If in KL, I got mine at electronics shop in Jalan Pasar.

If u think the price is right, then go for it before the rust gets worse.

The only one that I know of that some local car wash that claim chemical wash is using diesel or kerosene. It is definitely effective in removing tree sap and tar spots, but the safety aspect is highly debated among detailers. Some say that diesel can potentially dull paint, some say that its safe so long as it doesnt sit and dry on the paint. There is no firm answer on its safety on car paint unfortunately.

There are also now car wash products in other countries where the wash soap is aggressive enough to remove all forms of stubborn dirt, and this is commonly used to wash lorries and commercial vehicles. I not sure if the product have been brought here to be used.

However, the biggest known issue with any of these aggressive soap wash or chemical wash is it will most likely strip most forms of sealant/wax applied, and probably damage coating as well. This is the biggest reason why many detailers do not prefer any form of aggressive soaps and chemical washes as it then wastes their applied protection products. Just my 2 sen.

As I know Makita 9227c is roughly RM900, but it is supposed to be phased out and replaced with its heavier brother Makita 9237c which price is around RM1000.

Not sure about the price, but if its that price I'd rather get a Rupes. Just my 2 sen.

If window cleaners cant remove the water marks from windows/windshield, then need to polish. Preferably u will need to find a polish cream that contains Cerium Oxide, as that is best for removing water marks from windows. One product that I know of sold locally is Carpro Ceriglass.

For both dashboard and leather seats, after regular car wash should use a damp microfiber towel to wipe clean those areas.

For dashboard (and generally plastic and vinyl areas), also be good to apply some form of interior protectant every 6 months to 1 year. This is especially if your car is commonly parked under our hot sun.

For leather seats, u can use some form of all-purpose cleaner (APC) to clean it more thoroughly, but should always follow up with a leather conditioner protectant to keep the leather soft. This probably can be done every 6 months to 1 year also, depending on its condition.

Mmm, I have personal preference towards Meguiars and Carpro right now, but do feel free to try other products also.

Erm, doesnt it make more sense to use Glo AFTER polish? Could remove polish oils all at one go. Just me 2 sen, hehe

Erm, as I know there isnt much u can do, unless u are willing to take risk. There are products that can polish plastics, such as Meguiars PlastX, but u should test first. If it works then the scratch will clear with no side effects, but if it doesnt then the plastic will look blur. All the best.

Big difference, namely KP600 doesnt have much power to do anything compared to most other forms of DA. Maybe it can wax a car, but thats about it. Other DAs can wetsand/compound/polish the car with variable speeds.

The other difference is that most other DA polishers have much better pads compatibility than KP600. Typical standard DA runs on a velcro backing plate that uses pads with velcro back.

Meguiars Wheel Brightener, dilutable so can be cost effective, but some agitation via brushing required.

Alternatively u can look for alkaline based wheel cleaner instead, which I can recommend Carter Wheel Cleaner (this is what I am currently using). Minimal to no agitation required, just spray the chem on rims whether its been pre-rinsed or not, wait for 3-4 mins (I usally take that time to prep my wash soap), then hose off with water and 80%-90% of the dirt goes off. I even use it on my wheel arches. Works great but dont smell the spray mist.

Consumer grade stuff I get off Ace Hardware (wash soap only these days). Professional grade stuff off my former detailing shop supplier or Autogeek US (depending on weight and shipment cost).

Meguiars are not well known to make DA polishers even though their marketing team try very hard to sell their machines.

For DA, u could also look for Osren has they have a few models and are cheaper than RM1600. Also, u can look in aliexpress for some quality Rupes clones (there are actually some reviews on these clones). If u have money to blow then go for the current best and get Rupes.

If u are on a budget, consider researching for a DA that can change backing plates. As I know there are some models of DA that can interchange 5" and 3" backing plates (I am currently selling one Porter Cable).

If I remember correctly its RM165 for the Cartec Wheel Cleaner.

AutoColorTech Marketing Sdn Bhd is the authorized distributor for Cartec and Rupes products. U can google them for their official website, address location and contact number. U could possibly deal with them via FB also (search Rupes Malaysia or Cartec Malaysia). They are based at Kuchai Entrepreneur's Park in KL.

One note on the product: Comparing between Meguiars Wheel Brightener and Cartec Wheel Cleaner, Meguiars can dilute between 1:1 to 1:4 ratio, so if talking about value for money, then Meguiars wins hands down. I am not sure if Cartec can dilute as I have never tried. But Meguiars Wheel Brightener definitely need to agitate with brush before rinse, whereas Cartec Wheel Cleaner dont need.

Yes, price for 1 gallon. Just update that I read somewhere online that Cartec Wheel Cleaner can dilut 1:1.

Ah I see. U dont clay prior to polish?

Lol, in all fairness the 9227c is a workhorse, rarely breaks down. Only issue is the head of the machine is bare metal, so feels hot if wanna hold there for polishing. The heavier brother 9237c has a thick plastic covering the head, so more comfortable to hold. I normally dont use the D-handle cuz not convenient to me when polishing sides.

Haha, never got used to the D handle or side handle to be honest. I hold rotary same was as DA, holding the tail and trigger with right hand and head with left hand. Personally it gives me more control of its movement and also tilting whenever I need to. Just personal experience and preference I guess, hehe

I think good or not good or worth or not worth is a subjective matter to each individual. It depends on what u are trying to achieve and to what extent u want to achieve it.

