2015 BMW X5 M Exterior - Pinnacle correction and Angelwax protection

[acuRAS82]

Update on Roof 9/27/19:

I haven’t been posting about the roof with many different test spots.


I did check the beading of the back today as I rinsed after washing. The following pictures are taken over a ~5 second timeframe after the hose turns off.


- The right (passenger) side had Souveran topped on TI-22 and is holding on to water the longest (not a huge surprise.
- To the left is TI-22 on top of Souveran on top of TI-22, which sheets a little faster but still pretty poor performance.
- The middle is TI-22 alone which sheeted very nicely.
- The left (drivers) side is Enigma on top of TI-22 which sheeted the fastest and beaded the best (still as good as new).

SWETM and I were wondering if the TI-22/Souveran/TI-22 panel might “lock in” the Souveran based on Angelwax’s description of optionally using TI-22 on TOP of waxes. The advantage being that one could lock in a poor longevity beauty wax and enjoy a warm glow for much longer than the wax can otherwise live.
This appears not to be the case as the TI-22/Souveran/TI-22 section much more closely resembles the TI-22/Souveran section than the TI-22 solo section.

I would expect within a week or two that the sections performing poorly due to Souveran dying off will soon bead better once Souveran has fully failed, leaving the TI-22 as the remaining LSP. We shall soon see if theoretical = reality.

Stay tuned!

 

[SWETM]

Aah crap that the ti-22 didn`t work to lock it in. Was it good water behavior in the beginning of the Souverän/Ti-22 vs Ti-22/Souverän and was it on par with each other. IIRC the Ti-22 was more of a sheeting properties than a high contact angle and beading. Then it where degraded to a lower performance but still worked okay for a long time in that Italian dudes longterm testing. Will see if I can find those videos again LOL.

Man I`m getting stressed to do the winter prep on the cars in time for the winter. We have had a lot of rain these couple of late weeks. And when it where weather for doing something. I had to do the interior on both cars. When you neglect to do them regualary it takes a lot of time to do them. See if I`m able to do something this week or the weekend. Even if it`s a couple of panels at the time it`s something. But I have always been all or nothing sadly LOL.

Will be interesting to see how the Ti-22/Enigma Wax is holding up for you.

It was during the late summer last year I applyied the AW Enigma QED on the Kia. So not much of any rain. But I got around 3months from it and that`s on great performance from it. I got almost 2 months from the AW QED the year before. So it`s very much YMMV. 3weeks is not good for Enigma QED. I even got 4 weeks on a flat panel from the Enigma car soap LOL. Have you had the same experience before that you got a short longevity from Enigma QED?

 

[acuRAS82]

It was during the late summer last year I applyied the AW Enigma QED on the Kia. So not much of any rain. But I got around 3months from it and that`s on great performance from it. I got almost 2 months from the AW QED the year before. So it`s very much YMMV. 3weeks is not good for Enigma QED. I even got 4 weeks on a flat panel from the Enigma car soap LOL. Have you had the same experience before that you got a short longevity from Enigma QED?

I was surprised how much performance was lost from Enigma QED after 3 weeks. It definitely could have lasted longer but performance was at the point that most Autopians would re-apply, which I did. I’ll see what happens on this new application.

Furthermore, Im considering topping half the car with Enigma QED tonight to compare Enigma QED as a topper on Enigma Wax vs. Enigma Wax as the top coat on the remaining half of the car.

It’s been very hard for me to not add any toppers for the last month, in order to track TI-22/Enigma combo by itself. I’m pretty anxious at this point, hence considering tipping half the car with Enigma QED.

 

[SWETM]

LOL yeah that`s the hard part when doing some testing to not top it. But it`s better to top it if you want to have a long longevity from the base protection. Or at least when the performance from it has dropped so the topper makes a difference when it`s applyied. When you have the same product line. Most topper should be giving a higher performance from them in the short term over the base protection to be worth to apply them IMO. The synergy products can be that they don`t necessary get the higher performance layer from them but aid the base protection in it`s longevity from it.

