2012 Suzuki Kizashi Sport MT

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KlutzNinja
Posts: 286
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2019 6:58 am

NickL wrote: Sun Feb 06, 2022 12:15 pm Doors are solid on Japanese cars, but to be honest I previously owned two Civics, one was 2009 and the orher one was 2012.
In my experience with 8th- and 9th-gen Civics, your critiques of paint quality are fair. Although I thought the older Civics in the US were a bit different from those in Europe? I wonder if the paint and build quality differs. Lots and lots of these older Civics buzzing around here in Southern California, many of which have paint damage. I suspect that the owners either left them out in the sun constantly (i.e. no garage to park in at home) and/or washed them with dish soap and then didn’t follow-up with a last step protection layer (e.g. wax). It is something I’ve noticed people with less expensive cars tend to do if they’re into cleaning their own cars but are simultaneously not knowledgeable about car paint maintenance. People with higher end or newer cars usually invest in actual car soaps or instead have someone else clean and detail their cars.

And yes, that just sounds like general paint negligence (which I am a little guilty of myself, at least when it comes to washing frequency :oops:), but the ubiquity of paint issues among Civics from this time period is a little suggestive. Like it’s literally every other Civic I see that has damage. Maybe Civic owners in my area just suck at keeping the paint clean and protected :lol:.

I had a classmate with an 8th-gen Civic; she cleaned it herself pretty regularly, but with dish soap. Had some sun damage and early signs of fading. She now has an Infiniti (barf) and cleans that with car soap, but possibly doesn’t top off with wax or use microfiber equipment, so there’s a good chance she’s scratching her paint and not leaving it protected :lol:. Oh well.

The current Civics and Accords have much nicer paint. Very glossy with decent depth, depending on the color. The metallic blue is pretty killer. And I walked past a silver 10th-gen Civic hatchback last night whose paint looked great. I’m curious to see when the paint damage will start showing up on these newer Civics.

Not to go off on a paint care tangent, but dish soap is bad because it strips waxes and other layers that protect from UV rays and the elements. So it might sound like a good stripper soap to prep a car for new wax and/or sealant, but it’s also damaging to the black rubber seals around stuff like the windshield. This might explain why the rubber around my car’s rear glass was cracking and peeling off before I ever got it; the previous owner probably cleaned this way. Luckily the glass itself is fine - no leaks or anything. My brother’s Escape has some terrible peeling and cracking around his windshield, though, to the point of possibly needing replacement. So, PSA to anyone in general: don’t use dish soap when washing a car.
Current: Blue 2018 Mazda 3 GT 5-Door
Previous: Blue 2010 Ford Focus SES,
Black 2013 Kizashi Sport GTS-L (CVT; FWD)(RIP)
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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

I've also heard of the Civic's poor paint. It's actually somewhat notorious for it and fades much quicker than most other cars.

I also second the opinion about not using dish soap. It's so easy to get car wash formulated not to damage the finish of the vehicle. I think most people who use dish soap are simply ignorant of the damage it can do to the finish.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
NickL
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2020 8:46 pm

Darker colors on Civics used to fade quicker, and especially red. This color needed a lot of care if the owner didn't want it to fade as soon as it was 10 years old. However, Civics are made as economical cars, and from that side it doesn't suprise me that the Paint finish is not at the level of some more expensive cars.

Anyway, washing the car with dish soap must be one of the most stupid decisions when it comes to car washing. I was convinced that every single car driver at least knows with what should they wash their cars. I was obviously wrong.

I always try to avoid the Car wash where you park your car inside the garage and the brushes and chemicals are washing the car. These brushes are so intense and rough that they use to ripe the plate holder or rear wipers from cars. If they do that, can you imagine what is it doing to a paint on a long run?

I wash my car exclusively on a car wash where I can use wash Gun wit lot of attention and with minimum 30 cm distance when spraying. I usually don't use the car wax in car wash as I don't see the point of aplying the liquid wax on a car which will be blown away as soon as the wind starts to blow. I rather apply harder waxes on the entire car by hand, and then polish it with a clean microfiber rug. I do that twice a year and wash my car every 2 weeks. That is minimum what I can do for my Kizzy because it is staying on the parking lot but without Garage...
"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing". H. Ford
KlutzNinja
Posts: 286
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2019 6:58 am

The average wax, be it solid or liquid, will last about 2-3 months. So if you want year-round protection I would apply it more often. Something like a spray wax will help to maintain the true wax in between applications, best applied right after your casual biweekly car washes. A good sealant should provide protection for about twice as long as a wax if properly maintained. You can also use both if you want the shine from a wax. Sealant should be applied first, though.
What kinds of car soap and wax do you use? Like which brands?

