2 Questions (tires & engine bay)

[LimeStang]

Now that I've figured out the best products for my paint, I'm now going to focus on detailing the engine bay. I'm also looking to clean up my tires too.

#1. In regards to the tires, I've been using a can of Meguiar's Hot Shine to give the tires a "wet" look. I don't know whether I'm spraying too much on the tires or whether I'm using it too often. There seems to be a buildup of grease on the sidewalls. I'm not getting the shine that I did when I first started using this product.

Is there a different Meguiars product I can buy that will remove this grease and shine up the tires without leaving a buildup?. I used to use a spray made by Michelin and it worked good. However they discontinued making the stuff and it wasn't as glossy as the Meguiars brand.

#2. My engine bay is already clean but needs to be shined up a bit. What would you recommend using to shine up the hoses and plastic?. I've been using ICE on some of the plastic parts and it's been ok. But I hear people talking about using tire shine to spray on these parts. Is this safe for the rubber???.

In the past, I used A/C Delco engine shampoo and found that it dulled the paint on my 2001 Mustang (only the engine bay). I guess there wasn't any clearcoat. So I started using Spray9 and it's safe and works very well.

I'd love to be able to shine up this engine bay, but have no idea what I should be using.

Any suggestions?

[Jeepster04]

Re: 2 Questions (tires & engine bay)

Ive tried meguiars Super D and it doesnt do near as good a job as bleche wite. That stuff takes just about everything off the tires, just make sure you dont inhale it or get it on any paint at all.

[Derrick]

Re: 2 Questions (tires & engine bay)

Well when you are using a dressing it will tend to build up unless you use a water based dressing like Hyperdressing that will wash off after time because it is water based. If you want a dressing to last a long time and no build up just make sure to clean the tires with your regular washes before redressing them. I use super degreaser to clean off the tires and give them a good scrub down with every wash then follow with megs tire foam and Hot Shine Tire Gel or Spray. For shining up the engine bay i really like hyper dressing for this area. Here is a pic of the stuff i use in the engine bay to really make it pop. I made this pic for another thread and i think it was a big help. As i stated in the other thread the only thing missing in the pic that i use is the Turtle Wax Ice Polish only because it is easy to use and i only use it on the paint surfaces in the engine bay. Because its ability to go on just about anything you can really reach all those hard to get areas of the paint surface without worrying about getting wax residue everywhere. Forgot to menchon, forget everything in the background just the products i moved to the front.

[Erik Mejia]

Re: 2 Questions (tires & engine bay)

Like Jeepster04 said, you need to clean the tire with a stiff bristle brush and something like bleche white to remove anything that is on the tire before applying a dressing. Doing this will allow the tire dressing to adhere to the sidewall and provide the best shine possible.

[Erik Mejia]

Re: 2 Questions (tires & engine bay)

Almost forgot, for your engine bay try some hyper dressing... smells good and leaves a nice adjustable shine.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: 2 Questions (tires & engine bay)

Every time I wash the vehicles, I use APC and a stiff brush on the tires. When I use the Hot shine I wait about 20 minutes later and use a foam tire applicator pad from ADS and remove any excess. This helps in regards to build up in the future.

[roushstage2]

Re: 2 Questions (tires & engine bay)

My list of favorite products for cleaning tires is:
Meguiar's APC
Meguiar's APC+
Meguiar's NXT Tire Foam
Meguiar's Super Degreaser (if there is something horrible like Black Magic Titanium Gel on there)
Eagle One A2Z Wheel and Tire Cleaner (my favorite as of late since they came out with a foam aerosol version).

[LimeStang]

Re: 2 Questions (tires & engine bay)

Well when you are using a dressing it will tend to build up unless you use a water based dressing like Hyperdressing that will wash off after time because it is water based. If you want a dressing to last a long time and no build up just make sure to clean the tires with your regular washes before redressing them. I use super degreaser to clean off the tires and give them a good scrub down with every wash then follow with megs tire foam and Hot Shine Tire Gel or Spray. For shining up the engine bay i really like hyper dressing for this area. Here is a pic of the stuff i use in the engine bay to really make it pop. I made this pic for another thread and i think it was a big help. As i stated in the other thread the only thing missing in the pic that i use is the Turtle Wax Ice Polish only because it is easy to use and i only use it on the paint surfaces in the engine bay. Because its ability to go on just about anything you can really reach all those hard to get areas of the paint surface without worrying about getting wax residue everywhere. Forgot to menchon, forget everything in the background just the products i moved to the front.

Wow!, and I thought I had a large collection of waxes and detailing stuff .

The picture is very helpful (thanks). I've never seen that bottle of Hyper Dressing for sale in any stores here in Ontario. I'll have to do a google search and see where I can get some of that stuff. Do you know whether it comes in a smaller bottle?. Will it help darken up the black plastic?. I assume you just spray the stuff over the engine and rinse it off with water. Usually, I cover up the sensors, alternator, etc with tin foil and give the engine a light rinse.

