Remove old wax or not?

[bahollings]

I wax my MCCs every three months, next month will be the third time. Every time I wash it (usually every 4 days) I use Hydro.
When I go to wax it next month should I remove the old wax before applying the new? If yes what should I do to remove it?

[OctaneGuy]

All waxes, synthetic or natural will break down over time. Frequent use of Hydro is a great thing to keep building it up. Are you waxing with the same product? If so, IMO, no you don't need to remove it. I would wash it normally, feel if it needs to be clayed, if you're working by hand, then just inspect the paint and do your wax.

If you've got a Porter Cable polisher, polishing the paint will improve the paint substantially before waxing, and that process will remove any wax already there. Otherwise I don't think it's necessary.

Tell us what wax you are using?

Richard

Originally Posted by bahollings

I wax my MCCs every three months, next month will be the third time. Every time I wash it (usually every 4 days) I use Hydro.
When I go to wax it next month should I remove the old wax before applying the new? If yes what should I do to remove it?

[bahollings]

I'm using liquid Turtle Wax,
Use McGuires on my Lexus and truthfully I don't see much difference, (except in the price)
however I'm open to suggestions.
Also I use Griots car wash on the Mini everytime and nothing but micro fiber products.

[OctaneGuy]

Well on Pepper White, it's really up to you about what kind of wax you want to use. Nothing you put is going to look all that different. In the right lighting you can have some decent reflective qualities, but otherwise, use the wax that you enjoy.

Meguiar's makes many different waxes. Are you talking about the Gold Class wax? Or High Tech Carnauba Wax #26? Or NXT Tech Wax? Deep Crystal Waxes???

I think a little education about waxes and paints would help here.

Different colored paints will reflect light differently. Dark colors will look deeper than light colors. Non Metallics will also reflect differently than metallics under bright sunlight.

So, a silver or white car in the sun using the same wax could look drastically different if it were black or red.

There are two kinds of waxes...very durable synthetics and less durable carnaubas. Why choose one over the other? Carnaubas tend to provide a warmer look to your paint by tinting it yellow. Many people love that look.

Hydro is a synthetic spray wax.

The best thing you can do for your paint is to prep it properly.

Use claybar to remove any contaminants on the paint that won't wash off. Polishing it will do wonders to how shiny your paint will look. But even without polishing, using claybar, then a good premium wax is about all you need.

Prima Banana Gloss is a very low effort but durable (2 to 3 months) liquid carnauba wax that improves the quality of your paint by masking defects while providing outstanding depth and gloss to your paint. BG takes only a bit more effort and time than Hydro.

Are you using Turtle Wax Ice for your liquid wax??

Richard

Originally Posted by bahollings

I'm using liquid Turtle Wax,
Use McGuires on my Lexus and truthfully I don't see much difference, (except in the price)
however I'm open to suggestions.
Also I use Griots car wash on the Mini everytime and nothing but micro fiber products.

[bahollings]

Thanks for all the advice, have used claybar (Griots) on several of my other cars as well as a motorcycle with good results, so will do that next month. Any particular one you recommend?
The Turtle Wax is just the plain jane one I think, the bottle just says "Super Hard Shell Car Wax.

[ma78]

It is never a bad idea to strip old wax before you apply a new coat. Especially if you have old sealants on your paintwork. You can see the difference after your LSP has been laid on.
If you're looking to avoid this in the future, I recommend trying out Zaino. The process is a little intense, but once you start layering, there is no need to go strip.