TurtleWAX - good or bad?

[macstar1]

I used to buy 3M and Turtle Wax pero after looking at displays in several auto shows, , I thought my stuff just cant cut it. I tried other brands but I just couldn't see any difference.

After reading this thread, and several other articles, I figured it has something to do with the way I wax/polish my car. Hence, last weekend, I dug my old turtle wax out of the garage, try to apply what I learned on this forum and voila.

Steps:
1. Wash : 3M Wash and Wax (rinse via water sheating method)
2. Dry using Microtex Chamoise
2. Applied (thin layers) 3M Imperial Hand Glaze using 2 sets of "pranela" (applicator + buffing)
3. Applied TurtleWax Carnauba Wax (Green Bottle - Liquid) using BND ROP
4. Buff using "pranela"
5. Buff using Microtex Ultra Plush

Now, If only we had better roads here at the province.

[archerwin]

hmm... interesting. pranela did not induce any swirls? ok yun.

for me, I use TW liquid wax super hard shell (green) on my stock rims. I've sealed them with Geki and then waxed it with TW. added protection and the clean-up of brake dust and tar is easier. it also limited the use of a wheel cleaner (EO A2Z).

[jimaroquai]

I've been using turtle wax. No complaints naman. Pero I'm trying different kinds to test brand is better. So far, TW is fine with me.

[macstar1]

As for the Pranela not causing swirls, I guess its because pang-tangal lang siya ng residue, final buffing is still thru Microtex UltraPlush.

That was Friday Afternoon WorkOut (Waxing).
Saturday and Sunday - garahe,
Monday - bird dropping sa hood at bubong, tilamsik ng putik sa likod at tagiliran;

kaunting spray ng Meguiars QD, OK na uli. Smooth pa yung buffing, meaning OK pa yung Wax.

Tuesday, puro alikabok sa parking noong umaga, bumuhos ang ulan sa hapon , nagputik ang hood, trunk at bubong. May tilamsik din ng putik sa tagiliran at likod.

Wednesday Morning, before going to work - Konting Meguiars QD - smooth pa rin pero big difference prior Tuesday's rainfall. I guess that's the problem with the TurtleWax I used => Nawa-washoff siya sa heavy downpour. Still there, but signifantly reduced.

Does anybody know if the same thing holds true for more expensive waxes?

By the way, I stand corrected at the shampoo. I used Turtlewax ZIP Wash and Wax pala. Good thing with this product is, para ka na rin ngang nakapag-was. Walang beading and protection, pero ang ganda ng shine nya after buffing.

[buraot]

turtle wax user here for 2 years, ok naman..though i've been hearing about mother's...where can i buy this stuff? ala kasi dito sa gapo nun, eh...sa sm san fernando ba, meron kaya?

[chain]

most of the answers to the queries here can be found sa Detailing Thread...

[waxdaddy]

with regard to quality of shine ok naman ang turtle wax but protection not that sure pati i believe nagiiwan ng powdery residue ang turtle wax. mothers and meguiars are good but i personally prefer formula113 not because I cater to the product but because of personal experience. I've tried almost every other product there is in the market but i was satisfied only with formula113.

www.waxdaddy.ph

[dlim]

ok

[EmersonF]

I've been researching for quite a while now if Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell is indeed mildly abrasive. I have a new Adventure and because its new, I want a wax that will just protect my vehicle and give it a nice shine. I was thinking if Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell was a good 'final' wax since I saw it being used in the Mitsubishi Dealership I bought the Adventure from.

However, I became a bit concerned after reading somewhere that TW Super Hard Shell has some mild abrasives so I did a lot of research. There were only a lot of speculation in the different car forums here and abroad and many are not sure if TW-SHS had abrasive agents. So I decided to research deeper into the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) of the product and did not find any indication of solid particle ingredients - just wax, water, solvents and additives.

However I stumbled across this FAQ page that Turtle Wax had in one of their official websites.

Turtle Wax > FAQs

These are some of their own answers in their FAQ page (You can read the rest in the link above):

What is the difference between wax & polish?
The terms ‘wax’ and ‘polish’ are used interchangeably today. Most waxes and polishes contain mild cleaning agents (safe for clear coat finishes) which remove old wax, minor scratches and everyday oxidation. All polish and wax products clean, shine and protect, unless otherwise stated on the label where a polishing compound will clean and shine only.

