Detailed 2 months ago ....now no more bead

[Bud Dickman]

I did both the family cars back in July. They looked awesome for the first 2-3 weeks. Now they don't look much better than before. Here is what I did:

2 bucket wash with Simple Green
Meguiars clay bar
M105 with orange pad
M205 with white pad
Collinite 845 with red pad

I don't do automatic car washes. I've washed each car a few times with some Blue Coral wash/wax concentrate I had left over from before. The water doesn't bead up any more. i know it's recommended to do 2 coats of Collinite, and I had intended on doing that but maybe I need to do both coats at once? Or maybe I need a paint sealant and then wax?

Thanks for advice,
Bud

[luv a shine]

Missed the IPA wipe down after the compounding/polishing step.

[Bud Dickman]

Ok. I'm pretty much a noob so I'm acronym challenged...whats an IPA? I'm pretty sure you don't mean India Pale Ale.

Thanks for the tip!

[BobbyG]

I did both the family cars back in July. They looked awesome for the first 2-3 weeks. Now they don't look much better than before. Here is what I did:

2 bucket wash with Simple Green
Meguiars clay bar
M105 with orange pad
M205 with white pad
Collinite 845 with red pad

I don't do automatic car washes. I've washed each car a few times with some Blue Coral wash/wax concentrate I had left over from before. The water doesn't bead up any more. i know it's recommended to do 2 coats of Collinite, and I had intended on doing that but maybe I need to do both coats at once? Or maybe I need a paint sealant and then wax?

Thanks for advice,
Bud

Hey Bud,

In some cases the surface should be void of polishing oils and the like in order for the protection to bond properly, but this is more critical with sealants rather than waxes.

One car that I did detail at least 15 times was a 2003 Toyota Camey XLE. It was a clear coated silver so nothing special there but I could not get even one sealant or wax that would last longer than 4 to 6 weeks.

I washed, clayed, compound, polished, mineral spirits, IPA, CarPro Eraser the finish before applying anything...nothing conventional stayed longer than 4 to 6 weeks..

The only product type I applied that had the durability I was looking for was Element 119. This appears to be working well to this day. I also tried Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0 on 1/2 the hood and that was performing well too..

The only variable that bothers me is the Simple Green. Some like this but I've never been a big fan of this product.

If you're going to experiment work on a small section to test performance and durability rather than doing the entire car.

[RMM]

There can be several problems:
- Collinite was applied to a surface that wasn't properly prepared, had bonding issues and is no longer present on the paint;
- the soap you are using is too strong and stripping Collinite from the paint
You don't need two coats or a previous layer of sealant to give Collinite a great longevity.
I suggest you read the following:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/40243-collinite-845-definitive-how-guide-legendary-wax.html

[AutowerxDetailing]

Ok. I'm pretty much a noob so I'm acronym challenged...whats an IPA? I'm pretty sure you don't mean India Pale Ale.

Thanks for the tip!

IPA = isapropyl alcohol, typically diluted to a range of between 10:1 - 20:1 with water to remove polishing oils and previous layers of sealant/wax. This helps strip the paint and allows a clean surface for your next wax/sealant/coating to bond with more permanently.

[Bill1234]

Your wax is probably not bonding well. I would strip the wax then clay bar the whole car. ALWAYS use a lubricant such as water or quick detailer while claying

[stibuki]

There can be several problems:
- Collinite was applied to a surface that wasn't properly prepared, had bonding issues and is no longer present on the paint;
- the soap you are using is too strong and stripping Collinite from the paint
You don't need two coats or a previous layer of sealant to give Collinite a great longevity.
I suggest you read the following:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/40243-collinite-845-definitive-how-guide-legendary-wax.html

Agreed to the first two points. My guess would be the soap. I would bet it's quite harsh as most over the counter soaps are and certainly not PH neutral. Dilution ratio might also come into play making it even more potent. Maybe a combination of inadequate prep ( most polish and compounds do have oils in them) that could prevent proper bonding. Just an educated guess. Also could be partially environmental? Garaged or kept outside 24/7? How many washes since you applied the #845?

