Ready to give up on FK425 - very frustrated...

just curious for those that say they see no difference as far as looks goes in FK425 and cheaper QD's. how about the slickness and the dust attraction?
 
steve1972 said:
just curious for those that say they see no difference as far as looks goes in FK425 and cheaper QD's. how about the slickness and the dust attraction?
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The FK425 gives a similar "dark" shine on my cars, almost as good as the UGE did (similar to, but not as much as, say, the DGPS or UPP or Sauveran wax). But if it's clean and you put it on, it's not much difference...mainly because I keep the LSP in good shape and the paint was prepped pretty well. I think of it as the "wear-off" protection between washes.

But the FK425 did seem quite a bit slicker the day after applying than other things I've tried - UGE, Meguiars, Mother's, Pinacle Crystal Mist, are a few. Not sure if that helps with the dust attraction, but we'll see - my car gets parked pretty regularly in the airport garage and I'm hoping it will cut down on the dust it gathers there. So far it seems like it, but haven't been doing it long enough to know if it's just coincidence or not.
 
steve1972 said:
just curious for those that say they see no difference as far as looks goes in FK425 and cheaper QD's. how about the slickness and the dust attraction?
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I've never noticed FK425 having ANY sort of dust-repellant quality to it whatsoever. Same goes for the LSP's I've tried of theirs. I think it's a nice marketing gimmick, and in some sort of vacuum I think it might have some anti-static properties if they say so. But in everyday, real-world use it's not anything special in that department.

I've also used QD's that I think look better as well, but if I have a vice in the detailing product world it's QD's, and I've tried an awful lot of them. It's upper echelon, but it's not the end-all be-all.
 
JaredPointer said:
I've also used QD's that I think look better as well, but if I have a vice in the detailing product world it's QD's, and I've tried an awful lot of them. It's upper echelon, but it's not the end-all be-all.
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I have to agree with that to some extent...while a BAD QD is a PITA (what I was afraid FK425 was going to be, but once I got the application down it's been fine), any QD isn't going to be a huge difference....maybe a few high-end, but I think that's more a relationship between the QD and the LSP as much as anything else. For instance, Pinacle Crystal Mist worked great over wax, but couldn't come close to the look of UGE when used on UPP...

There might be something to just picking things on smell :D
 
black bart said:
Todd this post had me thinking why would you recommend using such a small amount if you had any dust it would not be enough to lubricate and you would risk marring the finish.

The only thing I could think of is you are using it on a already clean car.
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FK425 is super lubricated and spreads very thin. I have never seen any marring, even on super soft paint from applying it sparingly. Quick detailers are best suited to removing 'garage dust', smudges, and finger prints.

Waterless wash products offer superior lubricity and are designed to clean cars that are driven. Road dust is ground up concrete and is fairly abrasive. If my car sees road time then I tend to use a waterless wash, ONR, or if its really dirty a traditional wash.

If the car had enough grime that it would require an abundant amount of product to fully encapsulate the grime, I would instead recommend a high quality waterless wash like Opti-Clean, Utlima, or Detailer's Pro.



This reminds me of something I posted a few years ago on the old DC forum I took my car to a show and on one door I used a very expensive LSP on the rest of the car I used a LSP that cost 1/10th what the high end one did.
Not only did I win an award but I told dozens of people what I had done and ask them if they could tell it and they could not.

What does it prove, While people look for a magic bullet it don't exist.

The prep is the important part when you get the car prepped right then nearly any LSP will look good.
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Certainty the difference in QD's isn't going to be as dramatic as a full LSP, and if it is hard for most people to tell a dramatic difference from a wax to another costing 10 times as much, then judging the difference in looks from one QD to another is going to be near impossible. I agree 100% that the prep work lays the foundation for the rest of the shine.

