Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating Adanced clogging

[Johnny]

I coated my 2016 toyota highlander back in April of this year. Washed, decontaminated, clay towel, polish, panel wipe prior to coating.  This product is amazing and I am very happy with the results. In September maybe earlier I noticed that the areas behind the wheels below the doorhandle and rear of vehicle didn't bead up like the other areas of the car. I wash it once a week unless we get a ton of continuous rain. I applied some drying aids to keep the protection up as I thought that the coating had failed. Last week I decided to recoat. So I decontaminated with iron remover and when I rinsed that off the water beading came back to life, even more when I used the clay towel after the iron remover.

 

I have been reading about clogging and it seems to be real especially with what happened to me. I would like to know the best way to unclog this coating without damaging it. I was thinking of putting a little Adams iron remover in with my foam cannon once a month. 

 

Thoughts?

 

PS the same thing happens to my Honda as well.

[falcaineer]

It's best to use Graphene Shampoo about once a month to unclog it, and some like Mage Foam or Car Shampoo in-between. 

 

What drying aids are you using? How often? What type of soap are you using?

[The Guz]

How often are you washing?

[Johnny]

I use 3D pink car soap currently. I was using Meguiars gold class and got similar results. I only started using the drying aid after the beading started to fail. It was TW ceramic wet wax.

 

I wash about once a week unless there is continuous rain in the forecast.

 

I just bought Graphene Shampoo so this is good. Is it ok to continue to use 3D pink?

 

[Johnny]

Hi again. Is the soap I am using contributing to the clogging?

Is the drying aid ok too?

 

 

[falcaineer]

That soap should be fine since it's pH neutral and leaves no added protection. I think the issue is the drying aid. While it's a "ceramic" wax, it doesn't have the same overall properties as the Graphene coating so you're essentially masking it. You can use Strip Wash to help take it down to the bare coating, and then use something from the Graphene infused lineup on the website as your topper. Graphene Detail Spray every couple of weeks, for example.

[The Guz]

Isn't that TW product a poor beading type product? I never used it.  

[Johnny]

It's not poor beading, it's actually pretty good and aids in drying but the problem I am having is clogging. Anything I put on the car clogs very quickly. My plan is to change my soap and wash process.

[falcaineer]

1 hour ago, Johnny said:

It's not poor beading, it's actually pretty good and aids in drying but the problem I am having is clogging. Anything I put on the car clogs very quickly. My plan is to change my soap and wash process.

 

Switch to the Graphene infused lineup and you should be fine...

[Johnny]

hmmm. Isn't the Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating Advanced part of the Grahpene infused lineup?

[Johnny]

As another point of reference, I decontaminated, clay, polished, then coated with Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating Advanced on my 2022 Honda Accord on Dec 9th. Haven't been able to wash it much do to the weather I washed at the end of December and just last night. I only wash it at home. Front end, hood roof top of trunk bead up great. Anything below the door handles on the sides won't even sheet water, it just clings. I truly believe the coating is still there but clogged.

 

I have purchased your strip wash and Ceramic wash, wondering what is best to try next. Also I live in Central NY snow belt, the coat the roads with really nasty stuff here. The reason I switched to ceramic coatings from sealants is I was having the same issue. So I am thinking that I may need a more harsh wash to keep coating clear.

 

Edited February 1 by Johnny

[rrmccabe]

I would think the de-greaser in the Graphene shampoo should help.  Do you have any APC to try?  I really don't use the strip wash on anything.

 

[Johnny]

I have some APC that I can try. I will give that a go.

 

thanks

[falcaineer]

@Johnny You can use Strip Wash or Graphene Shampoo. I don't recommend adding APC to your soap, it's pretty aggressive comparatively speaking and may cause issues if it dries on the surface.

 

Also, no, the Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating (Advanced) is a true ceramic coating. The Graphene infused items as referenced on the website are water based toppers.

