^ What the title says.

I'm using Autoglym high gloss polish and Autoglym Paintwork Sealant on my black E36, and while it looks fantastic, it only lasts a week! After one measly car wash it comes right off. How can I tell? Well, its no longer deep and glossy, nor does the paint feel pasty as if it has wax on it and most of all, the water doesn't bead.

This is the process I normally use:
1) wash and dry
2) apply the gloss, wait an hour
3) remove gloss and apply sealant
4) wait approx. 45-60 mins and buff out the sealant
* Everything is done by hand.

Am I doing something wrong here? I know my car could use a good claying, but that can't be fully responsible for the horrible durability of the detail products I am using.

I am thinking of trying out some Klasse products (Zaino seems WAY too comprehensive with their multiple coats of the various products).

Any help is appreciated!

You don't have to do multiple coats of Zaino. I guess you can if you have a lot of spare time or like to throw away money.

I get away just fine doing one coat of Z1 or ZAIO and then one coat of Z2.

You'd probably be doing Klasse AIO and then something to top it anyway. And Klasse SG is one of the most difficult to remove sealants around.

But it's up to you.

Where is the wax step.... Am I missing something about this product....

I've converted to Turtle wax ICE synthetic. This stuff goes on easy, you can put it on in direct sunlight. It comes off real easy. A couple of flying carp (pigeons), crapped on it within 2 weeks on a hot sunny day. I thought this shit was cooked and going to leave my paint in a very bad way. The dry shit flipped right off with one swipe of my cloth. I'm converted.

I would rather recommend home-brewing wax than ICE....

With that aside, what the hell are you using to wash your car....Dish Soap? Unless your car is being driven in a hurricane I just can't possibly see it coming off in a week. What is your indicator that the sealant is no longer present?

Did you ever use ICE? I now use it on my boat. That's in the sun all the time, being attacked by all kinds of nasty airborne stuff and it is still slick and looks wet..

No, I use diluted Meguiar's car wash shampoo. Sometimes after a minor rain shower I just RINSE the car with only some WATER and light scrubbing and it's enough to remove the sealant!

using a polish by hand most likley your filling in the scratches. if they are deeper your not moving any paint around.

if you want that thing to shine, buy a rotary polisher.
step one, clean paint surface
step two, sand deeper scratches with 2500 grit wet paper.
step three, remove scratches with 3m or equivelant cutting compound, follow with a swirl mark remover (or meguiars cut polish cream), and if you want some stuff that sticks for awhile apply some 3m hand glaze with a D/A and a polish pad.

If its not very scratched and swirly apply some of the meguiars or swirl mark remover with a d/a and polish pad then switch to a new pad and do the 3m hand glaze. getting black to shine sucks. these are the products i use; 3M and meguiars

good luck

Did you ever use ICE? I now use it on my boat. That's in the sun all the time, being attacked by all kinds of nasty airborne stuff and it is still slick and looks wet..

Yes and while I will admit the Quick Detailer isn't half bad, it just came out too late and I find that Meguiar's UQD defiantly outperforms the ICE detailer. My only real complain about this was that it did not mist very well and just kinda coughed out the detailer unevenly. The UQD's Hydrophobic just overtook it by far. I actually wrote a review on it some time back. (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showpost.php?p=10074654&postcount=4)

The "polish" does go on and off very easy and does work pretty well on trim, however I did not like the look all that much and found that it did not last very long for me (both garaged and un-garaged) and that went for both paste and liquid. I will admit I do like the applicator and the paste did have that 'cool' factor in packaging as did all the rest of the ICE products.

The 'liquid clay' was just nothing short of a joke. Yes, again it is easy to use, but it requires so many more passes than regular clay (or my new favorite, Hi-Tech Body Sponge). When I clay, I clay to remove ALL surface containments so that even when you go over it with a plastic baggy over your hand, you won't find a single thing. This simply just was not up to that task.

He wants to know if the stuff he is using is supposed to react this way...... I have never heard of the stuff, so I cannot give input... But as someone said, dishwashing soap is the only thing that should affect the glaze/sealent.....


Sounds as if you are applying it extrememly wrong, or the stuff is garbage, or the water where you are is poisonous......

I would switch to a more conventional polish and Carnuba Wax and see i that makes a difference.... Don't try and break the bank on supplies, just try something new... Get a small bottle of it and see if it makes a difference, and if it does than the original product was a waste of time.... If the same thing happens, you need to look closely at your cleaning process, as well as your protection application.


