Self Cleaning Wow

C

Cadfael

Member
‘Self Cleaning’ evokes images of little molecules with microscopic spray bottles and microfiber in my addled mind. I know this isn’t the case. Today was the first time it’s rained while we were out driving in my wife’s car - a good soaking rain. The hood was clear shortly after the rain stopped. The car is remarkably clean, just a little dirt on the bottom of the panels.
 
This was always a major selling point for M16, and continues to be for Collinite. Although I find that FK1000P does it even better. I`ve had a hard rain take vehicles from "very dirty" to "non-Autopian clean" countless times, I actually expect it. Sure washes the pollen off just fine :D
 
Accumulator said:
This was always a major selling point for M16, and continues to be for Collinite. Although I find that FK1000P does it even better. I`ve had a hard rain take vehicles from "very dirty" to "non-Autopian clean" countless times, I actually expect it. Sure washes the pollen off just fine :D
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And a coating would be on a different level entirely - it`ll blow your mind vs old tech waxes which in my experience have comparatively poor self cleaning.
 
atbalfour said:
And a coating would be on a different level entirely - it`ll blow your mind vs old tech waxes which in my experience have comparatively poor self cleaning.
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Eh, I dunno...IME, the OptiCoat I used on some wheels wasn`t significantly better than the FK1000P. Couldn`t really tell much of *any* difference in that regard and thus haven`t bothered Coating anything else since. The durability was nice, but that was the only discernible difference and the less-user-friendly application was a huge turn-off for me.
 
No matter what you put on wheels they`ll get dirty, coatings only really help to make them easier cleaned with fewer bonded contaminants. Waxes are hopeless on wheels and I find get dirtier quicker and constantly need decontaminated and topped up.

Paintwork there is simply no contest. Old tech vs new tech. A lite ceramic is as easy, if not easier than a wax to apply, the difference is that the lite coating requires prep to have any kind of durability.

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atbalfour said:
No matter what you put on wheels they`ll get dirty, coatings only really help to make them easier cleaned with fewer bonded contaminants. Waxes are hopeless on wheels and I find get dirtier quicker and constantly need decontaminated and topped up...
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Nah..since my experience with the OptiCoat I`ve just done my wheels with the FK1000P and the only diff is more frequent reapplication.

I don`t mean to be argumentative, but it seems we`ve had differing experiences. My conventional LSPs (with the exception of Souveran) work fine on my wheels, and have for over 40 years or else I wouldn`t keep using them. They just need redone somewhat often.

I`ve used the Opticoat on wheels with different finishes and the "painted" ones (which I suspect were actually powdercoated) can`t be that different from the paint on the rest of the car. I am confident that I know what to expect from *that* particular Coating, which I gather isn`t inferior to the ones offered today and might`ve even been better. If I thought it was anything special, I might`ve done more than just a few sets of wheels with it, but no...I get the same performance, *over a shorter period of time*, from an utterly Accumulator-proof product that`s far easier for *me* to use.

(Note that my new normal vision is a huge factor with regard to what is/isn`t Accumulator-proof :( )

BUT that`s just *my* experience, and !YMMV! always applies with this Detailing stuff. Just can`t always assume that the newest/bestest is really any better than the stuff that`s been around since forever..gotta try `em yourself and see what works for *you*.
 
Though you are entitled to your opinion this isn`t a debate about your preferences or what you perceive to be easier to use, it is a thread about self-cleaning and I am simply saying that there is no contest for self cleaning and you would struggle to convince anyone on here of anything different.

Dare I say that you stick to what you know and like, so I am surprised you feel compelled to debate the point. I`ve always found it really strange that someone can spend so much time on a car detailing product forum and never really have any interest in new products or upping their game, for me that`s what it`s all about! Unless you try some of the products in this category you will remain in the dark about the benefits. Opti Coat is not a dedicated wheel ceramic, nor do ceramic coatings on wheels display as strong a self cleaning effect as they do on paint as I explained above.
 
I’ve used a lot of waxes and sealants since I started detailing in the mid 2000’s. I haven’t seen anything that I’d describe as self cleaning until this coating.
 
Cadfael said:
I’ve used a lot of waxes and sealants since I started detailing in the mid 2000’s. I haven’t seen anything that I’d describe as self cleaning until this coating.
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I am in a similar boat, knew nothing but waxes and QDs including FK1000P until roughly 4 years ago. Detailing isn`t an exact science or we`d all be using the same products and have the same routine but there is a clear difference to anyone willing to acknowledge it. There are plenty of reasons people prefer to use a wax rather than a coating which I get, but without exception the compromise is performance and durability.
 
[Original post DELETED]

Huh, guess I didn`t express myself properly.


Heh heh, if I could still "up my game" at this stuff after 40-some years I`d quit wasting my time at it. And speaking of wasting my time...funny how, no matter how little time I spend here, somebody will continue to comment on their perception of same, and in a seemingly critical manner. OK..

But, back on-topic:

I did want to point out that the OCW I use on my wife`s A8 is simply worthless in that regard, so in some cases I do agree that conventional LSPs aren`t any good at that.
 
I think it`s two part.
1. The product prevents any foreign debris from stubbornly clinging/adhering to the LSP itself
2. Great sheeting action that helps carry away the surface debris with the water as it runs off the vehicle.

The free natural car washes while my car sits in the parking lot at work is always a bonus, but I`ve come to appreciate bug removal even more. On a recent road trip my car was horribly plastered with bugs on one leg of the trip. While filling up with gas I was looking at the mess and imagining the level of effort to clean everything up. Shortly after that I drove through a deluge of a thunderstorm. When I got to my destination, all the bugs were gone. Problem solved. With sealants I`d used in the past there would have been some remaining bug guts to clean up.
 
Nothing is easier on wheels than 303 touchless sealant or some other brand touchless. You guys need to quite using antiquated products. It`s time to get lazy.
 
Is there a difference between a poor sealant and great coating, absolutely. However I’ve not seen these amazing self cleaning, never need to be washed vehicles. Dirt still falls on cars and it sticks no matter what is on the car. I’ve done a few side by sides, and yes at 1-2 feet you can tell, especially after a hard rinse. But it’s not magic.

This reminds me of the debates we had about magic dirt repelling QDs like FK425.
 
Notice this big time since i switched to the Hybrid Solutions line. Truck stays cleaner longer. After a wash, if it sits and we get rain, it dries spot free. Even after driving in rain, it still looks great. Products have come a long way.
 
Dan said:
Is there a difference between a poor sealant and great coating, absolutely. However I’ve not seen these amazing self cleaning, never need to be washed vehicles. Dirt still falls on cars and it sticks no matter what is on the car. I’ve done a few side by sides, and yes at 1-2 feet you can tell, especially after a hard rinse. But it’s not magic.

This reminds me of the debates we had about magic dirt repelling QDs like FK425.
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Dan, that`s what I was curious about. As PA DETAILER said, products have come a long way, but they are marketed in such a way that they make you think your car will self clean itself. Wishful thinking.
 
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