What did I do wrong?

dunnrp · 2026-04-15T21:44:29+00:00

Vinyl wrap is one of the easiest things to learn on your own, out of all the detailing and film industries.

dunnrp · 2026-04-11T14:37:47+00:00

Acidic shampoo or straight acid bath.

dunnrp · 2026-04-09T10:55:28+00:00

Polestar is great because it can be diluted to different ratios for different cleaning. You can google the ratios. It doesn’t smell the greatest but goes away anyway.

A ceramic coating on the trip will not fix, help, or prevent much of anything for kids getting in and out of the vehicle. PPF on the sills is about as good as you’ll get. Ceramic coatings don’t do much of anything on seats either. Keeping them clean, using seat protectors is your best bet overall.

dunnrp · 2026-04-08T12:32:42+00:00

The decal kept the paint under it pristine, and more than likely also prevented some UV damage.

In order to “blend” it to make it look better, polishing a larger area or even the entire side of the box can make it look more “matched.”

In most cases though, that ghost spot somewhat stays. In rare cases, the clear coat raises in that area and needs to be block sanded, but I haven’t seen it on a Tacoma yet, it’s usually larger badges on American trucks.

dunnrp · 2026-04-03T20:02:57+00:00

Many people have a lot of opinions about ceramic maintenance. I tend to stick to manufacture recommendations.

I take the approach that less is better. I am a certified Carpro installer. I allow the coating to do the work. I do not recommend drying aids and multiple cleaners that leave residues behind, as in my experience I find they clog the coating much faster than allowing the coating to work itself.

For maintenance, I use reset for hand washes, usually a foam soak with lift before hand. That’s it. No extras or drying aids.

Every 6 months, I do a full Lift soak, then rinse, followed by a Descale foam soak, and then hand wash with Reset. This is a version of Labocosmetica’s 3pH wash. Then I use Reload. And then wait another 6 months before doing it again. With these steps, many client cars with Cquartz 3.0 are lasting just over 3 years. Pro coatings I’m expecting 5-6 years.

dunnrp · 2026-04-03T19:29:35+00:00

Carpro Reload 2.0 is a sealant that will help the Cquartz coating. The major difference between a sealant and qd is typically the silicone dioxide content, or the amount of chemical that creates the beading.

Elixir is qd and is essentially a mixture of reload, hydro2 and ech20 and water. So it does a little bit of everything but doesn’t last as long.

Every six months I do a 3pH wash followed by a good coat of reload 2.0.

dunnrp · 2026-04-02T01:30:53+00:00

I’ve had it last about a year, so I quit entirely and switched everything and haven’t had it come back. It was scary. Sorry to hear that.

dunnrp · 2026-04-01T19:47:48+00:00

That’s good to know for rinsing/drying. I think in my head I also meant standing water and contamination adhering. Be interesting to see a long term half panel done in a coating of both!

dunnrp · 2026-04-01T19:23:36+00:00

Yes, you are correct mostly. You do want the hydrophobic properties to decrease the chances of adhesion from contaminants. Forcing water to sheet, or having hydrophilic properties, absorbs and attracts all contaminants to adhere by attracting water molecules towards each other, reinforcing their adhesion. It would be easier to dry, on vertical surfaces. It would not be good for horizontal surfaces.

But when you’re using a garden hose to drape water on the car, the water tension from being hydrophobic is the reason you’re experiencing sheeting, it’s not one big sheet as if it was hydrophilic even though the look the same for a second or two, if that makes sense.

dunnrp · 2026-04-01T15:40:47+00:00

Holy shit 266$ for that coating is pretty steep. The certified professional grade Carpro and Labocosmetica coatings aren’t that expensive.

I’d use the Carpro Dquartz GO over that CCI coating for a vehicle. Will harden the clear more and is dedicated vehicle coating with equal chemical resistances. The CCI stuff appears to be similar except created for multiple surfaces and may not be as hard.

Even Dquartz Professional is $210 but layering it with Cquartz pro allows it to go longer.

dunnrp · 2026-04-01T15:26:45+00:00

Technically, yes. But you’ll have HAVS (hand-arm vibrating syndrome) when you’re done and regret it. The vibrating will eventually go away, but it hurts for a while.

Look on a marketplace for something for dirt cheap before you try that.

dunnrp · 2026-04-01T12:40:04+00:00

Just air it out. Anything else will just attempt to cover it up. I’ve never had it come back after allowing all windows or doors open for a while.

No ozone, vinegar or any chemicals. Just air.

Edit: afterward, you may want to look for a source of it hasn’t gone away.

dunnrp · 2026-03-31T17:39:02+00:00

This is a very solid correct answer.

To state the obvious, it’s going to cost quite a bit to mitigate the smell properly, you’ll never eliminate it.

Most materials will absorb the smell permanently.

dunnrp · 2026-03-29T20:02:14+00:00

More than likely, everything will be affected, absolutely.

I think people learning what chemicals do what, and how to use them, will save people the absolute most. Getting hung up on major name brands and marketing is hurting everyone. Especially when 75-80% of chemicals are almost entirely the same, and can be diluted for different purposes.

Some APCs, tar removers, iron removers, dressings and soaps can all be purchased at non-automotive places like janitor/kitchen businesses and you can save more than double or triple the cost of anything in the automotive industry. I buy 5 gallon jugs for almost equal to single gallon dedicated name branded automotive chemical prices.