I would start off again with a squeaky clean surface. Clay bar and maybe some IronX might not be a bad idea. Apply the 845 again and maintain with a different brand of soap. Also a spray sealant/wax as a booster for use after washing will help maintain that just waxed look.

[Dadillac]

I would say it is the Blue Corral soap stripping the wax. I always had this problem when I would cheap out and use Turtle Wax car wash. Since using Meguiars Gold Class car wash mt LSP stays put. Beading lasts forever.

Don

[Flash Gordon]

About 6 - 8 weeks is the typical life span for wax. Especially if your car sits in the Sun a lot

[swanicyouth]

About 6 - 8 weeks is the typical life span for wax. Especially if your car sits in the Sun a lot

I agree with that. Sun destroys carnuba wax, especially in hot July and August. But I also agree that the soap you are using is garbage. I never used that exact soap, but I did try some Turtle Wax Soap once in my foam gun out of curiosity because a gallon was on sale at Costco.

After using high quality soaps I couldn't believe how poorly it performed. Left extreme water spotting all over everything. Good car wash soap is a must. Especially when you can get a bottle for about 10 bucks.

Also, I always lay down a good layer of a long life sealant before a wax. After that, I top the wax up every month or so. Sealants do better in the heat and sun and just generally last longer than wax. Although, I'm guessing the Collinite you used is probably a hybrid product.

[Bud Dickman]

Thanks for the info guys. Just to clarify a few things:

I used Simple Green in the wash before any clay bar, polishing or wax. I realize it is too harsh to use any other time. - But I will also avoid using the Blue Coral wash/wax in the future.

The car hadn't been waxed in a few years and is not garaged. I'm no expert, but I'd be surprised if there was any residual wax on there. But the residual polishing oils you guys mention is probably the problem. I read these forums for a month before buying anything and totally missed that I needed to clean that stuff off too.

Plus we had a record hot July, and it IS a Toyota!!!

I'll try her again with another cleaning after the polishing steps.

Thanks again,
Bud

[Bud Dickman]

There can be several problems:
- Collinite was applied to a surface that wasn't properly prepared, had bonding issues and is no longer present on the paint;
- the soap you are using is too strong and stripping Collinite from the paint
You don't need two coats or a previous layer of sealant to give Collinite a great longevity.
I suggest you read the following:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/40243-collinite-845-definitive-how-guide-legendary-wax.html


Ok. I just read the how to (thanks RMM) ...I can't believe I missed that one in all my reading. But besides not getting the polishing oils off, I had multiple fails with applying the wax:

1. I'm pretty sure I shook the bottle enough to have the right consistency, but I never transferred it to another bottle. I have one that will work to dispense a few drops next time.
2. I used too much wax. I could tell because when I cleaned my pad it was still pretty well loaded. I still have only used 1/3 bottle on 2 Camrys and a Toyota Sienna minivan.
3. I didn't let it dry long enough. The wax wiped right off, but I had to buff a little by hand so that it was streak free.

When I bought my supplies I took advantage of some package deals. So there are a couple of products in my bag that I haven't used yet:

1. Pinnacle Bodywork Shampoo - I'm tossing the Blue Coral crap and using this to wash next time.
2. I also got a bottle of Pinnacle 360 spray wax. Is there any advantage/disadvantage to following up the Collinite with this?

A couple of other questions:
1. After I mix up my water and Isopropyl Alcohol, can I mist this on and just wipe off with a microfibre, or should I re-wash the car with some Iso in the bucket instead of soap?

2. I also have an unused Black pad. Should I wax with this or stick to the red?

Thanks guys,
Bud

[Shane731]

An IPA wipedown (mist on and wipe off) is definitely a good bet, as you probably had leftover polishing oils from M205, which interfered with bonding. Check this out:

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/product-reviews/32323-collinite-845-rocky-balboa-waxes.html

[dpk20x]

Hey there's no need to polish again unless you have remaining swirls that you're trying to get rid of.

All you really need to do is wash the car with dawn. Dry it off and then give it an IPA wipe down.

And I would stick with the red pad the black is mainly used for a finishing polish.