Birthmarks, 12 Volt, and Zaino

Wow, lot of things in here including strange mathematics laws (which kind of make sense).

I don't know what you can do about a birthmark that isn't visible. Look at it in the shade and from various angles or take your 9-year-old with you to the service department.

If you really want no waterspots, dry your car with a leaf blower instead of Shamwow (which I am not impressed with) or other towels. I don't think it's the towels that cause the spots, but because it takes so long the water has already made the mineral deposits before you've had a chance to dry it off.

If you've already waxed your car with some other products, you will need to remove it with a Dawn wash before applying Zaino. You can get Zaino starter kits that will include all the products you'll need with in-depth instructions. Or you can use Zaino All-in-One (AIO), which is pretty quick and easy but won't give you a very lasting shine (from my experience).

I'm having problems with the 12V chargers, too. The front one has stopped working altogether. It wasn't working at first when I picked up the car, but when I said I'm going to bring it back and get it fixed, it miraculously started working. Like you, some of my chargers get stuck in the outlet. I've had the biggest problem with my Garmin charger, which is the brand name charger and not some cheap knock-off that might not be up to specs. I hadn't heard about cell phone chargers messing up the batteries.

 

I LOVE Zaino! don't be frightened by the directions, it's really easy to use.
I just posted a picture
http://priuschat.com/forums/members...-should-its-best-car-polish-ive-ever-used.jpg

 

I'm afraid I can't help too much with car cleaning recommendations since I will be in the same place as you, simply going by the information already amply provided in this forum.

The only recommendation I feel confident in giving is imo DO NOT call the dealer and say "No Big Deal don't worry about it". If you saw something, The dealer at the time saw something and your son is STILL seeing something, then "something" does exist. I live in Oregon, and I know the outside lighting can change rapidly. You can go from bright direct sunlight, to cloudy, to penumbra almost hourly.

It may very well be you have a very slight defect in clearcoat or paint that you can only see in "perfect" artificial light, or very specific lighting. But that doesn't mean it's not there, and I'd still want it fixed. Your son is going to be your greatest help since he evidently see's it still. I'd just leave the ticket open with the dealer, do not admit you do not see anything now.

Try looking for it in different lighting. Bright direct sunlight and inside a garage. It might be one of the enviroments allows you to see it better.

But in anycase, I would not admit to the to the dealer you can't see it now, because I'm afraid the conditions of lighting will be met eventually, and you will see it again. You might even carry a digital camera with you so if at some point you happen to be somewhere where it is showing you could "try" to get a picture.

The only other thought that comes to mind is pulling into a body shop and if you know roughly where the "birthmark" is, asking a "professional" for his/her opinion. Concievably someone who paints and restores cars might know exactly what to look for, if it is something like a weak spot in the clear coat, or other defect. Of course, you run the risk of them not seeing it either inwhich case I would just mumble..."I see Dead People" then hop back in my car and drive away.

In anycase, good luck and it seems you have a good attitude about it. If you never track it down, it seems like it is becoming the "flaw" you are learning to embrace. Just don't give up on resolution too quickly.

 

Its not going to protect you from rock chips, but should help protect against sun fade and some rain water contaminants. The best thing you can do about rock chips is avoid following too closely behind others especially commercial vehicles.

There is nothing wrong with that particular turtle wax product,Typically the largest difference between all of the (car wax products) are the reflectiveness of the shine and lenth of time that it lasts on the car. In my experience the nicer the reflectiveness = Shorter amount of time that the coat lasts and vice versa Longer lasting = not as reflective.

You absolutely 100 % will not get shocked if the car is completely turned off as in radio will also not work. If you are still untrusting you can disconnect the negative terminal from the 12v battery in the trunk before putting anything in there.

 

My recommendation on interior... just buy a spray bottle of 303 Aerospace Protectant. It is all you will need for all the interior plastic and the exterior plastic parts. Great stuff and nothing I have tried comes close to the ease and effectiveness.

 

I would be hesitant to have anyone fix a blemish on the paint that I could only see in perfect light. Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease, unless the paint person is much better than average. You could end up with a fix that looks worse than before it got fixed.

 

I was reading the thread and thinking exactly this. Ditto for any little interior blemishes or manufacturing marks.

 

I was also thinking the same thing, but I didn't want to start any sort argument. Likely it was just residue from the sticky white tape from shipping.

 

Carnuba is OLD school. It's been around forever, sometimes will be called "boat wax" We use it here on our fiberglass molds as a release agent to ensure the fiberglass doesn't stick to the mold. I've used it for years and I'm not up on this newer miracle stuff. Carnuba will give you results based on the amount of work you put into it, and it is a lot of work. I would tell you to work on one section at a time and only in the shade.
The "cleaner waxes" have an abrasive in them to clean. The best thing and the most work is what Tideland Prius said, clay bar it and use PURE wax, as in not "cleaner wax"

 

Octavia, power ports & plugs come in 2 sizes. Sounds like you were able to jam a large plug into a small hole. The port is not hot so you won't electocute yourself if the car is off.

Your description sounds typical. The Prius is a scratch magnet & the paint isn't durable. Get as much of the car covered in VentureShield or 3M film as you can. My front fenders & doors have more scratches than I can count.

 

A really good carnauba wax is P21S from Germany... It is also sold as S100 bike wax thru most Harley shops. Easy to apply and remove, fantastic finish.