My husband said that the instructions for his truck state that it isn't to be washed/ washed before a certain time period. I've looked for similar instructions for my new Accord and can't find anything about it.

Is there a time period to wait before washing and/ or waxing a new car?

Thanks,

Jenk

 

In general, a new car has already cured unless it has some extra finish put on it by the dealership.

This comes from the theory that when you freshly paint a car, it takes time to cure -- a lot longer than just drying. The paint has to properly cure over the course of a month or more (what people say varies), so in general you don't want to put anything on that paint that will seal it or cause it to be unable to cure.

Also, in general, you can wash the car (even freshly painted), but it's never really a good idea to wax a freshly painted vehicle.

However, a new vehicle from the dealership is almost certainly already cured properly from the factory and over the period of time it's been out in the elements. Check your husbands manual to see if he got some extra paint protection coating or something; Because that would make them say "don't wax it for a while."

 

Usually I'd wait 5 weeks from new paint. In your circumstance I'd think you'd be ok . The manufacturing date of the vehicle is probably a few months before your purchase.

 

I've been told to wash it as soon as you get home because metal shavings and other junk when it was put together at the factory can cure into the paint. *shrug* I know when I purchased my 00 Civic Si and my wife's Odyssey we washed both of them.

I waited on the wax of course for about 6 months.

 

"new" paint from a factory is fine to wax as soon as you get it. If you really are skeptical of this, it's still better to have something on it than nothing, so pick up 3m imperial hand glaze or meguiars new car glaze.