Hello! Two questions 1. What causes excessive rust blooms? Any way to avoid this? 2. Is it possible to apply opti-coat too thin or have it wear off? Details: 45 days ago I applied Opti-Coat to a new A4, and the car had not been washed since then, This is in the Chicago area so the weather has been harsh; despite that I was expecting an easy wash due to the coating. However, the car was COVERED in rust blooms. Mostly on the lower panels, but it got everywhere including the door jambs. Iron X helped remove them, and W99 at 1:1 (which is amazing btw) helped remove the rest including some tar.b Also, I am pretty sure I had covered the rear bumper adequately, as I remember it beading, but after the decon and wash there was absolutely no protection so I had to apply opti-coat again. Did I damage the coating? Did I wipe off too much upon initial application? Did I not wait long enough for the coating to cure (12 hours, but it was cold) Am I loosing my mind? Also, bonus question. What happens if you put opti-coat on top of opti-coat? I know that it cannot bond to itself, but what does that actually mean? Thanks!!!
It means you CAN NOT layer opti coat with opti coat. Some people like to for example apply multiple coats of wax or sealant bit you xan not do that with opti coat. You can top it with a wax but it really isn't needed.
What would happen if I did, meaning, would it peel? Not stick and just wipe off? Lets say I was redoing one panel and I accidentally overlapped an area? What if I liked to live dangerously and applied opti-coat to an area that was already coated?
See if you can get ahold of Chris at Optimum Technologies.. Go directly to their website. There are a certain number of days before Optimum coatings cure completely that you can go and fix something that might have not worked out right and it is easier of course. I cant remember exactly but of course those guys will. Have never heard of rust blooms on top of this coating though, that will be interesting to hear what they say about this.. Good luck - Dan F
You can layer Opti Coat but only within a certain time frame. If the prep was done properly and the OC applied properly, you shouldn't have any issues. Not sure what would cause the excessive rust blooms unless the client works / lives near a major roadway, train track or industrial area.
If your goal is to remove paint contamination why would you only remove part of it? Detailer’s clay is an abrasive, contrary to popular belief it doesn't pull the metal particles from the paint surface it shears it, leaving a metal particle that will become a conduit for rust compromising the paint system and leaving surface rust ‘spots’ or blooms If the affected paintwork is not neutralized any remaining acid residue will be reactivated each time it comes into contact with water further eroding the paint matrix. Water contains 2- hydrogen and 1-oxygen atom and will acts as a catalyst and a carrier system for acid. Oxygen is an oxidizer; ozone is an allotropic form of oxygen (an oxidizer is any component that emits oxygen); many chemical compounds react to slight heating and an oxidizing process. Add water (dew, rain, car washing etc) so now you have an acid + water +oxygen + ozone all of which equates to a highly concentrated acidic solution, which causes a concave indentation (acid etching) to the paint surface. This should be neutralized by using an appropriate product (ValuGuard Decontamination System or Aquartz Iron Cut system) Regardless of how clean you think your paint is there are still contaminants, either on the paint surface or under the paint matrix that you need to remove. There is no wax, natural or synthetic, or any chemical treatment that can prevent or protect against this contamination. Compounding with an abrasive polish may remove paint contamination but it can only be performed a few times before removing too much of the top, clear coat finish. (See also Paint Decontamination and Acid Neutralization)
45 days with no wash may have allowed some road film to build up hiding the beading. You should wash with Optimum Power Clean for a more thorough cleaning to see if that's the problem. Layering can be accomplished most times within 30-90 days if needed, but if you doubt the first application you should carefully re prep the surface to ensure proper bonding. Did you polish the lower panels? Did you remove the polishing oils, etc? My guess is that some prep was skipped on the lower panels.
Thank you everyone for the advice. Togwt that is very informative. It was a new car and I prepped the crap out of it top to bottom; the rust blooms were everywhere including the roof, and any surface that was semi flat, but the majority were on the lower panels and even in the door jambs. That is why I don't think prep had anything to do with it. I suspect three things happened. 1. The car was driven through some sort of freak contamination conditions 2. The coating had not fully hardened and something stuck to it which started rusting on top of the surface. The little rust bombs could be removed with a fingernail. 3. I wiped off the coating too aggressively upon application of the lower bumper. (The lack of beading after my thorough cleaning compared to the surrounding area was obvious)
