Detailing Thread [For Newbies][continued]

[madkatz]

I've been reading the threads under the detailing topic and I got inspired with enthusiasts' input and help. Enthusiasts make cars in our world shinier, hehe madkatz (i hope that I won't offend other experts here )I already bought the stuff that she uses for washing cars (got them from the Maintenance Regimen thread).

I used to go to car washes but after reading the posts here, I decided to DIY. Its a good thing that I have a 3 year old company car where I can "practice" detailing

I've been doing some back reading and research on-line but I can't seem to find the answer to my question......please help

Introduction
I have 2 cars, a 6 month old new car and a 3 year old poorly maintained "practice" car, hehe. (hindi po naalagaan nung previous owner kaya watermark galore!)

My fascination for beading started when I had a hydrophilic session in Honda with my new car and they applied something to the windows that made the rain drops bead beautifully, no need to use wipers during heavy rain! I wanted to have my practice car's windshield bead beautifully also.

I like to maintain/get the beading effect but I believe that DIY will save me a lot of money compared to going to the casa regularly, and besides, they placed buffer/swirl marks all over my new car (in another thread http://tsikot.yehey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71616)

I already have the Elevo Water Mark Remover and the Glass Science Rain Clear with me.

Question 1
There are tough watermarks on the windows and I've tried Elevo Water Mark remover on a small potion of the windshield and it works great!! But when it rained, the water sheeted, instead of beaded. How will I make the water bead again without getting the wipers to judder? Will Glass Science Rain Clear do the job?

Question 2
In terms of beading and windshield protection, is the Glass Science Kit(gel type) better than the Elevo Water Mark Remover + GS Rain Clear combo?

Question 3
The instruction in the Elevo Water Mark Remover states that the chemical cannot be applied on coated windows. How will I know if my window is coated or not?

Apologies for any typos or any wrong grammar, nagmamadali po kasi akong makaalis, hehe

Firstly we are just happy to have helped you, and i too am happy to see some of my efforts pay off by getting people more conscious about taking care of their cars.

Ah yes i saw that post regarding your car getting swirls, i believe it was really a lose-lose situation, anyways i hope all goes well with the swirls

Ok for your first question, using Elevo watermark remover will definitely remove any beading on your windshield, the reason is because it utilizes powerful acids the dissolve the watermarks ( actually to break down the mineral that form the watermark ) or at least soften them to a point where its very easy to remove already, using acids however no matter how light like vinegar would weaken any existing beading on your windshield because of the acids chemical reaction, so if you want your windshield to bead again you simply need to apply another layer of glass coating where Rain Clear specifically gel type would do a great job.

For question number 2, it depends on what you mean by better, Glass Science combo it made for removing road film and only the lightest of water marks, this kit is better in the sense that it is not harmful to the rubber seal around the windshield and other rubber and plastic parts, another advantage of this would be ease of use. Elevo and Rainclear however is on a totally different ballgame, elevo is used to remove moderate watermarks and is definitely better at removing around 80% of the common watermarks you see on cars, its definitely better but the downside is that you really have to be careful about the rubber seals, using elevo watermark remover also requires you use a biodegradable glass cleaner after to remove any remaining acidic residue on the glass before you apply rain clear gel, so the answer again depends on what you plan on doing, if you are going to remove watermarks the elevo is your best bet, if you are just planning on removing wiper hazing and roadfilm then glass scurb is easier to use not necessarily better but easier and safer, then again i don't think you could buy rainclear gel solo, i haven't seen a place here sell it solo they usually sell the kit that comes with glass scrub.

normally if the car comes out of the dealership, then it is not coated, coated windshield are those coated with Aquapel, Diamond nano Fusion, PPG Glass coating to name some chemical glass coating, of course there's also nano-tech-sleeve, PPG glass coating film and Cryztal glass film which are like screen protectors applied on the windows, if you find another layer of like a clear tint on your glass then its probably film treated and if your windows bead like hell for months then your glass probably has some chemical glass coating, one indicator that your windows still have some coating is when you actually don't develop watermarks or the water marks easily come off the window with just a hard wipe, and none of the above mentioned products AFAIK are available here, we even had to import our aquapel and some german name i can't even remember to treat our glasses, but Rain Clear to be honest is very very close to them in terms of performance, those more expensive coatings just last a lot longer and are "undisturbed" even if you use soap on your windshield washer solution. So unless you had them treated of you requested to have the car pre-installed with water repellent glass then your car should be safe to use with elevo watermark remover.

