Nostics_RX

This is my first leather car. I'd like to know from DIY guys about how they take care of their RX. Any tips on caring for the leather and interior of the car? Do you guys wash your car at home or take it to neighborhood car wash? Any tips will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

tfischer

Neighborhood car Wash??? Only if you want your paint ruined fast.

Leather seats do require some attention, but not all that much unless you have a bunch of kids bouncing around the car with ice cream cones.

What you need to do is go to:

http://autopia.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=58

and spend an hour or two reading up on proper car washing techniques (search for info on what detailers call the two bucket method) and on the care for and cleaning of leather. Use the search function there to find relevant threads.

Then look into polymer sealants (eg: www.zainostore.com), get the wax off your car and really take care of the paint the easy way. Polymer sealants are also discussed on the autopia forums.

There's a whole world of car care out there -- join up.

Tammy

It will take a while to collect all this with the product brands you like -

For the interior vinyl and rubber door seals; hood and trunk seals; wheel wells ... Areospace protectant 303
A supply of microfiber cloths locally available. Interior and exterior styles http://diycleaning.com/microfiber.html for example
A good choice in a leather condictioner. Nitrile or latex gloves for applying and rubbing it in.
A good choice in a car wash detergent and deep plush mitt.
A good citric based spray cleaner for grease spots and bugs
A good spray Detailer, for small touch ups
A good glass cleaner, like invisible Glass, that removes inside film
A good plastic polish for your head lamp and tail lamp lenses
A good wheel cleaner and polish.
A good tire cleaner
Wax refered to in the previous post (zaino)
Hose,bucket or two; hose nozzle

A cool dry place to keep all this. The time to enjoy.

tfischer

That's an excellent list, but I would add 3 observations:

First, a good leather conditioner is full of good stuff, and makes an excellent hand lotion. No need for gloves. Zaino "Leather in a Bottle" is excellent for leather and smells great. I rub it into the seats with my hands all the time on my two cars with leather seats.

Second, Zaino is not wax. It's a polymer sealant, and in the opinion of many professionals, the best of the polymers. In fact, you have to first wash the wax off the car with a detergent so that your first coat of the polymer will bond at the molecular level with the paint. This is why it stays on the car for six to nine months. Wax falls off in several weeks, and if you don't take the wax off first, anything you put on top of it will fall off also. Read all about it on the zaino link above.

Finally, 303 is highly recommended. It's not specifically designed for auto use, so you don't find it in car parts places, but for rubber and vinyl, it's the best friend your gasket ever had. Professionals use it all the time, and try to keep it a secret (it seems). Use it on the dash for both UV protection and a very nice, non-oily finish, and on the gaskets around all the doors.

Happy motoring.

Nostics_RX

Thanks guys for the great input. I really appreciate it!! I can't wait to get started.

jfelbab

Another view.

Washing - An occasional run through a touchless Laser Wash won't damage your finish during periods of inclement weather. Wash it yourself if you can using a good car wash like Meguiar's Gold Class Wash or NXT Wash. Use two buckets and grit guards. Buy new sheepskin wash mitts every few months and keep them spotless. Dry your vehicle using an open hose to sheet off as much water as you can then gently dry with waffle weave microfiber towels.

Clay your car. Even new cars benefit from clay. Draw your fingers over the paint after it has been washed and dried. If it doesn't feel as smooth as glass you should clay. Look for a clay kit in an automotive store.

Cleaning - Use a paint cleaner or a combination cleaner/polish product to remove grime that is imbedded in the paint pores. I like Meguiars #80 for this but the Megs Deep Crystal #1 and #2 are also fine.

Now that your finish is looking good you need to seal it to protect the look. As you live in a very hot area of the country, a polymer sealant is best. Carnauba wax can evaporate in intense heat. While Zaino is a good choice it is not the only good choice. You might give Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax a try. It is the #1 selling polymer sealant in the US and is available almost everywhere. There are others that also will work well but again I'd recommend a polymer sealant for hot climates ove a carnauba product.

You should also get a bottle of Quick Detailer to use to remove bird droppings as soon as they occur. Keep it in the car with a microfiber towel. Bird poo will often etch your paint.

Leather also need extra care in hot climates. I'd use a cleaner/conditioner at least monthly during the summer months to keep it clean and prevent it from drying out. Lexus sells great products for cleaning and conditioning leather.

For interior detailing I use Meguiar]s Quik Interior Detailer. This is a great product that doesn't add gloss or leave an oily residue. It leaves the interior looking like new. I use it on Vinyl and leather for a quick detail. Your leather is coated with a urethane coating so it is much like vinyl.

Tires need a good cleaning too. I use my power washer to clean the tires and the wheel wells. I dress the tires with Meguiars Insane Shine and wipe off the excess after application for a new rubber look that lasts weeks. If you use a chemical tire or wheel cleaner don't forget to reapply the sealant to your rims again.

Glass, inside and out needs a good cleaner like Stoners Invisible Glass or Meguiar's Glass Cleaner. Use a couple of microfibers for this cleaning to achieve streak free results.

Finally I maintain the exterior with NXT Tech Spray Booster wax after every other wash. This stuff goes on and off in about 20-25 minutes and leaves the paint very slick with that freshly detailed look. The added slickness keeps dirt from sticking and makes the car almost self cleaning.

ph_RX330

hmm i wash mine at the local car wash. although i do take two buckets with me and apply lexus car wash by hand there. if i go on a long trip i get tons of little bugs which are hard to remove at home. this is damaging my paint? i have black exterior. no swirls yet. i didn't get the chipodent from the dealer when i bought it, so i do have a little bit of paint come off on the front from small rocks. any good way to repair these?

tfischer

Many bugs are full of acid and will eat through wax and polymer sealants eventually. The same is true for bird poop, which can also contain grit, so be careful when removing that stuff, as the grit can scratch the paint. For road trips you should carry a spray bottle of whatever car wash is appropriate to your finish and a microfiber towel, so you can get that stuff off. Try to get bugs and bird do off within 12 hours. Letting it sit there for a few days can be a big problem -- given enough time that stuff will etch a mark in the paint.

As for repairing rock chips in the paint, that's a long, long story. Go to autopia for info on that.

Nostics_RX

Thanks for all the good info's. How often do you guys do a routine wash on your car, wash/dry and vacuum?? and how often do you guys detail the car?? I just think detailing weekly would be too much. I have 2 other cars to clean. Thanks in advance guys!!

salimshah

There is a dedicated sub-forum that addresses the current topic in depth and has collective wisdom/experience/etc.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/automotive-care-and-detailing-122/

Salim