Auto Detailers Face Problems Following Product Instructions
28 posts across 2 communities in the last 30 days; 96% from r/AutoDetailing.
“My windshield disappears after polishing. I can't improve on that.”
“I usually track my protection in an app so that i know the condition. No more chasing, i was sick of that as well. Now i know when it was applied and how long it lasts for (ish). Really helps when you dont do long term coatings but something like a sealant + topper combo”
“Thanks. I do wax instead because it’s cheaper for the owner. [re: One step polish opinion]”
Detailers are encountering issues with auto detailing products, specifically a pre-wax polish and a Cerakote trim coat. One user ignored warnings about the Cerakote application and is now dealing with long-term consequences.
SOURCES (60)
“Thanks. I do wax instead because it’s cheaper for the owner. [re: One step polish opinion]”
“That’s awesome! I hope your arms didn’t fall off after applying all that elbow grease for two hours straight! :) [re: Meguair's Hybrid ceramic wax]”
“That’s not good . I can’t use my garage for the car. So don’t use Fusso 99 outside? [re: Anyone skip the ceramics and just use wax?]”
“The ones that show it's durable didn't test it in real life conditions (driving the car). https://youtu.be/ZrAXwi_JVaA”
“I think it's better to go for the corded G15/G8 setup because of the nature of your business. I'm not saying that the G15's 15mm aren't worth it, but consistent power matters more than cordless convenience during a full correction. I've seen a couple of corded G15/8 on Alibaba, but you should spent serious money on the machines themselves.”
“I have. It didn’t help. I rubbed that shit over it three separate times, working it in really well each time. Still didn’t take it away.”
“I have glass polish and glass pads so I use them, but you absolutely don't need them. I've used a griots orange pad with griots or megs ultimate or whatever is lying around and it takes a little longer but works just fine.”
“Cool! I was undecided between lacquer thinner and this, but I'm not a pro so my understanding of chemicals is worse than that of mechanical means. In this case, would you try to better fill the scratch with more touch-up or just leave it?”
“Yup, I literally just read a person saying don’t worry about polish yet. So I’ll hold fire on that. What’s a rinseless wash? Yeah that’s why I want to wash it ASAP because it can’t be no good with the dirt sitting on it.”
“Only synthetic waxes or formulas that don't primarily use caranuba. There's good modern formulas that have a bit of caranuba in it - but products that mostly rely on it aren't ever worth the time versus any modern synthetic wax. Caranuba will always gray. It grays on fruits. It grays on candy. It grays on medication. It grays on cars. I prefer wax on most cars because it gives a deep shine and fills worn paint or trim way better than thin sprays. That being said, thin ceramic sprays”
“I guarantee over 32+ years detailing professionally I've used significantly more products than you have even heard of. People jumped on 845 when it was discussed in detailing forums in the early 2000s. So I got some. I don't get the hype. The look is short lived and durability is about 3 months here in north Texas. Both Collinite 476 and Meguiars #16 Paste are superior waxes. If I thought 845 was better I'd keep it on hand for my one boat customer who wants wax. But I don't, I li”
“Yep..... I'm still a wax guy. My favorite wax is currently not available.; Katiba x Vanguard Ceramic Wax. That stuff is magic. On my shelf at the moment would be: Soft99 Fusso Coat Soft99 Kiwami Soft99 Mirror Shine Turtle Wax Ceramic+Graphene Paste Wax Turtle Wax to the Max Liquid Wax Turtle Wax ICE Spray Wax Collinite 476 Bilt Hamber Double Speed Wax The dude from Super Clean Detailing nailed it when he compared ceramics to waxes. Ceramics are technical. Waxes are warm. I put it like this.”
“If you want a high maintenance vehicle, go for it! You'll have frequent bonding experience with your vehicle by using any of these products. 😁 I would use any of these products for garage queens. I'd only drive the said vehicle is there's no forecast of rain, pollen and no road construction that will kick off dust. Seriously.”
“wax is for enthusiasts like myself who enjoy the process, getting out and washing the car and then waxing it on a sunday morning is therapeutic and even if it doesnt give the best performance compared to a modern ceramic, it will always have it's place in detailing. also waxing a classic car just feels right”
“Maybe you're using them wrong, or you simply don't want to believe people get good results from products you don't use.”
“Yes, its pretty common. I've ceramic coated my car and to keep up I wax it through the year”
“Yeah I misread. It's wild that nothing took it off after 5 months but iron remover striped it right away. I may have to try some wet coat on my wheels now”
Interesting that the iron wheel cleaner might have killed it
“Thanks! I used another spray + rinse coating before this and it last for a month or two, but I don't remember getting more than a month or two with it. And I wouldn't mind reapplying except that there is a 4-5 month period when the weather is generally too cold to use the hose and I just do maintenance washes with rinseless at that point. It's nice to have protection that lasts through the winter.”
“I wasn't specifically looking for a glass stripper, just a way to clean it with a product that dries to a haze. Similar to autoglym car glass polish which is a product I can not get anymore”
“Definitely don't plan on using dark fury over the ceramic spray, I'm sure it would strip the ceramic right off.”
“It wasn't the ONR. It was the fact you didn't use distilled water, applied it too big an area before buffing dry and it dried on its own as water spots.”