[madkatz]

GUYS,
Tanong nalang din ako sa thread na 'to, just in case may idea kayo.
Ano pala magandang brand ng banana type wipers? At the same time hindi masyadong mahal? I bought a Korea brand of banana type wipers worth 700php, 5mos palang siya pero may punit na.
Any ideas guys? TIA! (btw, I saw an Elevo brand banana type wipers yesterday, only for P250+. Okay kaya 'to?)

i don't know much about wiper brands but one of my best suggestions is to stay away from non neoprin wipers and silicon based wiper like what chickselog said, they really have a reputation of jumping especially on windshields treated with rainclear. NWB and Circuit are both wipers we tested that didn't jump as much as compared to some wipers. Im not saying you don't buy those wipers but its just an issue you would have to consider especially if you are using any rain repellent treatment, because i know some people that have rain repellent treatment on all their glasses and mirrors except windshields because they prefer their windshield to sheet water rather than bead and they find it better, so it depends on your personal preference.

[madkatz]

Thank you ma'am madkatz for the clear explanation. Ngayon super gets ko na talaga and confident na ko simulan this weekend my very first detailing regimen hehe.

im glad we could have helped. and good luck on your detailing session, don't forget to post pictures!

[madkatz]

Wag kang bibili ng mumurahing wiper blades. Yung Korean Brand (HLT ano?) Bulok din quality nyan. nagka ganyan din ako. Ang ingay naman tapos nag judder.

Bosch Aerotwin or NWB Aero Type ang maganda. Kahit mahal, sulit dahil sa quality at ganda ng hagod sa windshield

I agree with the NWB Aero, Actually NWB is really a good brand, not much on aesthetics but so far its one of the most hassle free wipers out there.

[PSI]

Well as much as most companies and brands say that liquid and paste waxes are the same, my and my BF really refuse to believe that, but hey thats what they say so you don't have to take our word for it, to be honest we really find paste waxes to last longer than liquid waxes, in most OTC waxes' case liquid and pastes are usually the same, but with higher end waxes like collinite and souveran to name a few, paste waxes really last a lot longer than liquid waxes, and one thing that we really love about paste waxes, you would know if you saw my BF's wax collection that he has a lot of paste waxes, is that paste waxes' shine lasts a lot longer compared to liquid counterparts, so my answer would be dependent on the wax, with collinite its 2 hands down pastes waxes win far more than liquid in terms of durability, and there's also one reason why the worlds best waxes like, Zymol, Swissvax, Souveran, P21S, Collinite, Dodo Juice, Victoria Concourse, and a lot more are in paste versions, its because they really deliver better results since its much much more concentrated, the downside to paste waxes though would be ease of application, but hey if you could stand 476 and remove it then you're good to go, 476 is one of the darnest waxes to apply and remove and the also the most cases where people throw in the towel and just give it to someone else, they really just didn't know it should be applied per panel only hehe

nice explanation....... thanks!!

[watusi]

Hey,
Share ko lang experience ko sa Elevo + Rain clear method.
Apparently, it caused streaks on my windshield. I was able to prove it because I applied the same method to my 2 cars. And both got the same result. So, IMO, hindi magandang combo ang dalawa. Then I tried the kit solely, OK ang result. Scrub muna, then rain clear. Ok na ok! Then use tissue as a finishing step to make sure that no streaks are left. Masama kasi maarawan ang streaks cause it will stain.
Ang elevo naman okay lang talaga pantanggal ng water marks. Approve yan! hehe

For question 1, yes elevo alone will make the water sheet. But rain clear will definitely solve that problem. Very nice beading. Thanks to chikselog and ma'am madkatz for their tip hehe.

