# how soon can i wax my car after being sprayed?



## focustjohn (Sep 12, 2013)

Im having some work done on my car, bonnet, wing front bumper resprayed as someone reversed into it doing minimal damage, nevertheless they are paying for it!

but how long do you have to wait until i can wax it?

iv seen a horror story a couple of months ago when after my mates car had a respray he wax oiled it and it fish eyed all over the car. 

if i cant wax what else can i use to protect it until it has cured properly?

thanks
john


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## Car Key (Mar 20, 2007)

3 months


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## Welshquattro1 (Dec 6, 2013)

I asked this and got lots of different answers! I left mine to be safe.


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## Chris_911 (Jul 31, 2013)

Car Key said:


> 3 months


I'm struggling to believe it's that long. Surely most new cars are significantly less than 3 months old when they get to the supplying dealer and are PDI'd and waxed?


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## efib (Sep 18, 2012)

I left mine for 3 months just to be safe, 2 months would probably be ok though.
I've done some research and I came up with these ^ conclusions :thumb:


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## Andyb0127 (Jan 16, 2011)

focustjohn said:


> Im having some work done on my car, bonnet, wing front bumper resprayed as someone reversed into it doing minimal damage, nevertheless they are paying for it!
> 
> but how long do you have to wait until i can wax it?
> 
> ...


Its called the out gassing process, where the paint is still curing. This process will take 10-12 weeks. 
Waxing the car will will be fine, its sealents you can't apply as it will stop the curing process.

As for your friends car, was it wax oyled before it was painted. As that would cause the issue he had. But that said the body shop should of degreased it properly and prepped it properly.


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## Andyb0127 (Jan 16, 2011)

Chris_911 said:


> I'm struggling to believe it's that long. Surely most new cars are significantly less than 3 months old when they get to the supplying dealer and are PDI'd and waxed?


That's because when there painted at the manufacturers, they are high baked, when sprayed at a body shop in an oven its low bake.


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## squiggs (Oct 19, 2009)

Chris_911 said:


> I'm struggling to believe it's that long. Surely most new cars are significantly less than 3 months old when they get to the supplying dealer and are PDI'd and waxed?


But a new car is done in factory to very exacting standards - the shell would be painted, lacquered with precise and even coats applied by a robot and then baked at precisely the correct temp for the exactly the correct amount of time.

Bodyshops are never going to be as precise as a factory.

And you'd be surprised how long it takes for cars leaving a factory to end up on someones drive - some travel halfway round the world by ship before being stuck in a field somewhere waiting to be ordered.

Anyway to answer your question I'd leave it about 6 weeks to be safe - but in this colder damper weather I'd leave it longer.
A respray has to 'gas off' .... even though it's been baked there will still be solvents that have to naturally escape over time. If you lock them in it can cause problems.


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## focustjohn (Sep 12, 2013)

Thanks for all the advice! I think I will leave it a couple of months, is their anything I can do to protect the paint? 

I don't like the fact of my paint being bare :/ especially with the terrible weather were having!


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## focustjohn (Sep 12, 2013)

Andyb0127 said:


> Its called the out gassing process, where the paint is still curing. This process will take 10-12 weeks.
> Waxing the car will will be fine, its sealents you can't apply as it will stop the curing process.
> 
> As for your friends car, was it wax oyled before it was painted. As that would cause the issue he had. But that said the body shop should of degreased it properly and prepped it properly.


I'm not sure mate he said eh wax oiled and it fish eyed all over his paint.


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## squiggs (Oct 19, 2009)

focustjohn said:


> Thanks for all the advice! I think I will leave it a couple of months, is their anything I can do to protect the paint?
> 
> I don't like the fact of my paint being bare :/ especially with the terrible weather were having!


Think of all the cars standing in a field waiting for a customer .... yours was there once :thumb: No harm done


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## focustjohn (Sep 12, 2013)

squiggs said:


> Think of all the cars standing in a field waiting for a customer .... yours was there once :thumb: No harm done


Yeah suppose, it wil only be for 2 months! I'm planning on doing it's first machine polish soon aswel but I won't need to do the bits that have been sprayed


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