I`m wondering about what to do with the TW ICE Seal N Shine and Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic Wax testing I have going on. It`s been on for a month now with one wash on it. And has lost it`s top performance from them. The TW SNS holds up much better now when applyied in a better weather conditions. And on the dirty paint it had a much noticeble performance from it than the HCW. Then back to equal again after the wash. I have some trouble now when it`s getting colder and the heat systems in the homes and industies around me is on much more than before. They have and we use also wood pellets to getting fire to heat up the boiler. The sot from these when the wind comes from northeast lands on the parked Ford Focus. And combo this with the dew and the sot spots looks awefull after a couple of days. And I have also a little trouble to desolve these with the prewash foam and the car soaps I use. Have not been any difference in the LSP I have used either. The sot lands on the horizontall surfaces so have been thinking on doing waterless washes more often on the hood and the roof. The fastest LSP removal I see is when I need to be aggitate it more than useally. Aah just what`s messing with my testing for now. Maybe I test to do a waterless wash with EcH2O as I don`t think that it`s affecting the SNS and HCW that much.

And then Jon at The Forensic Detailing Channel on Youtube did a short video about a product that he was impressed with. During his testing with the spray on rinse off products he is doing now. And it`s the Turtle Wax Dry N Shine Rinse Wax which is based on the same technology as SNS. Have not seen such a product with carnuaba in it which I think is a little strange in how they works. So now I have the itch to test this out too LOL. Maybe apply it over the Gyeon Wet Coat that`s on the the vertical panels on the Focus. It`s reaching 3 months now and still performing great. So definitely a much stronger version of Gyeon Wet Coat they have released for 2019. I would say it`s a notch better performance from it than Carpro Hydro2 lite. Noticed right away after have been useing 2×1L bottles of Wet Coat before that the new version had a higher performance right away from the start. Like I was getting after 3-4 application of the older version with a couple of weeks apart. So I`m interested to apply the new version a couple of times with no more than a month apart to see if it`s builds up the performance from it as it used to do. Decisions decisions LOL

It`s fun to test out stuff but it`s hard when they have such a good longevity from them. And so many products that you want to test out LOL

 

[acuRAS82]

One potential variable that could have hurt the LSP more than usual is the Four Star Professional Series shampoo I had been washing with. I used this on my Acura too and my test with DG AW vs UQW has yielded some poor beading sooner than expected.

Just throwing it out there... but no proof and the tests shall resume.

 

[acuRAS82]

Update 10/4/19

Washed today, but prior to putting soap on, I checked updated water behavior on the ceramic wax tested back panel and the roof.

The roof:



https://youtu.be/wss8aXdHrPE

Pics after video:



As expected, the left and middle are shearing/beading well. As we go to the right towards the two Souveran topped sections, the water wants to hold on to the roof more, especially the far right where Souveran was the last topping. Here’s two more spray downs in pictures to reiterate:

 

[acuRAS82]

10/4/19: Back panel

Video of the 4 test products:
https://youtu.be/tRGO5ncaHX8

Synergy



Krystal



EcoShine Wax



Nano



My observations:
1)Synergy still deflects fastest.
2)Nano slightly behind Synergy now
3&4) Krystal and EcoShine seem tied now. Krystal appears to be sheeting better now, rather than EcoShine sheeting worse (props to Krystal).



Tony reminded me that I totally forgot to check the Enigma Wax vs the test subjects on the back, top panel.
As a reminder, I have 6+ week Enigma Wax on the drivers side (and within 2 inches left-adjacent to the back panel I reapplied Enigma Wax when the test subjects were applied). I have topped with Enigma QED on the passenger side on 9/28. Below post covers the QED testing:
https://www.autopia.org/forums/product-reviews/191099-angelwax-enigma-qed-topper.html


From left to right - 6-week-Enigma vs. new Enigma vs. Synergy:


Synergy and new Enigma shed ASAP. 6 week Enigma is compromised a bit as one can tell by the layer of water on the left.


From left to right - Nano vs. Enigma QED


Nano and Enigma QED both reject water ASAP. Enigma QED, from what I’ve seen so far, has same performance as Enigma Wax, except it fades faster (significant performance decrease in 3 weeks, but more tests are on going).

 

[Coatings=crack]

My interest for wax is strictly for looks during summer. Which one is most visually appealing to you?