Thanks for your reply boss but im a bit confused...the elevo + rain clear combo caused streaks in your window but you still recommended it.

[watusi]

Firstly we are just happy to have helped you, and i too am happy to see some of my efforts pay off by getting people more conscious about taking care of their cars.

Ah yes i saw that post regarding your car getting swirls, i believe it was really a lose-lose situation, anyways i hope all goes well with the swirls

Ok for your first question, using Elevo watermark remover will definitely remove any beading on your windshield, the reason is because it utilizes powerful acids the dissolve the watermarks ( actually to break down the mineral that form the watermark ) or at least soften them to a point where its very easy to remove already, using acids however no matter how light like vinegar would weaken any existing beading on your windshield because of the acids chemical reaction, so if you want your windshield to bead again you simply need to apply another layer of glass coating where Rain Clear specifically gel type would do a great job.

For question number 2, it depends on what you mean by better, Glass Science combo it made for removing road film and only the lightest of water marks, this kit is better in the sense that it is not harmful to the rubber seal around the windshield and other rubber and plastic parts, another advantage of this would be ease of use. Elevo and Rainclear however is on a totally different ballgame, elevo is used to remove moderate watermarks and is definitely better at removing around 80% of the common watermarks you see on cars, its definitely better but the downside is that you really have to be careful about the rubber seals, using elevo watermark remover also requires you use a biodegradable glass cleaner after to remove any remaining acidic residue on the glass before you apply rain clear gel, so the answer again depends on what you plan on doing, if you are going to remove watermarks the elevo is your best bet, if you are just planning on removing wiper hazing and roadfilm then glass scurb is easier to use not necessarily better but easier and safer, then again i don't think you could buy rainclear gel solo, i haven't seen a place here sell it solo they usually sell the kit that comes with glass scrub.

normally if the car comes out of the dealership, then it is not coated, coated windshield are those coated with Aquapel, Diamond nano Fusion, PPG Glass coating to name some chemical glass coating, of course there's also nano-tech-sleeve, PPG glass coating film and Cryztal glass film which are like screen protectors applied on the windows, if you find another layer of like a clear tint on your glass then its probably film treated and if your windows bead like hell for months then your glass probably has some chemical glass coating, one indicator that your windows still have some coating is when you actually don't develop watermarks or the water marks easily come off the window with just a hard wipe, and none of the above mentioned products AFAIK are available here, we even had to import our aquapel and some german name i can't even remember to treat our glasses, but Rain Clear to be honest is very very close to them in terms of performance, those more expensive coatings just last a lot longer and are "undisturbed" even if you use soap on your windshield washer solution. So unless you had them treated of you requested to have the car pre-installed with water repellent glass then your car should be safe to use with elevo watermark remover.

Thanks for your response ms madkatz!! galing mo talaga!!!

Follow up questions po...

What biodegradable glass cleaner would you recommend for cleaning the windshield after using Elevo? Are all glass cleaners biodegradable? Can I just use car shampoo to remove the acid?

I will return the Spray type GS Rain Clear and replace it with the gel type later

[electone]

As far as i know there's nobody here that sells Zaino, we used to import it before and tried to sell it even at marginal prices and people still find them very expensive so we stopped, right now we're also on the look out for some zaino products but we still can't find any, so i guess im stuck till december to have my next batches of their sealants

Thank you very much, mam madkatz. You are SUPER helpful!

It looks like I can't have my car Zainoed in the near future then. So I'm looking at Klasse/carlack68 as an alternative.

This brings me to another question: In terms of looks, which is better? Zaino or Klasse?

[mf051404]

Easy lang mf051404

Guys, talaga bang hindi gaano ka-kintab yung 476S?

Meron kayo pics na 476S alone yung naka apply?

