Anyone else having durability issues with Ultimate Wax liquid?

[Kman]

Re: Anyone else having durability issues with Ultimate Wax liquid?

It's a little early in the morning, but I'm confused. You think the film came from Ultimate Wax or you think you waxed on top of a film and you think Ultimate Wax has poor durability? When was the #16 put on??

Maybe I need to re-read this thread after breakfast....

Wash the hood with soap and water, then give it a good rinse and see how it beads. Could be that the hood is just dirty or something but I doubt it as your side panels seem to be beading nicely.

Looks like I am sticking with HD Poxy though as its lasted about three months on a work truck so far.

After I took the pictures at the beginning of this thread the following day I washed my Tahoe with Ultimate Wash & Wax and then applied #16 to the whole vehicle. The beading was great once again and I thought the beading problem was fixed. The following day I noticed the hood, windshield, and passenger side windows all the way to the back had a filmy residue. This was causing the water to not bead on the paint and windows. The water was stuck basically.

I washed again a few days later with Gold Class and rubbed the windows real hard to get the filmy residue off. It was very hard to get it off. I clay barred the right side of the vehicle and applied #16 once again. I got most of the filmy residue off the windows (windows are slightly stained), and after clay barring and applying #16 to the right side of the vehicle it seems to have helped.

I haven't driven my Tahoe this weekend so I haven't looked at the right side panels or windows.

Like I said, this issue was on the hood and right side of the vehicle only. Very strange.

[wifpd4]

Re: Anyone else having durability issues with Ultimate Wax liquid?

Thanks Keith for clarifying what is happening to you, or rather your car!! I really wonder what this film is you refer to? Have you been driving your car during the rain and is this film related to your windshield washer fluid?

I've only done a truck and three cars with Ultimate Wax. However, only one, mine, do I know how the UltWax holds up to rain. Also if I'm going to wax, I don't use Ultimate Wash and Wax. I use Gold Class. The last time I used Ultimate Wax I washed, then waxed with Ultimate Wax and followed that with M26 for a change of pace. A day or so later took a short trip. A four hundred mile trip, with the first hundred miles starting in snow and ending in rain and the rain beaded off like crazy.

Unfortunately, when I hand wash I dry off using Ultimate Quik Wax so it's a bit hard to tell if the Ultimate Wax is having durability issues. My gut feeling is it's as durable as other waxes.

Again, this film on your Tahoe is very puzzling and must be very frustrating for you!!

[akimel]

Re: Anyone else having durability issues with Ultimate Wax liquid?

Keith, it sounds like you need to use a paint cleaner (Ultimate Polish, SwirlX) or cleaner wax (ColorX) before applying your preferred wax. Clearly something is on the paint that neither ordinary car shampoo or claying can remove. It may well have been on the paint before you applied the Ultimate Wax.

ColorX will probably do the job for you. Use a foam applicator and massage it into the paint. You want to apply it a bit more vigorously than you would a regular wax. Use an ample amount and work it in like you would rub a skin lotion onto your skin. Allow it to haze and then buff off. Then top it with #16 or UW. Hopefully this will cure the performance problems you're seeing.

[wifpd4]

Re: Anyone else having durability issues with Ultimate Wax liquid?

Al, that is a very good point. I guess I was thinking the D300 and clay-barring would have cleaned the finish. Your comment makes a lot of sense. When Keith mentions needing to rub hard on the glass, that should have been a clue to the tenacity of the film.

Still wondering where this film came from!! The car wash/shampoo is the only thing put all over the car, including the glass. Putting wax over the film would definitely affect beading and ultimately the longevity and durability of the wax.

[akimel]

Re: Anyone else having durability issues with Ultimate Wax liquid?

I had forgotten that Keith had used the D300 before applying the UW. One would think that if the mysterious film/residue had been on the car at that time the D300 would have removed it ... but perhaps not. I don't know. In any case, the film is on the car now and something like ColorX should clean up the present problem and prepare the surface for Keith's preferred wax.

Here are a couple questions for the Meguiar's folks: How does D300 compare to cleaner waxes like ColorX or M66? Does it have comparable cleaning power? Does it have any chemical cleaners in it?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Anyone else having durability issues with Ultimate Wax liquid?

Al, the cleaning and defect removal ability of D300 blows ColorX and M66 into the weeds - there's just no comparison at all.