[Derrick]

Re: 2 Questions (tires & engine bay)

Thank you and yes i do try to keep alot on hand and i love Meguiar's. As for the Hyperdressing i got this from Meguiars.com and i think you can get it from autodetailingsolutions.com as well. Since this is a water based dressing you will not want to rinse it with water after applying it as this will remove all the dressing. HyperDressing is meant to be applied after you have already wash and cleaned the engine bay then you can use a foam brush like the one shown in the picture or another type of rag to apply the dressing and yes it will do wonders for the black plastic.You want to apply it and let it dry onto the plastic or as some people will do is turn on the engine and let it cure that way. As for all my products i do run my own business so i have to keep alot on hand but i still have more in my truck and inside the house but i cant wait till i get to add #105 and 151 to my little collection . Oh i wanted to add that hyperdressing is also dilutable to reach your desired shine and not to mention the smell is unbelievable. Every time i use it im temped to just taste it

[rebelde33]

Re: 2 Questions (tires & engine bay)

I use Eagle One A2Z Wheel and Tire Cleaner and it works wonders at cleaning the wheels and tires. You would need to follow this up with brushes to get everything off.

[LimeStang]

Re: 2 Questions (tires & engine bay)

Thank you and yes i do try to keep alot on hand and i love Meguiar's. As for the Hyperdressing i got this from Meguiars.com and i think you can get it from autodetailingsolutions.com as well. Since this is a water based dressing you will not want to rinse it with water after applying it as this will remove all the dressing. HyperDressing is meant to be applied after you have already wash and cleaned the engine bay then you can use a foam brush like the one shown in the picture or another type of rag to apply the dressing and yes it will do wonders for the black plastic.You want to apply it and let it dry onto the plastic or as some people will do is turn on the engine and let it cure that way. As for all my products i do run my own business so i have to keep alot on hand but i still have more in my truck and inside the house but i cant wait till i get to add #105 and 151 to my little collection . Oh i wanted to add that hyperdressing is also dilutable to reach your desired shine and not to mention the smell is unbelievable. Every time i use it im temped to just taste it

I'm been meaning to reply...

I'll check out that website and see whether I can order some hyper dressing. Is it safe for the rubber hoses and plastics?. I mean, it won't dry out the rubber will it?. Also, will it damage the paint if I happen to get some overspray on it?.

My engine bay is pretty clean but still has some crud that is hard to clean. There's so many wires and sensors that it makes it nearly impossible to clean every square inch. I usually cover over the senors, alternator, fusebox with tinfoil and use spray9 to remove the dirt. Then I give the engine a light spray with the garden hose. I've seen some guys take a hose and practically drown their engine in water while it was running. I'm not sure it's a good idea with all this computer stuff.

[Derrick]

Re: 2 Questions (tires & engine bay)

yes it is safe for all the plastic and hoses and will not dry them out. It wont damage paint that I'm aware of and have never had a problem but it will smear and be difficult to remove if left for to long. i would suggest not spraying hyper dressing everywhere anyways. Just use a rag or a foam brush like in the photo i provided. They are only about 98 cents at any local walmart

[LimeStang]

Re: 2 Questions (tires & engine bay)

I just spent an 1 1/2 hours trying to scrub the old **** off my tires. I used soapy water and a good brush. It wasn't easy.

I'm not sure that I want to continue using Meguiar's hot shine anymore. It gives a nice shine but it's hard to clean off. All the dust and stuff gets stuck to the tires. My tires have so many little grooves and it's a nightmare to clean the grease buildup.

I've been looking at the NXT tire shine. Is it any better?.

I love spending time detailing my car, but I just don't have the patience to scrub down tires.

[Derrick]

Re: 2 Questions (tires & engine bay)

Well i use Super Degreaser on the tires and it just melts everything right off. You can just spray it on and watch the the grease and gunk flow right off. I still use a good brush but its not hard at all, just a quick wipe around the tire with the brush and it looks like new. I have tried the NXT but you will run into the same problems of things sticking to it. Are you driving the vehicle right after applying? I know if you let it sit for a while after applying it, it stops attracting everything like you say and there are less chances of sling. If you just apply and go driving around then everything will get stuck to the tires.

[LimeStang]

Re: 2 Questions (tires & engine bay)

Well i use Super Degreaser on the tires and it just melts everything right off. You can just spray it on and watch the the grease and gunk flow right off. I still use a good brush but its not hard at all, just a quick wipe around the tire with the brush and it looks like new. I have tried the NXT but you will run into the same problems of things sticking to it. Are you driving the vehicle right after applying? I know if you let it sit for a while after applying it, it stops attracting everything like you say and there are less chances of sling. If you just apply and go driving around then everything will get stuck to the tires.

I go driving about 30 mins after applying the product. Maybe I'm applying too much on these tires?. I usually attend the local car show every Saturday and I like the tires to look "wet". The problem is that if I spray them down today, by next week they will have lost that wet look.

I never ran into this problem when I was using the Michelin brand of tireshine but of course their stuff never provided the same level of shine like Meguiars.