This is some sort of interior and exterior protectant they put on new Lexuses (at least where I live), presumably as part of the pre-pickup detailing.

Can anyone tell me what this stuff is? Is it the same stuff applied both interior and exterior or is it really something like armor all for plastic, plus leather-specific treatment, plus wax for the exterior?

A brief websearch brought up the company's website but their FAQ and such is geared toward filing a claim.

I'm just trying to get an idea of when I should start putting on my own wax / leather treatment etc.

 

i'm assuming it's something like that teflon protection material that my lexus dealership offers?

 

I have never heard of this, but it sounds like the BS Toyoguard that we used to use here...basically a paint sealant on the outside and a type of Scotchguard on the inside...

Wait at least 6 months for wax...I don't even recommend wax, but rather a paint sealant (like NuFinish)

Leather you can treat right away if you want...

 

When you say "BS Toyoguard", do you mean the stuff does more harm than good or just meant the old sales scam some dealers used to do to sell you overpriced armor all?

This is not something they tried to sell me or that I paid for in any way, they just detail all cars with it before delivery. In fact to my knowledge the company made no attempt to make their products even available for me to buy going forward if I wanted to.

 

Toyoguard was extra fluff to add to the bottom line of a new car purchase, just like the "dealer appearance package"...

Toyoguard did not damage anything, and I am not even sure it even protected anything...I think the charge for it was somewhere around $500, when you can easily Scotchguard your carpet (if you want), put protectant on your leather, and use a paint sealer...the value (to me at least) is not there for these dealer options

 

Gotcha.

Well the main reason I was asking is just to understand what the stuff actually is and how it relates to whatever I do (and whenever) I put sealant / protectant on going forward.

I assume the paint sealant is something like Nu Finish, which would probably protect for the better part of a year.

 

Probably something like that, only they don't really offer it, its already on the car when you pick it up.

 

it came as an option when i bought my car..

 

Interesting, I guess thats a per-dealer choice or maybe a regional thing. It wouldn't surprise me if they put it on, regardless (every dealer always details the vehicle before delivery anyway), then charge only if they are able to sell it to you.

Luckily the finance guy (this is usually the one who is in charge of selling the last minute BS addons usually) did not hit me up for any kind of paint sealant protection. He did try to sell me tire insurance and pre-paid, discounted maintenance ($1,700!) but I said thanks but no thanks. Fortunately when it came to the piece of paper with the lo-jack and all that other stuff he said "I typically don't recommend these things, if they're gonna steal it they're gonna steal it", but I've had other dealers try to sell me everything, including the "deluxe undercoating treatment" on past cars.

The only item I would have even considered was maybe the extended warranty, but I can add that on at any time in the next 4 years if need be. I've never put an extended warranty on a car and have always made out better because of it whenever I bought a brand known for relative reliability. I figure if there are major issues I'll probably know before 48k and make a decision whether to extend or dump the car by then.

 

nufinish is mediocre stuff. uses a lot of solvents. so many better sealants out there. NXT 2.0 if you want OTC stuff. duragloss, optimum, poorboys, klasse, menzerna, blackfire, zaino for the better stuff.

i wouldn't wait 6 months to do a full detail. coming over on the cargo ship, going through port, sitting on the lot is enough time that the paint has fully cured. you wanna remove the dealer installed swirl marks as soon as possible.


for leather protection. just use 303 aerospace. for cleaning you can use leatherique or leather masters.

 

Thanks for all the comments. I realize I might be creeping the topic a bit, but what is the preferred leather treatment of this forum?

I've used a couple of different ones on my own lambskin jackets and furniture, and I found there to be a big difference in different brands. One I've used is called "Lexol" that I got at the car detailing place on my old car. A little oily, which is good to penetrate and keep the leather soft. The other is some crap I bought at a supermarket (name escapes me) which didn't make the leather softer, but certainly made it feel "protected" since it had a plastic feel to it after you put it on. Unfortunately it also had an "edible scent" to it, as my dachshund proceeded to lick as much as possible off my furniture (not good, I tell him not to consume chemicals but he doesn't listen). I figured the folks here have some better insight, I think the IS has really nice leather and I'd like to keep it that way. The most likely area I need to protect is the steering wheel... in the past, all the sunscreens and lotions and crap that end up on my hands tend to not play well with the leather. The leather on this steering wheel seems soft (maybe more perceptible to wear), so any tips for a good protectant are appreciated.

 

read the bolded part.

 

Thanks, not sure why I missed it the first time.

 

Does the IS have "naked" or "vinyl coated" leather? The 303 aerospace website basically says use their product for vinyl coated, but recommends using Lexol (what I've used in the past) for naked leather. I haven't done the water test but the non-preforated seats in mine feel like naked leather.

http://www.303products.com/shop303/i...ve-leather.cfm

 

our leather is polyurethane coated leather.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/aut...s-leather.html