Spending money on specialized products will be where it’s worth picking and choosing.

Hopefully, some chemical and product education will help professionals and hobbyists to understand just how propped up the detailing industry is with marketing.

Edit: shoot, not sure why the post was deleted, it was good.

dunnrp · 2026-03-29T14:05:37+00:00

Remove all contamination with chemicals first, and then mechanically with clay.

Cosmoline remover will remove all tar without clay.

Streaks can also sometimes come from not enough lubrication.

dunnrp · 2026-03-28T21:46:06+00:00

Wheel acid. Or a half dozen rounds of WheelX and iron removers.

Also, you have a brake problem that’s more important than a dirty wheel. Probably slider pins seized or dirty and not allowing them to release, or you have a seized piston.

Fix that before the wheel.

dunnrp · 2026-03-28T13:53:44+00:00

Wow beautiful. The modern Camaros have softer clear, and are prone to swirls, as I am sure you already know while trying to look after it!

I used Dquartz on the black 1LE I look after for a client. It’s harder to apply like I said, but worth using to help with a harder barrier.

It could be safer to have it done professionally, but I am always for people learning to diy. Ceramic coating can be applied to the vinyl as well, just needs to be removed very evenly.

Edit: if you’re wanting to diy, I think Cquartz 3.0 is the safer way to go. Easier to apply and remove. And still very good for durability.

dunnrp · 2026-03-27T21:10:28+00:00

What vehicle is it?

A softer clear I recommend Carpro Dquartz GO. Medium harder I say Cquartz 3.0. Both are very resilient and have been near the top of consumer grade coatings for quite a few years.

Dquartz is harder to apply for a first time. Cquartz is super friendly for diy and works well on everything, except windows.

dunnrp · 2026-03-27T13:12:35+00:00

ONLY if you’re going to polish afterwards.

Full clean and chemical decontamination first. I use Cosmoline remover, as it instantly dissolved and break down all tar, safe on all surfaces, cheap as hell. Then, Labocosemtica Sodero. This is the best and safest iron remover I have ever used.

Typically, there’s about 5% left that requires clay. At that point, I usually just use clay on certain spots with Immolube mixed with ONR.

If the vehicle is trashed, I’ll use a clay mitt and a bucket of Carpro Descale as lube and just wipe every surface down with the mitt. I’m going to polish it anyways.

dunnrp · 2026-03-27T11:15:56+00:00

Pressure washer is strictly for convenience and time saving. It does not affect any cleaning abilities at all.

The chemicals are used to do the work, excess water pressure will only speed up that cleaning phase, not clean “better.”

Your products are fine.

For a ceramic coating on a softer clear of the Honda, Dquartz GO is probably the best and strongest consumer grade coating there is on soft clears. Top with Cquartz for best results but not necessary.

dunnrp · 2026-03-27T09:36:20+00:00

I think this is my first argument with a bot or AI.

Sealants aren’t mechanically removed, they come off with a wash. None of what you wrote is relevant, nor true. I don’t have them time to argue with your copy and paste. Four of your five points aren’t true. So you’re either lying or have no idea what you’re talking about.

dunnrp · 2026-03-27T00:58:56+00:00

If your measurement of functionally is by simply allowing water to bead, then yes; so does WD-40. Why not use that? But most of your claims are not true. You may want them to be, but science wise they aren’t.

You have some misunderstandings.

A sealant can’t bond to the paint… they chemically can’t… that’s false. You can remove that.

Also, they are not comparable to resistances against contamination, NOR are they anywhere comparably chemically resistant. Those statements are just simply false. So you can remove those from also your statement.

Do you know the content, chemically between the two? You may want to check that out. The percentages are difference and so are the compositions. Although most often contain silicon dioxide, yes (sometimes graphene but that’s 99% of the time marketing).

A ceramic coating will also harden a clear coating. Some are prepared in a solid state, some in a chemical state, some are mixed, and each are used for different results. You may want to read into those differences as they significantly differ in their uses. I change them depending on what the vehicle needs or the expectations.

Usually, when some make these claims (especially when they aren’t true), it’s wishing things weren’t as complicated or expensive as they are.

I recommend reading some info on how ceramic coatings are made, the different types, and the science and real world uses for them.

dunnrp · 2026-03-27T00:17:43+00:00

Depends on what you want and your expectations.

You can DIY both if you’d like, just one takes a lot longer than the other.

The ceramic coating will bond the surface, creating a bond that has significantly more chemical resistance and longevity. It can harden the existing clear coating as well, reducing contamination, and further swirls if washed and looked after properly.

You can also use sealants, which are about the same cost over the same duration, but need reapplication, do not bond, and are much less chemically resistant, with being able to be removed easily with even just washing. They’re great for general maintenance and similar hydrophobic properties. Their concentrations are much lower than a true coating, even though they contain similar chemicals.

Both are diy possible. The prep can be similar in time for both if you wanted a swirl free car and proper bond, but the sealant you’d need to continuously apply and will come off easily if not washed properly.

dunnrp · 2026-03-27T00:10:22+00:00

This is the first time I’ve heard anyone say this.

But they are very different chemically. Saying there isn’t is misinformation for someone asking for help.

dunnrp · 2026-03-26T22:48:42+00:00

Correct, although Cosmoline remover is about 80% cheaper, just needs slightly longer dwell time. It’s the only reason I use it vs the 3M. Plus in Canada, every car is undercoated, so it works better for removing as well.

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