Help to decide on sealant or wax

dave4 · 10-23-2013, 01:53 PM

Hi all,

I've been reading all the post in this section and seeing all the nice looking cars made me to polish my car for the first time. I decided to go with the M105/205 combination, but not sure if I should use a sealant as a topping, or my existing Caranuba wax from Meguiar's?

Dave4

jbnery6465 · 10-23-2013, 03:43 PM

Use both; sealant to protect, then top with carnuba for added warmth and depth. Some things to keep in mind:
- Make sure you do an IPA wipedown after M205 to ensure removal of any polishing oils
- Let the sealant fully cure before topping it with carnuba, maybe 2-12 hours depending on the sealant

SLOWER · 10-23-2013, 07:00 PM

Read this. All you need to know. http://www.detailedimage.com/Auto-Detailing-Guide/

PascalsWager · 10-23-2013, 11:49 PM

I used Klasse AIO as my sealant, followed by 2 coats of mothers carnuba because I already had it.

Of course, clay and wipe before you polish

dave4 · 10-24-2013, 10:14 AM

Thank you guys for the inputs. I've been using clay and wax but now I want to get rid of the swirls and have a nicer finish. I read the whole detailedimage website from a-z, it has all the information a rookie detailer needs to know. The reason I wrote was to see what is y'alls experience.

alexb · 11-04-2013, 09:19 PM

I read Detailed Image, too. Are you looking to purchase a Random Orbital and polish your car? Or are you just trying to gloss it up?

For a Sealant, I went with Blackfire Wet Diamond. Love it. LOVE it. I didn't wipe down my car with Isopropyl Alcohol first (didn't know at the time), but I washed it, clayed it, used Chemical Guys EZ Glaze, then applied the Blackfire. MM. Very nice. I was too lazy to apply Carnuba afterwards (basically, ran out of time), but if you have the time, I'd do it.

As for the Polishing, I don't know much, but my dad just picked up a Random Orbital and did his daily driver. He spent a week doing it (mmm... nice being retired). He did his research, bought the polisher and a polishing compound, and went to work. The procedure was a complete wash and claybar, then an IPA wipe down of each panel prior to using the polish. After polishing it, then he applied wax with the orbital. The car looks excellent.

I know that I need to eventually use a polisher on my car, but so far I've been happy with the Clay and Sealant routine.

Gig103 · 11-04-2013, 11:38 PM

My experience is that Blackfire Wet Diamond is a great sealant, especially for metallic paint - I think it does better on my car (Black sapphire both my BMW and my new Abarth), than on the flat black of my wife's G35.

Although, like jb said, for the extra Pop I will put on a coat of wax too (when time permits).

Gamboa989 · 11-05-2013, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gig103

My experience is that Blackfire Wet Diamond is a great sealant, especially for metallic paint - I think it does better on my car (Black sapphire both my BMW and my new Abarth), than on the flat black of my wife's G35.

Although, like jb said, for the extra Pop I will put on a coat of wax too (when time permits).

I really like the blackfire as well. It is suuuuper slick and looks great on my BSM paint and on my brother's galaxy blue brz. It really beads up well too.

Elliott@DetailAddict · 11-05-2013, 01:53 PM

Dang you guys really know what you're talking about! Nice!

Sealant generally gives you a "mirror" hard like shine, while Natural Wax gives you that warm and wet look.

Some people do like to double up, sealant before they apply the wax, so that way you get all the pros of each products.

Sealant generally lasts a longer because its polymers are more tightly bound then natural waxes. Also, it is a bit harder/time consuming to apply than wax.

Detail on my friends!

Gig103 · 11-05-2013, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gamboa989

I really like the blackfire as well. It is suuuuper slick and looks great on my BSM paint and on my brother's galaxy blue brz. It really beads up well too.

It goes on and comes off super easy too. I let it sit longer than I should have, after getting sidetracked with a 'honey do', but it came right off when I returned.

dave4 · 11-05-2013, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexb

I read Detailed Image, too. Are you looking to purchase a Random Orbital and polish your car? Or are you just trying to gloss it up?

