Waxing A New Car
No, that new car of yours does not have wax on it

Waxing a new car is a question asked by virtually every new car owner I have ever come across. Clearly the world accepts that cars need to be waxed, but what about your new car?

Does a new car have to be waxed or can you wait, or maybe more importantly, should you wait to wax your new car?

Unfortunately any topic of car care and detailing is filled with so-called experts who will fill your head with limited information at best, and bad information at worst.

You don't spend a fortune on that new car just to be mislead by bad information. You want real answers, form a real person, with real experience!

At least I hope you do! So read on as I unpack this subject and help you become a truly informed new car owner and know what to do next.

Waxing a New Car:
What you need to know

When you buy a new car there is a lot of emotional attachment to your new ride! new cars are not cheap and you likely work very hard for your money. I know I do.

Since the subject of cosmetic car care and detailing is filled with endless so-called experts all trying to gain your attention, I am going to unpack this subject for you so you can become more of an expert than most of the so-called experts found on YouTube and the countless other social media platforms.

The questions are many and the questions I will be answering for you are likely many questions you never even thought to ask when it comes to waxing a new car.

• Should you wax a new car
• Can you wax a new car
• When should you wax a new car
• What is the best wax for a new car
• How often should you wax your car
• Why should you wax a car
• Does the dealership wax your new car
• Should you wax a new paint job

Should You Wax A New Car

Yes! Just like you should wax any car, you need to wax a new car. The dealer nor the manufacturer of your new car does not put any wax on it before you take deliver of your new car.

It would be equivalent to asking if you should put sun screen on a new baby for it's first time in the sun. Of course you would assuming you accept the merits of sun screen.

Why Do You Need To Wax A Car

Perhaps the better question is what purpose does car wax serve for a car. Because if you understood the benefits of car wax then you would also understand why you would want to, or why you would need to wax a car.

Car wax or car paint sealant serves (2) main purposes:

1. Protection
2. Visual enhancement

Car wax which generally uses Brazilian carnauba wax or beeswax, offers protection from the environment. The wax also adds a very thin layer of wax that enhances the shine, depth, and gloss of your car paint.

It is similar to putting sunscreen on your body when you go out into the sun. Your skin looks moisturized and you have a layer of protection against the sun.

Can You Wax A New Car

Yes!

And when I say a brand new car, I mean a brand new car versus an old car with a new paint job. You can and should be waxing a new car!

The factory nor the dealership will put any form of car wax on our car when it arrives at the dealership; not when you buy it or take delivery of it. I don't care what anyone says, unless you literally ask the dealership to make sure the car is washed and waxed before you take delivery of it, it will not have wax on it.

To add greater clarity to this subject; I believe the problem in asking this question starts from the confusion in people talking about waxing a freshly painted car, which is different than waxing a brand new car.

The time between your car rolling off the assembly line, transporting it to the dealership in which you buy your new car, and the time you take delivery of it will be plenty of time for your paint to "cure", if you are under the false impression that paint on your new car must be allowed to cure before waxing a new car.

See next question.

Can You Wax A New Paint Job

Yes and no.

This is truly a question that will deliver a different answer every time you ask the question. So with that said, I will lay out the official "rule" as per the paint manufacturers.

Regardless of where you have your car painted, the paint has been "manufactured" by a company. And regardless of the exact chemical formulation of that paint, chemistry will affect that paint once it has been applied to your car.

There is this process called "cross linking" which is a sophisticated way of saying the curing time. And I mean more than just the paint "drying". At the molecular level, the different chemical molecules will attach to other chemical molecules of that paint formulation. But in order for all the chemical molecules to fully bond, or "cross-link" to each other takes a certain amount of time when left to their natural process. At the factory, most cars once painted, (body panels/components are paint separately before the car is assembled) are "cured" or baked in ovens that accelerate the curing process. Because of this, waxing a new car is not a problem, and is also recommended to get wax on a car new car sooner, not later.

But a new paint job on an old car is different. If you get a new paint job it will not be (as a rule) put into an oven. The new paint job will need time to cure naturally. The majority of paint manufacturers require 30 days of cure time if they are going to honor any warranty that they make to the many body shops that use their paint to repaint cars with.