“Usually it's apc/ interior cleaner overspray, or dressing that was left to sit on the plastic and it's etched.”
“Working out pretty well. Getting beads blowing over my windshield. Except in one spot. Where a line of drops seem to hang out.”
“Thanks very much. This is helpful. I honestly didn’t know there was much of a difference between different compounds and polishes. I appreciate the help”
“Use a machine. Always polish after using compound. What happens with compound alone is that it will look fine at first but all the scraches interdiced by the compound will start appearing as the clear coat starts setting and getting dirty. Polish removes the scratches introduced by compound. The scratches introduced by polish are basically invisible to the human eye.”
“Anyone knows if i can cerakote the rubber/plastic window trims? Those always go first for me.”
“A simple wax could last that long, but it also very well could be a true coating.”
“It'd be difficult to ruin the optics out of a windshield with regular polish and pad combo, but its possible with bad technique with a purpose made glass polish like cerium oxide and rayon pad. Just keep the polisher moving just like you would on clearcoat and you'll be fine.”
“No one can definitively answer those questions. Every paint and every operator’s technique is unique. It’s entirely a matter of trial and error. Personal preference also comes into play. Try the wool and the blue foam and see which works better for you. For your second step, generally speaking you’d go to a softer pad like the HF yellow pad paired with, I’m assuming, one of the Meguiars polishes HF carries (which are good). But you won’t know for sure until you try it. You might find you like th”
“I usually track my protection in an app so that i know the condition. No more chasing, i was sick of that as well. Now i know when it was applied and how long it lasts for (ish). Really helps when you dont do long term coatings but something like a sealant + topper combo”
“Wax just doesn’t have the chemical fortitude that ceramic coatings offer. No, they don't. But there are very few modern waxes that are pure organic wax. Most are either 100% Synthetic (like Fusso Coat) or are hybrids (like Turtle Wax Ceramic+Graphene Paste Wax). If it's advertised as a "Show Wax", those are the pure organic waxes for which durability is a concern but no one applies a "Show Wax" for long term durability. They do so because nothing makes a car look bett”
“That's a heavy alkaline degreaser at a very strong pH 13 which has destroyed the anti-glare coating on the screen. You're only viable options are to leave it alone or remove the rest of the coating and then either deal with the occasional sun glare or cover it with a new anti-glare screen film. What you can do and use also depends on if this is just a display or is also a touchscreen. And for future reference that Purple Power generally has no business being used inside the vehicle. Nowh”
“No. Absolutely not! They are some of the worst. They have lied and taken of too many of my great clients. Their spray on “ceramic” is literally water. They should be ashamed of themselves, actually.”
“...but they will do it again if she doesn't confront them about this. She's paying them for the work, not the other way around.”
“How is it? What color is it? Is it thin or thick? Do you have to use gloves or is it more like Back to Black I think Maguire's used to make something that was okay but that didn't hold up. I think Cerakote makes a good product for trim. I know I used a product a few years back that you put on and it was like a year protection on the tires and it was almost like an epoxy. Well let's just say I ruined a set of Nitto Recon Grapplers. What they don't tell you is yeah it makes them lo”
“All good bro! 👍🏼 We're on the same page then. 🫡 Another product that I also use for trim restoration is "Trim+" from Armour Detail Supply for longevity.”
“You hit it on the head word for word anyone knows a professional would have masked It off number one or would have been good enough not to get it on the plastic or the sense enough to remove it. I like the way you think”
“With a magic eraser that will work very good but it's going to really dull up that black plastic so you would need to use something like the guy above mentioned before me like Solution finish. Those who wonder what it is it is a carbon dye. Has to be applied with gloves but it does work. As long as the surface is prepped it will last”
“Hey I'm sorry I didn't see your comment about the Solution Finish. I had recommended the same thing and I didn't go through and read first that's my bad”
“Rupes LHR21ES Big Foot and a bottle of 3D One with yellow mf Rupes pads to start. Buy once cry once and you'll get the job done faster.”
“I only used compound then the dx but it was the windscreen and panoramic glass roof and all the side and rear windows for the one bottle. (about 1 month since I applied and it was the Past 4/5 days it's caused major smearing knew it would last only 3 to 4 months but didn't expect it to get all odd after a month) I live next to high rise and get concrete dust and a bit of sap/pollon from the trees in the car park often enough. So I might try ultra one then if it makes it easier to clean a”
Lol… read what the person recommended, not just the first word.
“Those month figures aren't measured with salt and slush in the mix. So they don't transfer to a Canadian winter. Pick on how easy it is to reapply, since you'll be topping it every few weeks whatever you land on.”
“I always ask them to not wash my car when I drop it off for service and put a post it note saying the same on the steering wheel. I definitely wouldn’t let them take a polisher to my paint.”
“apparently its not a wax? so wtf is it? what does it do, what is it for, and when do you apply it? before wax? after wax? how does it "detail" if its not a polish? from meguiars: "provides the missing link between washing and waxing" which makes it sound like you put it on before waxing, but everything i find online about this, theyre putting it on after wax and yes, i dont know what im doing submitted by /u/ee3e33ee3e3e [link] [comments]”
“Ammonia based Window cleaner.... car window tint....... equals toasted window tint.”