Side note..... I am a fan of the Da's and rotories, but they are not always the answer to these post.... Every Detailing question ends with a "Buy a PC"...... They are not for everyone, and def not needed by everyone. You can def get good results by hand, it is just more work....

I use Wolfgang Sealant and I let is dry/sit on the paint for hours...then buff off. Then a few days later I do seal it again FTW.

Secondly, what the hell are you washing it with? Even the cheesiest wax would last weeks and weeks. :confused

The Autoglym product line is supposed to be very good. I'm surprised that it didn't last longer. I checked the Autoglym website and didn't find the products you mention. I suggest you go their website and leave them a message.

FWIW, I use Klasse AIO and SG. I have no problem removing the SG, but I have a few tricks. Jeff's Werkstatt is similar to Klasse and is supposed to be easier to remove.

Shwell is correct. Sure a polish by hand isn't going to do a lot of defect removal. But in this case, I believe that it's intended more as a surface prep for the sealant. As such, it's not really important that it be applied via PC. Just that it's applied period.

Can't really think of what might be causing the issue. Looks like you're preparing the surface sufficiently and not using too harsh of a car soap. However, beading isn't always an indication of protection. I use Jeff's Werkstatt on my wife's minivan and it seems to sheet water moreso than bead up.

But the only way to really know would be to contact the manufacturer or compare notes with other users of the same product.

The short answer is: human error. It's not the products.

Try a longer cure time.... Let it sit on the car longer.

The short answer is: human error. It's not the products.
Please elaborate. I follow the instructions on the bottles every single time so I am baffled as to what I am doing wrong.
Try a longer cure time.... Let it sit on the car longer.

Tried it, didn't help :(

I think it might be the product itself, these bottles were very old that I found in my garage. They might even have been diluted as far as I know. I'm going to give Zaino a shot.

Zaino should do well. And ZAIO could do okay all by itself, but will protect longer when coupled with Z2. There are lots of application tips on their webpage, but remember that you don't need to apply very much. A little goes a long way. Not that it becomes difficult to remove, but it just gets wasted if you put it on too thick.

But since you mentioned that you found the Autoglym products in your garage, you might try to make sure and keep your sealants, waxes and polishes indoors where they won't be subjected to temperature extremes. Products definitely lose their effectiveness when subjected to very hot or very cold temps.

i dont know what his paint looks like, but if it is very scratched and swirled, you just cover defects up by hand. and thats why it washes off. if its got a cheaper clear on the respray, it dosent react nearly as well to hand work like super hard factory clears.

im personally a strong believer in removing scratches instead of covering them, even when its shiney i still see them in the clear. im a perfectionist sometimes so maybe its just me saying "its not good enough" but i really do see it as true.

If your paints pretty nice, clean and well painted, your product could be old. Just follow directions like you said you do and things should work well.

Yes and while I will admit the Quick Detailer isn't half bad, it just came out too late and I find that Meguiar's UQD defiantly outperforms the ICE detailer. My only real complain about this was that it did not mist very well and just kinda coughed out the detailer unevenly. The UQD's Hydrophobic just overtook it by far. I actually wrote a review on it some time back. (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showpost.php?p=10074654&postcount=4)

The "polish" does go on and off very easy and does work pretty well on trim, however I did not like the look all that much and found that it did not last very long for me (both garaged and un-garaged) and that went for both paste and liquid. I will admit I do like the applicator and the paste did have that 'cool' factor in packaging as did all the rest of the ICE products.

The 'liquid clay' was just nothing short of a joke. Yes, again it is easy to use, but it requires so many more passes than regular clay (or my new favorite, Hi-Tech Body Sponge). When I clay, I clay to remove ALL surface containments so that even when you go over it with a plastic baggy over your hand, you won't find a single thing. This simply just was not up to that task.


I use both Meguiars regular QD, plus their new UQD. Interestingly, while I prefer the way the UQD helps the underlying wax really shed water, I find their regular QD is easier to use in that it tends to wipe and dry much quicker than the UQD. Also, the spray with the UQD bottle is so fine I often have a hard time seeing where its gone.. Then, when I wipe it down, it takes two or three MF towel surfaces to get it dry, whereas a single surface is all it takes to dry the regular QD. Both results were obtained on a recently waxed surface.

No, I use diluted Meguiar's car wash shampoo. Sometimes after a minor rain shower I just RINSE the car with only some WATER and light scrubbing and it's enough to remove the sealant!


1). Why would anyone rinse their car with hose water and lightly scrub it after a rain storm? This is not a smart move at all.

2). Why wouldn't someone, after a rain storm, spray their car's paint with a Quik Detailing Spray and softly, gently wipe the car down (never use the word "Scrubbing" when it comes to paint care).