In winter gonna rock Cosmic.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[acuRAS82]

My interest for wax is strictly for looks during summer. Which one is most visually appealing to you?

In winter gonna rock Cosmic.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Probably Synergy or Nano at the moment. I wish I put them side by side. The flakes seem to pop the most on the edges when in sunlight.

Enigma looks really nice too but I’m still getting used to it. The others are very glassy but also have a bit of a smooth, wet look. The Enigma seems a bit colder. Maybe Enigma is a pure ceramic wax with no carnauba, making the slight difference. Some may like the cool, crisp look more as it may be reminiscent of a true coating look.

In other words, it’s hard to say. The test panel is such small sections. I will add that Synergy also covers 1/3 of the front roof and it’s easier to see a slight wet/glossiness in the right lighting conditions there compared to the Enigma and especially IGL EcoShine that surround it.

I’m also considering trying a small tin of Angelwax Fifth Element because I am impressed with Angelwax as a whole. Durability/performance has noticeably took a small hit on the Enigma Wax after 6 weeks and QED after 3 weeks, but I feel as though the wax will continue to last even though the initial sheeting has slowed a bit.

 

[SWETM]

Has the Four Star car soap the same polycharger polymers as the Ultima Paint Guard Wash?

UPGW did take over it`s properties on the LSPs I have used it on. And often it`s a degrading one sadly as I really like it cause of it`s lubrication and cleaning ability from it. But since moved on from the UPGP and tried it on other LSPs a couple of times. I don`t use it on the SiO2 protection I useally have on the cars now. After a wash with Reset the LSP properties was revived to a higher water behavior than after the UPGW wash. So what`s in that definitely mess with the hydrophobic caractics of my LSP. Four Star and Ultima is IIRC close to each other products and maybe just a very little difference between them. For me it`s worth washing with car soaps that leaves nothing behind. As you get the question if it`s degrades the water behavior out of it. So I would buy or use if you have a car soap that leaves nothing behind to use while you are testing. To be sure that it don`t interfear with the different LSPs you are testing out. And I would not be surprised that you will notice such a car soap will revive the water behavior from some of your LSP that`s intact under the glossenhancers the soap leaving behind.

Did you use the Four Star car soap this wash too?

I don`t think that the Enigma Wax has carnuaba wax in it. But it`s organic wax in it as it`s a hybrid wax a blend with organic and synthetic waxes and ceramic infused which I think is a silicon gel or if it`s called a silica gel.

Very interesting to follow your testing and thanks for shareing your experience!

/ Tony

 

[SWETM]

Has the Four Star car soap the same polycharger polymers as the Ultima Paint Guard Wash?

UPGW did take over it`s properties on the LSPs I have used it on. And often it`s a degrading one sadly as I really like it cause of it`s lubrication and cleaning ability from it. But since moved on from the UPGP and tried it on other LSPs a couple of times. I don`t use it on the SiO2 protection I useally have on the cars now. After a wash with Reset the LSP properties was revived to a higher water behavior than after the UPGW wash. So what`s in that definitely mess with the hydrophobic caractics of my LSP. Four Star and Ultima is IIRC close to each other products and maybe just a very little difference between them. For me it`s worth washing with car soaps that leaves nothing behind. As you get the question if it`s degrades the water behavior out of it. So I would buy or use if you have a car soap that leaves nothing behind to use while you are testing. To be sure that it don`t interfear with the different LSPs you are testing out. And I would not be surprised that you will notice such a car soap will revive the water behavior from some of your LSP that`s intact under the glossenhancers the soap leaving behind.

Did you use the Four Star car soap this wash too?

I don`t think that the Enigma Wax has carnuaba wax in it. But it`s organic wax in it as it`s a hybrid wax a blend with organic and synthetic waxes and ceramic infused which I think is a silicon gel or if it`s called a silica gel.

Very interesting to follow your testing and thanks for shareing your experience!

/ Tony

 

[acuRAS82]

Has the Four Star car soap the same polycharger polymers as the Ultima Paint Guard Wash?

