CarPro DLUX recoating question

**Rsurfer** · 12-22-2016, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by GSKR

Strong apc and eraser takes it right off.you will need a apc with butly.

Originally Posted by swanicyouth

I'll chime in with my 2¢ since I have used this product multiple times, starting shortly after it came out - and why I don't use it anymore .

Ok,

Initially the product works and looks great. Longevity is excellent - 1 year +. However, IME, on daily drivers kept outside - the coating seems to oxidize somewhere before year 2.

The problem is, at this point, there seems to be no way to remove the coating 100% from plastic surfaces it was applied to.

So, any dummy would just think "OK, just re-coat with DLux"... The problem is, the second time around, the coating durability is MUCH less - a few months IME. And also the finish looks "uneven" (sort of like what the OP described).

So, in a sense, to me - the surface is now damaged (stained with uneven coats of DLux). I'm not sure what APC some people are using, but no APC comes close to removing cured DLux from plastics IME.

So, I stay away from it.

Originally Posted by GSKR

Agree had to paint 2 mirrors.

I thought you said that a strong APC and Eraser will remove Dlux. If so, why did you have to paint it.

**Rsurfer** · 12-22-2016, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by swanicyouth

I'll chime in with my 2¢ since I have used this product multiple times, starting shortly after it came out - and why I don't use it anymore .

Ok,

Initially the product works and looks great. Longevity is excellent - 1 year +. However, IME, on daily drivers kept outside - the coating seems to oxidize somewhere before year 2.

The problem is, at this point, there seems to be no way to remove the coating 100% from plastic surfaces it was applied to.

So, any dummy would just think "OK, just re-coat with DLux"... The problem is, the second time around, the coating durability is MUCH less - a few months IME. And also the finish looks "uneven" (sort of like what the OP described).

So, in a sense, to me - the surface is now damaged (stained with uneven coats of DLux). I'm not sure what APC some people are using, but no APC comes close to removing cured DLux from plastics IME.

So, I stay away from it.

I agree, 6-12 months later a re-coat looks uneven. Have you tried using Solution Finish and topping with Dlux? Works for me.

**Setec Astronomy** · 12-22-2016, 11:53 PM

I had the exact experience you guys are describing with C4 (I even started a thread about it: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...vering-c4.html ). But later in another thread Rob at Gtechniq explained: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...c4-issues.html .

I have no way of "proving" any of this, the car that I had the most problems with C4, I had also done another piece of (hard black textured) trim that still looks fine 5 years later, and this is a car that is outside 24/7. But hey, that was a different piece than the cowling that appeared to revert back to faded gray 6 months after.

But if you think about it in the terms that Rob details in that second thread, just think about putting a paint coating on paint and putting a lot on and getting a high spot that cures. That spot is perhaps not going to be shiny, or at least will reflect differently, and if you tried to fix it by putting more coating on top of it, then it would compound the problem.

Then think about what we are doing with C4 or DLux, which are ceramic coatings just like C1 or CQuartz, except usually we are putting them on textured substrates. In my case, I didn't follow the directions about wiping off excess, and it's easy to see how, in the process of applying around fins etc. on a cowling, I could have applied what would be an enormous amount relative to what you would with a paint coating. Rob says in that thread that a thick coating may take some months to, as Chris Thomas used to say about Opti-Coat, "fully dehydrate", so it may not be apparent for months that you have applied too heavily. In my case, in a few months the coating seemed to be fading, and after 6 months it was essentially back to the way it originally looked before restoration, but a re-application did not restore the appearance as the original one did.

Anyway, the explanation makes sense to me, and I used DLux for the first time recently, and was very careful to apply very thinly and wipe down immediately after; only time will tell how it holds up.

**DBAILEY** · 12-23-2016, 04:36 AM

New product idea for Capro: A solvent capable of removing old DLUX without damaging the plastic

**GSKR** · 12-23-2016, 07:13 AM

Originally Posted by Rsurfer

I thought you said that a strong APC and Eraser will remove Dlux. If so, why did you have to paint it.

Because the only apc that will remove that is highly caustic and it's sold down in palm beach 40 minutes away.Its a apc mostly for concrete.

**GSKR** · 12-23-2016, 07:15 AM

Stuff is so strong spray it on your bumper and say good bye to your paint.

**GSKR** · 12-23-2016, 07:28 AM

I could of easily scuffed the mirrors down with scotchbrite then cleaned with thinner and reapply.It was for my personal vehicle and decided to paint and leave it alone.

**GSKR** · 12-23-2016, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by Rsurfer

I agree, 6-12 months later a re-coat looks uneven. Have you tried using Solution Finish and topping with Dlux? Works for me.

The original part colors on some cars are grey,you cannot dye it black with sf then top it with dlux.I mean everyone can do what they want but I wouldn't choose to do it.

**yg1829** · 12-23-2016, 07:44 AM

Has anyone tried hyper polish to remove dlux?

In theory it seems like a great idea. It has abrasives because it's a polish but it is completely safe for plastic trim. I actually saw a picture Yvan posted somewhere where he polished some oxidized plastic trim and it looked brand new.

I don't think it would hurt to try. Abrasives remove sio2 from paint so it seems like they would remove it from plastic too.

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**Setec Astronomy** · 12-23-2016, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by yg1829

Has anyone tried hyper polish to remove dlux?

In theory it seems like a great idea. It has abrasives because it's a polish but it is completely safe for plastic trim. I actually saw a picture Yvan posted somewhere where he polished some oxidized plastic trim and it looked brand new.

I don't think it would hurt to try. Abrasives remove sio2 from paint so it seems like they would remove it from plastic too.

Yeah, in theory it's a great idea, the problem is in my case, the wiper cowling has about 20 fins on with about 1/4" between them. It was hard enough to coat between them and down into the corners, would be harder to try to polish in there...not to mention the "grille" area most cowlings have in them. Now that I think about it, I did try a small (easy) spot with Hyper Polish and it didn't really help...of course that was rubbing a small area by hand, I'm not sure what Yvan did.