Usually removing the bugs involves lots of scrubbing and a sore arm as a result. Well I grabbed the Turtle Wax Bug and Tar Remover, sprayed it on the bad spots and let it sit, while I cleaned the wheels and tires.

The first thing I noticed, was that this stuff clings to the car, and does not run off onto the driveway, even if you accidently get water on it.

I went about washing the car, from the top down, and when I got to the side mirrors, the bugs simply wiped off !!! I have never had bugs just wipe off, even when using another brand of bug a tar remover. I thought maybe this was a fluke and surely the bugs splattered on the front bumper would present more of a challenge.

By the time I had gotten to the front bumper, I was already tired from washing, but to my delight the bugs simply wiped off here too. I think I just found my favorite new car wash product.

After I finished washing the car, and dried it, I sat down and read the bottle, it actually explains in the directions to use AFTER you finish washing. I guess I used it wrong, but let me tell you, I have never had an experience like this before and will continue to soak the bugs BEFORE washing.

Here is a shot of the bottle so you know what to look for in your favorite auto parts store…

 Turtle Wax held their first automotive bloggers summit on April 21-22, 2009 at their headquarters in Willowbrook, IL, a suburb of Chicago. Nine bloggers attended and were treated to a tour of their Shine Center product development laboratory and 1-bay product testing area. Turtle Wax’s purpose for the summit was two-fold I believe:

  1.   Show the automotive bloggers what Turtle Wax is up to and hopefully get some free press with a review or two of their products for people to read, and

 2.  Gather feed-back from readers and writers on their products and their marketing approaches with their new ICE product line.

I think they accomplished both objectives with the product samples, tour and product demonstrations and Q&A session on the 22^nd. They used an outside PR firm, Zeno Group, to set-up and conduct the summit as well as follow-up with attendees after the summit. It was a very well run event with no snags as far as I could see. When my flight was delayed out of Philly, they called to assure me that the limo driver would wait for me and then get me to the restaurant as soon as I arrived at the hotel.

 Turtle Wax is still a family-owned private company that began in the 40s in Chicago. The founder changed his early product’s name to Turtle Wax after a trip to Wisconsin where he stopped along Turtle Creek and saw turtles playing in the creek. He thought of their hard shells and that his car wax could be thought of as a hard shell coating on a car’s finish.

Top management is still family and are in their 40s, I’d say, but they recently brought in a 40-something British chief operating officer. Since they are private they did not reveal their annual sales or other performance or income numbers. They did say the US appearance car care market is about $600 Million and they and two other firms each have roughly 1/3 of the market. They sell their products in 90 countries so their international sales are substantial but no sales figures were given. In emerging countries car care product sales are meager but in the developed countries they have much better sales.

There are 4 production plants in the US that produce their products but the top managers indicated that they do not own these plants. They are working with a Chinese firm to set-up production of their products in China for Pacific Rim sales.

We toured their Shine Center product development lab and 1-bay testing area where they test their formulations on employee-owned vehicles, primarily.

 They appear to be developing more marketing savvy the last 5 years with the introduction of a new super premium product line called ICE over the past 3 ½ years. They keep expanding the line to include easier-to-use and innovative products for both exterior and interior surfaces. All their appearance products are self-developed but they do use analytical methods to reverse engineer competitors’ products.

One purpose for the bloggers conference was clear in the Q&A session during and after lunch on the 22nd. They wanted feedback on the appearance car care products and their marketing approach recently with the ICE line. The ICE products have blue packaging and the Turtle Wax brand was de-emphasized in the packaging and advertising and has led to poor customer recognition that the ICE products are by Turtle Wax. They are changing their packaging to show larger turtle logos and also more green and less blue. Several bloggers were very blunt in their impressions of the ICE products in that they do not look like Turtle Wax products.

They also emphasized that the ICE line and their product development efforts are based on customer wants and needs. The ICE products either save steps and time in application or solve a new problem that has developed with newer cars. For example, the ICE polish system is a one-step product that can be applied in the sun making it easier to use and faster to apply than standard waxes. It also doesn’t leave a residue like standard waxes. Also, they developed a headlight lens scratch removal kit that is needed for newer polycarbonate headlight lens that fog, discolor and scratch more readily.

 They also market the Marvel Mystery Oil product line, a business they bought some time ago and still grows slightly in sales each year. Its primary ‘claim-to-fame product is an engine oil additive that increases detergent properties and prevents and removes sludge build-up in the top-end of engines.

They have another performance line called CD2 which has specialty products such as oil leak stops which swell gaskets and reduce or stop leaks.