3). Put the sealant wax on your car, let is dry for SEVERAL HOURS, then buff off lightly.

4). Put SEVERAL coats of sealant on your car.

5). If you don't care for the sealant you're currently using, simply buy another brand. Wolfgang Sealant is famous, see autogeek.net

6). Do not "scrub" your paint. Do not hose it down with hard water from the hose after a rainstorm and "scrub" it down. Do spray your car with Quik Detail Spray REGULARLY, lightly wiping it down (with microfiber towels only) as we do this to extend and prolong our car's wax/sealant (it says so on the bottle of Quik Detail Spray).

7). Accept the fact that if you're losing your car's wax or sealant in a matter of, "One car wash", that you are the one who is doing something wrong. The answers have been given to you here and above, do as you choose.

>>2). Why wouldn't someone, after a rain storm, spray their car's paint with a Quik Detailing Spray and softly, gently wipe the car down (never use the word "Scrubbing" when it comes to paint care).<<

I like to do this, as it prevents the water spots which would otherwise appear with a natural airdry after getting caught in the rain. This, of course, presupposes that the surface was basicly clean before the rain hit, other than perhaps some light dusting which was likely washed off the paint in the rain. Spraying the car down with Quick Detailer on top of the beaded water droplets from the rain assures that there will be enough 'slipperiness' such that lightly sweeping the MF towel across the surface will remove the droplets, and then following with another mf towel will dry it well.

I usually use my Meguiars QD to do this. But Ive been wondering about trying UQD for this duty. Has anybody tried this product in this type of duty? Its pretty slick, so it might be very good for this purpose, but I wonder about its extreme Hydrophobic properties which tend to force the water to 'run away' from it... It might help, but it also might destroy the water beads/droplets, making it harder to mop up with the towel.

Thoughts?

>>2). Why wouldn't someone, after a rain storm, spray their car's paint with a Quik Detailing Spray and softly, gently wipe the car down (never use the word "Scrubbing" when it comes to paint care).<<

I like to do this, as it prevents the water spots which would otherwise appear with a natural airdry after getting caught in the rain. This, of course, presupposes that the surface was basicly clean before the rain hit, other than perhaps some light dusting which was likely washed off the paint in the rain. Spraying the car down with Quick Detailer on top of the beaded water droplets from the rain assures that there will be enough 'slipperiness' such that lightly sweeping the MF towel across the surface will remove the droplets, and then following with another mf towel will dry it well.

I usually use my Meguiars QD to do this. But Ive been wondering about trying UQD for this duty. Has anybody tried this product in this type of duty? Its pretty slick, so it might be very good for this purpose, but I wonder about its extreme Hydrophobic properties which tend to force the water to 'run away' from it... It might help, but it also might destroy the water beads/droplets, making it harder to mop up with the towel.

Thoughts?


Semantics, everyone is saying the same thing here and it's going in circles.

What I said was clear:

1). Do not SCRUB your paint, ever, wipe...gently. I scrub my tires, wheels and carpeting...not my paint.
2). Do not as the OP does, "Sometimes after a minor rain shower I just RINSE the car with only some WATER and light scrubbing and it's enough to remove the sealant."
3). Nobody can ever get to their car as the rain storm ends...we come upon our car hours after the rain has ended. The water left on the car by the rain is most likely minimal, but there are dried elements of the rain that need removing...simply use what we are supposed to use, the product designed for this...Quik Detail spray with a fresh microfiber towel. If one wanted to be extremely acute to detailing and they watched the rainstorm end and they ran to their car minutes after the storm ended, then that person should seek professional therapy. :D Even I don't sit and watch the weather from my front window. IF I find lots of rain water on my car what do I do? I use the tool designed to remove water off my car...a P21S chamois. I then spray the car down with my Quik Detail spray and off I go.

My sealant stays on my car for MONTHS. So, it's no secret here, it's not the Bermuda Triangle of detail and there's no conspiracy theory; the OP is doing something wrong and those 'somethings' have been laid out, spelled out...and the correct measures have been offered in writing.

I don't literally SCRUB the car. Perhaps I should have said "wipe-down" - I don't sit there grating my paint :rolleyes. Stop taking every single word I said for it's literal meaning. Do you really believe that I went to my car after the LAST DROP fell from the sky?

I just finished washing my car right now, and it appears the sealant is still going strong from my last application. Just the doors and skirts seem to be losing the luster, as they probably accumulate most of the dirt and grime after driving through wet weather.

