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im doing my car wash today and im just wondering
1. do i have to use that meguiars 3 step system? i only bought step 2 and 3. i don't think my car needs step 1 so you think it will be ok to use only step 2 & 3?

2. i know that step 3 is the waxing part, but can u use it like regular wax after car washes? or does it have to be use only in the system?

3. how many times do you do the step system? once uve used the system, u can just wash and wax right?


im asking these questions because my friend told me that the step system should be done every 3 months and i can use the step 3 (wax) after every car washes therafter. he also said i dont have to polish the car.

btw: sorry for putting this post in here. i just need quick answers.

can you guys post some techniques on how you all maintain your cars, if that won't be too much trouble for you all.

 
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your car needs a rewaxing every 30-60 days depending on conditions. the "step" process involves steps to buff out scratches, hide the micro scratches you just made buffing out the larger one then waxing the whole damn thing so you cant see it. Unless you have a lot of problems like chips scratches or what not on your finish, just wash with a good CAR WASH SOAP (DONT use dish wahing soap). then wax the bitch.

Id reccomend the purchase of "the absorber" and the "california waterbalde" to dry things up. that cuts drying time by WAY over 1/2.. and that the worst part of washing the car IMO, so its well worth the money.

 
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ok for on this thread should be under detailing. But what i do I wash my car everyweekend. I wash teh engine bay too. For the soap use some type of car wash soap and use a hint of simple green it gets off the bug stuff that takes forever with jsut car soap. and then after u wash it ipe everything down then just wax it. I dont even wax my car and it is one of the nicest paint jobs and cleanest out of my tema and all their paint jobs are custom. jsut wash it all the time and it will look great. u se with was the dirt imbeds in the wax and when u was ur car the dirt scratches the paint up (Swirls). ehy try this out wash ur car real good and go out and buy the mothers wax bar pack.. what it is; is a yellow bar that u spray detailing cleaner on and the bar picks up all the little dirt and micro rocks out of ur paint and ur paint will be baby smooth. but those are my suggestions.

 
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can i still use the step 3 (waxing) as a regular wax everytime i wash it? or i need to get a different wax?

 
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hell ya get the absorber it picks up so much water and wrings right out and after that redry with a terry cloth towel so u get all the little water spots u know u did it right when u can wipe the spot a few times and it will stop sticking to the paint and jsut slide like it is ice.

 
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use the same wax so ur not mixing fomulas that different compnaies use.

 
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oh whatever. the wax wears onn in a month or 2 anyway. its like getting gas from texaco the getting it from 76. it doesnt matter. and yes you can use that wax to "just" wax your car. no need to buy anything else, but if you want my opinion Zymol makes the best wax followed by McGuiers (sp) GOLD CLASS WAX.

 
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the best tips on any detailing topics are found in the detailing forum.

As for using the step 3 wax as standalone wax, yes that is fine. Using only steps 2 and 3 is also alright. It's better than nothing.

For regular washing, get yourself some specific carwash soap, do not use dishsoap as it will strip wax. Also get a wash mitt as they are safest for your car... When you wash, do not wash in a swirly motion, as much as karate kid will tell you, you should always wash in straight lines that flow with your car...

Drying is extremely important if you've got a dark car OR are planning to wax your car directly after washing. Do not air-dry as this will create the ever-famous waterspots. once your car is dry, you can go onto either surface prep or waxing....

You should only need to do surface prep only a few times a year... maybe 2x a year... that means, depending on whats on your paint surface, anything from clay bar to 3-step to polish to scratch removal, etc, etc.

Waxing should be done according to the weather in your area or your personal preference as to how much you need to protect your car or just want it to look *great* [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]. I personally try to wax mine once/month just because I like my car to look awesome all the time. Check any number of threads in detailing for suggestions on the "best" wax.

A few "Do NOT's"
do not use a touchless automatic carwash - it strips wax
do not bother with the liquid wax found in hand-held or pressure carwashes - it isnt really even wax... it just glosses the surface and likely wont last a week, meanwhile doing nothing to protect your car's paint.
do not question civicdude when it comes to detailing [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG] [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]