OK, so I have to ask.... I've never owned a white vehicle before. I've been a fan of Griot's Garage products for a few years now, and have used their cleaners, waxes, and leather conditioners on my Volvo and Minis. What do you use to keep your E-paces looking pristine?
Cleaning and Waxing
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I’ve not used any of the ceramic coatings personally, but others I know say they are great. I use Griot’s products here in the UK as I’ve also been using them for years. That’s almost all my Corvette has seen. My E-Pace came with the AutoGlym LifeShine and it included a collection of their products. I used them this weekend and I’m really pleased with them.
I had purchased a gallon of F11 Topcoat for my black Mini Clubman, but was not overly pleased with the results. It was easy enough to use, but didn't last very long. I just pulled the trigger on an order of Nexgen, which supposedly has "ceramic protection" built in. It, too, may be snake oil, but it's worth a try. It may be a good addition to a good base coat of Griot's wax.....
When I first purchased my Infiniti G37 in 2010, it was a shiny new black. Infiniti was touting their self healing paint. They did not stick with that for long. But...wanting to keep the look right, I set about trying to learn more about car paint care. I grew up washing my parents cars with dish soap from a bucket...so I needed to something better.
I wound up going to Detailed Image. Bing, DuckDuckGo, or Google that company. It will take you to a site that sells all kinds of products. The great thing about this site is the support. They have an ask the pro tab and a detailing guide tab. If you go to the detailing guide tab, it has how tos on everything about car cleaning. The other thing the site offers are reviews of products and you get to see what the pros are using.
I followed their instructions and recommendations for the car wash, exterior detailing, and interior detailing and it kept my G37 looking nice until I had a "professional" do a wax job on it...big mistake there. It looked great when I picked it up, but after the heavy wax came off, swirls were all over the place.
There as one product that they had that allowed you to do a rinse-less wash. This meant with a couple of buckets, you could wash your car in the garage in the middle of winter and stay warm. I liked that one.
I wound up going to Detailed Image. Bing, DuckDuckGo, or Google that company. It will take you to a site that sells all kinds of products. The great thing about this site is the support. They have an ask the pro tab and a detailing guide tab. If you go to the detailing guide tab, it has how tos on everything about car cleaning. The other thing the site offers are reviews of products and you get to see what the pros are using.
I followed their instructions and recommendations for the car wash, exterior detailing, and interior detailing and it kept my G37 looking nice until I had a "professional" do a wax job on it...big mistake there. It looked great when I picked it up, but after the heavy wax came off, swirls were all over the place.
There as one product that they had that allowed you to do a rinse-less wash. This meant with a couple of buckets, you could wash your car in the garage in the middle of winter and stay warm. I liked that one.
Thank you! I had a same experience taking my car to a "pro" one time. Never again. One of the reasons I traded my Mini for the Jag was to get AWAY from the black car. It had me ANGRY 95% of the time because it looke dirty so quickly...
Yeah. The Pro was a mistake. Being in SouthWest VA there were not a lot of choices. Swirls on black paint show even when you have a dirty car.
Of course, a couple of hours away was a gentleman recommended to me that always did a wonderful job on my friends white Lexus. It is about knowing the right person I guess.
I had a couple of car cleaning kits in my trunk from the purchase. I wonder if those kits are any good.
Of course, a couple of hours away was a gentleman recommended to me that always did a wonderful job on my friends white Lexus. It is about knowing the right person I guess.
I had a couple of car cleaning kits in my trunk from the purchase. I wonder if those kits are any good.
No idea why carmakers use hard plastic on lower door panels but I got a scuff already from a rubber sole hiking boot that won't remove.
The shoe comes off but not the scuff. Tried pretty much everything (except extreme measures like a heat gun) but nope.
It's a light scuff on black plastic. If carmakers use the soft stuff they use on upper panels this wouldn't be an issue. Guess that would make too much sense.
Jaguar dealer parts dept doesn't sell a spray paint for interior plastic touch-ups like Ford does ...
The shoe comes off but not the scuff. Tried pretty much everything (except extreme measures like a heat gun) but nope.
It's a light scuff on black plastic. If carmakers use the soft stuff they use on upper panels this wouldn't be an issue. Guess that would make too much sense.
Jaguar dealer parts dept doesn't sell a spray paint for interior plastic touch-ups like Ford does ...
Sorry to hear that you have a scratch in the plastic. Do you feel that the E-Pace plastic was worse at handling the wear and tear than any other car?
