Review: CarPro Fog Fight

[CEE DOG]

Review: CarPro Fog Fight



Product Description From AG:



CarPro Fog Fight prevents fog from interfering with your visibility! This antifog coating is super hydrophilic and eliminates condensation on interior auto glass. Keep your windshield, windows, and mirrors clean and clear with just one application. CarPro Fog Fight prevents fog due to heat, cold, and humidity.



Introduction:



As the proud owner of a convertible I was excited to hear about a new product coming out that would eliminate fog by providing a hydrophilic coating on the inside of the windshield. With a convertible I often get fogged up windows so this seemed like a natural fit. Only a few short months ago it was coming to market in Europe and just weeks ago it landed on our shores as well.



I had been following different threads on the product with all manner of opinions. So when I received my CarPro Fog Fight (CFF) kit from AG last weekend I couldn`t wait to put it through some rigorous testing and develop my own opinion as well.



Hydrophilic:



hy·dro·phil·ic coatings have an affinity to water and are usually charged or have polar side groups to their structure that will attract water.



My Understanding:



So the way this works is not that it stops the surface from getting wet… quite the opposite. By applying a coating that absorbs moisture it does not allow beads to form. The beads are normally formed by the oxygen and hydrogen atoms of water being repelled by the surface they are attached to. Rather than do battle with the water molecules Fog Fight accepts them as family and absorbs them temporarily.





Details:



1.- Packaging: Plastic bottle with trigger spray nozzle and flip switch beneath trigger

2.- Viscosity: Thin

3.- Color: Clear

4.- Scent: Similar to Eraser

5.- Price (at time of review): 3.4 oz. (100ml) = $8.99

6.-Manufacturer: CarPro

7.-Made in: Korea



Kit Contents:



(1) 100ml Fog Fight Sprayer

(1) CarPro applicator block

(2) 4" suede mf applicators

(1) 8" suede mf removal cloth





CarPro Fog Fight Kit: (Terry weave towel not included)







Products Used:







Video CarPro Fog Fight:



Most of this video was created after I had completed all my testing and came back to recreate it with my lessons learned. After this video we will rewind to where I started my testing.



CarPro FogFight 1.mp4 - YouTube





Testing:



Testing took place starting on the bathroom mirror and then on 2 different vehicles. Multiple tests and applications were conducted on each (3 on the mirror & 2 on each car).



I’ll try to condense my testing and observations but I’m sharing them so you can see what I tried and how I came to my conclusions. If you would prefer to skip the bla bla bla and get to my tips and ultimate conclusion feel free to skip the testing (but don’t miss the 3 videos) and move onto the section labeled "My Application Tips", and forward from there through to the “Final Observations�.



Mirror (Part A):



I started my testing on the bathroom mirror because the lighting can be easily controlled and any change in visibility and highlighting of fog is highly visible on a mirrored surface.







After using Eraser to clean the mirror and wiping it dry I allowed it to sit a minute just to be sure it was dry. Next I applied CFF using approximately 4 squirts total over a 30 square inch area. As I spread the product I could clearly feel the resistance and a feeling of friction as I spread it across the surface. It was not a sticky or unpleasant feel, but certainly grabby.



I had setup a few sections so that I could remove the product after a minute on one, ten minutes on the next, and 45 minutes on the last. My first method of removal was to use the mf suede removal towel double wrapped over the applicator and lightly wipe. On the section where I waited one minute it actually worked fine in regular lighting but once I placed a beam of light directly into it, it seemed as though no matter which way I wiped I could not make a perfectly clear surface. Holograms would appear in whichever direction I wiped last. Of course I was being careful not to wipe too hard. Later I would find that I did not have to be nearly as gentle as I had been in the beginning. Other tips would also become apparent.



Hoping for simpler results on the second section I waited until 10 minutes had passed and attempted to remove the slight haze. This time I had better results but I still wanted a little more. I switched to a terry weave mf towel (like you use for polish removal) and this time I wiped a little harder and turned the towel after each time I went over it. I found after about 3 complete passes with different sides of the towel I could find excellent clarity with the rooms regular overhead artificial lighting. When pointing a spotlight directly into it I still had slight holograms but all in all I was satisfied.