Kukuha ako ng isa eh

Ay sorry Sir, mukha bang aggressive masyado? ...excited lang din na makatulong at ma-confirm din kung tama nga yung mga natutunan ko so far
And regarding shine ng 476S, hindi nga sya ganun kakintab (or ka-reflective ang better term siguro) compared sa iba, but I don't mind, mukha naman syang malinis at wetlook naman sya lagi tignan (baka kasi kapag masyado makintab eh mapagdiskitahan pa ng mga nagkalat na zorro diyan hehe)...as long as I know it repels water and deflects UV rays (which is a basic property of carnauba) and protects the paint from the elements...kapag naubos 476s ko (maybe after a year or two hehe), try ko naman ang 915 (to test the durability and shine)...pero so far I'm very impressed with 476s (to the point na baka may half pang laman yung last tub ko eh order na uli ako hehe)

[mf051404]

Question lang po...ano po ang pinakamagandang brand ng degreaser na na-try niyo? In terms of ease of application, foam type or liquid (at ano ang advantage ng bawat isa), safe sa ibang materials like plastic, vinyl, rubber etc (yung tipong hindi nakakasunog or nakakatunaw ng plastic or rubber)...yung masasabing "strong but safe"

[mf051404]

And ano po magandang pang-spread/apply ng nanoSLIQ?...yung tipong ikakalat lang sana niya without absorbing it para masulit sana yung ini-spray, MF inaabsorb din kasi niya (or baka may special type of MF)

[Lyle]

Ay sorry Sir, mukha bang aggressive masyado? ...excited lang din na makatulong at ma-confirm din kung tama nga yung mga natutunan ko so far
And regarding shine ng 476S, hindi nga sya ganun kakintab (or ka-reflective ang better term siguro) compared sa iba, but I don't mind, mukha naman syang malinis at wetlook naman sya lagi tignan (baka kasi kapag masyado makintab eh mapagdiskitahan pa ng mga nagkalat na zorro diyan hehe)...as long as I know it repels water and deflects UV rays (which is a basic property of carnauba) and protects the paint from the elements...kapag naubos 476s ko (maybe after a year or two hehe), try ko naman ang 915 (to test the durability and shine)...pero so far I'm very impressed with 476s (to the point na baka may half pang laman yung last tub ko eh order na uli ako hehe)

I've researched in other forums and learned that you can top 476S with 845 if you're not contented with the gloss 476S gives. Or if you really have enough energy you can make a sandwich 845-476-845. The thing is 476S is known for its durability which is famous in countries experiencing different seasons (specifically winter). While 845 has a wetter look but doesn't last as long as the 476. 915 is only a more expensive version of 845 with just added carnauba (outcome not much of a difference) so it's just a waste of money.

In my case, I'll just probably stick with the insulator wax since weather conditions here is not all that bad.

[mf051404]

elevo is used to remove moderate watermarks and is definitely better at removing around 80% of the common watermarks you see on cars, its definitely better but the downside is that you really have to be careful about the rubber seals

Kakabili ko lang ng Elevo watermark remover...ano po yung possible effect niya sa rubber seals? (matutunaw?)...ano po ang ma-a-advise niyong pre-elevo procedure para sa rubber seal? or ingatan lang talaga? how about wash na lang yung buong windscreen with car shampoo after mag-elevo? will that help minimize or eliminate yung negative effect sa rubber seals (and vinyl trims under the wiper?)

[mf051404]

since weather conditions here is not all that bad.

"here" means Philippines? Because if so, Philippines is one the most extreme in terms of weather/environment conditions for cars (heat, pollution, rain (acid rain), cloud seeding is rampant also (they use salt to seed the clouds, which is a major contributor of rust), especially our coastal areas (wind in those regions have high salt concentrations)

[madkatz]

Thanks for your response ms madkatz!! galing mo talaga!!!

Follow up questions po...

What biodegradable glass cleaner would you recommend for cleaning the windshield after using Elevo? Are all glass cleaners biodegradable? Can I just use car shampoo to remove the acid?

I will return the Spray type GS Rain Clear and replace it with the gel type later

Well finding a biodegradable glass cleaner can be a pain to look for but hmmm if you can't find any biodegradable glass cleaner try to look for a amonia free glass cleaner, there's a simple green blue we have here that we rarely see for sale, its biodegradable and amonia free, you could also try Megs Glass cleaner its not biodegradable but its amonia free, Eagle one 20/20 is also good.