UPGW did take over it`s properties on the LSPs I have used it on. And often it`s a degrading one sadly as I really like it cause of it`s lubrication and cleaning ability from it. But since moved on from the UPGP and tried it on other LSPs a couple of times. I don`t use it on the SiO2 protection I useally have on the cars now. After a wash with Reset the LSP properties was revived to a higher water behavior than after the UPGW wash. So what`s in that definitely mess with the hydrophobic caractics of my LSP. Four Star and Ultima is IIRC close to each other products and maybe just a very little difference between them. For me it`s worth washing with car soaps that leaves nothing behind. As you get the question if it`s degrades the water behavior out of it. So I would buy or use if you have a car soap that leaves nothing behind to use while you are testing. To be sure that it don`t interfear with the different LSPs you are testing out. And I would not be surprised that you will notice such a car soap will revive the water behavior from some of your LSP that`s intact under the glossenhancers the soap leaving behind.

Did you use the Four Star car soap this wash too?

I didn’t use the Four Star Ultimate Soap with polycharger for the reasons you mention above (changing of characteristics of the LSP).





I used this Professional Series version which I don’t find any proof of gloss enhancers in. It does say it reduces water spotting but I don’t consider it as leaving anything worth noting on the surface.


https://www.fourstarproducts.com/32ozauwash.html


This hasn’t been used recently. The last few washes I used Mckees SiO2 Auto Wash which, from what I understand, leaves close to nothing behind. Additionally, the rinse tests I’ve been doing are prior to washing. For the most recent pictures, the car was only driven once in nice weather and the surface was barely dusty. I think it was a true representation of the LSPs.

 

[acuRAS82]

Final Closure 03/20/20 (for book keeping / future detailers wanting info):

I ended up putting a final two coats of Enigma Wax on the entire car, finishing on 11/01/19. The only prep at that time was washing with Mckees Coating Prep Wash. There was definitely still LSP left on the car during the 11/01 Enigma applications. That is, some combo of TI-22 + Enigma remained from mid-August 2019, then adding the new 2X Enigma applications. The behavior was great through the winter (mild winter though). I did wash a few times with Enigma Shampoo and dry aid with Enigma QED in the span between December 2019 and early February 2020.

Anyways, after a peculiar rain (possibly acid rain?) on 03/20/20 changed beading on all my cars, at least temporarily, the Enigma base was called dead by me. It had still been looking good enough up to that point, but I considered it 80% dead after this rain storm. That was enough for me to strip it off and move forward with Hydro Blue and 10 Minute Paint Sealant to get me through pollen season before polishing in early June.

To summarize for future, potential Angelwax users
8/10/19 - 8/15/19: Essence Extreme; 2X applications TI-22; 2X applications Enigma Wax
10/29/19 - 11/01/19: 2X applications Enigma Wax
Every month during period: ~1 Enigma Shampoo Wash; ~1 application Enigma QED dry or wet.
Finished 03/20/20: after large rain storm with potential acid rain.

Overall I enjoyed the TI-22 / Enigma products combo. They all apply easy. TI-22 and especially Enigma QED can take some effort to wipe off, but work very small sections and wipe off immediately and it’s fine. Enigma wipes off easy. Smells great. A very nice shine gloss that is somewhere between candy coated and glassy. Black sapphire metallic paint looked amazing in sun but especially overcast skies. Clouds would softly flow over some curves, but sun shine would give a harder, sharper effect to the same contours. A cold shine (unlike carnauba). Reflections dance on the surface of the paint rather than inside the paint.

After washing with Enigma Shampoo or using Enigma QED, looks from other parents were guaranteed at daycare drop off/pickup. Both the shampoo and QED go really far. I still have about 80% of both those 16oz bottles remaining. Great value for the price of these maintenance products.

Enigma Wax durability wasn’t the best for a ceramic product but not bad. Beading would slightly degrade after 4-6 weeks which made using the maintenance products an attractive choice. But despite degraded beading, the wax would probably have lasted about 4 months in my SW PA environment on top of TI-22 without maintenance. Not great but not bad, and I highly recommend spending the extra $45 for the Shampoo QED combo as they exhibit pretty much identical refresh as the wax when it was new.

I love ceramic waxes and really liked the whole experience and look of the Enigma line. I ended up buying the 250ml pot after getting ~6 mid-size SUV applications out of the 33ml sample pot.

Thanks for following!