Why is some of my car's colour coming off onto the cloth when waxing my car?
The paint that you see on the cloth is dead paint caused by oxidation. It is necessary to remove this oxidised paint in order to maintain shine and protection. Most cars have clear coat finishes and residual colour will not be seen on the polishing rag.

After this research I'm seriously switching to Mother's Carnauba Wax / Wax and Polish Product Line. Make a wild guess why...

They're always stocked full in Ace Hardware SM Sucat for those who are looking...

[EmersonF]

I've been researching for quite a while now if Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell is indeed mildly abrasive. I have a new Adventure and because its new, I want a wax that will just protect my vehicle and give it a nice shine. I was thinking if Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell was a good 'final' wax since I saw it being used in the Mitsubishi Dealership I bought the Adventure from.

However, I became a bit concerned after reading somewhere that TW Super Hard Shell has some mild abrasives so I did a lot of research. There were only a lot of speculation in the different car forums here and abroad and many are not sure if TW-SHS had abrasive agents. So I decided to research deeper into the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) of the product and did not find any indication of solid particle ingredients - just wax, water, solvents and additives.

However I stumbled across this FAQ page that Turtle Wax had in one of their official websites.

Turtle Wax > FAQs

These are some of their own answers in their FAQ page (You can read the rest in the link above):

What is the difference between wax & polish?
The terms ‘wax’ and ‘polish’ are used interchangeably today. Most waxes and polishes contain mild cleaning agents (safe for clear coat finishes) which remove old wax, minor scratches and everyday oxidation. All polish and wax products clean, shine and protect, unless otherwise stated on the label where a polishing compound will clean and shine only.

Why is some of my car's colour coming off onto the cloth when waxing my car?
The paint that you see on the cloth is dead paint caused by oxidation. It is necessary to remove this oxidised paint in order to maintain shine and protection. Most cars have clear coat finishes and residual colour will not be seen on the polishing rag.

After this research I'm seriously switching to Mother's Carnauba Wax / Wax and Polish Product Line.

You can probably guess why...

They're always stocked full in Ace Hardware SM Sucat for those who are looking...

[jhnkvn]

Nothing wrong with using a wax that has minor cleaning agents. A lot of waxes have them after all.

Truthfully, I'm one of those who likes dedicated products. So I want a wax that's just a dedicated wax. However, for people who have bought a TW Turtle Shell.. keep on using it. Don't just throw it away - ayan yun sayang.

[EmersonF]

*jhnkvn

I was just a bit worried because I already used TW Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell on my new vehicle twice already in the past 6 months (bought it last June lang) and Im a bit worried na it may have compromised the clear coat surface. Kasi when the clear coat's gone, it's gone (I think)... :D

In any case, I'm not really thinking of disposing my Super Hard Shell. I'll keep it around for once a year (cleaner?) wax. Though its not categorized as a cleaner wax.

[crosswind]

*jhnkvn

I was just a bit worried because I already used TW Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell on my new vehicle twice already in the past 6 months (bought it last June lang) and Im a bit worried na it may have compromised the clear coat surface. Kasi when the clear coat's gone, it's gone (I think)... :D

In any case, I'm not really thinking of disposing my Super Hard Shell. I'll keep it around for once a year (cleaner?) wax. Though its not categorized as a cleaner wax.

It's not bad for the paint it's a favorite in the states back in the days

[EmersonF]

It's not bad for the paint it's a favorite in the states back in the days

Thanks. Yes, thats what Im seeing in US car detailing forums. It appears to still be the top favorite of Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell long time users. What I really like though with their comments is that even after so many, many years (decades) of use, their cars remain shiny and the paint color is still sharp...

[red_one]

*EmersonF: Pure carnauba wax will not remove paint. Cleaner wax or All-in-one on the other hand, contains mild abrasives but enough only to remove minor swirl marks. This is still less aggressive than dedicated scratch/swirl removers.

I think you missed this entry from your FAQ link.

Does car wax remove the top layer of paint?
No. Applying a wax product to your car's finish will not remove paint from your vehicle. Turtle Wax car polish/wax products do contain slight cleaning agents to remove waxy build up and mild oxidation but also adds a protective layer to your finish.

