I carry a spray bottle with a more concentrated car wash solution (Zaino Z-7 or any car wash that you chose) and a 100% cotton towel in the trunk. This way you can try to neutralize it as soon as possible; instead of trying to rub off something "BAKED" or dried on for days or even weeks.
lhess, I had my Lexus LS 430 assaulted by bird poop a couple of times...but only after I put three coats of Zaino after I bought my LS brand new. Each time, the bird poop just simply flaked off of the surface layer without any residual defect on the paint surface. I had used a dime sized drop of Zaino wash directly on the applicator and removed any other types of grimes, tars, and bug residues with good result. I suppose I can clay if necessary, but so far I never had to do that. My guess is that I'm having easier time cleaning my spots since I applied three coats of Zaino as soon as I got my car brand new...
where can i buy Zaino products? I hit my local advance auto this morning and found a clay bar, but it was some other brand name (mothers?). i'm not a snob, but being a female, i don't like cruising all the car parts places to find this stuff!!
i don't know if you guys have these little red beetle bugs where you live, but we have crap loads of them here. I noticed yesterday (very warm here) that these little boogers love my yellow car. these spots could some type of bug or fly crap too. milsuperdoc - so, after i get the little poop spots off my car, i need to put a few coats of zaino on it? I've never messed with a new car finish much, but i see that this bright yellow car is gonna take some elbow grease to keep it really, really bright and clean.
If you want to try to find it locally, give them a call and they can tell you who their local distributors are. The one for the Milwaukee area is just a 15 minute drive for me from my work - I just zipped up there on my lunch hour and picked up a bunch of stuff (trying the new Z-2 Pro, plus needed some more ZFX, Z-7 wash and Z-6). My 2004 GTO got exchanged by GM due to problems - my replacement car's been in storage for 4+ months - just pulled it out this weekend and have to start over with washing, claying, washing, 3M rubbing compound on some scratches, washing again, then the whole Z-5/ZFX (x 6) and now Z-2 Pro/ZFX. And then of course there's the interior... last time I ended up using a whole bottle of the leather conditioner (3 coats) to get the leather pliable instead of like cardboard.
Still have to do my Aurora (winter car) and then the wife's new Envoy... maybe I should have bought more supplies :-)
--Robert (still tired from 6+ hours of detailign duty yesterday)
Sounds like it's a complement to, rather than a replacement for, the Z-6. You'd put it on when you are "done" with the other layers (yeah right, like that ever happens :-). My distributor didn't know it was out yet, so I called Zaino and spoke with Sal. He indicated it just came out last night. I emailed my distributor and asked them to get me some. I'll post some pics when I get "done" (if that ever happens :-)
just bought my 2004 rx8 - bright yellow. i posted about it sitting on the lot and the bird poop/bug poop/ whatever is all over it... i washed it a couple of times, the spots don't come off...walk me through what I need to do and what Zaino products i need to use. I've made a solemn oath to worship the finish on this car until i trade. for all you pros out there, tell me what you would do to clean this car and put a really protective finish on it. Even if it's a lot of time and work - I'm willing!! I did find the web site and will probably just make an order there once i know what i need!! Thanks guys (and gals, I'm a gal) for all the info!! PS I didn't buy the leather because it did feel like cardboard. Might have considered it if I had known there was a product out there to soften it!!
Put your hand in a plastic baggie. Run it across the paint surface. Can you "feel" the texture as being lumpy?
If I were in your shoes I would probably take it into the dealer and show it to the service manager before you tried to do anything to it. Paint is normally a warrantyable item. Of course, if you've owned the car for a couple of months you may be sadly out of luck.
Now, if something like this happened to one of my cars, and there was no warranty, I would probably clay the paint surface to see if there are any contaminants embedded in the paint. You would probably need Z-7 wash and Z-18 clay bar (I keep these items on hand at all times :-). You will want to wash the car first with Dawn to remove any waxy buildup before doing anything.
If claying didn't smooth out the paint surface, I'd probably move to 3M rubbing compound next. If that still didn't do the trick I'd hit it with the buffer, but I wouldn't recommend that to anyone inexperienced with it (kind of like using a chainsaw to trim your shrubbery - one slip and it's toast).
Now, when you get the paint nice and smooth (claying the whole car is not a bad idea anyway), you will want to use the Z-7 wash to get the car clean. If you can see spiderweb-like swirls in the paint, I would buy Zaino's Z-5 swirl mark remover, otherwise I'd skip it and just get the Z-2 polish. With either Z-5 or Z-2 you will need the ZFX accelerator to help the polish bond to your paint (this is required, not optional). You will probably also want some Z-6 as it can be used both on the applicator before you spread out the Z-5/ZFX or Z-2/ZFX, as well as after (makes the shine shinier, removes the dust).
