Is ABC safe?

H

hobie14T

New member
I bought the ABC car wash products, but I did a search here, and some people say that it is unsafe to use on rubber/plastics.



Can you guys that have used ABC on your cars please let me know if it is safe? My brother used it on one of his cars, and he says that it did not harm anything.



I would like to use it, but I am slightly concerned with it's safety after reading what some people have said about it.



Thanks for the help.
 
I've never had any bad experiences with it. If you want a real answer then you should email somebody at www.autoint.com. You'll get a real answer there. You'll get a lot of opinion and personal experiences here. Never go to a Burger King to find out how a Big Mac tastes. ;) Always go to the source if you want the real scoop.
 
First and foremost, ABC can only be used on cars with clearcoated finishes. It will burn the paint right off of non cleared cars (that's straight from Ron K.).



As for trim: ABC will permanently stain any non clearcoatd trim. I've only used it on my fathers olds alero. That car has no unpainted trim so it wasn't an issue. I haven't, and probably won't use it on my bimmer, because it does have plastic unpainted door handles and window frames.



Other members of the forum have posted about ABC staining their trim. Do a search. It was pretty recent.
 
I think a lot of those great RonK posts were lost in the server crash.



A shame really. :(



A lot of nice information was forever lost.
 
BillNorth said:




Mods, David, what's up with that? I know he's not your favourite person, but he did provide alot useful info. :cool:
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We never deleted any of his threads. His threads may be old enough that they got lost durring the last big move. We all lost a few hundred posts and I'm sure that there were a lot of Ron's posts lost too. We don't go out looking for people's posts to delete though. This isn't that kind of a board. :nono
 
Jngrbrdman said:
We never deleted any of his threads. His threads may be old enough that they got lost durring the last big move. We all lost a few hundred posts and I'm sure that there were a lot of Ron's posts lost too. We don't go out looking for people's posts to delete though. This isn't that kind of a board. :nono
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OK OK. That's fair. I'm sorry. The only reason I said that is because when I do find an old post of Ron's, I see a big long quote attached to the bottom of his posts.



It says: "Let's all remember Ron for the way he was", or something like that. And it's a whole paragraph of Ron ranting and raving about how we (autopians) all don't know how to detail, and how David sold out, etc. Nonsense really.



Anyhow, I hope we're still cool. Later :cool:
 
I did email autoint yesterday, but I am still waiting for their response.



For you guys that have used ABC, did you get it on plastic trim? My brother is very protective of his cars, and he did ABC (including on the plastic of his auto), and none of the plastic or rubber was discolored or damaged in any way.



It seems like it is impossible to use ABC, and not get it on any rubber/plastic, since most windows and doors use rubber as edging/seal.
 
You could always mask off the trim. It takes some time and a ton of tape, but I've done it before on my car. Its better than having messed up trim.



Its a holiday week. I think it may take a day or two more before you get a reply from them. They might have taken the rest of the week off or something. Autoint has always been very promt in replying to my questions though. I'm sure they will get back to you soon. :xyxthumbs
 
Remember it's the holidays, many people just returned to work today so email responses might be slow.
 
I still can't get in contact with autoint. I am probably going to ABC tomorrow.







When you have used ABC, did you get it on plastic/rubber, or not?
 
I don't remember one way or the other if it is going to hurt the plastic. I've never seen it do any damage though. If you are worried about it then mask it off or find some other way to avoid it. If you are concerned about whether a product will damage something then the advice the manufacturer always suggests is that you try it on an obsure part first and see what happens. I would just suggest avoiding getting it on the trim if you are worried.
 
A word of caution.

Never go to a Burger King to find out how a Big Mac tastes. Always go to the source if you want the real scoop.
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Though, careful going to the "source" of the product. It is possible this person will tell you what you want to here and try to sell you the product.( Which is the case I believe since you are contacting them about the product) Also, talking a lot of science, so that it makes you think it is all high tech. You will get information on the product though. I have wanted to try the ABC process as well. I am still concerned. You can go to the source, but the source is bias. Everyone has biases. Be especially careful with companies that are selling their products. Also, I am sure in the owners manual in everyones cars here ( most newer cars ) that it specifically says in the car care section to NOT use ANY kind of ACID. There is an acid in the ABC process. They might tell you "it is not that type of acid." The statement in the owners manual never said anything about "most" acids or "some" acids. It simply says in mine and I am sure in others, Do not use acids for cleaning the paint. I am not sure about it though. I believe it probably is a good process for neglected cars. Though, I am hesitant to buy it for a vehicle that has been for the most part, maintained well. I am not sure, and am curious about the product as well. I am just making everyone aware. Besides, what can the ABC process do that a clay bar can't?





:up
 
Knight said:
A word of caution.



Though, careful going to the "source" of the product. It is possible this person will tell you what you want to here and try to sell you the product.( Which is the case I believe since you are contacting them about the product) Also, talking a lot of science, so that it makes you think it is all high tech. You will get information on the product though. I have wanted to try the ABC process as well. I am still concerned. You can go to the source, but the source is bias. Everyone has biases. Be especially careful with companies that are selling their products. Also, I am sure in the owners manual in everyones cars here ( most newer cars ) that it specifically says in the car care section to NOT use ANY kind of ACID. There is an acid in the ABC process. They might tell you "it is not that type of acid." The statement in the owners manual never said anything about "most" acids or "some" acids. It simply says in mine and I am sure in others, Do not use acids for cleaning the paint. I am not sure about it though. I believe it probably is a good process for neglected cars. Though, I am hesitant to buy it for a vehicle that has been for the most part, maintained well. I am not sure, and am curious about the product as well. I am just making everyone aware. Besides, what can the ABC process do that a clay bar can't?





