2 years with Opti-coat - not very happy

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sicklyscott

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Hi All -

I took a chance 2 years ago and applied Opti-Coat to my 2011 Phantom Black Audi S4. It worked well for the first year. After 2 winters however and the usual NE wear and tear it no longer beads water. I have attached 2 pictures that show what the surface looks like when I try and dry it after a good wash.

My question is what should be my next steps to either 1) repair the coating or 2) remove the coating.

I used to be the kind of guy that would wash and wax my car every weekend but life happened. After getting married and buying a house I'm lucky if that's now once a month. In addition I have a baby on the way. In a nutshell my preference would be to clean it up in the spring, maybe a good detail mid-summer, and prepare it for the winter. Anything that would happen in between would be just a basic wash.

Here are the pictures, again both of which are during the drying process (MF waffle towel)....any guidance would be appreciated!

Untitled by sicklyscott, on Flickr

Untitled by sicklyscott, on Flickr
 
If it helps I do have some amateur experience with paint correction. I have both a flex and PC DAs with various foam pads.
 
Have you tried claying the surface and using a more aggressive wash? It shouldn't strip the Opti-Coat but may return the hydrophobic properties of it.
 
It's been said that OC 2.0 can pick up some surface contamination that interferes with the beading, etc. Perhaps one of the very fine clays like the Sonus white or the Meguiar's OTC white would be worth a try to see if you can restore it, or a chemical decon approach like Optimum FerreX or CarPro Iron-X.
 
I have clayed the car and it helps greatly on the lower side panels (Opti-coat seems to be "sticky"). The horizontal panels don't seem to improve much.

I haven't tried a chemical decon, I do have some Wolf's decon which I may try.

I wash the car with the previous version of Adam's car wash (bright pink). Can you recommend a more aggressive soap?
 
Theoretically you should be able to use a diluted APC to wash OC 2.0 (or maybe mixed with your shampoo so you don't lose any lubricity).
 
APC is a great way to wash a coated car. I assume you have Adam's APC since you have their car wash. A few ounces of their APC thrown into your wash is a great and safe way to make a more aggressive shampoo.
 
Since you said you've already clayed, I would try a non-abrasive paint cleaner on a white pad.

No matter if the coating is there or not there, the paint should now bead and sheet water. Clean paint is actually better than some waxes at sheeting water.

Then if you notice the beading and sheeting dropping away after 2 weeks or 1 month or so, you can tell the coating is no longer there. If it still beads and sheets after a month, the coating is still working for you, just needed to be cleaned.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Theoretically you should be able to use a diluted APC to wash OC 2.0 (or maybe mixed with your shampoo so you don't lose any lubricity).
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I am with Setec IF the technical information is accurate, otherwise be ready for the "user error" comments LOL!
 
ihaveacamaro said:
Since you said you've already clayed, I would try a non-abrasive paint cleaner on a white pad.

No matter if the coating is there or not there, the paint should now bead and sheet water. Clean paint is actually better than some waxes at sheeting water.

Then if you notice the beading and sheeting dropping away after 2 weeks or 1 month or so, you can tell the coating is no longer there. If it still beads and sheets after a month, the coating is still working for you, just needed to be cleaned.
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Any recommendations on a good cleaner that can be used with a DA?
 
re: cleaner product for DA, poli-seal.

but call Dr. G at OPT to ask his opinion. he's easily accessible and he makes the stuff himself. he might have better and/or updated suggestions.
 
sicklyscott said:
Any recommendations on a good cleaner that can be used with a DA?
Click to expand...

I'd try the chemical steps first, if you hit it was a polish you are definitely removing coating, maybe not all of it, but at least some and maybe all.

I guess what I'm saying is if the chemical process works, you're done, if you polish, you know you are removing at least some coating, you won't be sure if the coating is still there after, etc.
 
No user error. The OC is dead as a door nail. This has been my experience with the product as well. For whatever reason, it doesn't hold up on lower panels in harsh NE winter conditions (salt).

Maybe that is why they don't make it anymore.
 
swanicyouth said:
No user error. The OC is dead as a door nail. This has been my experience with the product as well. For whatever reason, it doesn't hold up on lower panels in harsh NE winter conditions (salt).

Maybe that is why they don't make it anymore.
Click to expand...

I thought he said it was ok on those lower panels, but not ok on the horizontal surfaces? Which is the opposite of your experience, IIRC.
 
yeah, in my experiences it's the flats that people notice behavior changes the most, like, by far. and, for obvious reasons.

this has been discussed before and there are techniques to renew behavior if all else was on point with the installation and such.

if it disappeared on the flats, truly disappeared and this isn't a decon issue, then i can't help you there because that would run counter to what a massive amount of people (relative to this market) have experienced using this product over the course of its time on the market.

i have a video on youtube that can help you determine if it's still there or not if you decide to coat with something else...
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I thought he said it was ok on those lower panels, but not ok on the horizontal surfaces? Which is the opposite of your experience, IIRC.
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Sorry, I read it wrong. But, that is my experience with the product. It's not as "resistant" as it was promoted when it was available. It either fades away over time, or loses its hydrophobic properties.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I'd try the chemical steps first, if you hit it was a polish you are definitely removing coating, maybe not all of it, but at least some and maybe all.

I guess what I'm saying is if the chemical process works, you're done, if you polish, you know you are removing at least some coating, you won't be sure if the coating is still there after, etc.
Click to expand...

i agree with this, though like i said i'd call Dr. G himself and ask him what he thinks just in case he has an alternative suggestion. but yeah - try the chemical decon techniques first, then try poli-seal or something similar. poli-seal if used properly will not remove any appreciable amount of coating whatsoever. it will clean it and that's it. if you use the wrong pad or scour the surface, whatever...ok, maybe you'll remove something but that would be hard to do since poli-seal is pretty straightforward.

as far as knowing if coating is still there after polishing, like i said, i did a vid and you can definitely tell when coating is gone if you've polished too much. poli-seal won't remove the coating - you and i are talking about if you are using one of the billion popular polishes around here. but i think we are getting ahead of ourselves because if it was put on properly, it really sounds like it needs to just be decontaminated. we've all seen this come up before with all the popular coatings and more often than not, its a matter of decon.
 
swanicyouth said:
Sorry, I read it wrong. But, that is my experience with the product. It's not as "resistant" as it was promoted when it was available. It either fades away over time, or loses its hydrophobic properties.
Click to expand...

I'm only speaking for myself, but I think we fell in love with the "permanence" of coatings and them being a magic shield, which I think a lot of us now realize is a pipe dream for a DD that's going to get washed and stuff is going to happen. I think we should be pretty happy that we can put something on the car that's going to last a couple of years since 10+ years ago when I started coming to detailing forums people were trying just to get something to last through the winter.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I'd try the chemical steps first, if you hit it was a polish you are definitely removing coating, maybe not all of it, but at least some and maybe all.

I guess what I'm saying is if the chemical process works, you're done, if you polish, you know you are removing at least some coating, you won't be sure if the coating is still there after, etc.
Click to expand...


A typical polish will remove about 2 microns and Opti-Coat is about 1 micron thick so yes it will remove it.
 
Thanks all for the input! I think I'm going to try a more thorough cleaning with some more harsh detergent and a chemical cleaner. If that doesn't work I'll try poli-seal (poly-seal?).

Just to clarify I'm not saying the sides are in good shape (or not in good shape for that matter). My point on the sides was that it was very rough, almost like sandpaper. Scrubbing with the mesh side of my sponge barely removed anything.

Thanks again for the input, I have some work ahead of me!
 
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