So, for initial diagnosis/repair, if you're doing it yourself, Z-18 and Z-7 (and Dawn). For appearance car, Z-5 and/or Z-2 and ZFX, plus Z-6.
Several posts up there's one for me that breaks the steps down into greater detail... please search for that - will give you further information. Also check out the Zainostore.com site...
go back to posts 5733 and 5734. They were responding to someone else who was new and wanted a step-by-step. If you go back further, you can find even more great advice. I'm fairly new on the board, and I basically set 30 minutes aside to just scroll the board and look for good posts.
I would be very wary of allowing the dealership to attempt "fixing" the problem you describe. From what you've said about these spots, it sounds to me like the vehicle's clearcoat may have been etched by the caustic substances found in bird poop, and this is not uncommon.
If you allow the dealership to attempt to remedy this problem, more than likely, they will have someone in their body shop apply a ROTARY BUFFER to your vehicle's clearcoat, and this (in my opinion) would be a very bad move. Why?
The clearcoat can be thought of as a layer of clear sealant or "lacquer" that's applied over the underlying paint in order to make the finish look more bright, etc. As such, the clearcoat is rather like a very THIN and DELICATE optical film which can easily be scratched, pitted, etched, dulled, etc. A rotary buffer (especially when used by those who don't know what they're doing) will more than likely damage, score, and even "burn" the clearcoat due to FRICTION heat, etc. The end result will often be unsightly SWIRL MARKS wherever the rotary buffer was applied to the vehicle's clearcoat, and these swirl marks will look far WORSE than the few spots in the clearcoat you have now. Do NOT allow the dealership to mess with your new vehicle's finish, because they will likely only makes things far worse!
My advice would be to first take a few deep breaths, then try to relax for now, while you order everything you'll need from Zaino. Get lots of white, 100% USA cotton towels (Cannon, Fieldcrest), and relax some more. When you think you're ready, plan on putting the vehicle in your GARAGE for a couple of days (or a weekend) so you can patiently and carefully "Zaino" the vehicle. It's not hard to do, it just takes time and patience.
Whatever you do, NEVER wash, dry, or polish the vehicle outdoors or in the sun, even if the sky is overcast. Zaino the vehicle in a clean, well lit, and closed garage. Take your time, print out and study the simple directions and steps from Zaino's web site, and above all, enjoy what you're doing, because it's fun to learn this process and take pride in your accomplishments!
In your case, I would suggest claying your vehicle, as well as applying at least 2 coats of Z-5/ZFX, followed by 1-2 coats of Z-2/ZFX. Throughout the application process, I find it more convenient to simply keep the applicator pads regularly moistened with spritzes of Z-6, rather than adding the extra labor of going over the vehicle with an application/wipe-off of Z-6 after each coat of polish.
When you are finished, you should find that the defects in your clearcoat from the bird poop will be nearly if not totally invisible to most eyes, and your vehicle's finish will be in far better shape than your dealership could ever achieve.
Good luck, my dear, and let us know how you make out.
I zainoed my car last year with the whole process of Dawn/ Clay bar/ wash/ polish. For this spring, do I need to use the clay again or do a really good job in washing? Also is bug and tar bad for zaino?
BTW, After doing 3 vehicles last year, I noticed it's a lot easier to do dark colored vehicles. You can "follow" the polish on the vehicle easier.
Have you tried the baggie test on your car? If you don't feel anything, I see no reason to clay again. Bug and tar, especially bug bombs and bird bombs, are bad for all finishes and should be removed ASAP. Zaino definitely makes their removal easy. 90% of the time a squirt of water is all it takes.
Now that I'm familiar with the benefits of claying, I plan to use the clay each time I "re-Zaino" my white, '03 4Runner every 6 months. Brake dust is ubiquitous, and on a white finish, embedded brake dust shows up as rust colored flecks. Darker finishes will hide embedded brake dust, and attempting to carefully "feel" over the entire finish with a nylon stocking or a piece of Saran Wrap may be rather impractical, especially with a large vehicle such as an SUV.
Even if one "palpated" their entire vehicle with Saran Wrap or nylon stocking material and felt very few snags in the finish, I'll bet that if that vehicle was entirely clayed (or reclayed) with a new piece of clay, at the end of the day you would still find a good deal of junk in the spent clay.
I use bug/tar remover on my vehicle wherever needed when I first wash my vehicle during the detailing process, without any apparent damage to the finish. To my way of thinking, it is far easier to first remove large deposits of these contaminants chemically (with the bug/tar remover), followed by rewashing the vehicle. Next, I allow the clay to remove any smaller contaminants that may remain afterwards, followed by another washing, in preparation for polishing with Zaino products. By first removing the gross deposits of junk with the rather inexpensive bug/tar remover, followed by rewashing and claying, the far more expensive clay will last longer and do a better job of removing fine contaminants. Why load an expensive piece of clay with large debris that can be more easily and cheaply removed with bug/tar remover? Save the clay for the fine stuff that remains behind, and then move on.