Turtle Wax > FAQs

In terms of aggressiveness, I will rank products as follows:

Heavy compound (Most aggressive)
Medium compound
Medium polish - Scratch remover, Swirl remover
Light polish - Cleaner polish, Finishing polish, Cleaner wax or All-in-one

How thick is your clear coat? How many times can you polish your car until you remove all the clear coat?

Clear coat = 50.8 microns (2 mils)
Minor swirls = 0.5-1 micron
Medium swirl = 1-2 microns
Deep scratches = 3-4 microns

Assuming you will use cleaner wax or polish every 6 months to remove minor swirls (1 micron thickness), it will take 20-25 years to completely remove all clear coat. At that time, you would need to re-paint the car.

By the way, before I had switched to Meguiar's Ultimate Wax, I personally had used Turtle Wax Carnauba Car Wax. I don't know if this is similar to Super Hard Shell version as the packaging is different.

[EmersonF]

*EmersonF: Pure carnauba wax will not remove paint. Cleaner wax or All-in-one on the other hand, contains mild abrasives but enough only to remove minor swirl marks. This is still less aggressive than dedicated scratch/swirl removers.

I think you missed this entry from your FAQ link.


Turtle Wax > FAQs

In terms of aggressiveness, I will rank products as follows:

Heavy compound (Most aggressive)
Medium compound
Medium polish - Scratch remover, Swirl remover
Light polish - Cleaner polish, Finishing polish, Cleaner wax or All-in-one

How thick is your clear coat? How many times can you polish your car until you remove all the clear coat?

Clear coat = 50.8 microns (2 mils)
Minor swirls = 0.5-1 micron
Medium swirl = 1-2 microns
Deep scratches = 3-4 microns

Assuming you will use cleaner wax or polish every 6 months to remove minor swirls (1 micron thickness), it will take 20-25 years to completely remove all clear coat. At that time, you would need to re-paint the car.

By the way, before I had switched to Meguiar's Ultimate Wax, I personally had used Turtle Wax Carnauba Car Wax. I don't know if this is similar to Super Hard Shell version as the packaging is different.

Red One, thanks for these info, really lifted a ton of weight of my mind. I thought I had scratched my clear coat away. In any case, I've got a few questions:

1. What do you think about Mothers Pure Carnauba California Gold Wax?

2. How much is Meguiar's Ultimate Wax and where can we buy it?

3. Is this a good 3-step process, do you think? Wash > Sealant > Wax (final, pure carnauba)
I really not interested in cleaner waxes and clay bars as of the moment so I'm thinking of an efficient but not that shallow (Wash>Wax) step process.

As per your question, yes Turtle Wax Pure Carnauba is DIFFERENT from Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell. Saw these 2 products as 2 different items.

Thanks in advance, appreciate your input!

[red_one]

Red One, thanks for these info, really lifted a ton of weight of my mind. I thought I had scratched my clear coat away. In any case, I've got a few questions:

1. What do you think about Mothers Pure Carnauba California Gold Wax?

I haven't used it but it should perform well. Mothers is a known car care brand just like Meguiar's.

2. How much is Meguiar's Ultimate Wax and where can we buy it?

Meguiar's Ultimate Wax Paste (311g) - P2,450.00
Meguiar's Ultimate Wax Liquid (473ml) - P2,450.00

Meguiars Philippines

3. Is this a good 3-step process, do you think? Wash > Sealant > Wax (final, pure carnauba)
I really not interested in cleaner waxes and clay bars as of the moment so I'm thinking of an efficient but not that shallow (Wash>Wax) step process.

If you are content with current paint condition, then you can omit claying and polishing steps. Go ahead with your Wash > Sealant > Wax plan. Back read on the 'Detailing' thread and 'Tamang OC' thread as your question was already discussed there.

[EmersonF]

Thanks Red One.

[Beney Andresio]

may nakatry na ba ng Ice product line ng Turtle Wax? abrasive ba siya? Share naman ng experience niyo. Thanks!

[bloowolf]

may nakatry na ba ng Ice product line ng Turtle Wax? abrasive ba siya? Share naman ng experience niyo. Thanks!

I use the Spray version. OK naman kasi it is very easy to apply & remove, no white residue & I can use it on hot surface. It doesn't last as long as paste waxes pero for me, on lang kasi I like to wax my car weekly. The spray version doesn't seem to be abrasive.