I did find this on the web. https://removeandreplace.com/2014/08/20/how-to-fix-scratched-car-interior-plastic/. Not sure I would be brave enough to try it. Maybe you want to try?
I did find this on the web. https://removeandreplace.com/2014/08/20/how-to-fix-scratched-car-interior-plastic/. Not sure I would be brave enough to try it. Maybe you want to try?
No. It's the same plastic most brands use.
No idea why they don't use the same soft material that's near the glass or on the dash.
Thanks for the link. The problem with using a heat gun is that heat hot enough to blend the scuff will make the plastic shiny which won't match the rest of the panel.
Your link showed another link for Scratch Wizard which I believe are the products mobile detailers use to repair minor damage. My dealership tried to sell me a slew of add-on protection packages that involve a third party company that does repairs at my location and convenience. Scratch Wizard has products for interior and exterior repairs. Good stuff to know. When I find a solution I will share it here.
Dont know if you have had any luck with your scuffs. I saw this product the other day. https://www.detailedimage.com/Einszett-1Z-M46/Plastic-Deep-Cleaner-Plastik-Reiniger-P472/500-ml-S1/. I have not used it, but it might be something to try. It mentions scuffs specifically, but the reviews did not point anything out.
I put in an order for exterior cleaning this weekend. I am going back to the Optimum No Rinse product. This worked great in the past on my black Infiniti.
I put in an order for exterior cleaning this weekend. I am going back to the Optimum No Rinse product. This worked great in the past on my black Infiniti.
Did my first cleaning this weekend. Exterior only as I did the interior several weekends ago.
Used the ONR product for the cleaning. Did a very good job at cleaning the car with little effort. I was able to wash the whole car in the garage since ONR is a no rinse wash. The plastics around the tires were a bit tougher. I just went with a different mix level and washed that area twice. There are Optimum Products for deep cleaning plastics, but I was looking for efficient.
I have to admit that there were some challenges in washing this E-Pace. The front is a pain. All those little holes in the grill. The spoiler on the back also traps a lot of dirt. You have to really reach under the spoiler to clean it.
When you open the doors, you will also notice a fair amount of dirt in there. A lot of nook and crannies. This was pretty easy to clean using a detailing spray. No need to wash. Just spray an area (careful to avoid interior) and wipe with a good microfiber.
Tires were cleaned using ONR also. Still a good product for doing that. I use a separate sponge for that area, just because. Then a tire shine product to make them look pretty.
I followed the wash with a spray on wax. They go on easy, spray and wipe. This is only needed every couple of washes. It adds a layer of UV protection and a nice shine. When you dont spray wax, you can detail spray it. Or ONR is a protector, so you dont need this step.
I did not do the engine bay. I have never done that. There are instructions but just like using an orbital to do a deep wax, I am not brave enough for that.
All told I spent three hours on the cleaning. Time wise that is a bit much for me. I will have to work that down. Considering that I spent two hours on the interior a couple of weekends ago. I typically dont have that much time on weekends, so I will have to figure something out.
I did take it out for a drive on Sunday...it was a gorgeous day and being indoors all week, it was nice to get out...Though it got a couple of bugs on it...must fight urge to wash again right away. Actually, using ONR with the right dilution can be used for a quick clean. Follow with a detailing spray...all would be good in ten minutes.
Used the ONR product for the cleaning. Did a very good job at cleaning the car with little effort. I was able to wash the whole car in the garage since ONR is a no rinse wash. The plastics around the tires were a bit tougher. I just went with a different mix level and washed that area twice. There are Optimum Products for deep cleaning plastics, but I was looking for efficient.
I have to admit that there were some challenges in washing this E-Pace. The front is a pain. All those little holes in the grill. The spoiler on the back also traps a lot of dirt. You have to really reach under the spoiler to clean it.
When you open the doors, you will also notice a fair amount of dirt in there. A lot of nook and crannies. This was pretty easy to clean using a detailing spray. No need to wash. Just spray an area (careful to avoid interior) and wipe with a good microfiber.
Tires were cleaned using ONR also. Still a good product for doing that. I use a separate sponge for that area, just because. Then a tire shine product to make them look pretty.
I followed the wash with a spray on wax. They go on easy, spray and wipe. This is only needed every couple of washes. It adds a layer of UV protection and a nice shine. When you dont spray wax, you can detail spray it. Or ONR is a protector, so you dont need this step.
I did not do the engine bay. I have never done that. There are instructions but just like using an orbital to do a deep wax, I am not brave enough for that.