The PO had generated a plethora of swirls on my car, hence I am not going to worry about some minor grains scratching or adding swirls to my paint once in a blue moon - this thing needs a paintjob anyways. I am just trying to make the most of the paint as it sits. Adding another swirl or two isn't going to make me have an aneurysm.
My sealant stays on my car for MONTHS. So, it's no secret here, it's not the Bermuda Triangle of detail and there's no conspiracy theory; the OP is doing something wrong and those 'somethings' have been laid out, spelled out...and the correct measures have been offered in writing.

No shit sherlock? I was looking for advice on how to rectify my mistakes, and I have found it in this thread. So get off your high horse and calm down. Not everyone is detailing guru spending hours upon hours on shining up his/her vehicle like yourself.

No shit sherlock? I was looking for advice on how to rectify my mistakes, and I have found it in this thread. So get off your high horse and calm down. Not everyone is detailing guru spending hours upon hours on shining up his/her vehicle like yourself.


I hate internet Dbags.... hes saying your an idiot and hes wrong. bermuda triangle has captured his brain! :crazynoel

I dont know weather hes trying to help you or help himself get over daddy issues?

No shit sherlock? I was looking for advice on how to rectify my mistakes, and I have found it in this thread. So get off your high horse and calm down. Not everyone is detailing guru spending hours upon hours on shining up his/her vehicle like yourself.

Watch your tone, your noobishness outshines both your paint and your level of post content.

I hate internet Dbags.... hes saying your an idiot and hes wrong. bermuda triangle has captured his brain! :crazynoel

I dont know weather hes trying to help you or help himself get over daddy issues?

With no respect necessary, watch your tone as well.

SPEAK to the issues not the posters. If you don't have the class, wit or ability, don't post at all.

I stand by my posts in this thread and you ought to simmer down.

With no respect necessary, watch your tone as well.

SPEAK to the issues not the posters. If you don't have the class, wit or ability, don't post at all.

I stand by my posts in this thread and you ought to simmer down.

im perfectly calm. tell yourself whatever your saying is just plain fine and not completley hypocritical. speaking of class, wit, and ability...

im perfectly calm. tell yourself whatever your saying is just plain fine and not completley hypocritical. speaking of class, wit, and ability...

OP offers "The sky is falling on my paint in ust one car wash", then proceeds to offer, "Don't take everything I say literally." :D

Like I said, human error. It's rarely the product's fault. You may not like or enjoy the answer, doesn't make it any less true.

Watch your tone, your noobishness outshines both your paint and your level of post content.

Maybe you should take your own advice first. I never claimed to know everything about detailing. Where are you drawing up these ill-conceived inferences? Moreover, what the hell does my post count have to do with this?
OP offers "The sky is falling on my paint in ust one car wash", then proceeds to offer, "Don't take everything I say literally." :D

Like I said, human error. It's rarely the product's fault. You may not like or enjoy the answer, doesn't make it any less true.

The sky is falling on my paint in just one car wash? When did I ever allude to that? Your ludicrous assumptions are absolutely baffling. All I did was ask a simple request for insight on what is wrong with my situation, much lessing be over dramatic about it.

If you want to quote me, then quote me correctly. I never said that I was NOT at fault in my processes. Had you read the very first post you would have noticed that I acknowledged that my methods may be flawed. I have quoted myself below just incase you are incapable of carrying out the simple task of reading, much less comprehending what I wrote:

^ What the title says.

I'm using Autoglym high gloss polish and Autoglym Paintwork Sealant on my black E36, and while it looks fantastic, it only lasts a week! After one measly car wash it comes right off. How can I tell? Well, its no longer deep and glossy, nor does the paint feel pasty as if it has wax on it and most of all, the water doesn't bead.

This is the process I normally use:
1) wash and dry
2) apply the gloss, wait an hour
3) remove gloss and apply sealant
4) wait approx. 45-60 mins and buff out the sealant
* Everything is done by hand.

Am I doing something wrong here? I know my car could use a good claying, but that can't be fully responsible for the horrible durability of the detail products I am using.

I am thinking of trying out some Klasse products (Zaino seems WAY too comprehensive with their multiple coats of the various products).

Any help is appreciated!

See the bold text? I was fully prepared to accept my errors, were they responsible for the results that I'm seeing; and it turns out they are.

You clearly lack the communicative abilities to carry on a decent discussion without resorting to distasteful sarcasm.

So unless you decide to change your attitude in your posts - which I HIGHLY doubt based on your asinine remarks so far - please stay out.

The sky is falling on my paint in just one car wash? When the hell did I say that?