Not all glass cleaners are biodegradable, the reason why we recommend using biodegradable glass cleaners is because its safer for rubber seals and they're better at removing chemical residues. If you can't find a decent biodegradable glass cleaner just look for a amonia free glass cleaner, you need amonia free so you don't end up putting on another chemical, you might be able to remove chemical residues but if the glass cleaner has amonia trace amounts of it might stay on the glass which might cause streaking, amonia free glass cleaners can also be used on windows with tints on the inside.

If you're planning on removing the acids then one alternative to it would be to just use Joy, apply a small amount of gel on the windshield and scrub it with a hard foam so you thoroughly clean it, you could find the hard foam i mentioned on supermarkets the ones used to clean dishes, not those with scouring pads ok? they have foam blocks that are rougher and tougher you need to get these to scrub the glass properly, and then once you're done always rinse the glass thoroughly with water as well as other parts that Joy dripped off, and then just apply a Rain Clear gel on the windshield and some wax on the paint panels that got dripped with joy, joy has a tendency to remove most OTC waxes

[watusi]

Well finding a biodegradable glass cleaner can be a pain to look for but hmmm if you can't find any biodegradable glass cleaner try to look for a amonia free glass cleaner, there's a simple green blue we have here that we rarely see for sale, its biodegradable and amonia free, you could also try Megs Glass cleaner its not biodegradable but its amonia free, Eagle one 20/20 is also good.

Not all glass cleaners are biodegradable, the reason why we recommend using biodegradable glass cleaners is because its safer for rubber seals and they're better at removing chemical residues. If you can't find a decent biodegradable glass cleaner just look for a amonia free glass cleaner, you need amonia free so you don't end up putting on another chemical, you might be able to remove chemical residues but if the glass cleaner has amonia trace amounts of it might stay on the glass which might cause streaking, amonia free glass cleaners can also be used on windows with tints on the inside.

If you're planning on removing the acids then one alternative to it would be to just use Joy, apply a small amount of gel on the windshield and scrub it with a hard foam so you thoroughly clean it, you could find the hard foam i mentioned on supermarkets the ones used to clean dishes, not those with scouring pads ok? they have foam blocks that are rougher and tougher you need to get these to scrub the glass properly, and then once you're done always rinse the glass thoroughly with water as well as other parts that Joy dripped off, and then just apply a Rain Clear gel on the windshield and some wax on the paint panels that got dripped with joy, joy has a tendency to remove most OTC waxes

Thanks madkatz!!

[Lyle]

"here" means Philippines? Because if so, Philippines is one the most extreme in terms of weather/environment conditions for cars (heat, pollution, rain (acid rain), cloud seeding is rampant also (they use salt to seed the clouds, which is a major contributor of rust), especially our coastal areas (wind in those regions have high salt concentrations)

Maybe you're right, just go with collinite 476 since I don't know your where, how long, and how often you drive your car. I maybe biased with my opinion since I only use my car twice or thrice a week and in short distances only. Another thing that turns me off is the difficulty of applying and removing 476 as what ma'am madkatz have mentioned. I would just opt to apply 845 over and over again.

[kafph2000]

Thanks for your reply boss but im a bit confused...the elevo + rain clear combo caused streaks in your window but you still recommended it.

Ah, I mean seperate applications. Kung magtatanggal ka lang ng marks, elevo. Tapos pag gusto mo protection, scrub + rain clear!
Ang ginawa ko kasi before, Elevo sabay banat ng rain clear. Ayun streaks kinalabasan hehe.

[Starex_Gold]

I agree with the NWB Aero, Actually NWB is really a good brand, not much on aesthetics but so far its one of the most hassle free wipers out there.

Meron na po banana type na NWB. Yung OEM na naka kabit sa Toyota Camry, Altis & Previa

[kafph2000]

Meron na po banana type na NWB. Yung OEM na naka kabit sa Toyota Camry, Altis & Previa

Thanks again bro for the tip! May nakikita nga ko na bosch sa blade worth P1100+. Mapag-ipunan nga hihihi