CanuckG35

Yep, depending on what clay you use and how aggressive it is, it can definitely cause marring. I use Clay Magic's fine grade on all of my new car preps and marring is never an issue.

^ Definitely make sure you clay bar it before sealing.

This is typically what a new car prep contains when taking it to a professional detailer. Exterior: Removal of shipping plastic Hand Wash Clay bar decontamination Choice of sealant or wax All plastic, rubber and vinyl dressed and UV protected Wheels cleaned and sealed Chrome polished and sealed Tires dressed Interior Includes: Removal of shipping plastic Interior and trunk fully vacuumed Removal of debris All plastic, rubber and vinyl dressed and UV protected Leather seating cleaned and conditioned A/C vents and filter de-odorized Door jambs cleaned and waxed Since you already have your Edge, I'm sure all of the shipping plastic has already been removed. Anyways, this should give you an idea of what a proper new car prep consists of. Any other questions, just let me know.

I'm not trying to be difficult here. We are in a detailing section here and I want to provide the best possible advice to fellow members. As a detailer, I see a lot of various paint conditions pass my shop, and for various reasons. The absolute number one reason is improper washing habits, with the vast majority being car washes. Like I mentioned earlier, if they satisfy your needs, by all means keep using them. But when someone is looking for advice in a detailing section, I want to provide the best advice possible. There is absolutely no professional on the planet that will endorse the use of any type of touch car wash system. But if you are happy using them, that's all that matters at the end of the day.

Sorry, I missed that you are in Canada like myself. You can purchase the stuff at www.eshine.ca. They are fantastic to deal with! Once your vehicle is washed and the trim pieces are dry, that's when you use the stuff. Very simple application as well. Any other questions just let me know.

Poorboys Trim Restorer works fantastic. I am never without the stuff for my business. http://www.detailedimage.com/Poorboys-World-M1/Trim-Restorer-P35/16-oz-S1/

You are blessed with having a white Edge. It's 10x harder to see paint imperfections on light coloured vehicles with the naked eye. Dark colours are obviously a different story. These types of automatic car washes are not relatively safe whatsoever for your paint. The general public for the most part however doesn't really care as their vehicle is nothing more than transportation from A to B. But since we are in a detailing section, I can't recommend enough that people stay away from them. The picture that I originally posted in this thread was a customer that regularly used a touch car wash. As you can see, it's in pretty bad shape when under a lamp. White vehicles would have the same degree of damage, but it's much more difficult to see unless you have it under a lamp.

Unless you are washing your vehicle inside a bubble, no washing method is 100% fool proof. Having said that, there are certain methods use and certain tools used that will drastically minimize the amount of paint imperfections caused to your paint. Using a touch car wash system that uses cloths dragged over your paint is most definitely not one of them. Why? Because these cloths that are running over your paint are not releasing any dirt whatsoever, and basically dragging it all over your paint surface. If you are happy with these types of car washes that's totally fine, but don't think for a second that they are not hurting your paint.

If you don't care, that's fine. I am just trying to give some sound advice to the OP and show how bad a touch car wash with brushes can really mess up your paint.

Put your paint under a 1000 watt halogen lamp and you will think differently. There is absolutely no way that a touch car wash system will not do your paint harm. Trust me, I see it regularly in my business.

First and foremost, DO NOT ever take your Edge through a car wash with brushes. They are absolute DEATH to your paint. The right hand side of this panel is what it will make your paint look like. And don't even take it to a touchless car wash either unless you can help it. They use very harsh detergents that will strip away any paint protection you have applied. Take a read through the thread below as it will answer pretty much all of your questions. http://www.fordedgeforum.com/index.php?/topic/5535-ask-a-professional-detailer/ Cheers and congrats on the purchase.

So the work has been complete, and lucky for the woman, I am satisfied with the outcome and she has avoided an insurance claim.

LOL, unfortunately not hot at all.

Yep, she was very lucky. I'll be contacting her this evening to let her know she has nothing to worry about insurance wise.

Out doing an errand yesterday, a woman went a little too far past the stop sign in her Ford Escape. She didn't see me whatsoever and proceeded to back up. The damage could of been so much worse though. The woman and I exchanged business cards and I told her that I was a detailer and would try to correct this myself before I would even consider going through insurance. She was really apologetic so I would rather try and fix it myself and spare her the insurance claim. Time to get out the Flex and see how much can be removed. :-\ After two passes with the Flex using a yellow pad and Menzerna Power Gloss. The vast majority of imperfections have been removed, however I will be working on it further and the plan is to use a white pad with Menzerna Power finish and then finish up with another white pad and Menzerna Super Finish! Hopefully I'll be satisfied, but I'm a tough one to satisfy when it comes to paint.