I think you meant buffing with the microfiber towels instead of polishing? In car detailing, polishing means to use an abrasive substance (polish) to gently smooth down the scratches in the paint’s clear coat layer so that they’re on a more even level. Scratches can happen from claying the car to remove bonded contamination (e.g. pollution, sap mist, etc.) or improper washing/drying techniques, to list a couple of reasons. It’s harder to apply waxes and sealants if the paint still has these bonded contaminants, so claying is a necessary evil. The bigger the scratches, the worse that light reflects off the paint; it will look duller compared to a car with fewer scratches. Removing scratches lets light reflect off paint better, providing that glossy appearance. Products like glaze fill in the scratches temporarily.
Because black Kizashis have such thin paint, I’m concerned with polishing my car further. I’m not sure sure how much clear coat is left but I don’t want to risk it. The next time I detail my car I’ll just use glaze before applying wax.

Sorry for the tangent - been reading a lot about detailing lol.
Current: Blue 2018 Mazda 3 GT 5-Door
Previous: Blue 2010 Ford Focus SES,
Black 2013 Kizashi Sport GTS-L (CVT; FWD)(RIP)
NickL
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2020 8:46 pm

Yeah, I meant buffing with the rug, not really polishing the paint with some agressive chemicals.

I used Turtle Wax and Sonax. I find both of them to be good, only the Sonax smelles better.

Most probably I should apply the Wax more than 2 times a year, but it takes a lot of time to do it, to apply the wax with a hand on the entire car and then to wipe it down completely with clean rugs. And I live in the city where I need to look for some kind of free Parking lot where I can do it...

One more question. When applying the Wax from a washing gun in a Car wash, should I be wiping the car with the rugs after that or should I only let it dry outside?
"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing". H. Ford
KlutzNinja
Posts: 286
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2019 6:58 am

I’ve never gone to a car wash like that, or any car wash recently for that matter, but I looked around online to learn a bit more about using the wax at a self-service car wash. I can’t speak to German standards (I’d assume they’re at least better than American standards :lol:), but over here the wax at these car washes is kind of an unknown. Most places probably don’t say what brand or kind of wax is used, and regardless, it’s probably diluted to the point that its value is questionable. Some people believe that it’s just another way to get customers to spend more time and thus spend more money, assuming the car wash charges by time spent. And at best, it’ll give your paint about a week of protection before it wears off. But again, there’s no telling how diluted it is. I’ve read some places just use diluted mineral oil for their “wax” option.
Personally if I went to such a place, I’d wash my car, drive over to a parking space (assuming there is one), and then apply my own spray wax. At least in that case I know what product is being used on my car. From what I’ve seen, these car washes basically use spray wax, not true wax, and again it’s likely diluted for easier application and cost.
If you absolutely have to use the wax at a car wash, I saw someone use a water spray after the wax, before it dried. I’d assume you dry it after that.
Also, I would never use the scrubber brushes at these places. Great way to get scratch marks lol.

I get not having the time to detail your car; I haven’t cleaned my car much because I just can’t find the right time and conditions to do so.
Current: Blue 2018 Mazda 3 GT 5-Door
Previous: Blue 2010 Ford Focus SES,
Black 2013 Kizashi Sport GTS-L (CVT; FWD)(RIP)
NickL
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2020 8:46 pm

Well, because the quality of the Paint on Suzuki Rims is such a crap and started to fade over time, I decided to do a professional repaint of the wheels. The only "Problem" is that the Rims are now having a bit brighter silver color then it isued to be. Before they were some kind of a bit chromed silver and now it is bright silver and the Caps in the middle are now a bit darker because they are not repainted.

What do you think guys, should I stick to these Caps or should I maybe buy the black and silver Suzuki Caps?
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"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing". H. Ford
KlutzNinja
Posts: 286
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2019 6:58 am

Is it normal for the caps to not be repainted? My caps have paint chipping problems, too, so if I ever got my wheels redone I’d hope they’d also get painted. Is it possible for the shop to repaint the caps since their color is not aligned with the wheels anymore?
KuroNekko had his wheels repainted a while ago and the shop applied a clear coat to them, if I recall right, which made the paint much more durable. Did your paint job get a clear coat, too? Might be worth it.

I’d hold off on the black and silver caps if you can get your caps repainted, because what if those don’t match, either? Lol. The color difference isn’t super noticeable here. At least in passing, in this photo’s lighting.
Current: Blue 2018 Mazda 3 GT 5-Door
Previous: Blue 2010 Ford Focus SES,
Black 2013 Kizashi Sport GTS-L (CVT; FWD)(RIP)
SteveMessy
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2022 3:02 pm

I have just had my bonnet/hood replaced as it started to rust from between the outer and inner skins at the very front, just above the S badge. Seems that area is a trap for water. Had the new one sealed when new to prevent this re-occuring.
NickL
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2020 8:46 pm

Hi Steve.

What did you use to seal the bonnet from preventing the rust? Can you take a picture or two and post it? Thanks in advance.
"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing". H. Ford
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