Is ABC safe?

[hobie14T]

I bought the ABC car wash products, but I did a search here, and some people say that it is unsafe to use on rubber/plastics.



Can you guys that have used ABC on your cars please let me know if it is safe? My brother used it on one of his cars, and he says that it did not harm anything.



I would like to use it, but I am slightly concerned with it`s safety after reading what some people have said about it.



Thanks for the help.

[Jngrbrdman]

I`ve never had any bad experiences with it. If you want a real answer then you should email somebody at www.autoint.com. You`ll get a real answer there. You`ll get a lot of opinion and personal experiences here. Never go to a Burger King to find out how a Big Mac tastes. ;) Always go to the source if you want the real scoop.

[BillNorth]

First and foremost, ABC can only be used on cars with clearcoated finishes. It will burn the paint right off of non cleared cars (that`s straight from Ron K.).



As for trim: ABC will permanently stain any non clearcoatd trim. I`ve only used it on my fathers olds alero. That car has no unpainted trim so it wasn`t an issue. I haven`t, and probably won`t use it on my bimmer, because it does have plastic unpainted door handles and window frames.



Other members of the forum have posted about ABC staining their trim. Do a search. It was pretty recent.

[BradE]

I have used the system several times and never had a single problem.

[paco]

I think a lot of those great RonK posts were lost in the server crash.



A shame really. :(



A lot of nice information was forever lost.

[Jngrbrdman]

Originally posted by BillNorth





Mods, David, what`s up with that? I know he`s not your favourite person, but he did provide alot useful info. :cool:



We never deleted any of his threads. His threads may be old enough that they got lost durring the last big move. We all lost a few hundred posts and I`m sure that there were a lot of Ron`s posts lost too. We don`t go out looking for people`s posts to delete though. This isn`t that kind of a board. :nono

[BillNorth]

Originally posted by Jngrbrdman

We never deleted any of his threads. His threads may be old enough that they got lost durring the last big move. We all lost a few hundred posts and I`m sure that there were a lot of Ron`s posts lost too. We don`t go out looking for people`s posts to delete though. This isn`t that kind of a board. :nono



OK OK. That`s fair. I`m sorry. The only reason I said that is because when I do find an old post of Ron`s, I see a big long quote attached to the bottom of his posts.



It says: "Let`s all remember Ron for the way he was", or something like that. And it`s a whole paragraph of Ron ranting and raving about how we (autopians) all don`t know how to detail, and how David sold out, etc. Nonsense really.



Anyhow, I hope we`re still cool. Later :cool:

[hobie14T]

I did email autoint yesterday, but I am still waiting for their response.



For you guys that have used ABC, did you get it on plastic trim? My brother is very protective of his cars, and he did ABC (including on the plastic of his auto), and none of the plastic or rubber was discolored or damaged in any way.



It seems like it is impossible to use ABC, and not get it on any rubber/plastic, since most windows and doors use rubber as edging/seal.

[Jngrbrdman]

You could always mask off the trim. It takes some time and a ton of tape, but I`ve done it before on my car. Its better than having messed up trim.



Its a holiday week. I think it may take a day or two more before you get a reply from them. They might have taken the rest of the week off or something. Autoint has always been very promt in replying to my questions though. I`m sure they will get back to you soon. :xyxthumbs

[BradE]

Remember it`s the holidays, many people just returned to work today so email responses might be slow.

[imported_Intel486]

From what I hear it is safe. Lots of detailers seems to use it.



I use Pro`s Acid system though and have never had a problem with it.

[hobie14T]

I still can`t get in contact with autoint. I am probably going to ABC tomorrow.







When you have used ABC, did you get it on plastic/rubber, or not?

[Jngrbrdman]

I don`t remember one way or the other if it is going to hurt the plastic. I`ve never seen it do any damage though. If you are worried about it then mask it off or find some other way to avoid it. If you are concerned about whether a product will damage something then the advice the manufacturer always suggests is that you try it on an obsure part first and see what happens. I would just suggest avoiding getting it on the trim if you are worried.

[Knight]

A word of caution.


Never go to a Burger King to find out how a Big Mac tastes. Always go to the source if you want the real scoop.

Though, careful going to the "source" of the product. It is possible this person will tell you what you want to here and try to sell you the product.( Which is the case I believe since you are contacting them about the product) Also, talking a lot of science, so that it makes you think it is all high tech. You will get information on the product though. I have wanted to try the ABC process as well. I am still concerned. You can go to the source, but the source is bias. Everyone has biases. Be especially careful with companies that are selling their products. Also, I am sure in the owners manual in everyones cars here ( most newer cars ) that it specifically says in the car care section to NOT use ANY kind of ACID. There is an acid in the ABC process. They might tell you "it is not that type of acid." The statement in the owners manual never said anything about "most" acids or "some" acids. It simply says in mine and I am sure in others, Do not use acids for cleaning the paint. I am not sure about it though. I believe it probably is a good process for neglected cars. Though, I am hesitant to buy it for a vehicle that has been for the most part, maintained well. I am not sure, and am curious about the product as well. I am just making everyone aware. Besides, what can the ABC process do that a clay bar can`t?





:up

[Jngrbrdman]

Originally posted by Knight

A word of caution.



Though, careful going to the "source" of the product. It is possible this person will tell you what you want to here and try to sell you the product.( Which is the case I believe since you are contacting them about the product) Also, talking a lot of science, so that it makes you think it is all high tech. You will get information on the product though. I have wanted to try the ABC process as well. I am still concerned. You can go to the source, but the source is bias. Everyone has biases. Be especially careful with companies that are selling their products. Also, I am sure in the owners manual in everyones cars here ( most newer cars ) that it specifically says in the car care section to NOT use ANY kind of ACID. There is an acid in the ABC process. They might tell you "it is not that type of acid." The statement in the owners manual never said anything about "most" acids or "some" acids. It simply says in mine and I am sure in others, Do not use acids for cleaning the paint. I am not sure about it though. I believe it probably is a good process for neglected cars. Though, I am hesitant to buy it for a vehicle that has been for the most part, maintained well. I am not sure, and am curious about the product as well. I am just making everyone aware. Besides, what can the ABC process do that a clay bar can`t?





:up



That`s kind of an untrusting attitude to have. You would trust the random opinion of detailers on a product that really needs to be explained by a chemist? I know that Ron K has explained ABC several times on Autopia.



What do you know about ABC? You haven`t read up on it enough if you don`t know what it does beyond the abilities of clay. It exists because there are things that clay can`t do. You aren`t supposed to use it every weekend when you wash your car or something like that. You are only going to use it when your paint is damaged beyond the point that clay can clean it up. It doesn`t even have to look damaged to be that way. If your car isn`t damaged that way then you don`t need it. Its like ChemoTherapy. That is toxic poison that no sane person should try and run through their body. However, it is better than dying from cancer. The Chemo helps stop it. That is all ABC is doing. Its the less of two evils. If your car is in good enough shape, then skip it.