The 45 minute test yielded similar results as the 10 minute test and I concluded 10 minutes is fine but if I was to have other things to do on a vehicle for instance it wouldn’t matter if I came back to buff it off later.



After logical consideration I was happy with the mirror with the knowledge I would never be pointing a spotlight into it therefore the clarity was for all practical purposes perfect in any condition I would see it. I was of course quite impatient and concerned what I might find when using it on my windshield where many different lighting situations are possible. I couldn’t wait to get out to the garage and continue my testing! But first it was time to see the Fog Fight in action on the mirror.





















































































EEK! Don`t let moisture get in the camera.



You can see it building on the lens here which made this cool affect but I was getting my camera out of there fast after every time I got some quick pictures. I didn’t want any moisture getting inside my new camera!









1997 Saturn SL (Part :







This time around I applied the product directly to the applicator using 1 spray from a few inches away and then spread on a small section of the glass. I repeated until test side was complete.







After waiting 10 minutes I removed the product via mf towel by wiping.







After testing how it would hold up against a wipe down with hot water from my steamer I found a mf towel with hot water was able to remove the coating so I ended up removing the tapelines and re-applying to 50% of the windshield and the windows.



The following morning I was thrilled to find an excessively moist and foggy atmosphere and even happier to see CFF not allowing it to affect my glass. Here was what I saw as I emerged from the house and on the drive to work.



















After work I followed up with some additional pictures. As you can see visibility was satisfactory but viewing side by side with the non-coated area I could find a difference when I looked from certain angles.





















I was satisfied until I drove into the sun where I was disappointed to see light refraction on the CFF coating as shown in the following picture.







The next day I left for work early while still dark to get a feel for the nighttime driving affects. Unfortunately the movement of the vehicle caused a lot of blur in the photos but here’s a quick video. When I arrived I took a couple still photos aimed directly into the light.



Video (Night time Driving): (Near the end of the video)



CarPro FogFight Night Drive.mp4 - YouTube















2008 Saturn SKY (Part C):



Onto my favorite part! Rewind back to the day of testing and applications. My Sky redline is of course a convertible and I was looking forward to forgetting about fog as an issue. But first 50/50 testing was in order!



I applied the product on my Sky similar to the way I had on the SL but removed with the terry weave mf.







The day after the nighttime testing I showed in the previous section I was able to take my Sky to work. At this point I was disappointed in the clarity when driving into the sun and obviously expected to see the same results on my Sky.



As I got out onto the road and into daylight I could not see the delineation between treated and untreated. However if I had spot light or looked from the right angle I would have found it.







As I pulled onto the on ramp the sun grazed the horizon and I could see a slight hint of the coating as it reflected on my windshield. I was surprised to see the clarity looked a good deal better than it had on my SL but chalked it up to the possibility that sliver of sun hadn’t been equal to the sun I had seen in my SL. So far so good for Sky!







As I pulled back off the interstate I snapped another pic…











I tried to leave work early enough that day to catch the sun on my way back to the interstate and as you can see in the 3rd of the following 6 pictures I was able to capture a difference in clarity in the direct lighting of the sun. It wasn’t as bad as the results on my daily driver which begged me to ask the question why was the clarity better on this glass than on my SL?

































I came to the conclusion that the use of terry mf towel for removal, the amount of moisture in the atmosphere and the glass itself was the difference.





Video: Sky





CarPro FogFight Sky.mp4 - YouTube





My Application Tips:



After 7 separate applications, steam testing, and some off the beaten path testing I came to the following conclusions as to what works best.



1.- As always I advise gloves when dealing with any chemical.

2.- Clean and dry the glass thoroughly regardless of how clean you think it is.

3.- Using 1 spray directly onto the applicator.

4.- Spread evenly across a small section (Approximately 12 sq. in. +/-) or as even coverage dictates.

