dull finish on black Rogue

[Jostudly]

Does anyone have a black Rogue and take it to the pressure washer car washes and still see the dirt and a dull finish once it dries? If I wash it by hand I do not see any dirt film on the paint and I am just not sure why I see it when I use a pressure washer. I am wondering if the pressure washers strip the wax off the vehicle? I see other vehicles that are black that use these car washes but do not show as much dirt. Is there something I can apply after waxing that will not show dirt when I use a pressure washer?

Thanks

[Thorshammer]

There is a good chance that what you are seeing is a old build up of wax.
The type of wax you have on the car may be the base of the problem.
I would suggest you strip all the old wax off your car using a non abrasive method, dishwashing liquid and warm water.
Find you a product to protect your paint that will either wash off completely when you wash the car or is a non organic synthetic that does not react to being washed the same way.
Finally the most important would be to stay away from automatic carwashes and have your car handwashed.

[Jostudly]

Well Nissan waxed it a couple of times when I first bought it almost 2 years ago and I am not sure what type of wax they would have used. However I have used Meguires paste 2 or 3 times and I just recently switched to Meguires spray wax which is easier to apply. I have never stripped the wax totally off. Do the sprays come off easier then the paste with pressure washers? Normally I wash my car by hand but unfortuanatly I am building a new house and don't have access to a hose for about 4 months.

[philipa_240sx]

Black is a very difficult finish to keep clean. It shows every scratch and defect.

My suggestion? Take it to a professional auto detailer. They have the tools and products needed to bring back the shine without damaging the paint. Way less risky than trying to do it yourself!

[Jostudly]

I was considering going to an auto detailer but I find it is expensive. I just don't know if it would be worth getting it waxed there and how long the finish would last before I would need to go again.

[philipa_240sx]

Jostudly,

I would post your question in the Detailing Forum:

detailing-forum.html

Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can give you some tips on how to properly care for that black paint finish on your Rogue without spending a fortune.

[philipa_240sx]

Also,

A pressure washer will never get your car completely clean. You need to use proper hand washing techniques and the right products.

I've asked some of staff members to chime in with suggestions on keeping your black Rogue shiny and clean. Hopefully they can help.

[takeshi]

I am wondering if the pressure washers strip the wax off the vehicle?

Whether it does or not, it shouldn't strip the clear coat off. It's difficult to diagnose with just your description but I'd suggest hand washing. As stated above, the pressure washers just aren't that good at removing all the dirt, etc.

As for wax, personally I prefer snythetic sealants. Wax fans claim that they're not as deep but they seem more durable in my experience.

[Jostudly]

Okay thanks

[gpsmoucer]

I had a similar feeling about my red rogue. I don't think some of Nissan colors are very high quality in terms of durability (lots of chipping and scratches) nor in deepness of color or flake. The pearly white (SL only, perhaps) does look very nice on the other and.

That said I've seen some very deep and glossy looking coats on black rogues, even making me whish I got black. I'm totlaly an ametuer, but I've spent a lot of time over the last year learning about paint care, washing, waxing, etc. This is what I would suggest:

1. Save the pressure washer for winter when you simply need to spray off the salt and other corrosive road chemicals from under the car (this is assuming you live in a snowy area). Otherwise, the pressure washer is probably overkill. If the water hits a chipped spot the wrong way it could do more damage. If you don't have access to your own hose, those no-touch car washes to a pretty good job. Right after you get out of the car wash (provided it got all the dirt off), get out and use one of the spray waxes/sealants I talk about in step 6. This will get the last of the water off the car and give you a very shiny finish with a couple weeks worth of wax protection. The good car washes around here are called Laser Wash 4000. No brushes or rags of any kind. Just water spray and blowers to dry. On the other hand, a Sheetz car wash I recently tried did an absolutely awful job.

