Mowcowbell
Well-Known Member
I spray 303 Protectant on a paper towel, then wipe down the nooks and crannies of the J1772 inner plastic.
What did you do to your Clarity today?
- Thread starter fotomoto
- Start date
- Replies 185
- Views 41K
MPower
Well-Known Member
Typo? Ahead of the grime.
And while we are talking about grime, you may find that after awhile the dust will build up on the pad and its grab won't seem quite so firm. All you need to do is run it under the tap and wash the dust off and it is as good as new when it dries. (My dear Clarity is grumping, "Yeah, that is the only part of the car that you clean.")
This cheap sticky phone pad also worked for me.
Bay Area
New Member
Questions about your dash cover. Does it reduce glare and where did you purchased it?
Thanks!
Lurker2019
New Member
I bought my dash cover here: https://www.dashdesigns.com/i-31645611-2019-honda-clarity-dash-cover.html
I picked the sedona suede fabric and the fit was great. No regret buying the cover.
However, I strongly recommend you get it in black because I originally got my dash cover in beige and it reflected right onto the windshield. Seeing the dash cover reflection on the windshield was very distracting and drove me nuts. I ended up using a whole can of fabric spray paint to spray it black, and it's been good ever since.
I never realized a light colored dash cover would cause a problem like that until it happened. So hopefully this advice will save you some trouble. Good luck!
Lurker2019
New Member
The dash cover has cutout holes for the top center air vents and the light sensor. You can see it on the image on the linked website I posted above.
The cutout size is a bit larger than the actual vents and sensor, but better slightly bigger than too small for these things.
Groves Cooke
Active Member
Looks good. So now that you've done it, is this a "don't try this at home," a "learn on your old beater first," or an "anybody can do this if they take the time to do it right" task?
Tek_Freek
Active Member
Anybody can do this if they take the time to do it right. The hardest part was making sure I had the right tools and liquids for the job.
As with any wax job make sure the car is clean. Good rinse off and thorough soaping. Foam guns work great, but the key is the right mixture of soap in the container.
Clay bar was easier than expected. I used the product from Clayzilla and had a problem the first time I used it. It scratched the paint. I took a couple of hours and calmed down then looked closely at the pad it uses. The pad has squared off edges at the contact side and that is what scratched. From that I learned to lift the edge anytime I came to a curve in the body so the flat section of the pad was used. Worked like a charm. It also removed a lot of minor scratches. I remember reading somewhere that it was slightly abrasive and my experience confirms that.
On to polishing. I used a Hex-Logic Quantum 5" Light-Medium Polishing Pad, White on the Porter Cable polisher at speed 3. I used the same method at the curved parts of the body so the edge of the pad wouldn't directly contact the "ridge" at the top of the curves. This I got from the video made by the man in Chicago who warned that the edges/ridges would wear much quicker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDSmHYJZuvQ
Polishing was pretty easy. The toughest part was being patient and allowing the tool to work without any pressure from me. Just hold it lightly and let it do it's work.
To make sure the car is clean before applying ceramic I used 1/2 70% alcohol and 1/2 water to clean the car. After the initial rinse to start the project this was the easiest step. Make sure the car is completely dry. The alcohol/water mixture dries pretty fast since it's half alcohol, but I wiped it down anyway.
Applying the ceramic was easier than I expected. I started on the hood so I could easily see what it was doing. I did one quarter then while it was drying a did a second quarter like adjoining squares on a chess board. I had to wait a bit for the first application to flash (looks like a rainbow and it can hard see if the light isn't right). After buffing off the first area I did a third, filling in one of the other squares. By the time that was done the second area was ready. I also came to the realization that I could coat an area larger than 2x2 feet. For example, I did each door in one application. Again, after applying to another door (front/rear same side) and waiting a bit the first was ready to buff. By the time that was done the second door was ready. Took about 2 hours.
The second most important task with the ceramic is making sure it is all buffed out. It's easy to miss areas and looking at the car from all angles is important.
It requires a ton of microfiber cloths. I used the yellow ones from Costco. Bought on Amazon. And while I'm thinking Amazon if you have an account use https://smile.amazon.com They will donate to a charity you designate for certain items you buy.