And once again, not every body shop will even tell you this as they may be using inferior paint from companies that don't warrant their paint product anyways.

When Should You Wax A New Car

Immediately!

And once again, this assumes you accept that car wax serves as both protection and visual enhancement. After all; who doesn't love the look of a freshly washed and waxed car. waxing a new car should always be done sooner rather than later.

And chances are you would likely prefer to have the option of your car paint lasting longer, not shorter in its health and beauty.

So waxing a new car immediately is what this expert recommends.

What Is The Best Wax For A new Car

There is no "special" new car wax. There might be some less-than-scrupulous car wax manufacturer that could possibly label their special wax as formulated to be the best wax for new cars, but this would be purely marketing hype!

Waxing a new car in this context will not require you go searching for the best new car wax. Whatever measurements you use to determine the best car wax regardless of the age of your car, will also be the exact wax when waxing a new car.

I will tell you the car wax that I prefer whether I am waxing a new car or an old car.

Best Car Wax:
Waxing a new car or an old car

Click here to view the product on Amazon

• Perfect for waxing any car.
• The winning balance between features and benefits you will not get elsewhere in many other car waxes.
• Can be used for waxing a new car
• Use as often for waxing a new car as often as you are willing (no fear of wax build-up; which is actually a myth anyways)
• Contains mild polishing agents to restore added shine and depth as you use it:  (diatomaceous earth and aluminum oxide- both are well known polishing agents)
  

Darren's Tips: I have long been quoted as saying that the best car wax is the car wax that makes it onto your car more often, not less often. And while this may seem a bit confusing at first, what I am referring to in a large way is the user experience.

What good is any car wax if all it does is collect dust on the shelf of your garage. You want that wax to make it onto your car paint. And the more often that happens, the better off your car will be!

This will be that wax!

How Often Should You Wax A Car

There is no absolute! There are so many factors that go into this, which is why you will hear and read endless opinions in answer to this question.

Some manufacturers claim 1-4 months of protection, some claim as much as 12 months of protection. It is an almost impossible claim for anyone to back up. And it is this very reason that you will not only hear many claims, but endless opinions.

Because I am neither a chemist or formulator (there is a difference), I could never verify this in the real world never mind in the controlled environment of a lab. So I don't over-think this since much of the reason I wax a new car or any car is based on visual gratification, not just protection.

In my personal world, I use this exact car wax for waxing my new car (BMW M4 at time of this writing) every month. While this would be overkill to most people, I love the look of my car once it has been waxed!

I love it enough to wax my car every month. This car wax is also that easy to use, and that gratifying to use, that it makes waxing my new car that much funner!!

Why Should You Wax A New Car

Beauty and protection!

As stated earlier, these are the two main functions car wax serves. We have learned that no form of car wax protection will come automatically with your new car, so getting a top rated car wax like the one from above onto your car as soon as possible is highly recommended!

Does Wax Come On Your New Car

No, no, and no!

This is one of the most common myths when it comes to waxing a new car. I don't care what you have heard. The factory nor the dealership will have put ANY kind of wax on your new car. Period!

every new car goes through what is called dealer prep (which is something you will be charged for if you look on your paper work) Some people think that this dealer prep includes detailing and waxing their new car.

It does not.

All this means is charging you for the time and effort the dealer must do once the car originally show up from the factory to make it ready for delivery to the buyer, whether this be you or the next person.

The factory will apply lots of protection film on both the exterior and interior of the car to protect it during transportation. This protective film is usually white when applied to the exterior body panels to protect from scrapes and scratches, and usually a clear film on the interior to offer the same protection to interior parts.

The trip between the factory and the final dealer lot can be long, and can go through numerous hands. Someone has to pay to remove all this protective film. That someone is you in the form of dealer prep, but this does not in any way include waxing your car.

Waxing a New Car Summary

New cars are great!

Sure they can cost a whole lot of money, but the emotional high you get with a new car is hard to beat. Waxing a new car will make this even better when you see the end results.

Knowing that your new ride looks better than the day you got it and has a layer of protection on it.

It's amazing how many questions that can arise out of the single topic of waxing a new car! My goal has been to help you to become a fully informed car owner and consumer.

I have always believed that informed people make better choices.

I wish you much success in your detailing efforts.

Sincerely,

Darren Priest

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