When I mentioned "bug and tar" I was referring to the remover. I talked to Sal today and he said WD40 is ok to use. I'm in a rural area and with the nice weather, it sounds like rain hitting my windshield at night with all the insects out.
Mothers makes great products. Lots of show-car guys are hard core Mothers users. I really recommend the Mothers clay bar, and new 'Reflections' line of wax.
Sounds like good advice. But I only use cotton towels to dry off the water after washing. For polishing and waxing, Micro-Fiber is much better. No lint, super soft, and it grabs much better. You'll find that Micro-fiber towels go a lot further when it comes to wax removal, than cotton towels do. Don't use nylon micro-fiber. I recommend a 70/30 blend. 70% Polyester and 30% Polyamide.
I just applied the 9th - 12th coats of Z last weekend on my 2005 Outback. Using ZFX, I applied 3 coats + 3 coats during two consecutive weekends immediately when my new Outback came home last Fall. I clayed and applied 3 coats of z5 a couple of weekends ago to eliminate minor spider webbing, and another 3 coats of z2 this past weekend to bring out the shine. Use a squeak over 1/2 ounce for 3 coats.
Been using this stuff for 5 years, and it continues to amaze me every time I use it!
I probably will not re-apply until just prior to the onset of Winter.
BTW, following up the discussion on frequency of clay, I clay every spring to get road dirt and contamination off the surface that build up over the winter. It' amazing how much dirt it pulls off even after a good washing with Dawn.
Mothers - I used Mothers prior to Z, and was not too impressed. It did provide a decent shine, but the durability was terrible when I compare it to Z. Their newer products might be much better than they were 5+ years ago, but cannot comment because I have not tried. Frankly, if it ain't broke.......
this weekend and I got most of the spots off. Sorry Zaino fans, it was a nice weekend for car cleaning and the Mother's was readily available at the parts place. I am planning another weekend to work on it a little more. I don't think there are any spots that I cannot get cleaned without some patience and time. Will it hurt anything to clay it again in the next couple of weeks? I kinda pooped out, ran out of time, and then dropped the darn thing before I was completely satisfied with the results. PS Thanks for all the warnings about buffing. I trust my dealership with the mechanics of the car, but never my paint!!
I recently started using Zaino on my new 2005 Tacoma... My question is: How is everyone else cleaning their applicators once your done?
I rinse mine out - I use the ones that came with the Zaino Kit, 3 applicator for free. Then I'll wash them with all the other towels I used during the process.
I've seen lots of post describing the prep & application process, but I haven't seen anything on the last step, Clean Up!!
So, what do y'all do with your applicators and towels when your done for the day? Do you wash them separately or together? Are there any other applicators that are easy to clean/wash just as they are easy to use? :confuse:
*Always* wash microfiber items separately. The fibers are so "grabby" that they will hang onto cotton shards and lint like there was no tomorrow, essentially ruining the effectiveness of microfiber.
Wash microfibers first, regular towels second, and grubby towels last. Dry microfibers on low heat or tumble, no cling-free thingys.
> Whatever you do, NEVER wash, dry, or polish the vehicle > outdoors or in the sun, even if the sky is overcast. > Zaino the vehicle in a clean, well lit, and closed garage.
If I am reading this correctly, you are stating that we must always wash our vehicles indoors? Thanks in advance for any clarification.
Perhaps some poster will find me sacriligous for the process I follow when claying. My claying adds about 20 minutes to my standard wash/rinse/dry process. The 20 minutes is the time taken to lubricate the car, clay, and wipe off the lubricant.
I save time by eliminating the additional wash/rinse/dry AFTER the claying. I also tend to do the Z2 process on a different day than I do the claying.
Here is my process:
1) Do a standard Z7/optional Z6 wash/rinse/dry. 2) Check to see if you need to clay. I choose an area (usually on the hood) of the vehicle that I consider to be somewhat smooth. I then clay that section. I decide whether I need to clay again by comparing the feel (baggie or not) of the clayed area with that of adjacent unclayed areas. (Usually, I feel the difference without a baggie.)
3) If you need to clay, follow Zaino instructions by lubricating, claying and wiping off lubricant. On my car, claying is really easy. I usually do this once or twice per year, and it takes about 20 minutes for my whole car.
4) No need to do another wash/rinse/dry. I find that application of Z7/water lubricant serves to wash the car again, and the claying process leaves you with a dry car because you dry as you wipe off. I have never noticed residue from unrinsed clay/lubricant.
5) Optional Z6. (I don't always do this.)
6) Z2 process. Can be done on a different day. If so, the process will Include another wash/rinse/dry.
Baggie test? I think you can get away without it.
