My Menzerna FMJ has probably gone shelf life

S

sinbad

New member
Last month I detailed my gold 07 Nissan Murano. Wash > clay bar (blackfire) > rinse > chamois > Menzerna FG > Menzerna FMJ. Finshed car looked good and I expected easy removal of bugs and grime for at least another couple of months. However, after 2nd wash using Merzerna soap and a few rain showers over the last month, the car doesn't seem to have any sealant left (only the roof had about 40-50% sealant left). Bugs, tar, sap were all hard to remove. I was picking up this grime since first wash which means FMJ breakdown happed within about 2 weeks of application. My FMJ was about 1.5 years old and became a milky pink color (instead of watery dark red) without any odd odor. I had called CMA about the milky white gobs before last use and they said that it was normal and as long as FMJ didn't smell foul. FMJ new seemed to last me a at least 8-10 weeks with my normal commute and washings. I topped with CG Jetseal yesterday and will post my findings on how long it lasts for me.
 
For me, it used to look almost like the brochures which came in my Menzerna kit - red and almost clear, less thick than FPII and FG. I also remember it pretty well since it stained my finishing pad red and left bright red splotches on the zip lock bag. After not using FMJ for about a year, the product separated (which is not usual for any chemical). However, what came out after usual shaking were little white gobs along with dark pink to light red product (looked like of bits of ricotta cheese). That's when I called CMA about whether FMJ is still good. After rigourous shaking, the gobs are less noticeable and my FMJ is now a very light pink color and thicker than FPII - definitely different. There were some posts a little while back questioning shelf life without a firm answer. I believe now that FMJ does indeed have a shelf life. None of other Menerna product I have: soap, IP, FPII and FG are experiencing this same issue and appear to work as fine as they did when originally received. I did apply FMJ on 2 other cars within this month and will see if it doesn't last as long as it did last year. Since both of these cars are generally garaged and see little elements or washings, I may not have answer for a while.
 
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