Tire brown from EF-HI?

SJ · 10-30-01, 06:15

Hey folks,

Well I have searched the archives relating to all of the various posts on tire browning, fading etc. I have also read Ron K's posts on tires and cleaning at Autoint.com.

Now here is my question. I use a 50/50 water/efiHI dilluted solution to clean my 1 year old, stock GoodYear tires, and dress with Vinylex. I apply Vinylex with an Eagle One tire swipe, and wait 30 minutes to an hour before rubbing off excess with a Terry Towel. I clean my tires and wheels once per week(when I wash) and apply Vinylex after cleaing.

I have noticed that my tires are "greying". After I clean the tire with EF-HI, and rinse, and allow the tire to dry, I notice that the tire is a dull black/slightly grey. In other words I have to reapply Vinylex every week in order to keep the tire black. In many cases the Vinylex only lasts for a week before I have that gray/black look again. I also notice that several days later the Vinylex may have "burned" off the tire from driving, and that I have slight streaks or grey "spots" underneath the coating of Vinylex.

My concern is that the EF-HI is "greying" my tires. I am washing the tires when they are cool, using a tire scrub brush, and plenty of cold water to rinse. Have any of you folks had this happen to you? Is it possible that the EF-HI is removing the carbon black and micro wax from my sidewalls?!

ARGH?!!! I hate to think that I have been destroying my tires by using this product, but I don't know what else to believe. Seems strange that right after cleaning my tires that they are "grey/black" and that it takes Vinylex to bring back the black.

Let me know what you folks think, and what you have experienced with EF_HI. I really like it, but after reading Ron K's comments, and others, I wonder if EF-HI is too strong for tires????

As always, if I am just ranting over nothing, and this is "normal" then just put me out of my misery and worrying with a quick post.

Thanks
SJ

SJ · 10-30-01, 06:17

A side note

I am also interested in what folks use outside of EF-HI to clean their tires? I see plenty of wheel cleaners out there PS21 etc. but not a lot of TIRE cleaners. Your input and experiences are appreciated.

FLONI · 10-30-01, 06:59

any answers that i know are the correct ones...sorry......but i thought the EF hi stuff...which i also use on my tires....was for when the tires get really bad...like once a mth...not every wk....maybe im totally wrong there but thats all i can think of....

wolfsburg · 10-30-01, 07:07

I only use HI on the rims when the brake dust gets out of control. I don't apply any special cleaner to the tire itself, I just attack them with a bucket full of car soap and a tire brush. This works well for me.

RH · 10-30-01, 07:26

Aside from EF-HI, I use the Eagle One Tire Cleaner and like the results. But, as mentioned above, I use a tire cleaner once a month at most - the rest of the time just a brush & soap, followed with 303 or Eagle One Satin.

No browning issues with this routine on Michellin XGT V4's.

SJ · 10-30-01, 07:30

Okay so the idea I am getting here is that I am "cleaning" with Hi too often. That's fine. I can lay off a bit. This is funny.

I cleaned with HI every week because I worried that if I did not get the tire "clean" then my applied dressings would cause tire browning. Now after cleaning them weekly with HI, I find that I don't need to, and I could actually be hurting my tires. HA!

Thanks for the replies so far, keep em comin.

SJ

DavidB · 10-30-01, 08:44

First things, first. Have you seen the natural color of tires? A new tire is not black, it's charcoal and dull. This is due to the wax used in the mfg process. We make them look black and shiny by applying dressings.

Any detergent you use on your tires will pull out the dirt and cause the tire to dull. The tire should go back a "new" tire finish. The graying is natural.

A product like Eagle One, which I use as my tire cleaner, will turn the tire blue. Eagle One puts an optical enhancer in their product that works as highlight when you apply a water-based dressing.

If you use it, another good tire cleaner is P21S Total Auto Wash. Very gentle on rubber. I like it as a light engine cleaner, too.

db

ljvct · 10-30-01, 09:00

David, I've been using P21S Total Auto Wash undiluted to clean my tires. Is it mild enough to use straight, or do you dilute it?

Thanks.

SJ · 10-30-01, 10:13

David B,

Thanks for the info. Okay, so maybe I am not crazy. I had planned to pick up the Total Auto wash to clean some stubborn bug items etc from my front bumper. Now I can use it to clean my tires.

A few more questions for you,

1. Is it safe then to clean the tire each and every week with a "tire cleaner" be that PS21, Eagle One, or Hi Intensity?(this is in your opinon of course). If EF-HI is too strong to use weekly, I can always switch to something else.

2. I use a rather inexpensive tire brush from Pep Boys. Now it's not a wire metal brush, but the bristles are a very stiff plastic type.

Can I damage the tire carbon black/wax coating using a brush which is not soft like an OXO? (I can buy a new brush!)

I have read all of your tips on wheel/tire care many times, don't mean to be beating a dead horse here. I just don't want to "clean" too harshly, and age my tires prematurely.

Thanks
SJ

Brad4rdHay · 10-30-01, 02:02

Using a brass brush is tricky and can badly scratch a tire.I thought i had the technique down until a customer brought in a car with some expensive perelli P-Zoeros, soft compound for good grip. Anyway, on the first tire i scratched it. So after that i didnt use the brass again ad use a cheap stiff plastick like brush we had lying around the house, cleans just as good without the scratches.

DavidB · 10-30-01, 03:40

I've used P21S TAW for more than 10 years now, on all kinds of surfaces (in fact, I just used it to clean tar off my hands... had to patch the roof before it rains) with no problems. You can dilute it, but it's just as easy to turn the spray head down and use less.

The best tire and wheel brushes I have used so far are OXO. Using a brush that's too stiff will scuff your tire and make it look rough after a while. I have a simple rule: if you can't use a brush on your skin, don't use it on your car. The exception is a brass brush used to detail manifolds, etc.

db

YoSteve · 10-30-01, 03:46

good tip db, the brass brush if fine for my skin