Products to stay away from!

[-j]

List the worst product you ever used and a description about it. ie.- How does it work? Why did you buy it? What did it actually do?

Example-
I used a wheel cleaner product that I believe Turtle Wax made that came in two cans. Mysteriously, this product is no longer listed on their website. One can was a cleaner, and the other a sealer for your rims. The downside to this product was the "sealer" can. It sprays a light clear coat over your rims. Looks great at first, but then peels off in spots and is a bitch to take off your rims. Never buy this product if you see it in stores near you!

[i-VTEC]

Never buy any Armor All protectants. I used it on the tires, the gloss only last one or two days. After a car wash or rain, when the protectants are washed off, the tires turn very very brown. It looks like your tires just ran over a puddle of mud.

I bought it in the first place was because I didn't know much about tire dressings before.

[MDC Type-R]

I bought a package of their window wipes, hoping for something that I can keep in the car to wipe off bug splats and gunk from my exterior glass. Boy do these things suck. They're little cloth-esque towlettes in a package kinda like baby-wipes. They take off the shit and clean the windows alright, but leave streaks the size of Teddy Kennedy's drinking problem. Its especially evident on tinted glass, like the sunroof.

My $0.02

--Matt

[-j]

C'mon now people......give up your stories here. Don't be afraid to say you actually used a piece of S#@T product.

[timeboom]

Ok, some people have said that they like Rain-X. However, I've found that this causes more friction between the windshield and the wipers. So, I don't use the stuff.

I've also found that when you replace your wipers, it's best to use original Honda/Acura wiper refills. The rubber is softer.


The end. :)

[-j]

That's very interesting about Rain-X, because I thought it leaves a thin layer of "wax". Hence the water droplet effect wooshing over your windshield at high speeds. How about Fog-X? Anyone use that product?

[iVTEC247]

on my old civic, i had a couple of small scratches that i used scratch removers on to clear up. None of them worked.

G26 (that stuff they have infomercials on) made it even worse. it fuck3d up the finish of all the paint it touched. Stat away from this stuff.

Eagle one scratch remover didnt damage the paint, but it didnt fix the scratch either.

before i moved to all zaino stuff with my rsx, i was using meguairs gold class car shampoo and conditioner. that is good stuff to use. it really creates the sheeting action that it says it does.

[-j]

My car is BLACK....and as all of you who own or have owned a black car, it's the toughest to keep perfect. Though I think it's a beauty when it shines.

Swirl marks are a pain in the ass when you own a dark colored car. I recomend the Scratch X product! You can never get out every little scratch on your paint, but it sure works well.

A product to stay away from is....well.....I would say all Turtle Wax products just suck. Hence why you can find them in your local Supermarkets!


hehe

[dysonl]

Scratch X is mentioned a lot but what about Mothers Scratch Remover? Is it comparable?

Thanks.

[my2k1vtec]

If you want to try something to get all your swirl marks out of a black car, try either 3 M Hand Glaze, or Meguires #7. I have used them both and they work great at removing swirls. If you use #7 Meguires, leave it on the whole car for 30 minutes. You leave it on this long so the oils in the glaze can soak into the paint. Make sure you always apply and remove the glaze and also wax in a back and forth or side to side motion. If you use a circulare motion you will end up making more swirl marks.

[-j]

Excellent input! Please add to this discussion a product to stay away from as well.

[Got_Rice?]

I've noticed that most of those "Scratch remover" products are really crappy when it comes to removing actual scratches from your car. Swirl marks are one thing, but gashes on the paint/clearcoat are pretty impossible to remove with GS27 and other scratch removers, but I've had really good results removing nasty scuff marks off of my car with Mother's scratch remover.

A truck in front of me picked off a Rubber cone, and it flew into my bumper, and left tons of horrible scuffs on my RSX, but I got all of it off using the mother's scratch remover... Thank god for that stuff.

As for products to avoid, I recommend staying away from Rain-X and the like because those products cause a build-up of silicone on the windshield, and it makes the window look unclean after a while. They have silicone build-up removers, but I've only seen them at Japanese import shops.

[my2k1vtec]

I have a garage full of products that I dont like but have bought in the past....
1. Anything Armorall
2. Scratch Fixers like the one mentioned above
3. Dura Shine
4. Any sort of Color Wax.
5. Mothers Carnuba wax
6. Gliptone Teflon Wax...No Difference from the creme wax
Im sure there are more but I would have to go in to the garage and look....

[Alanova]

Stay away: All Armorall products. I used the wheel protectants like i-VTEC said, it shines for like 1-2 days and that's it, make the tires brown too. Also, if you accidently spray into your disk brake and calipers, it will rust the shit out of it! (that's what happened to my sisters 00' Celica GTS) Also, their dash protectant will give you a lot of shine (IMO it's SO ugly!) but also very sticky to touch, it sucked ass!

Some okay shit: I also used Meguire's 3 steps for the car paint. I'll give it an OKAY rating. It shines pretty well but only removes partial swirl marks on the car.

Good stuff: Zaino bros. Their products rule. I also use Mother's product, they have a carnuba wax product which comes with a claybar. I love it. (around $20 a box) Also Meguires Gold class is pretty good if you want a quick wax job.

[F1HONDA_RACING]

I use FUZZ-X to keep the cops off my rear. You just spray it on and the cops can't see you from behind! (Wouldn't that be great!)

I do not like those Armor All wipes. They are full of loose paper fibers that coat your entire surface and actually leave your car more dirty that it was when you started cleaning. Yea, it seems not too many of us condone Armor All....they are just a marketing group, not a car care group.

I used to run around with some people from Barry Meguire's business and they all know their waxes/polishes very well. I would stick with them. If you really want to know what works, just call a Ferrari or Rolls Royce dealership and ask them what they recommend.

[Abel]

Where do you guys buy all this stuff ?
Like Zaino ? Merguires number 7.. etc.
I go to Pep Boys down the street and the best stuff they have is this meguires Banana Wax, it smells good, but man, it seems like every time I wax my car, it attracts more lint and crap !
Help me out guys. what is a wax you would swear by, and where can I get it..
Thanks.
Abel

[Homer2]

I bought all three of those wipes from Armor-All this year. They were on sale , and I wanted to try the window wipes. Couldnt pass up the three pack deal at Wal-Mart.

The window wipes suck. Like it was said above - they leave behind more than they remove. Convenience my ass.

Now all that armor-all sits lonely in my garage - waiting for an unsuspecting person to use. I wont put it on my dash either - way too reflective. I use the zaino leather care on my dash - low-medium gloss, and since it is applied with a terry cloth - no residue.

have also tried those colored waxes in the past. worked great - for about a day - then they kinda wash off - like all cheap waxes.

3M makes great swirl remover products if you wanna risk abrasives on your paint - I have been very careful about it - I will likely end up using mine over the winter. Any abrasives remove clearcoat - and that isnt a good thing. Caution and a test area are suggested starting points. :p

[bartman911]

Abel, www.zainobros.com , do a search and look at all the cars with that Zaino shine.