Their product brochure lists two Zymol products which are distributed by Turtle Wax and probably how the rumor that Zymol products are made by Turtle Wax got started. Mike Shultz, TW’s Vice-president of Product Development, said that Zymol developed its own formulations but uses Turtle Wax distribution channels for some of their products. I suspect that some of the Zymol products are also made in the same plants that produce the Turtle Wax products.

Mike Schultz led the tour and demonstrations. Their product development lab is no more than 2000 sq.ft. with bench shelves loaded with hundreds of various product components screened for possible use in their products. They also have analytical equipment to help reverse-engineer competitive products. He also showed us a sample of carnauba wax which is in their standard car wax products. Carnauba wax is softer than synthetic polymers and gives a certain shine and feel that customers really like. It is imported from Brazil where it is scraped from palm leaves.

In the lab he demonstrated the use of the Premium Chrome and Metal polish on a used chrome reversed wheel which really shone after treatment.

The first demo in the auto bay testing area was the Black Box product for black car finishes on a right side door of a fairly new black Jeep. Black car finishes are the most difficult to polish and produce an acceptable shine without scratches and swirl marks. First the polishing compound was applied to ½ of the door; then the black carnauba wax was applied. The finish was very shiny and without swirl marks. The product is tinted black so it cannot be used on other colors without some tinting.

Next the improved ICE Liquid Polish was applied to an almost new black BMW SUV in the parking lot in the sun. It went on easily and was removed easily with only light pressure with a microfiber cloth which is included with the polish. The finish was very nice without any swirl marks or powdery residue. The microfiber cloth is helpful in getting a smooth application with one side of the cloth and then a thorough removal of the excess polish with less pressure with the other side of the cloth. Mike Schultz said that the microfiber cloth should not be washed with cotton materials or you’ll get cotton lint on the microfiber cloth and then the car finish when using it. For a finish in decent condition, the ICE Liquid Polish allows significant reductions in time and effort in polishing your car. With standard waxes you must wait for the wax to dry before removing it with a lot more effort and wax residue settling on the finish.

Next the hood of an older silver Honda Civic was waxed beforehand with ICE Liquid Polish on the left half and a competitor’s wax on the right side and then was repeatedly washed with a car wash solution. After at least 6 washes, the half polished with the ICE Liquid Polish was still beading water significantly more than the half waxed with the competitor’s product.

Next the ICE Wheel and Tire Cleaner and ICE Tire Shine products were demonstrated on the Civic’s right-side tires and wheels. Both have a removable brush on the top for more thorough scrubbing of the wheel and tire. Since the tire and wheel cleaned were not very dirty, cleaning our tires and wheels with these products should be done to really see how well they do.

Next the ICE Total Interior Care T465 cleaner was demonstrated on the Civic’s interior. This non-greasy product can be used on all interior surfaces including the windows. Also it conditions as well as cleans the material in one easy step.

Their new Headlight Lens Restorer Kit was demonstrated on the Civic which had mild lens scratching/haze on the driver’s side lens. First a liquid clarifyind compund was applied. Then four fine grit pads were used sequentially from 1800 to 8000 grit to remove the larger scratches and haze. There was a significant reduction in the haze of this lens. A more severe test with my ’03 Taurus will tell how well it really works. I hope to have that done in the next week.

Their improved spray Bug and Tar Remover is the top-selling bug and tar remover on the market and was demonstrated on the Civic. This product was recently updated with the addition of a new solvent for tree sap and seed-pod stains. A customer had contacted Turtle Wax and submitted samples of tree seed-pods that caused the stain that the previous product did not remove. Mike’s group found a solvent that cut the stain and then added it to the formulation. It also stays on the body without running off allowing it to soak into the debris if you wait several minutes after application as recommended for better removal. Mike also said that a stain should be washed off as soon as you see it. If it is not removed initially, wait 20-30 days to give the stain time to lift out of the finish before trying to remove it with a removal product. Mike Schultz also said the remover does remove the polish where it is applied but it also contains a wax that will leave a barrier to reduce the absorption of future debris.

Overall, Turtle Wax is paying attention to customers’ wants and needs with the innovative ICE products and willingness to improve their existing products.

I want to thank the Turtle Wax people for inviting us to see what they’ve been up to.