I usually clay on a different day from when I plan to do a Z2 process, so I know I will soon (within a week or two, but it does not really matter) do a complete wash/rinse/dry, that is, the one I will do before the Z2 process.
If I Z2 on the same day as I clay, I sometimes use Z6 or rinse between the clay and Z2 process, but my own opinion is that this is optional. I'd have no hesitation in applying Z2 directly after claying without washing/rinsing.
Is the reason for the baggie more to protect the car's detailing job from finger prints or palm prints?
Bingo!
Actually, I find the smoothness of the plastic to help me better decide if the vehicle needs claying (unless it's white/light-colored paint - then I can see the spots).
Also, after I clay, there's soap/clay bar residue on the paint surface. Can't imagine not washing it before applying something else. I also do a Dawn wash before claying, then use the Z-7 after, just in case some wax got applied to the vehicle (i.e. wife/dealer ran it through a car wash)...
To each their own. That said, I see no problem washing a car outdoors in the shade or under an overcast sky, but definitely not in direct sunlight. Key thing to prevent is letting the soapy solution dry before rinsing. The Z2 bottle clearly states it can be applied in the sun.
user here. Ask away. It is a polymer. It has not cracked any of my paints, Toyota's, 2 whites, moonglow pearl, Chevrolet, speedway white, VW, silver and Honda, satin silver.
Please forgive me for my stupid question. I just want some convince from long term Zainoer. I really love my new Black FX35. But it is easy to covered by the dusts. Well, I live in the dirty city.
So do you use Zaino on the same car over years? I mean, just suppose, if you are 8 years Zaino user and 4 cars in the 8 years. Each car only have 2 years of Zaino treatment. It is hard to say long term test
Please forgive me again. I will appreciate for any responds.
I have Zaino on my black '98 Aurora that I've owned for a little over four years. I've been Zaino'ing it almost all that time. The car's paint job is almost 8 years old, has been outside most of its life and has gone through several winters, but it still looks pretty darned good. I'd say Zaino has protected the life of the paint, rather than reduced it...
..."I hear that Zaino is polymer and it will crash the paint. Is any long term Zaino user beat about that? I just ordered a set of the Zaino." ...
..."Please forgive me for my stupid question. I just want some convince from long term Zainoer. I really love my new Black FX35. But it is easy to covered by the dusts. Well, I live in the dirty city.
So do you use Zaino on the same car over years? I mean, just suppose, if you are 8 years Zaino user and 4 cars in the 8 years. Each car only have 2 years of Zaino treatment. It is hard to say long term test
Please forgive me again. I will appreciate for any responds. "...
Perhaps I should have listed the break down. Toyota 1996 Toyota Landcruiser (LOTS of surface area ) 9 going on 10 years old, 8 years with Zaino, 24/7 outside, dark blue metal paint (moonglow pearl) (outside as you can imagine is a KILLER of paint) Not to mentioned that it is almost like black and also absorbs the sun FASTER and more intensely than colors like WHITE. This car still gleams!! 5 coat base build up with Z1 before first coat and after 5th coat. Z-2 EVERY six months. Car is washed may be every 1,2,3, months!!???
Even though this car is 10 years old I still like to go outside and admire the finish!! So I can address the others if you are interested but this is the "longest" Zaino one. I Zaino'd other cars with older paint, but I no longer have them.
Black is absolutely the most maintenance intense finish. I am guessing (there are folks that know EXACTLY) that the black finish will deteriorate 5 x faster than say a silver or white color. Also, I don't hear this mentioned too much ,but horizontal surface detererioate app 4-5 x faster than vertical surfaces. So the up shot if you Zaino every 6 mo (like I do) then every three mo's do the horizontal surfaces only.
I would say you will have to step up the frequency of your care intervals; if you are at all picky about the finish. The catch 22 is if you maintain it more or better; you are actually increasing the chances of creating swirls, scratches, spider webs, etc than if you didnt care for it as much. So what will become important to you is the right stuff like 100% cotton toweling, etc etc, and you must keep this stuff "SUPER CLEAN" So wash this stuff using liquid laundry detergent.
I just get a chance to seat in front of the computer. Thank you so much for your explaination. I live around the NYC. Acid rain, dust, tough parking......... My old car is also black, it dulled though it is only 5 years old. But I just can't stand away from black. The new car is still a black though I think over for a long time I went through the "Zaino Car Polishes/Products--Your Experiences" part I. I was attracted by Zaino. But you know, all the articles there are from 2000. Thank you guys so much. You are so friendly:) I plan to Z my car on the following weekends and will report after my first time Zaino.
I've noticed over and over the recommendation to use dish washing soap to wash cars and to avoid car washes like the plague - even if they're the touchless type. What is a person suppose to do to wash the undercarriage during harsh Midwestern winters? I've been told by Ziebart that one should not use any dish soap on a car but only special car-wash solutions. They said that the dish soap can damage the clear finish of today's cars. Any thoughts on this?