For a Sealant, I went with Blackfire Wet Diamond. Love it. LOVE it. I didn't wipe down my car with Isopropyl Alcohol first (didn't know at the time), but I washed it, clayed it, used Chemical Guys EZ Glaze, then applied the Blackfire. MM. Very nice. I was too lazy to apply Carnuba afterwards (basically, ran out of time), but if you have the time, I'd do it.

As for the Polishing, I don't know much, but my dad just picked up a Random Orbital and did his daily driver. He spent a week doing it (mmm... nice being retired). He did his research, bought the polisher and a polishing compound, and went to work. The procedure was a complete wash and claybar, then an IPA wipe down of each panel prior to using the polish. After polishing it, then he applied wax with the orbital. The car looks excellent.

I know that I need to eventually use a polisher on my car, but so far I've been happy with the Clay and Sealant routine.

Yes I'm planning getting the Porter Cable polisher, and do the wash, clay, and maybe the IPA, then the M105/205, and sealant + wax. Forgot to mention that my car is Alpine-White, (06) and man, can you see the swirls on it...

PTek Will · 11-06-2013, 11:51 AM

Hey Dave! Before you jump into buying a PC, I would suggest you heavily consider the Griots 6" DA polisher. Why? It is much more powerful than the PC. Why do you need power? Because our BMW paint, other than Jet Black, is among the hardest paints on the market!

2nd thing worth mentioning.. in all honesty, I do not believe a wax shines warmer or a sealant shines brighter. I think laying a coat of wax on top of a sealant is an absolute waste of time and effort. A much better alternative is to simply do 2 coats of sealant. Why do I say this against all suggestions? Junkman! and of course testing. As a matter of fact, waxes and sealants add no visual intensity to the gloss of your paint. Your perfected paint adds gloss to your paint. Give it a shot! Wax one door and seal the other. The difference is none.

Which brings me to point 3.. which sealant.. I personally love BFWD, but there are plenty of other sealants on the market that are great as well. I found BFWD to be my favorite because the way it beads very tightly, ease of application and removal, it sheets water off amazingly, and it is SUPER slick.

Inzane · 11-12-2013, 02:33 PM

I haven't tried Blackfire, but I really really love Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0.

SHEEDI · 11-12-2013, 03:09 PM

i am big fan of carpro cquartz
why dont you guys cover paint with carpro cquartz then you dont have waste your time/money/energy on detailingthe car?

Inzane · 11-12-2013, 04:27 PM

Here we go...

First there's a guy on this forum that tells "wax" users they're basically idiots for not using sealants. And now there's the coating guy who thinks the same of the sealant users.

SHEEDI · 11-12-2013, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inzane

Here we go...

First there's a guy on this forum that tells "wax" users they're basically idiots for not using sealants. And now there's the coating guy who thinks the same of the sealant users.

I was just sharing my experience and I prefer saving my time/energy/money etc those were my 2 cents for all of you.

OP if i were you and I have to choose between or both then I would top it with both

but I prefer coatings, simple and easy

Inzane..we come here to share our experience and opinions

PTek Will · 11-12-2013, 07:49 PM

I am definitely a coating guy myself. Spend maybe 3 hours to apply a coating and never wax again for 2 years. Not only are you saving on time from not having to wax, but these coatings repel dust like no other. You car stays clean longer and washing your car is the easiest thing in the world. My preference is Gtechniq Exo v2, but Cquartz has similar if not identical water beading and sliding angles. But to remain on topic.. BFWD is a real winner

psnt1ol · 11-12-2013, 10:52 PM

I prefer CarPro Cquartz over Gtechnig Exo. Cquartz gives you a little more hardness to prevent scratches. Gtechnig C1 gives you the hardness but it is not very slick to the touch which tends to turn off some people even though it has a water angles of 110 degree.

To me....Cquartz UK is the easiest to apply for DIY. It will last up to year (more if you boosted with CarPro Reload or Hydr02 every few months).

Wax...Sealant....Coating..... When it comes down to it, they were all designed for one single purpose. To protect your paint form the elements. I worked with all three and it really boils down to personal taste.

If you want a durable wax that acts like a sealant, look into Collinite 845 Insulator Wax. This stuff is pretty amazing and nothing can touch it in terms of value. This was originally developed for the power companies to protect power failures.