^ +1 to everything above. Also, try using Stoner's Invisible glass instead of Windex, that stuff rocks.

The Power Lock is sooooo easy to use. Wiping it off is just like buffing air, as I'm sure you've noticed. Their previous sealant, Full Molecular Jacket, was even a little bit easier to use. Depending on your washing habits and environmental conditions, you'll see at least 4 months durability and 6 months isn't out of the question either.

Hey Scott, I'd be happy to answer some of your questions. 1. I use P21S as I have found it to be the best wheel cleaner I've used. It's powerful, easy to use, and safe for all wheels. If you are happy with your current product, by all means continue using it. 2. The proper technique when applying sealants by hand (and waxes for that matter) is the straight line method and not in a circular motion. In a perfect world where everything is 100% clean, it really wouldn't matter. But nothing is ever 100% clean. What I mean by that is that your garage floor is never perfectly clean, the air is never free from contaminants, and it's possible that your applicator pad isn't 100% clean either. So with that out of the way, we'll assume that dust stirred up from your garage floor, airborne contaminants exist, etc. These abrasive particles things will obviously scratch your paint. So why the straight line method instead of the circular method? With the circular method, circular scratches can be seen in just about any angle, any light, and any height. With straight line scratches, you have to be at the right angle, the right light, and also the right height. This is a trick my mentor taught me a number of years ago. 3. Depends. A claybar's lifespan will completely depend on how much bonded contaminants it is removing from your paint. The dirtier it gets, the quicker you throw it away. Keep rolling it around in your hands until you find a clean spot. But when you can't find a clean piece, it's time to chuck it. And if you ever drop a piece on the grow, always throw it away. 4. I tape all of the emblems, mouldings around windows, mirrors, etc. 5. ONR is a rinseless car wash. I use this a lot in the winter time when the outdoor taps are froze. If you are in a place with water restrictions, it would also come in handy. It's a fantastic product, and I'd never be without it. Here is a demo of how to use it. http://video.google....800996428313622 6. I use Chemical Guys MF Detergent. Just make sure you do not use a fabric softener. 7. For getting rids of bugs, I use Poorboys Bug Squash. Relatively inexpensive and works great. Edited for being tired and fixing a bunch of spelling mistakes.

I actually think that the average person would notice the difference. The issue is that virtually everyone doesn't do a side by side comparison to actually see the difference. What you don't see you don't know.

In scientific terms, different coloured oils are added to different waxes. For example, coconut oil is widely used in waxes for lighter coloured vehicles whereas montan wax which is jet black is used frequently in waxes formulated for darker colours. I have every version of Dodo Juice’s soft waxes for my business and after doing some tests last year on my own vehicle I can definitely tell the difference. I used both Orange Crush and Light Fantastic on the hood of my red S2000 and I could clearly tell the difference. Was the difference between the two night and day? No, but the side with the Orange Crush certainly had a deeper, glossier red look to it. The subtle difference using a carnuba formulated to your colour of vehicle is well worth it IMO.

Great job, it looks fantastic! The Power Lock is great stuff isnt' it?

Actually, there is. A lot of carnubas are formulated for either dark or light coloured vehicles.

Talking strictly carnubas, a couple of fantastic ones formulated for darker colours are Natty's Blue from Poorboys World and Dodo Juice's Blue Velvet or Purple Haze. Natty's Blue, especially at the price, is one of the best carnubas for darker colours. The Dodo juice is a little more expensive but are exceptional carnubas.

Ladybell, just read your PM. Figured I would respond here instead. Can you see some positive results polishing by hand? Yes you can. Is it hard work? You betcha. Are the results anywhere close to those with a machine. No. Basically your doing it by hand you can't generate enough heat to properly break a polish down. Having said that, if you are looking to fix up a couple of small areas on your paint, polishing by hand can be acceptable. If you are looking to get your entire vehicle polished, I wouldn't even think about doing it by hand. Like richy mentioned, it's virtually impossible to damage your paint with a random orbital.

Good to hear you switched to the two bucket method. I would recommend getting two MF waffle weave towels from DI. Sheeting the water off of your paint drastically reduces the amount of water on your paint, but I still use at least two waffle weaves. Hands down the best glass cleaner is Stoner's Invisble glass.