Is ArmorAll Browning Your Tires ?

**rd_volvo** · 09-19-2004, 06:48 PM

Purchased it after some good reviews lately but it`s browning my tires after a rain or a wash. A turn off!

Anyone else getting this and will it stop after some applications?

thx

rd

**Redcar GUY** · 09-19-2004, 06:54 PM

Not mine.. But I do wash my cars atleast twice a week.. Maybe it doesnt have time to brown? Also I get the tires really clean when I do wash.

**Pats300zx** · 09-19-2004, 06:56 PM

It was my understanding that they changed the formula to a water based dressing. I know alot of forum members still use it since the change. This is the first I have heard of the browning issue. I was ready to go out and pick some up and give it a try.

**topnotchtouch** · 09-19-2004, 06:56 PM

Originally posted by rd_volvo

Purchased it after some good reviews lately but it`s browning my tires after a rain or a wash. A turn off!

Anyone else getting this and will it stop after some applications?

thx

rd

I don`t think you can blame any tire dressing for typical browning. Do a Google search on "blooming" as it relates to tires. If you do a search here on Autopia you will also find lots of threads on this very issue.

What did you use to clean the tires? If you used a harsh cleaner than you stripped the waxes from the surface that protect the tire from UV causing an exaggerated blooming effect that does not show up until you get the sidewalls hot again by driving. This is the way the tires were designed, the waxes migrate back to the surface when they are stripped away. Most people blame their tire dressing for blooming when the blame really belongs to the cleaner used on the tires. I typically wash my tires with whatever soap is left in the bucket after washing the paint. It is mild enough that it does not strip the waxes from the tire.

**dcswd** · 09-19-2004, 07:48 PM

I have been putting armor all on this one car once a month and I havnet noticed any problems. I dont use any strong cleaners though. Just a light rinse with water.

**rd_volvo** · 09-19-2004, 08:11 PM

Nah, it`s not blooming. Tires are new. No harsh cleaners used.

I`ll try AA a little longer and troubleshoot by using other tire dressings and alternating AA.

**dcswd** · 09-19-2004, 08:20 PM

You could always do AA on the left tires and something else on the right tires

**JasonD** · 09-19-2004, 08:22 PM

Could it be that you aren`t cleaning your tires well enough and that is actually brake dust you are looking at? I deal with very bad brake dust on my 04` F150 and the front tires look brown after a couple days of driving and the only way to get it off is with Westley`s Bleach White and a Viking Tire brush or wire brush.

**rd_volvo** · 09-19-2004, 08:30 PM

Nah, I have low dust brake pads.

One thing though I was trying Meg`s # 38 gel before the

AA. Maybe it`s the #38 or the mixture of the two which is

causing it.

I just wanted to see if others were getting the browning.

I know one other person was complaining recently, forgot who.

**GearHead_1** · 09-20-2004, 07:55 PM

Originally posted by rd_volvo

Is Armor All browning your tires? Purchased it after some good reviews lately but it`s browning my tires after a rain or a wash.

Not mine. I`ve tried most of the popular tire dressings and though the term "best" is relative, I like Armor All`s Detailers Choice as well as any. It doesn`t make my tires brown. I`m not saying that blooming is the cause of your problem but the fact that they are new doesn`t have anything to do with this process, heat and direct sunlight are probably the biggest factors for this problem but aren`t the only contributing factors. Some brands/models of tires seem to do it much quicker and worse than others. The only product that I`ve noticed any real problem with is Meguiar`s spray on dressing Hot Shine. It doesn`t seem to dry well and I believe it attracts more dust and holds the dirt. Just my two cents.

:nixweiss

**topnotchtouch** · 09-20-2004, 08:44 PM

Originally posted by rd_volvo

Nah, it`s not blooming. Tires are new. No harsh cleaners used.

I`ll try AA a little longer and troubleshoot by using other tire dressings and alternating AA.

Blooming is NOT a bad thing. They are designed to do that. It is more pronounced on some brands of tires than others. The waxes in the tire are designed to migrate to the surface when the sidewall is heated up and since these waxes are depleted over time it is more likely to be noticable on new tires than old ones.

What cleaners do you use on your tires?

**Scottwax** · 09-20-2004, 08:49 PM

I`m not having any browning problems on my own car or my customer`s cars and I switched back to AA a couple of years ago.

**Espada** · 11-07-2004, 03:45 AM

Myself, I have had very bad luck with Armor-All. By the way a few years ago an armor-all executive quit and "blew the whistle" that armor-all supposedly cracked tires. Can`t vouch for the executive but my personal experience with armor-all is not good.

I have had much better results with formula 303 aerospace/marine protectant. It`s great on tires, plastic, rubber bumpers, etc. Lasts longer and no cracking. Drawback is it is expensive and harder to find than armor all.

**Mark Bennett** · 11-07-2004, 03:55 AM

Tyres (tires) can be brown from new.

I bought my car new, and picked it up from the factory. The tyres had a brown "look" to the sidewalls from new, or very shortly after.