Do u regularly wash your car? Are u very particular about the shine of your car and like to see it polished to perfection and kept that way for as long as possible? Do u wax or protect your car regularly? Are u obsessed about seeing water beading on your car when it rains? If u said no to some or all of these questions, then probably coating isnt necessary for u. Just my 2 sen.

If u answered all the questions as yes, then u are in the correct forum, welcome to the club!

Hmm, I would have to clarify first what coating is. Coating is generally a semi-permanent liquid that is applied onto your car and hardens into a thin layer of durable protection. It is also very hydrophobic in nature. Durability averages 2-5 years depending on how u care for your car.

To say that your car does not require polish after coating is not entirely true. While there is high chances are your car paint will remain in good condition, however your coating will not. Your paint may not scratch, but your coating will. Your paint will not have water spots, but your coating will.

The car wash recommendation regime doesnt change, which is weekly wash. Even though the dirt, grime and other stuff may not reach your paint, but if u let it sit and bake by the sun on your coating for too long (say 1 month or more), it will still eat your coating eventually. Even more so many ppl who have done coating complain of a very visible problem, which is water spots (especially dark cars). The other common issue that even coating has limitations to is bird poop. Bird poop can still eat through coating and reach the paint and deeper.

However, despite all the disadvantages I highlighted, u may ask why then so many detailing shops crazily advertise coating. The first advantage is that it will be easier to wash your car because the dirt and grime washes off much easier than compared to naked paint. To maintain the coating even longer, some use spray sealant/wax to topup as the sacrificial layer instead of the coating. So any contaminants sticks to the sealant/wax instead and gets washed off and coating stays clean and strong.

Why coating is generally charged expensive? Firstly, price of coating itself is expensive. 1 coating set costs on average RM300-700 depending on brand. Secondly, the preparation step is much more in depth. Good detailing shops generally will do very heavy compounding and polishing to ensure that 90%-99% of defects have been removed before applying coating. This is because if coating is applied with defect still exist and customer complains, then they have to compound just to remove the coating layer and re-work it again (waste of product). Thirdly, some items used for coating purposes are thrown away after use, such as applicator pads and 2-3 microfiber cloths, because residue product will harden on them and render them unsafe for future use.

Hope this answers some of your questions regarding coating. The decision whether to coat or not is entirely up to u. To everyone else, sorry for the long post.

This post has been edited by blurcase: Aug 2 2017, 09:12 PM

Mmm, think the reason u are getting the idea that ppl in this topic do coating themselves is because a majority of us here are home DIY detailers. So instead of paying shop to do the detailing for us, we do it ourselves at home.

Technically yes, coating can sustain anywhere between 2-5 years, but the key point is coating still requires care like car paint itself, so regular washing is still required.

Perhaps to clarify, polish is only needed when u need to remove defects that cant be removed via washing or claying. The more specific cases requiring polishing/compounding would be to remove scratches/swirls/embedded water spots and to bring back the shine of the paint that has been dulled by such defects. So if your paint is in shiny and scratch/swirl free condition, then polishing is not necessary.

My friend's car wash shop uses their bubble wash (without wax), tire shine (high viscosity) and tar remover. Bubble wash works decently, tire shine abit watery for a high viscosity label, tar remover works well but need to re-wash area sprayed before continue (suspect tar remover smells more like diesel or kerosene type).

Erm, no car soap or shampoo? Thats not really washing, is it?

By that I believe he meant using a hard clearcoat rather than soft one. Hard clearcoats are definitely not cheap, I once got my regular painter and repair guy show me German hard clearcoat, RM200 1 can, probably enough to cover give or take a quarter of the car maybe. The advantage to hard clearcoat is that it usually is quite resistant to regular wash swirls and scratches, the disadvantage is scratches are harder to remove generally.

Lol, chill chill guys! Everyone's method can be different, cuz every car can also be different. I would think it is not impossible for a hard clearcoat to withstand even using just water and sponge wash. I have witnessed myself hard clearcoat benefits, my father in law sends his Audi to roadside low-end wash all the time, when I inspected it once for polishing, I discover almost 0 defects, so end up just waxing the car instead.

For Gamer, chill bro! just to be sure u realize that your previous car's clearcoat is among the exceptional ones, so agreeable u use the method that u did. But beware that other cars may not be the same, so maybe not advisable to do the same wash with other cars u own, hehe...

For N33d, chill bro! It is true what u say also that soap also acts as lube for washing, and from best practice standpoint sponge and just plain towels are not the best tools to use for scrubbing cars. I also follow that rule with all cars I detail to be safe, and use only microfiber wash mitt for many years now. Once upon a time I also used sponge on my old car washing, and learn hard lessons from it (I sent my car for respray every 3-4 years back then).

Lets all not bash at each other on who's right and who's wrong. I believe every car is different, everyone's level of enthusiasm and skill on detailing is also different. We are all here to share knowledge and experiences and joy of detailing.

Peace?

Hmm, not sure, I suppose if it is tagged as car shampoo coming from Amway, it should be reasonably safe. But perhaps u wanna compare in term of cost effectiveness with other brands? As I know Amway bottles are usually not very big, maybe 1 to 1.5 liter. Other car wash products in the common market like AEON would sell easily 1.5 to 3 liter bottles.