Adams Ceramic Graphene spray doesn't seem to do anything as far as I can see

[Lindy]

I purchased the spray coating and tried it on 2 vehicles. Prepped with the clay bar,  etc. I applied the product with the Adams applicator.  I never saw a rainbow flash. I waited several minutes for it to dry, it stayed pretty much wet looking - no haze. I buffed it out and the gloss disappeared.  Looked like it did before application.  No increase in gloss. Tried a second application and no difference. Is the product supposed to be thin and watery? 

[Mantis]

Hello,

 I'm puzzled by your results but I must ask just to be clear. You prepped the car with a clay bar etc but lets explain what you did.

Depending on how old the paint is, how well you prepped etc , the coating with either bond or not.

 

So Proper steps would be as follows.

1- Full wash, Iron Remover and than clay bar.

2 - Full dry and full paint prep meaning a full light to moderate compound depending on paint conditions.

3- Full Polish non silicon version.

4- Full prep wipe so you remove any oils left over from the prep.

5- Then you now can apply a coating.

 

 You say your's was watery. They are watery. Did you shake the bottle before using? It is very possible you got a bad bottle but it is also possible you didn't follow procedure.

 

 Coating are not for rookies even though these companies say they are. They even sell full ceramic coatings and most people make a mess out of it. I'm a retired Detailer and got out of the business before these coating existed. I was on Paint Sealant and waxes of all high end kinds. I'm still a hobbyist and find todays chemicals to be superior to most of what we used back in the day.

 

  I would reach out to Adam's customer service and talk to them about your issue if this doesn't solve it or someone else helps you long the way.

[falcaineer]

Hi, Lindy. Agreed with @Mantis, so we can understand, what was your process to prep the car before applying, from steps to products used?

 

Not seeing it rainbow/flash could be a result of the ambient temperature and humidity. The spray coatings usually rainbow pretty quickly, but the time to move past the rainbow stage to a chalky look will take longer in cold temperatures and low humidity. What were the weather conditions at the time of application for you? What color is your vehicle? It's harder to see on some colors than others. Note that time also isn't necessarily an indicator, it's better to go by feel where the surface is tacky vs. slick when using a plush towel, and it's possible you removed it too soon.

 

Increase in gloss is a little subjective, and true shine comes from proper paint correction, the rest is enhancement and protection. If you applied it over paint that wasn't in good condition already, the effects may be minimal. It also may relate to the color of car, where lighter colored cars don't necessarily shine as much if they weren't corrected.

 

Applying a second layer isn't necessary, but I understand why you may have tried. How long did you wait between layers?

 

These will appear thin and watery, especially in the sprayable form where the active ingredient levels are lessened to make it sprayable. But the traditional/small bottle form ar is also "watery."

[Lindy]

2009 red Mercury Mountaineer. Hood paint was becoming a little faded/cloudy looking. I was hoping this treatment would improve it. I had originally used a light polishing compound on it which didn't help.  Applied Blue Coral paste wax. Before applying the Adams I cleaned the surface with mineral spirits and then used the clay bar. Then applied the Adams. Temp was in the 60's. I reapplied second coat about an hour later.  I also tried it on a newly painted aluminum boat I am restoring.  No rainbow flash on that treatment either. Again it remained shiny until I buffed it off.  On the boat I waited 15-20 minutes before buffing. 

[Chris@Adams]

You need to do paint correction before applying any coating. The paint correction is how you get the shine and gloss. After claying, polishing then doing a wipe down with Coating Prep then it's time to apply coating.  Hope this helps.

[The Guz]

What do you mean the paint becoming a "little faded/cloudy looking"?  Is the paint exhibiting clear coat failure?  Photos would help.  

 

What was the humidity in those temperatures?  

 

 

[falcaineer]

1 hour ago, The Guz said:

What do you mean the paint becoming a "little faded/cloudy looking"?  Is the paint exhibiting clear coat failure?  Photos would help.  

 

What was the humidity in those temperatures?  

 

 

 

Agreed, this changes things, going back to what I was saying about the condition of the paint to begin with, and may help explain what's going on. If the clear coat is starting to fail, no amount of polishing is going to fix it, and in fact, will exacerbate it. Pictures would definitely help.

 

Did you shake the bottle at all before using the coating? Did you use anything after claying the boat to get the surface clean of any residue? 

 

Have you used the UV light to check your install?

 

Waiting 15-20 minutes seems excessive, was the surface tacky at all? And like @The Guz asked and me before, was it humid or dry?

[Willr91]

I kind of had similar results as o.p I haven't reached out to Adams as I got the graphene ceramic (small bottle silver lable) as a birthday gift, since I asked for it. I did however do a full correction over 24 hours of labor with a dual action polisher. I washed, clay, compound and polished before ceramic. I didnt realize I was missing the prep spray so I used a very small amount of isopropyl alcohol with distilled water in a spray bottle and wiped as I went... Then did the ceramic. I used the applicator silk pad. I did not get any rainbow at all. I should say it was about 60 degrees and low humidity, maybe that it why. It does seem to bead and feels smooth so figured no reason to inquire why it didn't rainbow anywhere, including windows and plastic. Car paint is a greyish silver. If it lasts throughout the year I'll be happy, if I start noticing it stops beading as well I'll reach out to Adams.