Larry Schappell  (Kevin’s Dad)

Brown speckles began appearing all over my white yukon. The dealer said rail
dust, fix with claybar treatment, $300 thank you! The spots started to come
back within 2 weeks. The GM dealer now does a tap dance and with lot of BS.
Who can I take this vehicle too to find out what is really happening to
this paint job. No other cars where I park this car are similarily
afflicted. Thanks

Answer:

I am guessing you are in the mid-atlantic region. I too have seen the little black spots on my car. My spots looked like little balls of tar and you can scratch the tops of the ball off, but a small spot still remains which is hard to remove? Is this what you are seeing? If it is, you problem is not rail dust, but Artillery Fungus ! Yes I said fungus. In the mid-atlantic region there has been a real problem with this little known fungus which shoots a sticky liquid from it’s insides up to a couple of feet away. The wind can then carry them even further. They grow in rotting wood and mulch. It may not be from your place of business, but rather from your house, or even the gas station you may visit every morning for coffee. (if they have mulch around)

For more information, Dr. Donald D. Davis of Penn State is currently doing research on this annoying fungus http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/d/d/ddd2/

My method of removing the spores is this… I wash the car first, then use bug and tar remover with a 100% cotton towel, as to not scratch the paint. This works well with spores that have not been on the vehicle for a long time. Older spores need to be removed with a clay bar, as your dealer did the first time. You can purchase a clay bar kit in most auto parts stores, under the Mothers brand. A word of caution with the clay bar, keep folding it over, exposing new clay, to prevent built up dirt from scratching your paint. It’s a great way to clean your car, but if not used properly, it becomes like sand paper. I have also had limited success with latex paint remover sold under the M-22 label, but I do not believe this is sold anymore.

To prevent the spores from coming back, you can try to re-mulch the area that you park next to, or replace the mulch with stones as I did at my business.

Good Luck,

Kevin

My new 2006 G6 was left under a pecan tree while I was on vacation for 2
weeks.  Upon returning I quickly washed it off, but now have brown spots
all over the finish.  What can be done to remove the brown spots?

Answer:

I would try bug and tar remover first.  Make sure to use a 100% cotton towel and make sure it’s clean.  You want to avoid grinding any dirt into the finish.  If that does not remove it, I would try a clay bar.  Most auto parts stores carry Mothers Clay bar, which should get your spots off.  Again, be cautious with the clay bar… read the directions and knead/fold the clay often to prevent dirt trapped in the clay bar from becoming like sandpaper.

Good Luck,

Kevin

Sometimes it is not what you know but who you know that makes all the difference in the world. You may not be able to handle all the repair on your vehicle, so finding a repair shop you can trust is vital to the life of your vehicle and wallet. You do not have to be a master mechanic if you have a good repair shop that you trust. Let’s look at a few tips to finding a good repair shop you can trust.

- Ask friends and co-workers for recommendations. Word of mouth can be a great way to find a repair shop. Find out why they like their shop and ask them what kind of work they have had done there. Ask if the work performed was done on time and at the price quoted. Also ask if their vehicle was returned in a clean condition.

- Don’t always assume that a dealership is your best bet for service. Dealerships usually have the highest shop rate around and the newest equipment but that does not always mean the best service. There are plenty of independent repair shops with qualified mechanics and up-to-date equipment. If your car is under warranty, your best bet is to stick with the dealer. If you are not happy with the dealer you bought the car from, there is nothing stopping you from going down the road to another dealer, which has better service. Today’s dealers are selling their new cars at slimmer margins, and are forced to make money of service, so be aware of high prices and unnecessary work.

- Look for accreditation from groups like ASE and MAP. This certification shows that the shop has gone the extra mile to keep on top of their automotive education. Most mechanics will have a general certification and certain mechanics will specialize from there. Each shop may have an expert in Heating and A/C and one for Suspension. Not every mechanic can be an expert in all fields.

- When visiting, look for a clean well-organized work area and office. This should give you a peak into how the business is run. Can you really expect good and fast service if the place is a mess? A certain amount of clutter is to be expected in a shop, but old parts and trash lying around the shop is unacceptable.

- Your first job should be a small one, like an oil change or brake job. Get a feel for the shop and how they operate. When you have a major problem you will be comfortable knowing you have dealt with them before.

Once you have found a good repair shop there are a few things to remember. Always keep good records of the service performed. I prefer a small notebook in the glove box where I can jot down service dates and keep receipts in the back of the book. This notebook can provide a good history for your mechanic when he is troubleshooting your most current problem. He may be able to gain some insight based on past services. Also when you plan to sell your car, this history is a great selling point.

Make sure your repair shop knows you are happy. We always complain about the bad things, but never mention the good. A simple thank you when picking up your car, or a quick note after the service will go a long way.

Also keep learning about your car. A good repair shop will be happy to deal with an educated customer. The more you know about your car, the better you can discuss issues with your mechanic.

Kevin Schappell