easily do another quick application in a matter of minutes whenever you please. I buy it by the case.


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## jtguilli (Jun 14, 2011)

You will love using the Zaino system. Black has never looked so good!


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## crazy4trains (Mar 30, 2011)

M2Pilot said:


> I've been using Zaino products for 25 years are so & I'm still very pleased with them.


I used Zaino for many years. I didn't get too deep into all the products but used their sealant (they called it polish). I find that PowerLok is much easier to remove.


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## Andyz4 (Mar 5, 2018)

OptiSeal. My brother restores vintage Ferraris told me about it.Amazing stuff, and you can do the whole car in 10 minutes.Clay bar your car, use a good car cleaner like Meguiars, and then OptiSeal. Stuff is amazing you wipe it on and walk away. Google it, car stays shiny and clean and 1 oz will do several cars. Also no problem on windows or trim. I will never go back to wax.


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## ken2116 (Apr 4, 2013)

*Waxes*

Zymol paste wax (blue) worked great on our '88 E30 for the first 20 yrs. Following an accident and total repaint have been using Klasse, an acrylic, both the "All-in-One" and cleaner-sealant (essentially non-abrasive) and pure sealant versions on all of our cars with excellent results - goes on easily and beads water at least as long as any wax I've tried, a good 2mo. or more for outside cars, washed weekly, and at least 6mo. when covered or garaged. For painted wheels use Big White Hi-Temp Paste Wax over Klasse. Clay bar about once/yr or if grit starts to stick. Still have an old yellow can of Simonize that works well for road tar removal, maybe due to the turpentine in it. The Klasse is pricy at BMW dealerships but reasonable on-line, and my BMW dealer has matched the on-line prices.


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## rirrgang (Mar 24, 2018)

And not one user of Zaino Brothers car care products. You guys are missing out.


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## crazy4trains (Mar 30, 2011)

rirrgang said:


> And not one user of Zaino Brothers car care products. You guys are missing out.


Did you read post # 32???


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

crazy4trains said:


> Did you read post # 32???


He gets paid only for his product placement mentions.


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## rirrgang (Mar 24, 2018)

crazy4trains said:


> Did you read post # 32???


I did now. thanks. I really love these threads. There's no one right answer


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## F1Crazy (Dec 11, 2002)

No offense but you guys with Turtle Waxes, Zaino and Klasse, etc. really need to check what's new out there. I tried all this stuff, still have a bottle of Klasse that’s probably 18 years old :yikes:
New products on the market outperforms these in terms of gloss, durability and what’s most important to me - ease of use!


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## F1Crazy (Dec 11, 2002)

Ridin'Dirty said:


> They make a wicked good car wash soap also:


I got a bottle of their no rinse wash with aqua wax in it and may ditch ONR, all Duragloss products perform really well.


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## F1Crazy (Dec 11, 2002)

OP made some good choices, I would also add one of the new ceramic hybrid spray sealants to the routine for extra durability. Just got a bottle of Meguiar's ceramic hybrid at a local autozone and can't wait to try it. Also look up 303 Touchless Sealant, should be available locally soon.

https://youtu.be/kwJuJvTz7LI

https://youtu.be/PayqZ3Ymyk8


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## Matthew_H (Oct 9, 2017)

I always use NuFinish. I wash the car with armour all soap then I apply NuFinish. I only do the waxing once a year. When it’s winter and the car gets muddy, the dirt comes off with just a jet of water and it looks as if it was soaped. 

Here’s a life hack. NuFinish is a good water repeller for windshields. Safe on glass and it doesn’t damage wiper blades. The water just flows right off my windshield. 


Sent from my iPhone using Bimmerfest


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## jack casey (Aug 22, 2010)

*Wax*

Hey,
You guys seem in-the-know but just to be 100% clear to future readers of this forum, we want to distinguish wax from polish. Polish may be used on fine scratches here and there but never as a protective coating. It leaves swirl marks that are really visible on a black finish.

Have a '03 X5, grey green metallic. Live in NYS and the car sat out from June '09 till March '16 while my sports car (not BMW) stayed garaged. Been a Griots customer since '03. Use Speed Shine with Paint Cleaning Clay twice annually...the lower doors and lower rear bumper pick up a bit of road schmutz easily dealt with by the clay. Best of Show Wax for final finish. No ill effects from being outside all those years.

I did get an education reading everyones comments but, with all respect, I'll stop short of spraying anything on my car. Don't want to fool with my perfect finish.

Cheers, Jack


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## thecushion (Mar 22, 2010)

Zaino. Multiple thin coats will make jaws drop!!


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## CGP (Sep 18, 2013)

crazy4trains said:


> Menzerna/Jescar PowerLok. No wax for me.


:thumbup: Works great. Apply twice a year.


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## southcoastguy (Jan 3, 2017)

After decades detailing cars, I now only use sealants. My favorite two are P&S Beadmaker and Meguiars Ceramic Hybrid.


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## Semi-Retired (Oct 31, 2018)

Lucas Slick Mist. Cost is a lot less than most of the other purported Hi-Tech sealants. Extremely easy to use, and it's like Rain-Xing your entire car, but doesn't do damage to paint or plastics like Rain X would.


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## CGP (Sep 18, 2013)

southcoastguy said:


> After decades detailing cars, I now only use sealants. My favorite two are P&S Beadmaker and Meguiars Ceramic Hybrid.


Tried the P&S Beadmaker over the Powerlock last week. Agree that Beadmaker is a good product.


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## Johnz3mc (Jan 5, 2005)

I'm still a huge Powerlock fan but the experimentation bug just won't go away. 
Like CGP, I've tried P&S Beadmaker and find it works like a champ. Really easy to use, easy on, easy off, huge shine, durability seems good so far. Another test lately has been Turtle Wax Seal and Shine. Yup Turtle Wax. Surprisingly good too. A small caveat with the Seal and Shine though. Thin is king. If you get a little streaking, it means it went on a bit too thick. A little misting with H2O removes the streaking easily though. It's hydrophobicity (yup, that's a word - I checked it out) is beyond belief and it's slickness is huge. 
I've read good things about Meguiar's Ceramic Wax so that might be my next test.


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## 320kplus (Aug 1, 2012)

So I have a 2013 E70 LCI...
It's White in its the 1st white vehicle I've ever owned&#8230; any recommendations on a good product for after I clay bar it. Does anybody who has chimed in here on all these products recommend their product for the color white? BMW white on a 2013 E70? I know I used to use Swissol on my black 911 [they've changed the name a little] but that was black...
TIA!

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


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## southcoastguy (Jan 3, 2017)

It really doesn't matter what wax you use or the color of your car..Some may last longer or go on easier. I prefer Meguiars products. I have been detailing cars as an amateur for 15 years and tried many different ones.


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## Fathertyme1 (Mar 11, 2020)

One of my new goto's is the Griot's Garage Ceramic 3n1 spray wax it is AAAAmazing.


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## Fathertyme1 (Mar 11, 2020)

One of my new goto's is the Griot's Garage Ceramic 3n1 spray wax it is AAAAmazing as long as you let it cure for about 4 hour's you will have up to 6 months of protection.


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## 320kplus (Aug 1, 2012)

Doug Huffman said:


> He gets paid only for his product placement mentions.


Oops

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