Figuring out Opti-coat Maintenance


Recommended Posts

In the past 5 weeks I have done the following to my fairly new Jeep Grand Cherokee:

Optimum Paint Guard (installed by a local dealer)

ONR Wash w/ Opti-seal dryng aid

ONR WW wash with some power clean to loosen the bugs after a long road trip

Opti-coat No Rinse wash w/ Hyper Seal drying aid (and ONR pre-spray) 

The last wash was yesterday.  Drying with the Hyper Seal, the towel (TRC Twistress) was gliding across the paint like it was on air.  Amazing.  But there were streaks that looked like high spots that showed afetr a few seconds and needed a second pass.

What I am trying to figure out is if I have put too much on the car as far as sealants.  It sits outdoors under trees at the house, so my primary goal is to protect from birds and berries.  But the glossiness is nice too.

There is so little public info online about Opticoat No Rinse and Hyper Seal that I dont feel I know as much about them as the standard products. (sidenote: more instructional videos would be really helpful)

It is going to rain for the next week and half here on the east coast.  When I wash after that stretch, what combination of products and methods would you use then and going forward? 

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those streaks that you found are perfectly normal and are just high spots that need a second pass as you said.

You will have a hard time using too much product with Opti-Seal or Hyper Seal, but there is not really any benefit to adding countless layers of product. There is diminishing returns when using sealants, waxes and coatings. I find that applying one good layer, letting it cure for the required time, then adding a quick second layer is all that is required. Any more and you are probably just wasting product, money and time.

Using Hyper Seal as your drying aid with each wash is more then enough to keep it topped up for many months before needing a full decontamination wash and reapplication of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks!  Any idea how long it takes hyper seal to cure?

I’m also wondering the best way to dry off the car after rain. For a relatively clean car with just rain water sitting, could I use a light spray of Instant Detailer and wipe with a drying towel?  Is that enough lubrication for the stuff in rain water?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

55 minutes ago, Lowejackson said:

Not tried OID on rain water but cannot imagine why it would not work.  Maybe spraying ONR would be cheaper?

I agree with using ONR instead of OID. It provides a lot more lubrication and is very quick to do. 

If the car really isn't dirty and has just been rained on you could fill a pump sprayer with ONR solution and completely cover the car in it then proceed to dry with a proper drying towel. 

Just curious though, why do you need to dry it after being rained on? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, DancingBear said:

Thanks!  Any idea how long it takes hyper seal to cure?

I’m also wondering the best way to dry off the car after rain. For a relatively clean car with just rain water sitting, could I use a light spray of Instant Detailer and wipe with a drying towel?  Is that enough lubrication for the stuff in rain water?

Get yourself a blower and blow off the water.  No need for a towel or anything.  Less chances of touching the paint and risking any marring.  You can always wipe down with opti-clean or ONR if the paint is slightly dirty. 

With hyper seal and opti seal you can use them as often as you like.  Hyper Seal has SiO2 in it so it's protection will last longer and be more durable than opti-seal.  It can be used as often as you like.  But no need to use both of them together.   

The difference between opti-coat no rinse and ONR is that OCNR contains gloss enhancers. 

There is no need to over think it.  Use what you like. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/21/2018 at 4:52 PM, theTHiiiNG said:

I agree with using ONR instead of OID. It provides a lot more lubrication and is very quick to do. 

If the car really isn't dirty and has just been rained on you could fill a pump sprayer with ONR solution and completely cover the car in it then proceed to dry with a proper drying towel. 

Just curious though, why do you need to dry it after being rained on? 

When it rains, I get a lot of water on the car.  Hood, windshield, etc.  That much standing water creates a hassle.   In stop and go traffic it either blows up to the windshield or rolls down from the roof.  I was hoping that between the coating and a few spritzes of detail spray that a quick drag of a towel would be safe and solve the problem.

Having said all that, I am thinking that the car is just not as hydrophobic as I envisioned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/21/2018 at 7:43 PM, The Guz said:

Get yourself a blower and blow off the water.  No need for a towel or anything.  Less chances of touching the paint and risking any marring.  You can always wipe down with opti-clean or ONR if the paint is slightly dirty. 

