The Squeak Test - How to test for the presence of wax

[Mike Phillips]

The Squeak Test - How to test for the presence of wax

This article can be found in the Meguiar's How-To Articles forum

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An accurate indicator of whether there is a protective wax coating on the surface of your car's paint or not is a test Meguiar's has been teaching for probably close to 50 years if not longer. We teach this at all of our detailing classes here at Meguiar's on Saturdays' also, it's called the Squeak Test.

Note: It's vitally important that you first wash your car before performing the squeak test, the paint needs to be clean and free from any dirt or dust. Wiping with a quick detailer may give you a false reading as most quick detailers add gloss and slickness, thus adulterating the test

Here's how you do it, you get a clean, soft 100% cotton terry cloth towel. In this case, I'm using Meguiar's new Soft Buff™ Terry Towels polishing towel.

Lay the towel out flat, then fold it in such a way as to ball it up, in my case, I fold each corner into the middle, and then repeat that a second time.



This gives you a ball of terry cloth toweling that provides a flat surface against your finish, plenty of cushion between your hand and the paint, and something for your hand to grasp onto.



Now, twist the towel firmly against your car's finish in a circular back and forth motion and listen...

If there is silence, and the towel glides and slips on the paint, then there is wax present.

If you hear a squeaking sound, (as in squeaking clean), then there is no wax present, (or very little) and it's time to apply more wax.

Here's how this works,

Your coating of wax acts as a dry lubricant, it creates slip and decrease friction, if there is wax present on the finish, your towel will slip instead of grab and you wont' hear any noise, in other words, you won't hear any friction.


If there is no wax on the surface, then the circular twisting motion will create friction and you will hear a squeaking noise.

Like Meguiar's Swipe Test, is a more accurate indicator of whether a wax has fully dried and is ready to remove, Meguiar's Squeak Test is a more accurate indicator of whether or not their is wax on the surface.

By the word wax, we mean anything that is intended to protect the finish, whether it's labeled polish, or paint protectant, or sealant, or whatever...

If it's a product designed to be applied to the paint to protect it, it can generically be placed into the wax category, or the 4th step of Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle.

Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle

Step 1 Wash

Step 2 Clean

Step 3 Polish

Step 4 Protect
(The wax step, anything that is intended to protect the finish, whether it's labeled polish, or paint protectant, or sealant, or whatever... )

Step 5 Maintain


Hope this helps...

[jahnker]

gR8 roundup as always

[Bence]

Recently, I could hear light squeaking even right after the application of FK Pink Wax, Collinite 845 and Mothers FX Spray Wax...

Done with a Victoria Wax Ultra Plush MF.

[steini]

I too did a full detail 4 weeks ago, used quik wax 2 weeks ago, washed it yesterday, and hear a light squeaking!

How comes?

[J. A. Michaels]

I did not know threr was a scientific term for this. i always thought that if you placed a towel on your finish and it slid off you were good to go. Now I see i was performing a variation of the sqeek test. learn something new all the time. lol lol

[gasti_ako]

nice!

[Megafast13]

I have used some waxes that make the surface squeaky? Interesting write up

[rherring16]

I used the squeak test for the first time today....When are moved very slowly with a fair amount of pressure there was squeaking, when I moved a medium speed there was no squeaking. Is it time to wax again?