What's really interesting here is that Keith has this weird film just on one side of the truck. Why not on all of it? And looking at the images in the original post it's hard to tell if the water is laying on the hood in a sheet, or if it's basically run off the hood as the beads pooled together. Can you confirm one way or the other, Keith?

We've gotten more rain than usual here in SoCal this year, and I know that on my wife's car, after applying ULW and then driving it a couple hundred miles in very heavy rain, then having it spend several more days exposed to quite a bit of rain, it would not only bead water relentlessly, but it would shed it like a duck. When I finally had a chance to wash the car it was almost like I couldn't keep water on it. So something strange is going on here, and that film on one side of the truck only is bugging us. If it were something strange like the product didn't bond and ran off in the rain (and that would be exceptionally strange for any wax or sealant) then why would it only do so on one side?

[akimel]

Re: Anyone else having durability issues with Ultimate Wax liquid?

Al, the cleaning and defect removal ability of D300 blows ColorX and M66 into the weeds - there's just no comparison at all.

Oops, I reversed the product numbers in my question. I was really asking about D301 (which is the polish-wax, right?) and wanted to know how it compares to Meguiar's cleaner waxes.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Anyone else having durability issues with Ultimate Wax liquid?

Ah, OK then.

Overall, D301/DMF5 is probably not as aggressive as D151 can be simply because D151 can be used with a rotary and a wool pad. But compared to ColorX/M66 it's probably pretty darn close, but probably a bit more aggressive overall mainly due to the microfiber disc. We've seen cases where D301/DMF5 left a slight haze on a very delicate paint, but ColorX/W9207 cleaned that right up.

So really, the microfiber finishing disc has some decent bite to it that super delicate paint may not respond to - they may want a super gentle combination. Now, could that also be D301 on a W9207 foam pad? Yep, and we've seen that work out very well too.

You may also find that D301 gives a brighter shine than either ColorX or M66, plus there is the ridiculously easy wipe off of D301.

[Kman]

Re: Anyone else having durability issues with Ultimate Wax liquid?

Al, the cleaning and defect removal ability of D300 blows ColorX and M66 into the weeds - there's just no comparison at all.

What's really interesting here is that Keith has this weird film just on one side of the truck. Why not on all of it? And looking at the images in the original post it's hard to tell if the water is laying on the hood in a sheet, or if it's basically run off the hood as the beads pooled together. Can you confirm one way or the other, Keith?

We've gotten more rain than usual here in SoCal this year, and I know that on my wife's car, after applying ULW and then driving it a couple hundred miles in very heavy rain, then having it spend several more days exposed to quite a bit of rain, it would not only bead water relentlessly, but it would shed it like a duck. When I finally had a chance to wash the car it was almost like I couldn't keep water on it. So something strange is going on here, and that film on one side of the truck only is bugging us. If it were something strange like the product didn't bond and ran off in the rain (and that would be exceptionally strange for any wax or sealant) then why would it only do so on one side?

It was sheeting off. Like I said, this happened after I applied a second coat of UW a week after I detailed my Tahoe the week before. The week before when it rained the beading action was INSANE. A week later after I did another coat of UW and it rained it didn't bead at all. It definitely was UW on the windows, must have been something I did wrong.

Since I clay barred the right side of the vehicle and applied #16, I have had no issues. Getting the UW film off the windows was very difficult.

I wish I had time a week or so ago to swing by and show you in person since I live very close to the HQ. If it happens again I will.

[wifpd4]

Re: Anyone else having durability issues with Ultimate Wax liquid?

In a former life, I used to troubleshoot physical plant (buildings) problems. This has really piqued my interest. Sorry to be so inquisitive, but you think the second coat of wax didn't bond to the paint, but washed off in the rain and bonded to the windows or do I have that wrong?

I've had such good luck with UltWax in the snow (light snow) and rain, but I put the second coat on before driving in any rain.

Too inquisitive I know, old habits die hard...

[Kman]

Re: Anyone else having durability issues with Ultimate Wax liquid?

In a former life, I used to troubleshoot physical plant (buildings) problems. This has really piqued my interest. Sorry to be so inquisitive, but you think the second coat of wax didn't bond to the paint, but washed off in the rain and bonded to the windows or do I have that wrong?

I've had such good luck with UltWax in the snow (light snow) and rain, but I put the second coat on before driving in any rain.

Too inquisitive I know, old habits die hard...

That is my guess. As to why it happened to the hood and right side of the vehicle only? No idea.