With hyper seal and opti seal you can use them as often as you like.  Hyper Seal has SiO2 in it so it's protection will last longer and be more durable than opti-seal.  It can be used as often as you like.  But no need to use both of them together.   

The difference between opti-coat no rinse and ONR is that OCNR contains gloss enhancers. 

There is no need to over think it.  Use what you like. 

Leaf blower in a suit at 7:30 am would not be logitically feasible.  For me or my neighbors! 

Small sample size, but I really liked the Opti-Coat No Rinse, but the price! And only smalll bottles.  It is a double whammy.  I will use what I have for washes and stick with ONR for spray bottle use.  At least until there is a larger size available at a better price.  $1.25/oz for OCNR is steep.   ONR in a gallon is only $0.3125/oz.  It is good stuff, but not 4x as good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ONR, Opti-Clean, and Instant Detailer are all good ways to safely dry your car after rain and all have advantages - ONR is the cheapest, Opti-Clean has the most cleaning power, and Instant Detailer adds gloss.  Rain water itself is pure but can mix with stuff already on your paint to leave spots/residue that requires cleaning.  The Opti-Coat line is priced to allow pro installers to resell at a profit, FYI.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Ron@Optimum said:

ONR, Opti-Clean, and Instant Detailer are all good ways to safely dry your car after rain and all have advantages - ONR is the cheapest, Opti-Clean has the most cleaning power, and Instant Detailer adds gloss.  Rain water itself is pure but can mix with stuff already on your paint to leave spots/residue that requires cleaning.  The Opti-Coat line is priced to allow pro installers to resell at a profit, FYI.

Thanks Ron!

I have a big bottle of OID that I never broke open.  I thought I saw somewhere that said it would not play well with Opt Paintguard.  I will give it a try if you say so!

On OCNR, I get that you are trying to build a sales channel for the dealers, but that doesnt necessarily take care of your consumers.  My dealer does not carry product.  When I asked, he suggested ordering direct. Unless you build a base and community, the few bucks dealers can make on product doesn't encourage them to carry inventory and designate retail space.  You guys do a great job on videos and brand.  But very little of that exists for the Opti-coat maintenance line. Build demand and encourage the dealers to retail the products, and I will happily pick it up there when I drop off for a detail every 6 months or so.   And I still suggest larger sizes for the OCNR.  At least a 32 oz if not a gallon.  I would gladly buy at a premium to ONR if the volume benefit were similar.

BTW, is OCNR supposed to be mixed into a quick detailer? There isnt a dedicated product in the Opti-coat line.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Opti-Coat line is designed to give installers a dedicated product to offer to Coating customers,  sizes are convenient for end users,  and there is a comparable Optimum product in a variety of sizes.  It's still a new product line and that's the marketing strategy.  Opti-Coat No Rinse can be mixed in the same ratios for clay lube or instant detailer as ONR.

For some reason OID was a forgotten product to me - I used Opti-Clean or ONR at instant detailer ratio for spot cleaning/pre-spray until I tested the OID on stubborn water spots on an OCP+ car and found it worked well.  Now I keep a bottle of OID in the car for bugs/tar/bird bombs/etc...so it works great on Coatings!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

 Greetings:

I just had my new 2018 Murano detailed with Opti coat pro and Opti seal.  Looking forward to maintenance going into the fall and winter months in New England weather!

 Thinking of using ONR wash and shine as a pre rinse, by spraying each panel as I go along. First question, is this step needed?  On a really dirty car ( salt, etc) I am planning to bring to car wash and  use their  bay and power washer . What is the dilution ratio for ONR when used as a pre rinse before using the big red sponge with a bucket of ONR 256-1? Thanks.

Also, how about as a drying aid?  Same dilution ratio as above?

 

Greg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The pre-spray/instant detailer ratio is 1 oz to 16 oz of water - works well on bugs, tar, heavy dirt buildup, etc.  ONR is not as effective as a drying aid as Opti-Seal, Spray Wax, or Instant Detailer, but the pre-spray formula would be your best bet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ron:

Sorry, I not sure of your response. Is the pre-spray/instant detailer you refer to  during the initial pre-rinse  the ONR wash and shine or some other product? I get the ONR is not the best drying aid. I will use one of the other three products you mentioned. Thanks

 

Greg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.