Already not beading water, WTF?

MattZ28

MattZ28

New member
Why is it that NOTHING lasts on my paint?!!? Zaino lasts about 2 months if I'm lucky. 2 weeks ago I did a coat of Glanz wax and 2 coats of Meguiar's #16. Yesterday we had some rain, and the car was dirty so today I washed it. Last time I washed the car it was beading like crazy and I was totally impressed. Today, it was beading in most places, but the beads were not small and round anymore....they're big, and the water isn't running off like it was. This really pisses me off.....is there anything that will bead nicely for a few months? I'm getting my PC in about 3 weeks, so I'll just hold off on waxing until then...I'll clay it, polish it, and wax it......but what should I use? Should I just use Glanz this time?
 
MattZ28 said:
Why is it that NOTHING lasts on my paint?!!? Zaino lasts about 2 months if I'm lucky. 2 weeks ago I did a coat of Glanz wax and 2 coats of Meguiar's #16. Yesterday we had some rain, and the car was dirty so today I washed it. Last time I washed the car it was beading like crazy and I was totally impressed. Today, it was beading in most places, but the beads were not small and round anymore....they're big, and the water isn't running off like it was. This really pisses me off.....is there anything that will bead nicely for a few months? I'm getting my PC in about 3 weeks, so I'll just hold off on waxing until then...I'll clay it, polish it, and wax it......but what should I use? Should I just use Glanz this time?
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Has it been a while since you clayed your car? I wonder if you did a proper prep of the finish prior to waxing whether you would see better results? What you are washing the car with? Be sure you are using a premium wash. Do you have hard water? That could also cause your problems.
 
jfelbab said:
Has it been a while since you clayed your car? I wonder if you did a proper prep of the finish prior to waxing whether you would see better results? What you are washing the car with? Be sure you are using a premium wash. Do you have hard water? That could also cause your problems.
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All good points! Also does the car sit outside most of the time? In the sun?
 
All of these products should last at least the 2 weeks that you are at with them. A change in beading from tiny droplets to larger drops is nothing to worry about...most products you use will do this same thing. The first day you apply, they will bead like crazy, but after a few washes or so, they will reach their normal "beading characteristics"...if you get what I mean. And should remain that way for quite sometime.



On another note, there really is no reason for the language in your post. There is really no difference between saying "WTF?" and just typing the whole thing out. You can get the same help without using the expletives and will continue to conform to Autopian standards.



Good luck with the PC!
 
Yes I have hard water, but the car has only seen rain once, and a wash or two. I haven't clayed since january, I've been waiting to get my PC to do that so I can do a full detail all at once. I've been through this several times with Sal Zaino before, and even he can't figure it out. I've clayed, polished, then Zaino'd with still no luck....
 
It's hard to gauge the durability with beading alone. Understand that beading is caused by surface tension, and it doesn't necessarily mean that the protection has diminished if the beads are no longer tight.



I'd really suggest claying more often, you probably get a lot of airborne pollutants that land on your paint causing the WATER droplets to settle in a pattern other than a constant bead.
 
theveed said:
It's hard to gauge the durability with beading alone. Understand that beading is caused by surface tension, and it doesn't necessarily mean that the protection has diminished if the beads are no longer tight.
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^What he said
 
Thanks, guys.....I always thought the beading and slickness was a way to gauge the durability of the wax? :nixweiss
 
I was having the same problem with a black Mercedes S500. No matter what I used, it just wouldn't bead well past about 4-6 weeks, while another customer who lives a block away (same neighborhood) who has a black S55 that beads fine for about 3 months with pretty much anything I used on it. They both have offices near busy freeways and are both in the flight paths near DFW Airport.



More frequent claying, sealants only, etc, nothing seemed to help. He finally traded it in on a new 2004 S500 with the PPG CeramiClear paint. Beads just like the S55 does. Go figure.... :nixweiss
 
Do you think it could be my 8 year old paint? And are you saying this is not normal and that the beads should still stay tight?
 
My paint is 14 years old and it beads fine. I don't know exactly why you are having a problem any more than I know why that S500 had problems. I am at a total loss as to explain why.
 
Could be... we have a customer with a 96 Accord (Green) and no matter what we put on top, it doesn't bead after 2-3 washes... 26, S100, Z, Klasse, etc... they all turn flat after a week... On a red accord of the same year, products work as expected... Sometimes the paint has too many irregularities on the surface (micropits, etc) causing products to not adhere evenly.



Matt: I'd blame the paint's condition more than its age, my 10 year old corolla can hold a tight bead group with Z, #16, S100, 26 quite consistently.
 
So do you think a PC will solve my problems by getting to a fresh layer of the clear coat? Or does it need to be wet sanded or something?
 
Alright, well if you guys want some pics or something let me know and I'll do my best. I can see some etching in the hood with tiny little spots the size of the head of a needle, and some water spots etched into the clear coat that I can't get out with clay or 1Z Paint Polish by hand.....I think I'm going to order the Menzerna twins
 
MattZ28- If the 1Z PP doesn't fix things, I dunno if switching to Menzerna will help. Actually, the wax the PP leaves behind is probably beneficial in a case like yours. Oh, and the clay won't do much for what you're describing, that's something for a polish.



The PC might help, might not. Depends how well you're doing things by hand. I'd bet that it *will* help, though.



If it were mine, I'd use 1Z PP, then either 1Z MP or 1Z Wax Polish Soft, and then top with Meg's #16 or Collinite. If *that* combo didn't bead for at least a month, then nothing will. Some paints/conditions just respond better/worse to some products than to others. Gotta find what works for you- and it sounds like you'd like to see small, tight beads for a while (nothing wrong with that).



Only other things I can think of have already been mentioned. But I'm also curious about which shampoo you use...
 
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