do i need to strip wax

[rdockery_3]

Is there any need to strip old wax before waxing your car? Ive always washed the car in dawn when I'm going to wax it but is there really any need? And I was also wondering will dawn do anything to a synthetic wax? I know dawn won't remove sealants like zaino.

[Buck91]

Check out this thread.

That said, I would be curious as to who thinks pre-wax wax removal is important vs. not.

[Murr1525]

No need really.

[Don]

[Marc08EX]

It would be better but it's not necessary if you're putting on a different wax. It's definitely not needed if you're putting the same wax as the previous coat.

[Michael Stoops]

To some degree it depends on how recently you last applied a wax or sealant, and what you plan on doing before applying the new wax.

If you last waxed several months ago then there may not be a lot of wax left on the car anyway. If you also plan on claying before putting on a fresh coat of wax, the clay process will likely remove the little bit of wax that is still there. If you plan on using a paint cleaner to address some fine swirls, then again you'll be removing what little existing wax there is.

If you've just done a full detail on the car and it doesn't need to be clayed or cleaned, and you've got two fresh coats of wax on the car, then you may want to strip it before applying a different wax. Even then, you only really need to do so if you're looking to compare different waxes or if the wax/sealant you're going to apply instructs that the paint be free of other such products.