Sealant gone?

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Nira

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Hey Mike,

How do I know if my sealant is gone?
I put on two layers last week, with proper technique and curing time. After 3 days I finished, it rained and I noticed that the water wasn't beading. Is this normal?
After 2 or 3 more times of rain, I felt the car's paint and its a bit sticky. Does this mean that all of the sealant is gone after a week? It seems a bit fast. I used PB's EX-P.

Thank you!
 
Another quick question.
I'm planning to re-wax and seal my car if it is necessary, but I would like to know if a pre-wax/sealant cleanser removes glaze too? I applied the glaze before using the sealant last week. I used PB's White Diamond.
 
That's sort of odd.

Sealants have come a long way and are basically synthetic waxes in my opinion. The hold up very well and by themselves "should" outlast conventional waxes. The protection / beading should last at the minimum a few months under normal conditions.

The sticky felling after it rains is also a bit odd. Once a sealant drys / cures moisture alone should not affect it.
 
Thats what I was thinking, but even after I rinsed and rewashed my car after the rain.. The texture of the paint is still a bit sticky instead of a nice smooth surface.
Does this mean that I need to reseal and wax my car again?
 
Very odd indeed! Tape off a little 12x12 section and clean it good with ipa. Tape off another square 12x12 and ipa that area as well but on this second area apply a wax or something. Then see how the beading and stickiness is in the 2 test areas compared to the rest of the car.
 
i did that before i sealed my car. after i used the IPA it was quite sticky. after apply some wax to it.. it was very smooth.
Im just sorta surprised on how my sealant is gone so fast. its very odd.

Does the stickiness mean that I have to rewax and seal my car?
 
2008 Mercedes Benz S550 L
Paint: Iridium Silver

upload1.jpg
 
If you've:


  • Washed it
  • Clayed it
  • Polished it
  • IPA Wiped it
  • Sealed it
  • Waxed it
Then I'm out of plausible solutions, I've never heard of an automotive finish becoming sticky to the touch after it gets wet. It almost suggests a water-based finish but even those are rock solid after they cure.
 
You said you sealed it and waxed it. I noticed in your first post you put "with proper curing times". I'm just curious how long you waited in between applying the sealant and wax and also what wax you used?
 
I did the following steps:

-Washed
-Clayed
-IPA
-Glazed
-Sealant
-Wax

Quite odd for the finish to become like this after 2-3 times of rain. Maybe the heat is another thing that might of affected it. I live in Cambodia so it rains every other day (Rainy season) and when its not raining its about 80-100 degrees out. However my car is garaged.

Jumpingbean said:
You said you sealed it and waxed it. I noticed in your first post you put "with proper curing times". I'm just curious how long you waited in between applying the sealant and wax and also what wax you used?
Click to expand...

For the sealant I used Poorboy's EX-P. It said 8-12 Hours of curing time after buffing it off in the instructions but I left it for 24 hours before applying another coat just to be safe.

For the wax I used Meguiars Mirror Glaze #26 Hi-Tech Liquid Carnauba Wax. I let it sit until it hazed and passed the swipe test. I buffed it off and left it home for another day to harden.

How can two layers go missing so fast? I dont understand how this can happen. When I did this before it would last at least 3-6 weeks depending on the rain.
 
I am almost through my second quart of EX-P (that's a ton of cars) I have to say that "I believe" that the EX-P is still on there. EX-P is a very durable sealant in my experience. However I have no experience with #26. Seeing #26 on the shelves of our local hardware store, I have to wonder if it has cleaners in it that may have cleaned or removed your sealant. Mike Phillips should be able to shed some light on whether #26 has cleaners in it.

IMO what you have done is to apply a top shelf product (EX-P) and then go over it with a mediocre consumer grade product (#26)
I am not trying to be insulting here but I would suggest sticking with all top shelf products or at least top your EX-P with a true carnauba last step wax that contains no cleaners or fillers.

If it were me in this predicament I would fare on the side of safety and go back over my steps again to be sure.
 
tuscarora dave said:
IMO what you have done is to apply a top shelf product (EX-P) and then go over it with a mediocre consumer grade product (#26)
I am not trying to be insulting here but I would suggest sticking with all top shelf products or at least top your EX-P with a true carnauba last step wax that contains no cleaners or fillers.
Click to expand...

What would you suggest I use? I only have #26 and NXT Tech Wax 2.0. ]: Natty's Blue nor Red is available here.
 
The Natty's waxes are nice to finish for looks but the durability is lacking. If you are the type of guy who waxes often then Natty's would be a good choice. As I stated earlier I have no experience with #26 so what I posted above is just out of curiosity. If you are interested in what waxes have cleaners and which don't I would suggest starting a thread on which waxes are true finishing waxes and which are cleaner waxes. I believe Mike Phillips has written an article on that subject somewhere. Here are a few articles by Mike that may help you make a decision. In the second article that I linked, Mike show's #26 as being a finishing product. Maybe it just doesn't work well with EX-P.?..

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...8593-products-need-dry-car-wax-mentality.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...erence-between-cleaner-wax-finishing-wax.html
 
Nira said:
What would you suggest I use? I only have #26 and NXT Tech Wax 2.0. ]: Natty's Blue nor Red is available here.
Click to expand...
Sorry I just re read this comment to see that Natty's IS NOT available where you are.
 
Well, I will try this combo once more just to see if the same results come out. I dont mind waxing often. Its a MUST here due to the weather... RAIN RAIN RAIN at least 4/7 days a week. I was just surprised to not see any water beading. Even one of Turtle Wax's HARD SHELL WAX I used once beaded water for a bit over two weeks.
Quite a disappointment for my first time using EX-P. But I will give it another shot. Hopefully there will be better turn outs!

Thanks for your help Dave!
 
Nira said:
Well, I will try this combo once more just to see if the same results come out. I dont mind waxing often. Its a MUST here due to the weather... RAIN RAIN RAIN at least 4/7 days a week. I was just surprised to not see any water beading. Even one of Turtle Wax's HARD SHELL WAX I used once beaded water for a bit over two weeks.
Quite a disappointment for my first time using EX-P. But I will give it another shot. Hopefully there will be better turn outs!

Thanks for your help Dave!
Click to expand...
You're welcome. Out of curiosity, where did you get the EX-P from? Do they offer much of a selection of other products? EX-P more so sheets the water off of the car and not so much beads like a wax. I always top EXP with a wax just for the look and ease of washing bugs off but it is a decent stand alone product here in the USA.
 
Megs' M26 does not have cleaners, but it is not known for its durability. You should get better durability from NXT. In your situation I would use the best synthetic sealant I can get my hands on.

The lack of beading does not, of course, mean that the protection has disappeared. Beading is a function of surface tension. It may well be that the environmental pollution to which your car is exposed is interfering with the beading we all like to see, or it may be that the combination of UV radiation, rain, frequently washings, and everything else has effectively obliterated the wax. I am not aware of any way to accurately determine whether a wax/sealant has truly disappeared.

So when should one re-wax? I have adopted this rule: I re-wax whenever a feature that I like (gloss, slickness, wetness, beading, etc.) has significantly diminished.
 
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