Your original post:


HELP! Wax/Sealant comes off after one wash :(
^ What the title says.

no offense to anybody here but this is getting lame. detail that bad boy up.

:deadhorse:

Your original post:


HELP! Wax/Sealant comes off after one wash :(
^ What the title says.
And you concluded from that I was shitting bricks about my sealant problem?

Allow me to dissect my title for you so that MAYBE you wil be able to understand it's meaning:

HELP! [Asking for some advice or aid to a problem I am about to address in the next phrase] Wax/Sealant comes off after one wash [This is the problem I am having, for which I made a request for help] :( [This emoticon represents a pictorial expression of my feelings with respect to the aforementioned problem]

It's raining outside right now in NY, pouring. This is good since we haven't seen rain in what seems like weeks. Played golf this weekend and the greens were still hard and fast.

I'll wake up tomorrow, God willing and I'll grab this product which I love:

Poorboys Spray and Wipe Waterless Car Wash
http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/autogeek_1970_73025353

If I have the time, I'll mist this on the flat surfaces, hood, roof and trunk. Another poster above loves this stuff and I can't say enough good things about it, I had a product review of it months ago and I use one bottle per month alone:

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/autogeek_1970_102269305

I am a fan of glaze, occassionally, maybe a few times in the year, wiping down the car with some and then waxing/sealing over it, this is good glaze and it's cheap:

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/autogeek_1970_99318584

In terms of sealants, Wolfgang is fantastic:

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/autogeek_1969_41118203

If you use great products, apply them properly, work with your paint inbetween the major details with proper washing and maintenance techniques, your sealant should last for many weeks if not months.

Kudo's to not firing back at me. I guess there IS some maturity on this board :thumbup:

BUT I still maintain that your successive posts came off as rather offensive.

I'm going to be purchasing some Zaino AIO and Z2 soon, hopefully it gives me a deeper shine than the AutoGlym products. I also think a claybar session is in order.

Yo paul e, read this thread about the UQD...... Yes I have done the rain & wipe... This UQD stuff is wonderful.......


http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=805941

Bimmerfiver,

Are there sealants that are compatible with glazes? Is Wolfgang one of them? I was under the impression that glazes contained a lot of oils that interfered with the sealant's ability to bond to the paint surface.

Kudo's to not firing back at me. I guess there IS some maturity on this board :thumbup:

There ought to be since I've been detailing cars for thirty (30) years. This is longer than the age of many 3 series drivers.

You'll find on the internet forums that people will take your words literally, since that's all there is to take.

Secondly, when someone has something so fubar as their wax being removed from one car wash...it IS going to make you scratch your head and say, wtf? Imagine someone posting in 'General', "All my oil drips out of my car in one week after an oil change."

Lastly, you wanted maturity? It was your post at 7:53pm yesterday which began the swirl of immaturity (see above). We're here to help, if you don't like the answers you hear, the feedback, glance over it; don't attack the poster.

Good luck to your car's paint.

Bimmerfiver,

Are there sealants that are compatible with glazes? Is Wolfgang one of them? I was under the impression that glazes contained a lot of oils that interfered with the sealant's ability to bond to the paint surface.

You're right, many people discuss this issue and avoid glaze.

This is interesting to read (and it's what I use)

http://www.autogeek.net/finishing-glaze.html

You'll see the reviewer was thinking along your lines.

You'll be happy with Zaino. Each extra coat only take a few minutes more time. More coats equal a deeper shine and more protection. Getting the paint immaculately clean is the hardest part of detailing your paint. When you clay it should feel as smooth as a baby's bottom. You may need to strip the paint clean with something stronger than clay. You have to be sure to get down to the clearcoat. Only then are you ready to apply Zaino or whatever you're going to use. I'm doing my car now and the last time I did it was last November (no bullshit) and it still looks great. My example is extreme (I drive very little and work nights so the car is in the garage most of the time) check out this site for more help.

http://www.detailersclub.com/?

hey dbworld4k,

I haven't read all of the posts on this thread, and it got tiresome to read bashful comments not affiliated with detailing.... Call the manufacture and check to see if ANY silicone is present in their product! Although some may fight me to the moon on this one, a product filled with silicone is more than likely to come off much easier than one which is silicone free. My sealeant? Griot's Garage. 8-12 months of protection-And I was weekly, bi/weekly... If you're following the manufacture's directions, it is not human error. Cut yourself some slack, it's probably just the wrong product :( I can't talk about Zaino, b/c I haven't had any experience with them. Try the silicone investigation first, then change product line!