Careful with that RainX

[tzec]

Hey, everyone, I just thought I would pass along something that was etched into my head the other day.



RainX + Clear Coat = No Clear Coat



Now, I`ve always known that it was not good for it to contact a painted surface (it says right on the bottle), but it ate through my Honda clear like Rosie O` through a bag of Cheetos. Had I known how rough this stuff can be, I would have been a little more careful with it near my paint.

[Tasty]

I didn`t think it was that solvent.

[Mikeyc]

Youch!! I had no idea it would be that damaging to paint. Although, it does produce a funny smell when it comes in contact with rubber or plastic. It`s almost a burning smell. I just put some Rain-X on my windows last week, but I may never use it again after hearing this.

[Scottwax]

NXT Glass Cleaner and Eagle 20/20 Glass Cleaner both make glass water repellent like RainX and clean the glass too. The effect also seems to last longer.

[DJ Trackie]

can anyone else verify the paint eating of Rain-X?

[servo-15]

I use Rainx windscreen treatment all the time, but have never noticed any efffect on my paintwork or even to the collinite. Although I do promptly remove any over-application. It would be a pity if Rainx is bad for the paint though, because it works great, esp. with my PIAA wipers.

[foxtrapper]

RainX + Clear Coat = No Clear Coat.

I know of no basis for that claim. If it were true, thousands of cars would be running around with no paint around their windshield. Such is not the case.

[03COBRA]

I use QuikShine on my windows. Works just as well IMO.

[Louie]

I`ve used the Rain-X additive in my washer tank for a couple years on a couple black cars without a problem. Not sure if it is the same chemical, definietly lower concentration than the stuff out of the window treatment bottle.



I treated my windows 2 weeks ago and dripped some on my finish, wiped it off and didn`t see any problems. Can you post a picture of your damaged area?

[tzec]

Originally posted by Scottwax:

NXT Glass Cleaner and Eagle 20/20 Glass Cleaner both make glass water repellent like RainX and clean the glass too. The effect also seems to last longer.

Thanks, I`ve got to look into that.



Originally posted by foxtrapper:

I know of no basis for that claim. If it were true, thousands of cars would be running around with no paint around their windshield. Such is not the case.

That is exactly what I thought as well. In fact, I`ve had no problem with RainX and other cars. Maybe it`s Honda`s soft clear. Maybe it`s just my Honda`s clear. A fart in the car`s general direction melts the paint.



I didn`t mean to start any panic with my first post, so let me clarify my experience. It seems as if you quickly remove any over-application that contacts the paint with a damp rag, everything is fine. In my case, some dripped on the car that went unnoticed until early the next morning. The clear was lifted somewhat - it appeared almost as if a bug had a high speed run in with my parked car. I tried using a damp rag, QD, and lots of buffing to no avail. The closer I looked, all I did was remove the clear in that spot. I actually found another little spot while washing my car a couple of days later. This spot had not been touched before and the clear was cracked and somewhat brittle.



All said and done I can`t tell anyone to not use RainX again. I`ve never had this problem before on other cars and will continue to use it on this car. I`m just passing along what happened to me as an experience that may save someone some frustration. :grinno:

[Setec Astronomy]

You sure those spots weren`t some bird stuff? That liquid bird stuff is the worst--eats right into the paint.

[ghoonk]

is there anything you guys use to deal with wiper judder? I was told that it`s caused by wax getting on the windscreen and drying up the wiper blade. if this is the case, I might just go back to using silicone blades again. they last longer, and because they don`t judder, they`re safer for me on those pouring days

[tzec]

Originally posted by Setec Astronomy:

You sure those spots weren`t some bird stuff? That liquid bird stuff is the worst--eats right into the paint.

Yeah, the car didn`t move from the garage all night. There was no way anything else could have gotten onto the paint. I`ll post a pic once I get my software working again.

[Setec Astronomy]

I guess I was suggesting that you had some "bird piss" (that`s what I call it, it`s clear liquid death that you don`t see right away...until it`s eaten thru your paint; someone here once chastised me for calling it piss, saying birds only have one opening, so it`s all the same--but what comes out isn`t all the same!) that was on the car from the day before, but it sounds like you washed the car beforehand.