Collinite 845

ny325 · 11-13-2013, 12:07 AM

My CA gave me a bottle of BMW car polish. Has anyone used this product? Are you satisfied with the results?

10-23-2013, 01:53 PM	#1
dave4 Private First Class Drives: BMW 330xi Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: VA Posts: 117 iTrader: (1)	Help to decide on sealant or wax Hi all, I've been reading all the post in this section and seeing all the nice looking cars made me to polish my car for the first time. I decided to go with the M105/205 combination, but not sure if I should use a sealant as a topping, or my existing Caranuba wax from Meguiar's? Dave4
	0 Tweet

10-23-2013, 03:43 PM	#2
jbnery6465 Private Drives: 2006 BMW 325i Join Date: May 2013 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 68 iTrader: (0)	Use both; sealant to protect, then top with carnuba for added warmth and depth. Some things to keep in mind: - Make sure you do an IPA wipedown after M205 to ensure removal of any polishing oils - Let the sealant fully cure before topping it with carnuba, maybe 2-12 hours depending on the sealant __________________ - Jeremy - 2006 325I \| Arktis Metallic \| Premium + Sport \| 6MT \| 20% Tint \| K&N + Charcoal Delete
	+1

11-04-2013, 11:38 PM	#7
Gig103 Major Drives: 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 1,289 iTrader: (1)	My experience is that Blackfire Wet Diamond is a great sealant, especially for metallic paint - I think it does better on my car (Black sapphire both my BMW and my new Abarth), than on the flat black of my wife's G35. Although, like jb said, for the extra Pop I will put on a coat of wax too (when time permits). __________________ Was: 2008 335xi sedan 6MT Black Sapphire Metallic Is: 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth Nero (black metallic)
	0

11-12-2013, 03:09 PM	#14
SHEEDI Lieutenant Colonel Drives: 2009 335i - Sport PKG Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: NY Posts: 1,553 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 BMW 335i [4.67]	i am big fan of carpro cquartz why dont you guys cover paint with carpro cquartz then you dont have waste your time/money/energy on detailingthe car? __________________
	0

11-12-2013, 10:52 PM	#18
psnt1ol Lieutenant Drives: e90 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: san francisco Posts: 448 iTrader: (0)	I prefer CarPro Cquartz over Gtechnig Exo. Cquartz gives you a little more hardness to prevent scratches. Gtechnig C1 gives you the hardness but it is not very slick to the touch which tends to turn off some people even though it has a water angles of 110 degree. To me....Cquartz UK is the easiest to apply for DIY. It will last up to year (more if you boosted with CarPro Reload or Hydr02 every few months). Wax...Sealant....Coating..... When it comes down to it, they were all designed for one single purpose. To protect your paint form the elements. I worked with all three and it really boils down to personal taste. If you want a durable wax that acts like a sealant, look into Collinite 845 Insulator Wax. This stuff is pretty amazing and nothing can touch it in terms of value. This was originally developed for the power companies to protect power failures. Collinite 845 __________________ What is absolute control???? Having the means and the abilities to exercise it at will but....chooses not to. Last edited by psnt1ol; 11-12-2013 at 11:07 PM.
	0

10-23-2013, 07:00 PM	#3
SLOWER Lieutenant Drives: 2010 E90 335ix Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: MA Posts: 534 iTrader: (3) Garage List 2010 BMW 335i xDrive [0.00]	Read this. All you need to know. http://www.detailedimage.com/Auto-Detailing-Guide/
	0

10-23-2013, 11:49 PM	#4
PascalsWager Cognitive Drives: '06 330i TiAg Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: OBX, NC Posts: 214 iTrader: (0)	I used Klasse AIO as my sealant, followed by 2 coats of mothers carnuba because I already had it. Of course, clay and wipe before you polish
	0

10-24-2013, 10:14 AM	#5
dave4 Private First Class Drives: BMW 330xi Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: VA Posts: 117 iTrader: (1)	Thank you guys for the inputs. I've been using clay and wax but now I want to get rid of the swirls and have a nicer finish. I read the whole detailedimage website from a-z, it has all the information a rookie detailer needs to know. The reason I wrote was to see what is y'alls experience.
	0

