Strange results with UQW

[TheSublimeGoose]

After washing and drying my car today, I applied UQW to the entire vehicle. After buffing it off, I found the vehicle to be noticeably ...un-slick. Really, it felt like I had just washed the car with Dawn.

The details:

Base coat of UW.

Washed with UWW. Correct dilution. Dried with one of Meg's drying cloths. The surface had a nice "just waxed" feel.

I then applied UQW like I always do, lightly spraying, spreading on to surface, and buffing to a gloss with a Supreme Shine cloth.

The surface took on a real squeaky clean feel. I sprayed some water on to the surface with a spray bottle, and the water didn't bead.

I will note that this a "bigger" bottle I purchased at Wal-Mart. First time I used this bottle. I've been using the smaller version, the one that comes in Meg's clay kit. Had great results when I used that bottle. Any thoughts?

[STRIFE]

Re: Strange results with UQW

Hmm, not aware of a "bigger" bottle of UQW, did you shake the bottle well? I know that whenever I started using a fresh new bottle of UQW, it was hard to shake & hear the product til some of it was used up.

[PPLd]

Re: Strange results with UQW

2 points:
1. It might be my technique or water is hard or something, but everytime after using Ultimate Wash and Wax, my paint feel squeaky as if there is no wax on my paint.
2. I believe there is no "bigger" bottle of UQW. It should be UQD that is offered in 22oz bottle.

[TheSublimeGoose]

By bigger I meant the standard size bottle. Bigger in comparison to the small bottle in Meg's clay kit.

I shook the bottle well.

I'm thinking this might be an interaction between the waxes UWW leaves behind and the UQW?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Strange results with UQW

We have to say this is rather odd sounding. There is no incompatibility what so ever between Ultimate Wash & Wax and Ultimate Quik Wax. If anything, they should compliment each other quite nicely.

You said you had a base coat of Ultimate Wax on the car. How long ago was it applied and how much rain have you had since that application?
Can you better describe your application process with the Ultimate Quik Wax? On a clean surface, like yours immediately following the wash/dry, it should be used very much like a quick detailer; mist and wipe, then wipe again with a dry side of the towel. There's no need for any real buffing, and doing so can actually be aggressive enough to start removing whatever underlying wax may be present. But even if you did get a bit aggressive, for water to not bead when sprayed on is very strange. If you poured water onto the paint from a glass, or let a steady stream of water from a hose run onto the paint, it should run off to the point that the paint is virtually dry, other than a few beads left behind. From a spray bottle, though, it should bead up like crazy. Did the water actually lay there in a sheet, or did it in fact just run off the surface. Running off the surface = excellent. Laying in a sheet = something ain't right here.

Grasping at straws here - did the product have that unmistakable fruity aroma to it?

[TheSublimeGoose]

Michael,

I did mist and wipe off. I guess buffing sounds too aggressive. I'm not a pro-detailed by any means, but I've used this product before, with great results I might add. Just having issues with this bottle.

Speaking of the scent thing, I didn't think it was worth noting in you original post but I did think it was lacking a strong fruity smell. With the smaller bottle I used up, I could easily smell the very distinctive aroma. With this bottle, I had to put my nose to the spray tip to smell it, and even then it seemed kind of faint.

[TheSublimeGoose]

Also, I applied UW (2 coats) about a month ago. Two light rainstorms since then.

When I misted the water on the car with the spray bottle it basically sheeted, like it was on an Un-treated surface.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Strange results with UQW

Also, I applied UW (2 coats) about a month ago. Two light rainstorms since then.

When I misted the water on the car with the spray bottle it basically sheeted, like it was on an Un-treated surface.

While I may be getting into semantics (or simply have a different definition of terminology) I find that water typically only sheets well on a waxed surface, where a wax-free surface will cling and puddle. Also, if you take an open hose and blast or pour it over the car, if it sheets off that is a good thing. Beading will only really occur when you have water applied in smaller drops (like rain, or with a special attachment on the hose, etc).

Is it really cold out? Sometimes if paint is really cold it will feel much more grabby against skin.

Test how well a clean microfiber slides across the surface...that should be less affected by temperature.

[TheSublimeGoose]

Mark,

It was about 50F outside. Again, I've applied UQW before around this temp, in fact in cooler temps of I recall, with better results than this time.

The clean microfiber had some difficulty running across the surface. Not like after an application of UW or UQW where it would glide on the paint.

I think I got a bum bottle of this stuff. I'm a Meg's diehard, so I think tomorrow I'll purchase another bottle and see what's what.