Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plis Mini Review

J

JSFM35X

Active member
This past weekend I got the outside water turned on and did my beginning of season hose reel install.

It was time to scrape the winter off the cars and this is never my favorite part of the season. The cars don't the inside of a tunnel wash so all they get all winter is a quick spray down to remove salt at the self serve when a 32+ degree lands on a weekend. Happens 2x3 times each winter if that. As a result my cars look like hell around this time of year. I washed 3 this weekend, my DD 2013 M37X, my Wife's MDX and my too much snow for the M truck 2002 QX4.

The wheels were horrible and I usually use P21S Gel as my go to wheel cleaner but after trying to clean the wheels on my brothers RR I invested in some Sonax FE last year.

I was in NJ, right near Detailers Domain last week and went in to purchase some wheel cleaner. I asked about the new Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus. After showing them the horrific wheels on my DD I decided to pick up a bottle. I give it an A++ for cleaning you will see why in a moment. I recommend wearing gloves, I did not start out wearing them but after applying it to the first wheel and getting some overspray on my hand, it tingles. A quick wash off with cold water and I was fine. Upon application you will notice this product is clear instead of the green FE. It is very thick and clings well. I applied it to a dry cool wheel as the bottle suggests. I was able to clean 12 super dirty, brake encrusted wheels to 97.5% of my satisfaction. The other 2.5% are inner barrel detail work best left for a wheels off detail. Today was about getting the bulk off and it did that perfectly.

The product dissolves all the brake dust and caked on buildup even in the tight hard to scrub areas. I bet if the wheels were not so trashed it would work as a spray on hose off with a pressure washer. I did use wheel woollies and brushes to clean these wheels but I did not have to re wash any of the wheels because of missed spots or unsatisfactory results. If I has a suggestion, I wish the sprayer was getter at atomizing the cleaner into a finer mist. I think it would go further. It is Sonax 's top of the line wheel cleaner in the US and its the best I have ever used. If you have trashed rims, or do this for a living where time is money or see a lot of trashed customer rims, thi sis the ticket.

Several years ago I had the opportunity to use the P21 Red. It is no longer sold in the USA and this Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus cleans as good or better than that did.

Dirty Wheels













Clean Wheels





 
Nice review, thanks.

So, is Plus 20% better than FE? 30%? I would think, on wheels of that shape, FE and a little bit of agitation would be fine, but if pros need the extra speed, I can understand.

I wonder if they are going to phase out Full Effect? There's some decent sales.
 
I will make this my season opening wheel cleaner. I usually need to re do my wheels 1 or 2 times to get them perfect. Not with this. Most of my cars are by design brake dust friendly. I avoid Audi and BMW specifically for brake dust reasons. I owned an M3 and those BBS rims were hard to clean and the dusts was horrible. I am OCD and cant stand dirty anything. If I got a Beemer or Audi, it would need ceramic brakes. That dusts was just thick and sticky. If it sat for any period without cleaning, it was like a baked on broiler pan. NO FUN TO CLEAN.

This wheel cleaner might change things and get me to consider those cars again, but they are both brake dust monsters.. I say its 40% better than FE. I don't think FE will be fazed out as this is 5 bucks more a bottle and not everyone will think its worth it. Like I said, its a special use product, good to have in the arsenal.

I already ordered another bottle because I am afraid not to have it when I need it, and I want to try to clean up my brothers range rover wheels that have black build up in the tight corners of the wheels that has been there too long. he could care less but it bothers me

If your wheels are in shape, this is a waste. I should have said that in my opening review, but here it is now. I use car wash soap as wheel cleaner in season, but my cars are maintained and the dust is not terrible on the Japanese cars (Infiniti, Acura, Subaru)

WaxAddict said:
Nice review, thanks.

So, is Plus 20% better than FE? 30%? I would think, on wheels of that shape, FE and a little bit of agitation would be fine, but if pros need the extra speed, I can understand.

I wonder if they are going to phase out Full Effect? There's some decent sales.
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I would not say it is not pleasant but its not as smelly as Sonax Full Effect. I used it on an windy day in NY and I will tell you to wear gloves as it tingles if it hits your skin, and it tastes like $h*&.

If I was doing other peoples cars for a living I would keep a few bottles around to make my life easier. I really eliminated the hard scrubbing I am used to in order get off brake dust that has been there all winter in the tight areas.

The real test will be my brothers car.



Mike lambert said:
Very nice job! How is the smell?
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Love this stuff. If it requires less agitation, especially in the nooks and crannies, compared to Full Effect; it's an easy winner.
 
JSFM35X said:
I will make this my season opening wheel cleaner....
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Ah, glad you found the right Wheel Cleaner for you!

... I avoid Audi and BMW specifically for brake dust reasons. I owned an M3 and those BBS rims were hard to clean and the dusts was horrible. I am OCD and cant stand dirty anything. If I got a Beemer or Audi, it would need ceramic brakes. That dusts was just thick and sticky. If it sat for any period without cleaning, it was like a baked on broiler pan. NO FUN TO CLEAN...
Click to expand...

Huh...I've had a scad of older M3s and currently have three Audis (one of which has BBs wheels), none with ceramics, and I don't find the dust to be a hassle at all, washes right off with shampoo mix. I haven't even bothered coating the wheels on those cars as merely LSPing them works so well.

Just mentioning it as our differing experiences caught my attention.

Heh heh, it was the brake dust from my old Mazda minivan that *I* recall being such a PIA! Well, that and our '80s-vintage Benzes, now *those* were a bit of work.
 
My BMW was a brake dust monster. I did not wear gloves back then and my fingernails were black after a wheel cleaning session. I have a visceral connection to that car. Handled like it was on rails, it want the fastest but the car was just a looker and so much fun to drive (in dry weather).

Same of it is, at that time in my life all I knew was Zip wax car wash and Turtle wax. I was using 3M pink Fill in glaze by hand where necessary, Mothers Black Back (not sure of name) on the trim and black exhaust pipes. Good old armorall on the Pirelli P600 tires. Can still see the side wall pattern I my head.

Accumulator said:
Ah, glad you found the right Wheel Cleaner for you!



Huh...I've had a scad of older M3s and currently have three Audis (one of which has BBs wheels), none with ceramics, and I don't find the dust to be a hassle at all, washes right off with shampoo mix. I haven't even bothered coating the wheels on those cars as merely LSPing them works so well.

Just mentioning it as our differing experiences caught my attention.

Heh heh, it was the brake dust from my old Mazda minivan that *I* recall being such a PIA! Well, that and our '80s-vintage Benzes, now *those* were a bit of work.
Click to expand...
 
JSFM35X- Ya know...thinking back, some of the most satisfying car ownership experiences I ever had were with ones that I just drove the wheels off of without obsessing over the detailing. And yeah, the 3M Pink glaze and AA worked fine for what they were. AA is still and OK product IMO.
 
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