[rrmccabe]

10 hours ago, falcaineer said:

@Johnny  I don't recommend adding APC to your soap, it's pretty aggressive comparatively speaking and may cause issues if it dries on the surface.

 

Chris I thought APC has always been a recommended method of strip cleaning a vehicle. Pretty sure back in the day I have seen Adam dump it in the wash bucket directly.

 

Its common practice for me to spray it 100% directly on a panel and wash with a shampoo mitt.  I rinse right away so it never drives but its a go to for me.

[falcaineer]

10 hours ago, rrmccabe said:

Chris I thought APC has always been a recommended method of strip cleaning a vehicle. Pretty sure back in the day I have seen Adam dump it in the wash bucket directly.

 

Its common practice for me to spray it 100% directly on a panel and wash with a shampoo mitt.  I rinse right away so it never drives but its a go to for me.

How soon I forget?! You're right, thanks for keeping me honest. Adding a couple of ounces probably won't hurt, but the new formula is more aggressive than the old so just use a bit more caution. Sorry for any confusion.

[Johnny]

I experimented last week. I first washed with graphene shampoo, then strip wash but realized I didn't follow directions afterwards on the strip wash. Both made little to no change. I did use a Clay towel with lube and the water started sheeting a bit. Which was a positive. I did try a APC diluted 3: 1 and that did nothing too. To be honest my APC is spraynine. I wasn't sure what this would do so I diluted it to be safe. Suggestions on what to do next and maybe a suggestion for a specific apc to use?
 

[The Guz]

Sounds like it is time to reapply the spray coating.

[falcaineer]

On 2/10/2024 at 12:39 PM, The Guz said:

Sounds like it is time to reapply the spray coating.

 

I was about to say the same thing, lots of factors go into the longevity, might be time to start over.

[Johnny]

Start over on a product that should last 18 months? Seems like a strange suggestion.

 

 

[falcaineer]

5 hours ago, Johnny said:

Start over on a product that should last 18 months? Seems like a strange suggestion.

 

 

 

That's my suggestion since nothing else seems.to be working, yes. And longevity is only an estimate, not a guarantee. Like I said, many factors are in play that could affect it. It could also be the coating on the sides wasn't applied the same leading to different performance over time. If you don't feel like doing it all now, work panel by panel over a few days or even weeks. Compound and blue foam pad should remove it, then Surface Prep it and reapply the coating. As much time as you're investing in it trying to fix it, you could just redo it with a little more time and be happier. But it's your decision.

[falcaineer]

I'll also add that I think sometimes too much stock is put into longevity, and especially when it comes to coatings. Proper routine maintenance is still required, even for "lifetime" coatings. When performance drops, several options should be considered, up to and including removal and reapplication.

[The Guz]

On 2/11/2024 at 3:35 PM, Johnny said:

Start over on a product that should last 18 months? Seems like a strange suggestion.

 

 

 

The product page states 12-18 months.  Most longevity claims use the word up to.  If the vehicle is exposed to harsh elements then expect that durability to be cut almost by 50%. 

[falcaineer]

14 hours ago, The Guz said:

 

The product page states 12-18 months.  Most longevity claims use the word up to.  If the vehicle is exposed to harsh elements then expect that durability to be cut almost by 50%. 

 

Well said. Too many factors to list that can affect longevity and it should only be looked at as an estimate. There is also some marketing involved.

[RayS]

I can attest to the point that the same bottle used on two vehicles one weekend apart have a vastly different logenvity.  The garage queen went nearly 2 years between any deterioration was noticed while the outdoor daily driver was just over a year before it needed another treatment.   The daily driver did receive washes much more often while the garage queen gets cleaned with CS3 about every 6 weeks and Graphene Detail Spray every couple of weeks.

[Johnny]

Is there a shelf life of the product? I recoated in February and the beading is already gone. I wonder if the bottle I am using is old and this is the cause of my issues. I decontaminated, clayed, polished, and cleaned the panel before applying. The ambient temp was about 55 degrees. I also coated my windshield and that disappeared just as fast 

 

Thanks