Washing a vehicle with a COATING...what did I do wrong??

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98LowRanger

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So 3 weeks ago I applied my first coating (Opti-Coat 2.0) to my fathers 2014 F-150. I did a ton of research before applying it and took my time. I think it turned out well and he definitely feels like it's doing it's job. It's been in a few rain storms yet still looks pretty clean and also had bird droppings on it for a few hours in the sun and I was able to just wash them off with water (no scrubbing).

Anyway, today I was going to show him how to wash it. I used CarPro Reset shampoo (1 ounce) and the 2 bucket method with grit guards. I washed it around 6 PM and out of direct sunlight, but wasn't exactly complete shade. It's a fairly large truck (mainly just tall) so it took me a little time, but I moved as quick as possible. Before drying it I unhooked the hose from my pressure washer and ran water from the hose over the truck to sheet off some of the water droplets that were standing on the panels. This worked fairly well. We then both started to dry the remaining water with waffle weave towels. When we were finished, I noticed quite a few water spots randomly on the truck....mainly the hood. I bought CarPro Spotless, but forgot it at my house.

Are water spots common on coatings? What did I do wrong when washing it? I'm pretty sure he does have hard water at his house, but how can he avoid the water spots next time he washes his truck (besides spending the money on an inline filter). What process do you guys use when washing a vehicle with a coating? Any help would be appreciated!
 
You mentioned that the truck had been rained on
..that is where the water spots likely came from.

When washing you should try to keep all of the paint wet from start to drying so that water does not have an opportunity to dry on the vehicle and leave the minerals behind in the form of a water spot.
 
allenk4 said:
You mentioned that the truck had been rained on
..that is where the water spots likely came from.

When washing you should try to keep all of the paint wet from start to drying so that water does not have an opportunity to dry on the vehicle and leave the minerals behind in the form of a water spot.
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I didn't notice the water spots before I started washing though.

Yea I tried to keep the truck wet as I was washing it, but I think I was focusing more on the glass then the hood. So to remove the water spots CarPro Spotless should work or rewashing it right?
 
Spotless will remove them easily... especially on water spots that are so fresh.

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It is difficult to keep water from drying when you are washing a large vehicle, especially if you do it all at once. You just about have to be The Flash. I generally do the vehicle in sections so I can dry it fast. In fact, I have moved away from conventional washes for this reason & generally do ONR washes now. 1.) By definition, you do the vehicle in sections. 2.) It allows me to use soft water from my house in the buckets, which reduces the danger of water spots (I have very hard water in my area).
 
chet31 said:
It is difficult to keep water from drying when you are washing a large vehicle, especially if you do it all at once. You just about have to be The Flash. I generally do the vehicle in sections so I can dry it fast. In fact, I have moved away from conventional washes for this reason & generally do ONR washes now. 1.) By definition, you do the vehicle in sections. 2.) It allows me to use soft water from my house in the buckets, which reduces the danger of water spots (I have very hard water in my area).
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Yes, while there are many vehicles that are larger then his F150, it's still a larger vehicle then I am use to washing. Hopefully the water spots came from the rain like allenk4 suggested. I will definitely advise him to try to wash it early in the morning or late afternoon. I m a little weary of using rinseless or waterless washes. I have no experience with them though.

Today I used some CarPro Spotless and was amazed at how easily it removed the water spots from the hood (the main place they occurred). Reading the instructions it recommends washing after using it on a panel. Is that necessary? When you wipe the panel off with a microfiber it seems to leave no residue and evaporate some.
 
Washing with soap after using Spotless neutralizes the pH level of the paint system (or in this case the coating system) which is why it is recommended.

Sent from my N9810 using AG Online
 
I have a customer that has the biggest truck I.ve ever worked on and black.

He loves my detailing and calls me every 2 weeks to wash this beast, pays very well too!

I recently buffed this a truck and applied 22ple VX1 Pro. I find when washing this particular vehicle that No rinse on the roof and hood work best and then traditional wash and dry sections around the truck. The tonneau cover his huge too, haha. I start washing between 630-7am as to beet the sun.