:up
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That's kind of an untrusting attitude to have. You would trust the random opinion of detailers on a product that really needs to be explained by a chemist? I know that Ron K has explained ABC several times on Autopia.



What do you know about ABC? You haven't read up on it enough if you don't know what it does beyond the abilities of clay. It exists because there are things that clay can't do. You aren't supposed to use it every weekend when you wash your car or something like that. You are only going to use it when your paint is damaged beyond the point that clay can clean it up. It doesn't even have to look damaged to be that way. If your car isn't damaged that way then you don't need it. Its like ChemoTherapy. That is toxic poison that no sane person should try and run through their body. However, it is better than dying from cancer. The Chemo helps stop it. That is all ABC is doing. Its the less of two evils. If your car is in good enough shape, then skip it.
 
I have two new $50,000 vehicles that I want to use ABC on. I bought one at the end of December 2002, and the other is about six months old (and Black). They both have water spot rings on the windsheild and paint. I used to think that it was acid rain damage etching, but since the newer vehicle also has the same affliction as the older Black one, I am suspecting that it is a very difficult to remove water spot condition caused by the minerals in my well water.



When my brother used ABC, he said that it was the cleanest that his paint ever was. The only problem that he had was not wearing a rubber glove under his mitt when he did the Alkaline Neutralizer. He said that it stung his hand while applying, but that was it. He also says that it removed some old water spots (years old) that could not be claybarred out. My brother says that he is never going to use a claybar again.



I tried the claybar for the spots, but it did nothing, so now it is time to step it up to the ABC system. I hope that it works at removing the spots! I really wanted an opinion other than my brother's, but it seems like most of the negativity about this product comes from people that have not used, or experienced it.



Thanks.
 
That's kind of an untrusting attitude to have.
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Exactly... What happens when you go to several companies and ask which product is best for removing contaminants? Each company, I am almost certain will say theirs is the one to get. Why? Because they are biased. ( seldomly will they admit theirs is not better than so and so.) I am just trying to make people more aware in general to question where the information is coming from.



You would trust the random opinion of detailers on a product that really needs to be explained by a chemist? I know that Ron K has explained ABC several times on Autopia.
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Doesn't Ron K work for AI? In the sales department? And he is the one explaining the ABC process? I would rather trust people who have used the product and are not of any part of AI, than trust a chemist, in the sales department, for all AI products. Random opinions are definitely a good idea. I have not heard very many bad things really about the process. I really want to try it, but am scared still. Someone mentioned staining?



My brother says that he is never going to use a claybar again.
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I believe that the process even after using it still MAY require a clay bar.





I have not used the product yet, because I am still scared about the acid part. As I have said before that most, if not all owners manuals on Newer cars say "no acid." There are many types of acids. Though, the owners manuls say nothing about specific types of acids. Just No acids.





What do you know about ABC? You haven't read up on it enough if you don't know what it does beyond the abilities of clay
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Acid Nu.

Alkine Nu.

detail wash.



The Acid NU. is an alkine based cleaner that Nu. any acid deposits on surfaces. Strips wax.



The Alkine NU. ACID! based product that will remove alkine deposits and dissolves ferrous metal fallout. ( strange, such an acid can dissolve metal? I wonder why the paint is not affected? or is it? ) This is my biggest concern. The acid part of the ABC process.



Detail wash. Car wash soap.



I am sure it is a great process, and works. I am just asking more questions and trying to learn.





:up
 
Knight said:
A word of caution.



Though, careful going to the "source" of the product. It is possible this person will tell you what you want to here and try to sell you the product.( Which is the case I believe since you are contacting them about the product) Also, talking a lot of science, so that it makes you think it is all high tech. You will get information on the product though. I have wanted to try the ABC process as well. I am still concerned. You can go to the source, but the source is bias. Everyone has biases. Be especially careful with companies that are selling their products. Also, I am sure in the owners manual in everyones cars here ( most newer cars ) that it specifically says in the car care section to NOT use ANY kind of ACID. There is an acid in the ABC process. They might tell you "it is not that type of acid." The statement in the owners manual never said anything about "most" acids or "some" acids. It simply says in mine and I am sure in others, Do not use acids for cleaning the paint. I am not sure about it though. I believe it probably is a good process for neglected cars. Though, I am hesitant to buy it for a vehicle that has been for the most part, maintained well. I am not sure, and am curious about the product as well. I am just making everyone aware. Besides, what can the ABC process do that a clay bar can't?





:up
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That is my same belief about going to the source.



I was also told the ABC process uses Sulfuric Acid for its acid wash.
 
I look at it this way, there are probably no better experts on a product than the creators of it. I would rather get their opinion and explaination about it so I at least have a starting point. They may be biased that their product is a good one, but the consumer is the real judge of that. I would rather trust people and be wrong occasionaly than to mistrust everybody and be right occasionaly. Just my feelings on it.
 
I've used ABC on a 2002 Mazda MPV and a 2001 Audi S8 (a car I'm VERY careful with). NO problems of any kind. I did try to keep the "B" (acid) off the glass as best I could. Didn't test its ph, but it seemed milder than I expected.
 
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