Trouble with CQuartz UK Longevity--Tips?

[rlmccarty2000]

Some will disagree, but look at the beading after a wash. If the beads are tight and round, you should be ok. If you flood the hood and the water runs quickly that also means the LSP is intact. If there is a better way to tell if your protection is still there, please let me know as I have not found another way to tell.

When flooding and the water just lays there without running..I say your protection is gone.

Again this depends on what soap you are washing with as some soaps can “clog” up a coating masking the coatings abilities. There should be areas where the coating has not “worn” off. If you can’t find beading anywhere I would assume “clogging” is the issue.

Every coating that I know of should last longer than 6 months unless the application was really wrong such as trying to apply over a wax/sealant. A strong wash with Reset should bring back beading unless a fresh product has been layered over the coating such as going through a touchless wash and getting the “wax” job.

[Schlotzky]

Where do you live?

If the truck is continually being subjected to road spray from rain and snowy conditions, an ocassional waterless wash won't keep the vehicle clean enough and you will see the properties of the coating change. It doesn't mean the coating isn't there or working, it just means it needs a really good cleaning.

I live in the Northwest. We get a ton of rain, and you guys have drawn attention to my environment, which is an industrial zone where I park at work near an airport under the flight path, and my house is also under a normal flight path, though further from the airport. I didn't really consider this much, since I only drive the truck 4-5 times per month and whenever it's not at work, it's in the garage. I don't drive in the rain much, but the road spray does make for a filthy vehicle and it may be that it's masking the water behavior if deep crystal can't chemically strip whatever is on there.

I went ahead an ordered Reset and Iron X and will give it a try in addition to claying to see if I can get the coating properties to re-emerge. I would love to discover that the coating is still there and I just need a more aggressive cleaner rather than find (what I still suspect) that the coating has worn off. I did run clay over my DD today after considering the implications of my environment and found the clay to be quite filthy after max 1 year since last clay. My DD is waxed with NXT and washed 2-3 times a month and dried with Xpress Spray Wax as a drying aid, so I've never given the wax an opportunity to wear off.

Do you have hard water where you live? Sometimes it can also be building up minerals that masks the water behavior and self cleaning ability on the coating. If it has gone to long a water spot remover could not be enough to desolve them. But it could be worth to try one and do a test spot with it and a couple of application on the same spot if not the first desolve it. This is if the above has not been working.

My water here is thankfully pretty soft, but based on some longevity tests I've performed in the past, I do find that nothing holds up like it seems to for everyone else, so maybe my environment is having a larger impact that I have been giving it credit for. I'll see how Reset does for me, and maybe I'll have to step up my product selection for the longer term.

Again this depends on what soap you are washing with as some soaps can “clog” up a coating masking the coatings abilities. There should be areas where the coating has not “worn” off. If you can’t find beading anywhere I would assume “clogging” is the issue.

Every coating that I know of should last longer than 6 months unless the application was really wrong such as trying to apply over a wax/sealant. A strong wash with Reset should bring back beading unless a fresh product has been layered over the coating such as going through a touchless wash and getting the “wax” job.

I initially did some research and heard great things about deep crystal on coated cars, but have definitely noticed some other soaps I've tried on my other vehicles alter water behavior on rinse-off. I'm hoping Reset does the trick, as there was definitely no waxes or sealants on the truck and it's never been through any kind of automated wash

[ejaf]

Some will disagree, but look at the beading after a wash. If the beads are tight and round, you should be ok. If you flood the hood and the water runs quickly that also means the LSP is intact. If there is a better way to tell if your protection is still there, please let me know as I have not found another way to tell.

When flooding and the water just lays there without running..I say your protection is gone.

Makes sense...easier to determine on horizontal rather than vertical panels, though. Guess it's just by "sight".

[ejaf]

Again this depends on what soap you are washing with as some soaps can “clog” up a coating masking the coatings abilities. There should be areas where the coating has not “worn” off. If you can’t find beading anywhere I would assume “clogging” is the issue.

Every coating that I know of should last longer than 6 months unless the application was really wrong such as trying to apply over a wax/sealant. A strong wash with Reset should bring back beading unless a fresh product has been layered over the coating such as going through a touchless wash and getting the “wax” job.

I was using Megs ultimate car wash, have D110 on tap. However, hard to do full wash here in the North East, so last few times have either been rinseless or waterless (ONR). I use DG Aquawax as my drying aid.

I am 95% sure the coating is still on the vehicle, I was just curious if there was a scientific method to determine if its still on, versus the good ol' eyesight test.

Eric

[Rsurfer]

Again this depends on what soap you are washing with as some soaps can “clog” up a coating masking the coatings abilities. There should be areas where the coating has not “worn” off. If you can’t find beading anywhere I would assume “clogging” is the issue.

Every coating that I know of should last longer than 6 months unless the application was really wrong such as trying to apply over a wax/sealant. A strong wash with Reset should bring back beading unless a fresh product has been layered over the coating such as going through a touchless wash and getting the “wax” job.

Forgot about the soap being used as I wash maybe twice a year.

[Coatingsarecrack]

^^ this. I use a super light to near no-touch controlled wipe. just enough to knock off the contaminants but not too much to damage the coating or surface. Just use a good amount of rinseless solution or soapy water to keep things moving smoothly. I find it more necessary on my wife's SUV tailgate and the lower half of my doors.

Please explain “super light to near no touch controlled wipe? What do u use? How do u use it?

Thanks


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[Coatingsarecrack]

Also if none of above works I believe I read carpros essence plus is designed to polish coatings and can even be done by hand. Says it will repair fine swirls in coatings and increase hydrophobic properties. Haven’t used but sounds like that what its maid for.


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[Ebg18t]

My daily driver is coated with CQUK 3.0, I drive a lot of dirt & gravel roads. Due to the amount of road debris that gets kicked up (also park near a railway at work) I find I need to decontaminate every few months.

I’ve been using a Iron remover spray first, then washing with a decontamination wash.it brings the life back to Coating. They just get clogged up. I haven’t used reload since the original application.

Iron Removers:
Iron Removers & Chemical Cleaners

Reset:
CarPro Reset Intensive Car Shampoo
Or Snowfoam:
CarPro Iron X Snow Soap, paint decontamination soap

[Desertnate]

As a beginner in coatings (used McKee's 37 about 6 months ago), how can I be totally sure that the coating is still on the car? Is there a "surefire" method, or is it just by experience?

No "surefire" method, but the coating should last quite a while. I used the previous version of the McKee's 37 Coating on several cars and it was still working at the 18~24 month point on all my vehicles.

When flooding and the water just lays there without running..I say your protection is gone.

If the surface isn't clean the sheeting will be very slow/non-existant. After the first winter I used McKee's coating I noticed water would cling to the lower door pannels of my car. I too assumed the worst and decided the coating had not survived. However, after my first 2~3 bucket washes in the spring the beading and sheeting returned and it was obvious the coating was still working.

[DBAILEY]

If washing with Reset doesn't restore the coating, then I would question your prep stages. I would never use Megs UP before a coating. No way a simple 15% IPA solution will remove what that polish leaves behind. A true panel wipe would be the only thing I would trust or something like DG Squeaky Clean or M37 Coating Prep polish.