11-04-2013, 09:19 PM	#6
alexb Naturally Aspirated Drives: 2006 E90 330xi Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Southern New England Posts: 63 iTrader: (0)	I read Detailed Image, too. Are you looking to purchase a Random Orbital and polish your car? Or are you just trying to gloss it up? For a Sealant, I went with Blackfire Wet Diamond. Love it. LOVE it. I didn't wipe down my car with Isopropyl Alcohol first (didn't know at the time), but I washed it, clayed it, used Chemical Guys EZ Glaze, then applied the Blackfire. MM. Very nice. I was too lazy to apply Carnuba afterwards (basically, ran out of time), but if you have the time, I'd do it. As for the Polishing, I don't know much, but my dad just picked up a Random Orbital and did his daily driver. He spent a week doing it (mmm... nice being retired). He did his research, bought the polisher and a polishing compound, and went to work. The procedure was a complete wash and claybar, then an IPA wipe down of each panel prior to using the polish. After polishing it, then he applied wax with the orbital. The car looks excellent. I know that I need to eventually use a polisher on my car, but so far I've been happy with the Clay and Sealant routine.
	0

11-05-2013, 01:53 PM	#9
Elliott@DetailAddict Brigadier General Drives: E90 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Santa Clara, CA Posts: 4,448 iTrader: (0)	Dang you guys really know what you're talking about! Nice! Sealant generally gives you a "mirror" hard like shine, while Natural Wax gives you that warm and wet look. Some people do like to double up, sealant before they apply the wax, so that way you get all the pros of each products. Sealant generally lasts a longer because its polymers are more tightly bound then natural waxes. Also, it is a bit harder/time consuming to apply than wax. Detail on my friends!
	0

11-06-2013, 11:51 AM	#12
PTek Will Second Lieutenant Drives: 335i coupe Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: san jose Posts: 260 iTrader: (0)	Hey Dave! Before you jump into buying a PC, I would suggest you heavily consider the Griots 6" DA polisher. Why? It is much more powerful than the PC. Why do you need power? Because our BMW paint, other than Jet Black, is among the hardest paints on the market! 2nd thing worth mentioning.. in all honesty, I do not believe a wax shines warmer or a sealant shines brighter. I think laying a coat of wax on top of a sealant is an absolute waste of time and effort. A much better alternative is to simply do 2 coats of sealant. Why do I say this against all suggestions? Junkman! and of course testing. As a matter of fact, waxes and sealants add no visual intensity to the gloss of your paint. Your perfected paint adds gloss to your paint. Give it a shot! Wax one door and seal the other. The difference is none. Which brings me to point 3.. which sealant.. I personally love BFWD, but there are plenty of other sealants on the market that are great as well. I found BFWD to be my favorite because the way it beads very tightly, ease of application and removal, it sheets water off amazingly, and it is SUPER slick.
	0

11-12-2013, 02:33 PM	#13
Inzane Lieutenant Drives: E90 LCI 335i Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Edmonton, Alberta Posts: 421 iTrader: (0)	I haven't tried Blackfire, but I really really love Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0.
	0

11-12-2013, 04:27 PM	#15
Inzane Lieutenant Drives: E90 LCI 335i Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Edmonton, Alberta Posts: 421 iTrader: (0)	Here we go... First there's a guy on this forum that tells "wax" users they're basically idiots for not using sealants. And now there's the coating guy who thinks the same of the sealant users.
	0

11-12-2013, 07:49 PM	#17
PTek Will Second Lieutenant Drives: 335i coupe Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: san jose Posts: 260 iTrader: (0)	I am definitely a coating guy myself. Spend maybe 3 hours to apply a coating and never wax again for 2 years. Not only are you saving on time from not having to wax, but these coatings repel dust like no other. You car stays clean longer and washing your car is the easiest thing in the world. My preference is Gtechniq Exo v2, but Cquartz has similar if not identical water beading and sliding angles. But to remain on topic.. BFWD is a real winner
	0

11-13-2013, 12:07 AM	#19
ny325 Captain Drives: E90 328i jet black spt pkg Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: USA Posts: 977 iTrader: (0)	My CA gave me a bottle of BMW car polish. Has anyone used this product? Are you satisfied with the results?
	0

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search