2. Wash with warm water, a good car wash soap (many say duragloss makes a great one, but I'm currently using some cheap one from autozone), and soft mitt using the two bucket method (one to get dunk the wash mitt in to get clean soapy water, the other to rinse the mitt) or one of those grit guards (or like me, don't bother with any of that and just be careful when you wring out the wash mitt and allow all the grit to sink to the bottom before taking up fresh water).

3. Wash once or twice with dawn, but only if you think you really do have built up wax. The dawn is supposed to get all the old junk off. Just don't make it a habit as some say it ages the rubber and plastic trim (maybe untrue, but better safe than sorry).

4. Before waxing, clay bar. This is an optional step which takes a couple hours but gets the paint in better condition to wax and makes for easier washes in the future. It simply removes the dirt, metal particles, and dust that actually lodges itself into the clear coat. Do you need to do this? After washing and drying the car, rub your hand all over the car. Does it feel gritty like sandpaper anywhere? Then you could benefit from a clay bar. If not, don't waste the time.

5. Wax/Sealant: As Takeshi mentioned, synthetic sealants last longer than natural waxes (mostly). There a lot of them out there, but in my research many people like Duragloss #101 (#105 is said to actually last longer and look better, but it has little to no cleaning sbility). It has good cleaning ability which you need, gives a very wet looking shine (while giving up some depth of shine), and supposedly lasts half a year. You won't find this at autozone/advance auto/etc., but many local autoparts stores carry it and you can certainly order it online. And it's actually cheaper than some of the "higher-end" sealants you'll find at national retailers. Very easy to apply and take off, too. Nothing like my past experience with paste or liquid carnuba waxes where I had a lot of effort to apply and remove.

6. The "secret" last step: apply a spray on-wipe off wax/sealant after washing every 3-6 weeks. The two products I've seen most used and liked are Duragloss Aquawax #951 or Optimum Car Wax. These are very easy to spray on - while the car is still damp in some cases - and immediately wipe off. They act as a top coat to your sealant and really give your car an amazing shine> Most say they last 2 to 4 weeks or at least a couple washes (some apply after every wash, which is awesome, if you can afford it). I've used the Duragloss product, but intedt to switch to the Optimum Car Wax. The optimum is natural carnuba whish is said to have a deeper shine, while the duragloss is synthetic. And since I use a synthetic sealant underneath, I'd like to see if the optimum really will give me a deeper look to the paint.

As you may have guessed I've used and been very happy with duragloss products. In no way am I affiliated/work/get paid/etc by them. It's just that they have a good reputation as making a quality affordable product that's nearly as good as the real top of the line professional detailing products. And for me that reputation has proved true.

If you follow those steps I think you'll see a big improvement in your paint. If you're still not happy you can look into machine polishing, which I've just started learning (its completely safe now with the dual-action polishers, but as I've learned it's not something you just pick up over a weekend). But before you even think of going that deep down the hole of hobbyist car detailing, try what I've posted above.

[Jostudly]

Okay thanks for the great tips gpsmoucer. I will look into the Duragloss 101.

[gpsmoucer]

You are welcome. One thing to know about the Duragloss...some people state that Duragloss' chemists say their sealants (they are sealants, even though they call them polish) need 24 hours to fully cure. That means apply, let "dry" for 10 minutes or even several hours, wipe off. Then don't wash the car, try not to drive it in the rain, and don't apply any other product - like that spray on wax/sealant I mentioned - for 24 hours. After 24 hours you're free to do a spray on wax, although I would just wait 'till the next time you wash it. BTW, people say you can call the number on the bottle or website and speak with their chemist. I've not tried it, but it's nice to know you can talk to the people who actually make the stuff.

One last thing, since #101 has cleaners in it, it is not a wax/sealant that you can apply more layers. Each successive layer you apply will kinda sorta clean off the last. If you want to add another long term heavy duty sealant layer, you will have to get a more pure sealant like Duragloss #105. But IMHO, layering's not really worth the extra effort or expense. I don't see any difference when I put down two coats of 105. The spray wax/sealants on top of one coat of 101 or 105 are good enough for me.

[Jostudly]

Okay thanks again.