Dish Soap - the recommendation made here is to use diswashing liquid in order to strip off any wax that may be on the vehicle. Zaino over wax is a no no. I think we all agree here that using dishwashing liquid constantly is not a good idea.
Car Washes - they usually filter and recycle water. No filtering system is perfect and as such the water used to wash your vehicle may be contaminated with sand and other particles. To be perfectly honest, I've never washed the undercarriage of any of my vehicles and no bad effects have ever been noticed here in snowy New England.
As you may know from perusing the Zaino web site, they recommend only Dawn Blue dishwashing detergent to clean a vehicle in certain situations.
As for automated car washes, here in Central Ohio I regularly run my '03 4Runner Limited through an automated, soft-touch car wash called GoKleen. This particular car wash features a very powerful, high-pressure underspray that does a fantastic job of rinsing salt and grime off of the undercarriage. This car wash also does a pretty good job of gently cleaning and drying my truck.
During Ohio's winter months, there's often a tremendous amount of highly corrosive salt on the roads, and an automated car wash with an excellent underspray system is the only practical solution for regularly and effortlessly removing all of the salt, sand, etc. that accumulates. In addition, such a car wash is also the most effective way to remove salt from the vehicle in general. During the winter, I run my truck through this car wash at least once a week, and I also frequently use it at other times of the year. Why? Because it's convenient, quick, effective, and it doesn't seem to harm my vehicle's finish.
There are some forum participants here who do not advocate using an automated car wash. However, while there are indeed plenty of unscrupulous and harsh automated car wash businesses out there, the fact is that good ones exist as well, it's just a matter of hopefully finding them in your neck of the woods.
For those of us who live in areas where heavy amounts of road salt, sand, etc. is unavoidable during the winter months, a high quality, automated car wash with a copious and powerful underspray is really the only practical and easy way to regularly remove the highly corrosive road salt. Don't forget, if this salt is allowed to remain on the vehicle and accumulate over an entire winter, it may quickly do great harm. So, what's worse: (1) Avoid automated car washes for fear of a few minor scratches, and just allow the salt to remain to corrode the vehicle (not to mention accumulating in your garage and attacking your concrete floor)? Or (2) Use a good quality automated car wash to regularly remove the salt, and rely on twice-a-year "Zaino'ing" to recondition and protect the finish so it will easily withstand the car wash?
As I mentioned before, I regularly use an automated car wash, and my truck's Zaino'd finish continues to look gorgeous. In addition, I have peace-of-mind from knowing that the undercarriage of my expensive SUV isn't caked and packed with salt and sand. In my opinion, the decision to use a good quality, automated car wash is a no-brainer, particularly during the winter months. (By the way, during winter months, it's a good idea to periodically open the vehicle's hood and thoroughly spray the radiator fins with warm water, since salt will destroy radiators. I have a hot/cold water tap in my garage, so this is easy to accomplish, but it's probably best to do this when the engine is cool.)
I accidentally ran into this topic while perusing the other car wax/maintenance threads. Ive been a long time user of meguiar's and have been quite happy with the results, after checking out the zaino site i am very intrigued, though the whole process seems quite tedious and complicated versus regular waxing. Never heard of claying either.
My car is about 14 months old, im assuming it would be just as beneficial to start using the zaino now???
im definitely considering trying it out, i live in central florida, we dont get snow here but the summer months/rain here can be brutal on a car's finish.
Comments
Man, you can learn ANYTHING in the zaino forum. Indeed a treat.
Good luck.
milsuperdoc - so, after i get the little poop spots off my car, i need to put a few coats of zaino on it? I've never messed with a new car finish much, but i see that this bright yellow car is gonna take some elbow grease to keep it really, really bright and clean.
If you want to try to find it locally, give them a call and they can tell you who their local distributors are. The one for the Milwaukee area is just a 15 minute drive for me from my work - I just zipped up there on my lunch hour and picked up a bunch of stuff (trying the new Z-2 Pro, plus needed some more ZFX, Z-7 wash and Z-6). My 2004 GTO got exchanged by GM due to problems - my replacement car's been in storage for 4+ months - just pulled it out this weekend and have to start over with washing, claying, washing, 3M rubbing compound on some scratches, washing again, then the whole Z-5/ZFX (x 6) and now Z-2 Pro/ZFX. And then of course there's the interior... last time I ended up using a whole bottle of the leather conditioner (3 coats) to get the leather pliable instead of like cardboard.
