Blackfire Crystal Seal problem?

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acsuppa

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Hi guys,


I'm having an issue with Blackfire Crystal Seal and I was hoping someone could help me. I applied it to my car this past weekend. The paint is in perfect condition. The car is 2 months old. I went through my normal process of cleaning the paint when I got it since we all know what the typical car dealers version of "detailing" a car is.

Anyway, the Blackfire Crystal Seal went on like a dream. So easy. I actually was concerned that maybe I wasn't using enough but I went very lightly and followed up with an addition coat after approx. 1 hour. The results were great. Smooth as glass, very slick and very highly reflective shine. It looks like I spent an hour buffing it with my normal sealant and DA. That was Sunday morning. Now two days later it rained on my way to work. The beading looked awesome in my driveway before I left. Very tight small beads. Some people that use it say it beads very well and others say it sheets water off and doesn't bead very well. My definitely beads. The weird thing is even at highway speeds, the water doesn't want to roll off very easily? It rained for the first 40 minutes of my commute and the last 30-35 minutes it stopped and cleared up. Even after driving around 60-65 mph, a lot of the water on my paint and glass was still there. Normally using a traditional sealant or even my favorite QD, the water would have been 99% gone after just a few minutes at highway speed. Very weird. Like I said, the results after the 2 coats of Blackfire Crystal Seal was awesome. very smooth and extremely slick feeling. What's wrong? I'm disappointed I cleaned the RainX off my windows and applied the Blackfire Crystal Seal because it is no were near as good and as far as the paint, the water is kind of "sticking". Not that I'm a huge fan of RainX but I think it's worth the sometimes extra effort to use it. My concern is more about the pain.

Please let me know if anyone has used the product with similar results. It's just strange to me that the paint and glass truly did feel extremely slick after applying it so why would the water not want to roll off easily. I bought the 8oz bottle and I hate to discontinue using it and waste the money.


Thanks guys
 
All paint systems are different; waxes, sealants and coatings perform differently from vehicle to vehicle. What beads on one vehicle might sheet on the other. As the guy that gets to test everything that comes through our door (Love my job! :) ), I can attest to this.

It sounds like the product is performing well, meaning it is causing water to bead up. That also means the paint is protected.

If you're more concerned about how water reacts instead of the look the product imparts on your paint (you determine which is more important), then I would strip it off and try something else.
 
I'm not sure about the Crystal Seal, but I experience the same conditions with 845. The beading is insane, but it takes runs at 70 or higher to dry the car. At speeds of 50~60 mph the beads seem to shake and move around a bit. At 65 they start to run together into big blobs, and at 70 they roll up the hood to the drain or across the top and off the car.

Road grime, dust and pollen could be effecting the behavior your seeing and slowing things down.

Honestly, I don't worry about it and never give it much thought. After driving in the rain the car needs to be washed anyway to remove all the sprayed-on road grime, so any spotting from the rain will be removed then.
 
Thanks guys for the replies. Very much appreciate it. Well, I'm not really concerned, just more curious I guess. Seeing how slick it felt, I was more surprised the water didn't roll off quicker. I like the product so I don't think I want to bail on it. I do beleive the protection is there and that's the whole point of the sealant in the first place. I'm a sucker for a nice bead even though I've been debating the whole beading vs. sheeting in my head.

I guess I'm just used to how my current sealants that I've been using for about 20+ years react. I've been a Meguiar's Pro line and Detailer line fan for all these years and just recently and trying new products. By the way, M20 and M21 were always my sealants of choice and M26 for a hybrid carnauba. For consumer line I've been using the Ultimate Quick Detailer and love it.
 
A couple things you could try. 1) wash it and see how it performs next rain. Every time I apply 2 coats of CS, I get a haze left behind that comes off with a wash or RW. That could be what is giving you the effect you are seeing. 2) Try it with BFWD underneath. 3) After you wash, finish with Polymer Spray, or one of the Midnight Sun spray waxes or instant detailer.

I don't know if any of these will change the behavior you see, but just some observations I have had and water flies off my paint (but see Nick's comment).

I use BFWD, let cure 12 hours, then 2 coats CS 1-2 hours apart. Then RW after 24 hours and finish with Polymer Spray. I use MS Instant Detailer after a 2BM as I dry.
 
Cool. Thanks for the tips. I was actually thinking about washing it to see if it helps. I don't see any hazing or anything like that but I thought what if it did leave a little something behind, besides the sealant of course that is causing the issue. I've never used a WOWA product before. Do you think 2 coast were overkill? I was only going to do one but I've read people doing 2 coats to assure complete coverage. Since this clearly, no pun intended, doesn't look or act like a traditional sealant you can't easily see the product. Thanks again.
 
No, 2 coats is proper. It is hard to see, especially if you apply it correctly which is very sparingly. I usually do a crosshatch pattern for each coat to help ensure even coverage.
 
Yeah that's what I thought. It definitely does go on real thin. I though I wasn't applying enough at first until I did a few panels.
 
Well it rained pretty heavy during work and a little on my way home. It actually seemed a little better for my ride home. Maybe a nice wash would have corrected the issue. I'll have to see how it is after I wash it. Weather isn't going to be good for the next few days and now the road grime will effect the water roll off a little. Next time I use it, I'll make sure to wash it after it has time to fully cure. I really do like the beading and look of it.
 
BFCS blows water right off my paint at 40 or faster and don't have to run the wipers either at that speed. I love this stuff.
 
07gtcs said:
BFCS blows water right off my paint at 40 or faster and don't have to run the wipers either at that speed. I love this stuff.
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I find it so weird that I'm experiencing what I am. It looks and feels really slick. I'd understand if the finish felt weird or not slick. Very odd. I'll have to give it a nice wash when the weather clears up and see what happens. I do like the product. Anything special you did when you applied it?
 
I think I may have applied to much or something. After the rain coming into work that day, I sprayed my car down with the hose real well. It was about to rain so I didn't bother washing it. I notice the day after that, the water that remained on the paint causes odd looking water spots. I noticed this from the inside while driving. The ones on the window are more obvious. When I got home, I touched the spots on the window with my finger tip and it smeared. Like greasy?? Anyone have this happen? Maybe next time I use the product I'll wait for it to cure and buff it off with a Microfiber. That's got to be why the water wasn't rolling off. I must have applied to much product.
 
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