5.-Repeat step 3 & 4 overlapping just slightly on the original section spreading until another spray is needed. Continue in sections until finished.

6.- Allow to dry for 10 minutes or longer

7.- Using medium pressure and a folded terry weave mf towel or mf towel with some amount of nap buff off half the windshield or a full window size area at a time with 1 even pass.

8.- Flip the towel to a clean side and repeat step 7.

9.- Flip the towel once again and repeat step 7 wiping with even pressure on a flat folded mf towel.



Note:

You can spray directly on glass 2-3 sprays over (2 sq. ft.) and spread but I prefer the applicator method and believe it leaves better clarity.









Pros:



1.- Eliminates fog

2.- Price

3.- Easy to apply



???:



1.- Currently testing it on my side rear view mirrors to eliminate water beads during rain

2.- My good friend Bill will be adding some testing in the cold temperatures of Iowa





Cons:



1.- Clarity is not perfect (easily visible and distracting when driving into the sun)

2.- Buffing off hazed product can be a little frustrating in an attempt to find perfect clarity under direct lighting

3.- Does not stop interior frost development in freezing temperatures if the interior of your vehicle has a moist atmosphere.





Final Observations & Summary:



After many wonderful experiences with every CarPro product I’ve used I was not as thrilled with CarPro Fog Fight. It certainly eliminated the fog in all of my testing just as the claims described. However in direct sunlight it did not achieve the clarity that I had hoped for. The reason for using the product is to enhance clarity when dealing with fog and it most certainly achieves that goal. However when dealing with driving directly towards the sun or direct lighting clarity is reduced from perfection to something short of that and lacking in clarity.



The price for the kit (which includes the CarPro block and a few suede mf’s) is clearly a strong point.



I’m currently testing CarPro Fog Fight on my side exterior rear view mirrors as well to eliminate water beads from developing there in moist atmospheres and even rain.



Application is very simple but while it is physically easy to buff off the haze with a few passes it does not achieve perfect clarity under close scrutiny in direct lighting.



Thanks for taking the time to read my review,



Cheers

[cobraa]

good review!

[togwt]

Thanks for taking the time to review and post on this product. Seems like Marmite some love it and some hate it, with quite a few not be able to get good results with it for various reasons. Like you I tested it on the shower doors and used a steamer, good result albeit not absolutely crystal clear.



Overall an interesting product that fills a niche (perhaps with a little mfg adjustment to solve the clarity issue)

[indiej]

Great review piece. Thanks. Could it be another siloxane product similar to Cquartz, hence the decreased clarity? Someone will come up with a good tweak of the product or in the product application soon.

[Lowejackson]

Great review. My initial application failed but this was before they altered the instructions to let it cure for 10 minutes. Unfortunately the interior heating fan died and with the persistent rain I have not been able to reapply. Fitted a new fan today so hopefully I will be able to try again tomorrow. I did notice a lack of clarity but I put this down to user error but I will report back. I also have some Gtech on the exterior of the glass and I do wonder if they are somehow interfering with the light. I note that Permonan say not to use their products on the interior and exterior of glass as this can effect visibility.

[umi000]

Great review piece. Thanks. Could it be another siloxane product similar to Cquartz, hence the decreased clarity? Someone will come up with a good tweak of the product or in the product application soon.

Purely a guess, but I would surmise that it uses titanium dioxide, which is probably what they`re also using as a photocatalyst in their So2Pure product.

[indiej]

For now i think it`s siloxane else the advert for Fog Fight will have a badge of "Air purifying" with the quickness

[togwt]

Purely a guess, but I would surmise that it uses titanium dioxide, which is probably what they`re also using as a photocatalyst in their So2Pure product.

Titanium dioxide is usually used as aa ultra violet (UV) stabilizer, or to oxidize organic materials, sterilizing and deodorizing germs and allergens.It would be both an unecessary and expensive addition to a product like this.

[umi000]

Heh, like I said, just a surmise on my part - and you`re most likely right, I hadn`t though about it, but it would have had a badge of "air purification" if that were one of its properties.