Originally Posted by Indy_Gearhead71
Silicone doesn't necessarily damage the clear coat in any way, in fact when you add a fisheye eliminator to clearcoat before spraying it, you're actually adding a small amount of silicon to offset the effects of contamination. I've always stuck with a good carnuba wax or something with a heavy teflon count in it. The wax I've been using for about the last 20 years is a product by Ardex called Flint wax. It's a paste wax that spreads well and when worked in with an orbital buffer shines and shines and shines, plus it has very good UV protection and resistance to typical road grime and the like. It's extremely durable and a good coat will last a while. Definitely stay away from all dish detergents as mentioned above because they will strip any and all wax off the car, and personally I won't ever take a car I own through a car wash, just because I don't care what anyone says, it will leave scratches in the finish.
Do you remember when all the car manufacturers first went to water based paints and clearcoat? This was back in the early-mid 80's. And guess what happened.
Within a few years, the paint began to fade badly, and Ford, GM and Chrysler were finally....after much hoopla, forced to repaint thousands of vehicles...What was the cause..was it the paint?
Nope, it was the wax people were using.
In late 1987, Ford came out with a letter to its dealers. Part of what I remember stated: "We have determined that B4A-19534-A Custom Auto Wax should not be sold to owners of vehicles with clearcoat water based paints. The silicone contained in this product is not suitable for use with this type of paint, and will harm the finish.' 'We will soon have a newly reformulated wax and will inform you when it becomes available."
It wasn't till 1991 that Ford finally got around to offering the non silicone wax, part number F1AZ-19534-A. So if Ford Motor Company said silicone was harmful to the finish, that's good enough for me.
Regardless of whatever wax you use, two trips to the car wash, or a couple of drops of dish detergent will strip off all the wax your vehicle has. Everything I own is garaged, gets dusted several times a week with a CA Duster, and rarely sees water. After all, rust never sleeps.