When I choose a QD I look for something that is easy to use, has ample slickness, and decent cleaning power (removing fresh water spots, light dust, finger smudges, etc), and ease of use. For me FK425 fits the bill perfectly. That is what makes detailing so great, we all have our favorite products and nobody is wrong for choosing what they like. That is also what makes autopiaFORUMS so great; we may have a different view on some products but we can discuss our views respectfully and share our passion equally. Have a great labor day! :bigups
 
Sadly I have to rejuvinate this thread....

It's been almost a month of trying it now, and I'm frequently ready to hurl the remainder of the gallon of FK425 out of my garage towards the curb.

When it works, it works great. And I love the looks and slippery feel it leaves.

But it seems to haze/streak for no predictable reason on each car. It's done this on three different LSPs (Wolfgang DGPS, 4* UPP, and Pinnacle Signature Series II).

I've tried everything - the most successful is much less product (very light mist). But even then, sometimes it leaves dark streaks on my hood that are a pain to get off. When this happens, it takes longer to fix it than it would to simply add another layer of LSP. GRRRR.

The frustrating part is that I like it, so keep trying. And sometimes it works. But I'm now almost afraid to even try....

Any thoughts? bad batch? I make sure to shake it every time...and am using very very little....

Help!

Andrew
 
I don't really have much to add other then it has never given me any issues at all. I use it in one of the small 2oz spray sample bottles and it creates a really fine mist.

I use this as more of a drying aid then anything else but it always leaves the car looking great and super slick. After washing the car I leave what ever water is on the car and dry one panel at a time with a plush thick MF towel, I just mist on very lightly and dry. I have noticed as the towel becomes damp it seems to help the 425 spread and cover more evenly if that makes since.

I know it might not say so on the bottle or what not but how about using it with a damp towel???

Its been a while since I read this thread, and maybe someone said all the above already?

If you don't want it Ill pay for the shipping to take it off your hands!! :D
 
This puzzles me. I've had it streak but not as severely as you've been having and I can choke it up mostly to the humid conditions here for about half the year and/or using on my car with carnauba but not the one with sealant. Do you shake the bottle before using? Maybe that might do something?
 
I feel your frustration Hook as Ive had similar problems with products.

Its probably the weather and humidity giving you trouble ,as for me its costal contant wind, salty air that some products dont jive with.

Its not worth getting upset over IMO . Sell what you have left and try something else is my advice.
 
I agree with you on this. This stuff is temperamental to use. I usually apply it under good lighting in my dry, cool garage. One time it will work fine and the next it will leave very obvious streaks. I have used it over Klasse, fk1000 and ultima and each has been a problem at times. I have run out of it and am not buying again. I will use the Adams and Dodo products. I also love the Sonus spritz over Klasse. No problems with any of these.



hook said:
Sadly I have to rejuvinate this thread....

It's been almost a month of trying it now, and I'm frequently ready to hurl the remainder of the gallon of FK425 out of my garage towards the curb.

When it works, it works great. And I love the looks and slippery feel it leaves.

But it seems to haze/streak for no predictable reason on each car. It's done this on three different LSPs (Wolfgang DGPS, 4* UPP, and Pinnacle Signature Series II).

I've tried everything - the most successful is much less product (very light mist). But even then, sometimes it leaves dark streaks on my hood that are a pain to get off. When this happens, it takes longer to fix it than it would to simply add another layer of LSP. GRRRR.

The frustrating part is that I like it, so keep trying. And sometimes it works. But I'm now almost afraid to even try....

Any thoughts? bad batch? I make sure to shake it every time...and am using very very little....

Help!

Andrew
Click to expand...
 
JaredPointer said:
Yes they do.
Click to expand...

Are you speaking of Luas Oil Slick Mist? I thought they referred to that as a speed wax too.

I noticed my last bottle of FK425 seems thicker than the previous one. The first bottle degraded after a few years and had what looked like little strings in it.

I think when FK 425 streaks it has to do with using it on hot surfaces and/or applying too much.

GTO_04
 
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