Still have to do my Aurora (winter car) and then the wife's new Envoy... maybe I should have bought more supplies :-)
--Robert
(still tired from 6+ hours of detailign duty yesterday)
Sounds like it's a complement to, rather than a replacement for, the Z-6. You'd put it on when you are "done" with the other layers (yeah right, like that ever happens :-). My distributor didn't know it was out yet, so I called Zaino and spoke with Sal. He indicated it just came out last night. I emailed my distributor and asked them to get me some. I'll post some pics when I get "done" (if that ever happens :-)
--Robert
If I were in your shoes I would probably take it into the dealer and show it to the service manager before you tried to do anything to it. Paint is normally a warrantyable item. Of course, if you've owned the car for a couple of months you may be sadly out of luck.
Now, if something like this happened to one of my cars, and there was no warranty, I would probably clay the paint surface to see if there are any contaminants embedded in the paint. You would probably need Z-7 wash and Z-18 clay bar (I keep these items on hand at all times :-). You will want to wash the car first with Dawn to remove any waxy buildup before doing anything.
If claying didn't smooth out the paint surface, I'd probably move to 3M rubbing compound next. If that still didn't do the trick I'd hit it with the buffer, but I wouldn't recommend that to anyone inexperienced with it (kind of like using a chainsaw to trim your shrubbery - one slip and it's toast).
Now, when you get the paint nice and smooth (claying the whole car is not a bad idea anyway), you will want to use the Z-7 wash to get the car clean. If you can see spiderweb-like swirls in the paint, I would buy Zaino's Z-5 swirl mark remover, otherwise I'd skip it and just get the Z-2 polish. With either Z-5 or Z-2 you will need the ZFX accelerator to help the polish bond to your paint (this is required, not optional). You will probably also want some Z-6 as it can be used both on the applicator before you spread out the Z-5/ZFX or Z-2/ZFX, as well as after (makes the shine shinier, removes the dust).
So, for initial diagnosis/repair, if you're doing it yourself, Z-18 and Z-7 (and Dawn). For appearance car, Z-5 and/or Z-2 and ZFX, plus Z-6.
Several posts up there's one for me that breaks the steps down into greater detail... please search for that - will give you further information. Also check out the Zainostore.com site...
--Robert
Went back and read those posts as well and I think i'm ready!! Will let you know the results!!
If you allow the dealership to attempt to remedy this problem, more than likely, they will have someone in their body shop apply a ROTARY BUFFER to your vehicle's clearcoat, and this (in my opinion) would be a very bad move. Why?
The clearcoat can be thought of as a layer of clear sealant or "lacquer" that's applied over the underlying paint in order to make the finish look more bright, etc. As such, the clearcoat is rather like a very THIN and DELICATE optical film which can easily be scratched, pitted, etched, dulled, etc. A rotary buffer (especially when used by those who don't know what they're doing) will more than likely damage, score, and even "burn" the clearcoat due to FRICTION heat, etc. The end result will often be unsightly SWIRL MARKS wherever the rotary buffer was applied to the vehicle's clearcoat, and these swirl marks will look far WORSE than the few spots in the clearcoat you have now. Do NOT allow the dealership to mess with your new vehicle's finish, because they will likely only makes things far worse!
My advice would be to first take a few deep breaths, then try to relax for now, while you order everything you'll need from Zaino. Get lots of white, 100% USA cotton towels (Cannon, Fieldcrest), and relax some more. When you think you're ready, plan on putting the vehicle in your GARAGE for a couple of days (or a weekend) so you can patiently and carefully "Zaino" the vehicle. It's not hard to do, it just takes time and patience.
Whatever you do, NEVER wash, dry, or polish the vehicle outdoors or in the sun, even if the sky is overcast. Zaino the vehicle in a clean, well lit, and closed garage. Take your time, print out and study the simple directions and steps from Zaino's web site, and above all, enjoy what you're doing, because it's fun to learn this process and take pride in your accomplishments!
In your case, I would suggest claying your vehicle, as well as applying at least 2 coats of Z-5/ZFX, followed by 1-2 coats of Z-2/ZFX. Throughout the application process, I find it more convenient to simply keep the applicator pads regularly moistened with spritzes of Z-6, rather than adding the extra labor of going over the vehicle with an application/wipe-off of Z-6 after each coat of polish.
When you are finished, you should find that the defects in your clearcoat from the bird poop will be nearly if not totally invisible to most eyes, and your vehicle's finish will be in far better shape than your dealership could ever achieve.
Good luck, my dear, and let us know how you make out.
BTW, After doing 3 vehicles last year, I noticed it's a lot easier to do dark colored vehicles. You can "follow" the polish on the vehicle easier.
Even if one "palpated" their entire vehicle with Saran Wrap or nylon stocking material and felt very few snags in the finish, I'll bet that if that vehicle was entirely clayed (or reclayed) with a new piece of clay, at the end of the day you would still find a good deal of junk in the spent clay.