All told I spent three hours on the cleaning. Time wise that is a bit much for me. I will have to work that down. Considering that I spent two hours on the interior a couple of weekends ago. I typically dont have that much time on weekends, so I will have to figure something out.
I did take it out for a drive on Sunday...it was a gorgeous day and being indoors all week, it was nice to get out...Though it got a couple of bugs on it...must fight urge to wash again right away. Actually, using ONR with the right dilution can be used for a quick clean. Follow with a detailing spray...all would be good in ten minutes.
No, I haven't seen that product but I do know anything that creates a wet look sheen will visually make scuffs disappear while the sheen lasts.
There is a shop in Chatsworth CA (relatively nearby) that specializes in car interior plastics (really) but the virus lockdown made it a low priority for now.
As an experiment out of sheer lockdown boredom, I ordered online two types of adhesive-backed vinyl door skin material - black leather grain and black carbon fiber. The black leather grain is a close match to OEM door plastic. The carbon fiber is noticeably different and much glossier than the OEM plastic. I haven't decided how or if I want to use either one, but I will wait till after I visit Chatsworth.
I have another issue, actually two.
Our cat likes to sit on car hoods near the glass between windshield wipers. I think she likes the mirror effect of the glass. She'll sit there for hours and doze off. I didn't want her on the new E-Pace at all but sure enough she got there and before I could gently lift her off, she panicked and climbed down using her claws to brake the slide. I tried to buff the scratches out. They are not thru the paint but still very stubborn. According to many youtube videos it should be a piece of cake but it isn't. Of course, anything on camera is deceiving; what you see up close with the naked eye may be totally different. I don't want to use a harsh product that will create a dull spot or make it worse. I wish I knew one simple product for this situation. Meguiar's Scratch X 2.0 is too gentle.
The other issue is more concerning and a heads-up to other E-Pace owners.
I tried a drive-thru car wash and the blowers ripped the driver's side roof trim moulding off the roof and tossed it. This is the moulding that clips into the roof rail channel. The event was caught on video and was emailed it to me by the car wash owner. I didn't notice the missing piece till after I got home and raced back to the car wash to find it. The damaged moulding strip was repaired and repainted in a body shop for $100. Luckily it didn't damage the roof or anything else as it violently lifted and blew off the roof. Let this be a warning. If your car has this trim piece you might wanna reinforce it with painter's tape if you use a non-hand car wash.
Good luck on the plastic. That is interesting idea, to use a "wrap" for the interior plastic. That would help protect it. I would be interested in your outcome.
My G37 had paint chip off the steering wheel (around the center horn). It was annoying and happened to most all G37s. I did have luck making my paint last longer when I was using Interior Detailers. For the first four or five years, I maintained the interior very often. Then I got a new job and did not have the time to maintain the car. I think that is what lead to mine finally chipping.
My lesson from this was to keep cleaning maintenance up (interior included).
For the cat scratching, look on Detailed Image. They will have some how to guides to help. Most minor buff attempts that I tried in the past did not work I also have the Meguiar's Scratch X 2.0, which I found useless.
I wonder if others have had drive through car wash issues. Just another reason to wash at home...haha. In truth mechanical car washes use harsh chemicals to remove the dirt, then a weak wax to shine it up. It encourages people to drive through again. In the states we have these "soft cloth" mechanical car washes, which are gentler in the dirt removal, but still use the harsh chemicals.
My G37 had paint chip off the steering wheel (around the center horn). It was annoying and happened to most all G37s. I did have luck making my paint last longer when I was using Interior Detailers. For the first four or five years, I maintained the interior very often. Then I got a new job and did not have the time to maintain the car. I think that is what lead to mine finally chipping.
My lesson from this was to keep cleaning maintenance up (interior included).
For the cat scratching, look on Detailed Image. They will have some how to guides to help. Most minor buff attempts that I tried in the past did not work I also have the Meguiar's Scratch X 2.0, which I found useless.
I wonder if others have had drive through car wash issues. Just another reason to wash at home...haha. In truth mechanical car washes use harsh chemicals to remove the dirt, then a weak wax to shine it up. It encourages people to drive through again. In the states we have these "soft cloth" mechanical car washes, which are gentler in the dirt removal, but still use the harsh chemicals.
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Adam's Polishes line of waxes, interior cleaners, leather conditioners, wheel and tire cleaners - all excellent quality but these are the products I'm used to and sure Griot's is just as good -- mainly what your are used to. Just conditioned leather today along with a wax job ( Adam's Butter Wax) -- very easy on and off.
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