Waxing with Meguiars, what did I do wrong?

[birdtail]

So this was last summer.. I bought a tub thingy of Gold Class Carnauba Wax. My Jeep got washed and dried, and I went to apply this wax without really knowing what I was doing, but I read the package (or did i?)

Anyway, it turned into a nightmare.. I covered my whole Jeep and it looked like dried toothpaste all over it.. Then it wouldnt wipe off so I had to scrape it off by buffing tiny spots at a time. My dad's small little buffer wasnt strong enough to take it off D:

and THEN, I got it all over my plastic flares so THAT was fun...

Did I apply it too thick? Did I apply it wrong all together? Should I have done smaller sections?

I really want to wax my Jeep again soon but I dont want that trauma again!

Im thinking I applied it too thick, what do you think my issue was, besides being a newbie?

 

[Clyde Frog]

Did you cover your whole Jeep before attempting to buff off? That could be the problem. You are supposed to do manageable sections at a time so as the product doesn't get to fully dry on it's own. Thin layers should be applied to small sections until it dries and the immediately buffed off with a soft microfiber towel. And the fender flares are plastic and wax does not play well with plastic but I don't exactly know what would "revive" them, if anything.

Apply creamy peanut butter to affected plastics, let sit for a few minutes, and then wipe off. That might help the flares look better but I don't know if there's anything that will reverse the wax on plastic damage.

HJ would be a good brain to pick for this one.

 

[birdtail]

LOL yep, there lies my problem. I coated the entire thing (and I believe I was even in the sunlight, too) before trying to go back

:shrug::shrug::shrug::shrug::shrug:

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Make sure the surface is cool, in the shade, and apply it thin. Nothing wrong with doing the whole thing at once, I do.

 

[67Customs]

Two things.

One, it sounds like you did it to thick and two, never apply wax in the sun. It will dry quicker and it will be harder to remove.

There should be no problem with applying it to the entire vehicle and the removing it if you do it correctly.

 

[LibertyTC]

Also having some Meguires quick detailer to wet the dried wax would have helped greatly to get it off.
Personally if you are like me and have the Jeep sit outside for extended periods, consider washing it real well and then use a claybar kit before waxing. It removes all the stuck on impurities before waxing.

 

[Minimike]

There's some great info here. Just to add, if you do find that your wax has dried and crusted before you were able to remove it don't fret. just use water and soap to remove. Dry and caked on wax when buffed can scratch your paint.

I agree with HoosierJeeper I usually wax my whole vehicle, but I do so in the shade and I let the vehicle body cool down once in the shade before applying the wax. My jeep is black and so I have to be very careful about waxing.

 

[birdtail]

Thanks again

Ive never tried claybars, I've heard very limited about them, but I may try it this summer while the weather is still pretty!

 

[67Customs]

Ive never tried claybars, I've heard very limited about them, but I may try it this summer while the weather is still pretty!

I will help make the paint look better and it will make waxing 100x easier. You can get a Clay Magic kit at Auto Zone for $10.

 

[birdtail]

I dont have an AUtozone where I live
Anywhere else? I do have an O'Reilly's.

 

[Clyde Frog]

I'm sure O'Reilleys carries some. If not, I've seen claybars at wal mart before.

Get some of the meguiars quik detailer to use with it.

 

[sparkman70]

the claybars work sweet

 

[67Customs]

I dont have an AUtozone where I live
Anywhere else? I do have an O'Reilly's.

Well, O'Reilly's will have a clay bar kit from someone. It may be Mother's, Meguiar's, etc..., but they will have one.

I mention Clay Magic because it is the cheapest of the bunch. I like the Mother's more than the Meguiar's. The Meguiar's clay seems to be more fine and doesn't work as fast and sometimes not as well. Plus, the Mother's Showtime clay lube smells awesome!

Otherwise, get whatever clay kit they have.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Any clay, as long as it's not a liquid, is better than no clay and will help. Honestly, I've used Meg's and Mothers, and while the Mother's is a better value (but harder to find), Meg's is just fine too.