I use bug/tar remover on my vehicle wherever needed when I first wash my vehicle during the detailing process, without any apparent damage to the finish. To my way of thinking, it is far easier to first remove large deposits of these contaminants chemically (with the bug/tar remover), followed by rewashing the vehicle. Next, I allow the clay to remove any smaller contaminants that may remain afterwards, followed by another washing, in preparation for polishing with Zaino products. By first removing the gross deposits of junk with the rather inexpensive bug/tar remover, followed by rewashing and claying, the far more expensive clay will last longer and do a better job of removing fine contaminants. Why load an expensive piece of clay with large debris that can be more easily and cheaply removed with bug/tar remover? Save the clay for the fine stuff that remains behind, and then move on.
Been using this stuff for 5 years, and it continues to amaze me every time I use it!
I probably will not re-apply until just prior to the onset of Winter.
BTW, following up the discussion on frequency of clay, I clay every spring to get road dirt and contamination off the surface that build up over the winter. It' amazing how much dirt it pulls off even after a good washing with Dawn.
Mothers - I used Mothers prior to Z, and was not too impressed. It did provide a decent shine, but the durability was terrible when I compare it to Z. Their newer products might be much better than they were 5+ years ago, but cannot comment because I have not tried. Frankly, if it ain't broke.......
Cheers.
PS Thanks for all the warnings about buffing. I trust my dealership with the mechanics of the car, but never my paint!!
I rinse mine out - I use the ones that came with the Zaino Kit, 3 applicator for free. Then I'll wash them with all the other towels I used during the process.
I've seen lots of post describing the prep & application process, but I haven't seen anything on the last step, Clean Up!!
So, what do y'all do with your applicators and towels when your done for the day? Do you wash them separately or together? Are there any other applicators that are easy to clean/wash just as they are easy to use?
:confuse:
Wash microfibers first, regular towels second, and grubby towels last. Dry microfibers on low heat or tumble, no cling-free thingys.
Is it that good??? My car looks pretty good now!!!
I plan to wash, Z-2 Pro, and then Z-8 my car tonight. If there's enough light left to get pics, I'll take 'em, otherwise it may be a next weekend...
For $20/bottle, it's probably not something you want to use on a regular basis.
--Robert
This pic was taken in the afternoon, after a morning wash and Z-8 Pro, and then a 90-minute drive.
Full-res 4.1 MB version here:
http://www.hammen.net/images/Z8ProFull.jpg
> outdoors or in the sun, even if the sky is overcast.
> Zaino the vehicle in a clean, well lit, and closed garage.
If I am reading this correctly, you are stating that we must always wash our vehicles indoors?
Thanks in advance for any clarification.
to lubricate the car, clay, and wipe off the lubricant.
I save time by eliminating the additional wash/rinse/dry AFTER the claying. I also tend to do the Z2 process on a different day than I do the claying.
Here is my process:
1) Do a standard Z7/optional Z6 wash/rinse/dry.
2) Check to see if you need to clay.
I choose an area (usually on the hood) of the vehicle that I consider to be somewhat smooth.
I then clay that section. I decide whether I need to clay again by comparing the feel
(baggie or not) of the clayed area with that of adjacent unclayed areas.
(Usually, I feel the difference without a baggie.)
3) If you need to clay, follow Zaino instructions by lubricating, claying and wiping off lubricant.
On my car, claying is really easy. I usually do this once or twice per year, and
it takes about 20 minutes for my whole car.
4) No need to do another wash/rinse/dry. I find that application of Z7/water lubricant serves to wash the car again, and the claying process leaves you with a dry car because you dry as you wipe off. I have never noticed residue from unrinsed clay/lubricant.
5) Optional Z6. (I don't always do this.)
6) Z2 process. Can be done on a different day. If so, the process will Include another wash/rinse/dry.
Baggie test? I think you can get away without it.
I usually clay on a different day from when I plan to do a Z2 process, so I know I will
soon (within a week or two, but it does not really matter) do a complete wash/rinse/dry,
that is, the one I will do before the Z2 process.
If I Z2 on the same day as I clay, I sometimes use Z6 or rinse between the clay and
Z2 process, but my own opinion is that this is optional. I'd have no hesitation in applying Z2
directly after claying without washing/rinsing.
Is the reason for the baggie more to protect the car's detailing job from finger prints or palm prints?
Bingo!
Actually, I find the smoothness of the plastic to help me better decide if the vehicle needs claying (unless it's white/light-colored paint - then I can see the spots).
Also, after I clay, there's soap/clay bar residue on the paint surface. Can't imagine not washing it before applying something else. I also do a Dawn wash before claying, then use the Z-7 after, just in case some wax got applied to the vehicle (i.e. wife/dealer ran it through a car wash)...
--Robert
Thank you
So do you use Zaino on the same car over years? I mean, just suppose, if you are 8 years Zaino user and 4 cars in the 8 years. Each car only have 2 years of Zaino treatment. It is hard to say long term test
Please forgive me again. I will appreciate for any responds.
can't wait to see how my car will be shining.
maybe I worry too much but still want one more convince.