If I can do it. You can do it.
As with any wax job make sure the car is clean. Good rinse off and thorough soaping. Foam guns work great, but the key is the right mixture of soap in the container.
Clay bar was easier than expected. I used the product from Clayzilla and had a problem the first time I used it. It scratched the paint. I took a couple of hours and calmed down then looked closely at the pad it uses. The pad has squared off edges at the contact side and that is what scratched. From that I learned to lift the edge anytime I came to a curve in the body so the flat section of the pad was used. Worked like a charm. It also removed a lot of minor scratches. I remember reading somewhere that it was slightly abrasive and my experience confirms that.
On to polishing. I used a Hex-Logic Quantum 5" Light-Medium Polishing Pad, White on the Porter Cable polisher at speed 3. I used the same method at the curved parts of the body so the edge of the pad wouldn't directly contact the "ridge" at the top of the curves. This I got from the video made by the man in Chicago who warned that the edges/ridges would wear much quicker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDSmHYJZuvQ
Polishing was pretty easy. The toughest part was being patient and allowing the tool to work without any pressure from me. Just hold it lightly and let it do it's work.
To make sure the car is clean before applying ceramic I used 1/2 70% alcohol and 1/2 water to clean the car. After the initial rinse to start the project this was the easiest step. Make sure the car is completely dry. The alcohol/water mixture dries pretty fast since it's half alcohol, but I wiped it down anyway.
Applying the ceramic was easier than I expected. I started on the hood so I could easily see what it was doing. I did one quarter then while it was drying a did a second quarter like adjoining squares on a chess board. I had to wait a bit for the first application to flash (looks like a rainbow and it can hard see if the light isn't right). After buffing off the first area I did a third, filling in one of the other squares. By the time that was done the second area was ready. I also came to the realization that I could coat an area larger than 2x2 feet. For example, I did each door in one application. Again, after applying to another door (front/rear same side) and waiting a bit the first was ready to buff. By the time that was done the second door was ready. Took about 2 hours.
The second most important task with the ceramic is making sure it is all buffed out. It's easy to miss areas and looking at the car from all angles is important.
It requires a ton of microfiber cloths. I used the yellow ones from Costco. Bought on Amazon. And while I'm thinking Amazon if you have an account use https://smile.amazon.com They will donate to a charity you designate for certain items you buy.
If I can do it. You can do it.
"It requires a ton of microfiber cloths. I used the yellow ones from Costco. Bought on Amazon. And while I'm thinking Amazon if you have an account use https://smile.amazon.com They will donate to a charity you designate for certain items you buy."
If I can do it. You can do it.[/QUOTE]
*** Can you reuse those micro fiber clothes after washing them? hot water soak cycle in the washing machine? I had read somewhere else to toss them out after using them**. Also what do you mean a ton? like more than 10? know that costco bag comes with 36.
Thanks!
If I can do it. You can do it.[/QUOTE]
*** Can you reuse those micro fiber clothes after washing them? hot water soak cycle in the washing machine? I had read somewhere else to toss them out after using them**. Also what do you mean a ton? like more than 10? know that costco bag comes with 36.
Thanks!
Tek_Freek
Active Member
The cloth that comes with the ceramic gets stiff from the product, as does the applicator block. Tossed. All the others I washed and reused. I thought the ones I used to buff out the polishing would also get stiff, but they didn't. Washing machine smells for a while after. I left the door open to air it out. Smell was gone the next day when I checked.
If I remember correctly I used 6 for drying after the initial wash, maybe 5 or 6 for the clay bar wipe down, 2 or 3 for the polishing, 3 or 4 after the alcohol/water cleaning, and none for the ceramic.
I use them for a lot of things so the quantity of 36 is perfect for me.
If I remember correctly I used 6 for drying after the initial wash, maybe 5 or 6 for the clay bar wipe down, 2 or 3 for the polishing, 3 or 4 after the alcohol/water cleaning, and none for the ceramic.
I use them for a lot of things so the quantity of 36 is perfect for me.