I have to stand on a ladder very top and stretch to try and reach the middle of the roof. I'm about 6 feet tall and my head is shorter than the hood of this thing.

I also bring my own water as his water is hard. I cannot keep the entire truck wet at all times while washing. Which is why sections work best.

Pics
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I'm not a novice, but explain how you divide the car into sections. Again, this is a serious question and something I have never done, but would be a great idea, even on smaller vehicles in warm weather.

Thanks.
 
That is a massive truck, we don't have anything that big here in the UK!!
 
BTLew81 said:
I'm not a novice, but explain how you divide the car into sections. Again, this is a serious question and something I have never done, but would be a great idea, even on smaller vehicles in warm weather.

Thanks.
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For Example:

Wet, wash and dry the roof, trunk lid and windows 1st

Then do the same for the hood and front end....etc, etc.


The objective of working on the smaller sections is to decrease the chances water will dry on the paint and cause water spots.


Lots of ways to do it, find what works best for you.
 
BTLew81 said:
I'm not a novice, but explain how you divide the car into sections. Again, this is a serious question and something I have never done, but would be a great idea, even on smaller vehicles in warm weather.

Thanks.
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How I do it is I soak the car down with water then I wash a quarter panel then hose off and spray the whole car again then move to the next panel. The idea is to keep the car wet so water spots don't form.

To OP: From my experience water spots are common on paint coatings especially after it gets rained on. Spotless will remove the spots easily.

IMO I'm not to sure how I feel about coatings especially where I live. Where I live I have frequent random thunder storms that produces just enough rain to coat my black truck in water spots while the temp is in the tripple digits. Lately I've been regretting coating my truck because of this. It's a losing battle for me. I've since switched back to colinite 845 and the water spot problem almost ceases to exist. Now if I was still living in southern CA I think I'd have a different view on paint coatings.

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Romach said:
That is a massive truck, we don't have anything that big here in the UK!!
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And that's a good thing too considering gas prices in Europe are so high. This thing must drink a lot of gas ;)
 
I know this isn't direct to your question but it is nuts to not be ONR washing an opti coated car unless it is really filthy. Coatings are great because of lack of needed maintenance but so many people treat their cars like they are more delicate after installing a coating!

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Romach said:
That is a massive truck, we don't have anything that big here in the UK!!
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That's 'cause this is 'Merica, you friggen Redcoat! We colonials like it that way!

(Obviously I'm biased about what environmental impact our cars have, but that truck as a detailed automobile does look very cool.)
 
Rain is generally very soft water, and I think it is unlikely your cause of water spotting.

I'd bet the spotting was there prior to washing.
 
I had the same problem with my 2 opti-coated cars. I'm sorry to say but imo opti-coat is at best a ridiculously absurdly difficult to apply product. And at worst a total hype. It did nothing it was supposed to do. No beading, no shedding of dirt, no etching or marring resistance. Not easy to clean at all. I would say it actually behaved as bad or worse than bare clear-coat. I also watched all the vids and read all the posts many, many times before applying. Huge disappointment.
 
I've never had a water spotting or bug/bird dropping etching problem with PBL's diamond surface coating and I have a black car in Texas. If it was going to happen, it would have by now.
 
I haven't had much of an issue with water spots on my car coated with C1/EXO except for a few random ones that corresponded to bottled water that I poured on my hood that I neglected to wipe off. They were only visible when I topped the coating or looked under light and they occurred within the first 36 hours of applying the coatings. Been rained on many times since that time and never had so much as a problem with water spots.
 
Nomadsto said:
I had the same problem with my 2 opti-coated cars. I'm sorry to say but imo opti-coat is at best a ridiculously absurdly difficult to apply product. And at worst a total hype. It did nothing it was supposed to do. No beading, no shedding of dirt, no etching or marring resistance. Not easy to clean at all. I would say it actually behaved as bad or worse than bare clear-coat. I also watched all the vids and read all the posts many, many times before applying. Huge disappointment.
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I suspect there was some deviation from the prescribed method of preparation, application and/or maintenance of the product.
 
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