Just a happy user.
..."Please forgive me for my stupid question. I just want some convince from long term Zainoer. I really love my new Black FX35. But it is easy to covered by the dusts. Well, I live in the dirty city.
So do you use Zaino on the same car over years? I mean, just suppose, if you are 8 years Zaino user and 4 cars in the 8 years. Each car only have 2 years of Zaino treatment. It is hard to say long term test
Please forgive me again. I will appreciate for any responds. "...
Perhaps I should have listed the break down. Toyota 1996 Toyota Landcruiser (LOTS of surface area
Even though this car is 10 years old I still like to go outside and admire the finish!! So I can address the others if you are interested but this is the "longest" Zaino one. I Zaino'd other cars with older paint, but I no longer have them.
Black is absolutely the most maintenance intense finish. I am guessing (there are folks that know EXACTLY) that the black finish will deteriorate 5 x faster than say a silver or white color. Also, I don't hear this mentioned too much ,but horizontal surface detererioate app 4-5 x faster than vertical surfaces. So the up shot if you Zaino every 6 mo (like I do) then every three mo's do the horizontal surfaces only.
I would say you will have to step up the frequency of your care intervals; if you are at all picky about the finish. The catch 22 is if you maintain it more or better; you are actually increasing the chances of creating swirls, scratches, spider webs, etc than if you didnt care for it as much. So what will become important to you is the right stuff like 100% cotton toweling, etc etc, and you must keep this stuff "SUPER CLEAN" So wash this stuff using liquid laundry detergent.
I went through the "Zaino Car Polishes/Products--Your Experiences" part I. I was attracted by Zaino. But you know, all the articles there are from 2000. Thank you guys so much. You are so friendly:) I plan to Z my car on the following weekends and will report after my first time Zaino.
I used it and I did not see a difference, as a matter of fact, I still prefer the Z6 finish over this Grand Finale.
Car Washes - they usually filter and recycle water. No filtering system is perfect and as such the water used to wash your vehicle may be contaminated with sand and other particles. To be perfectly honest, I've never washed the undercarriage of any of my vehicles and no bad effects have ever been noticed here in snowy New England.
Ziebart - are they still around?
As for automated car washes, here in Central Ohio I regularly run my '03 4Runner Limited through an automated, soft-touch car wash called GoKleen. This particular car wash features a very powerful, high-pressure underspray that does a fantastic job of rinsing salt and grime off of the undercarriage. This car wash also does a pretty good job of gently cleaning and drying my truck.
During Ohio's winter months, there's often a tremendous amount of highly corrosive salt on the roads, and an automated car wash with an excellent underspray system is the only practical solution for regularly and effortlessly removing all of the salt, sand, etc. that accumulates. In addition, such a car wash is also the most effective way to remove salt from the vehicle in general. During the winter, I run my truck through this car wash at least once a week, and I also frequently use it at other times of the year. Why? Because it's convenient, quick, effective, and it doesn't seem to harm my vehicle's finish.
There are some forum participants here who do not advocate using an automated car wash. However, while there are indeed plenty of unscrupulous and harsh automated car wash businesses out there, the fact is that good ones exist as well, it's just a matter of hopefully finding them in your neck of the woods.
For those of us who live in areas where heavy amounts of road salt, sand, etc. is unavoidable during the winter months, a high quality, automated car wash with a copious and powerful underspray is really the only practical and easy way to regularly remove the highly corrosive road salt. Don't forget, if this salt is allowed to remain on the vehicle and accumulate over an entire winter, it may quickly do great harm. So, what's worse: (1) Avoid automated car washes for fear of a few minor scratches, and just allow the salt to remain to corrode the vehicle (not to mention accumulating in your garage and attacking your concrete floor)? Or (2) Use a good quality automated car wash to regularly remove the salt, and rely on twice-a-year "Zaino'ing" to recondition and protect the finish so it will easily withstand the car wash?
As I mentioned before, I regularly use an automated car wash, and my truck's Zaino'd finish continues to look gorgeous. In addition, I have peace-of-mind from knowing that the undercarriage of my expensive SUV isn't caked and packed with salt and sand. In my opinion, the decision to use a good quality, automated car wash is a no-brainer, particularly during the winter months. (By the way, during winter months, it's a good idea to periodically open the vehicle's hood and thoroughly spray the radiator fins with warm water, since salt will destroy radiators. I have a hot/cold water tap in my garage, so this is easy to accomplish, but it's probably best to do this when the engine is cool.)
Never heard of claying either.
My car is about 14 months old, im assuming it would be just as beneficial to start using the zaino now???
im definitely considering trying it out, i live in central florida, we dont get snow here but the summer months/rain here can be brutal on a car's finish.
any thoughts from past meguiar's users????