Hey all, opinions needed on best product to top Expel Ultimate +

Hi all,

Haven`t been around much, always appreciated the prof advice here. I just had Expel Ultimate Plus installed on my car. In your opinions or professional experiences, what is THE best protection to top PPF with? I`ve tried Beadmaker, Griots Ceramic wax, Graphene....What I am seeing are these tiny brownish dots on occasion that stick to the car even after a quick drive of a few miles. Don`t know if its tree fallout or some type of bug dropping, but they are not on my car for an hour and they leave a tiny etched mark either in the PPF or the actual clearcoat.

is there something I can top the PPF and unprotected paint with that will not etch? Gyeon...Car Pro...NV...Ethos... Anything??

Thanks a ton!!

I know Gyeon makes both a PPF polish and wash. I haven’t tried the PPF yet, but I’ve been meaning to.

Risley:
Are these brown dots the result of driving OR from parking somewhere first, then driving?
Also you mention that they are not on your vehicle for an hour, yet they leave a tiny "etch mark" in both the PPF and your clear coat. Are you cleaning/washing the vehicle immediately (within your mentioned hour time frame) after seeing these brown spots?

I ask about where you park because if you are parking near some type of landscaping with mulch put down around shrubs or flowers, you could be experiencing spotting from Artillery Fungus, sometimes called Shotgun Fungus. This stuff is nasty and if not removed properly, you will get the etching you talk about. A search within this forum found these:

Here`s the link to a recent thread on the "best practices" and advise dealing with artillery fungus:
https://www.autopia.org/forums/car-d...ight=artillery

Mike lamberts suggestion is use baking soda and hot water (see post #12)
https://www.autopia.org/forums/car-d...rtilery+fungus

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Risley

Hi all,

Haven`t been around much, always appreciated the prof advice here. I just had Expel Ultimate Plus installed on my car. In your opinions or professional experiences, what is THE best protection to top PPF with? I`ve tried Beadmaker, Griots Ceramic wax, Graphene....What I am seeing are these tiny brownish dots on occasion that stick to the car even after a quick drive of a few miles. Don`t know if its tree fallout or some type of bug dropping, but they are not on my car for an hour and they leave a tiny etched mark either in the PPF or the actual clearcoat.

is there something I can top the PPF and unprotected paint with that will not etch? Gyeon...Car Pro...NV...Ethos... Anything??

Thanks a ton!!

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Never met, so welcome !!
I am with Lonnie on this.. Especially if your vehicle is a light color, artillery fungus is attracted to light colors more, and will attach themselves there forever if not removed..
I have never heard or found a product that will protect ppf for very long, because ppf is not paint, and all the products are designed to attach to paint which of course is not ppf.. :)
Yes, you can apply coatings, etc., everything to ppf, but I have never seen it last very long.. My personal experiences on my own vehicles which all have ppf over their entire front ends and halfway up the hood and front fenders..
Yes, the only way to help stop this attack is to not park near wooded areas, compost piles, anything like that... I have not seen this come out of grass lawns in my experiences..
Good luck with this !
Dan F

Hey guys, thanks so much for taking the time to reply. We live in the Naples FL area. I took my perfectly clean garage kept brand new car out for maybe a 15 minute drive in Naples and when I pulled in the garage I saw a couple of those "dots". I see them often here, and back when we lived in Charlotte NC. I`ll get a close up picture of them next time.

I`m anal about car care overall including paint. I do all my own correction and protection. Like most of us here I`ve tried a LOT of products on many different cars I`ve owned over the years.

My two cars are light silver and a metallic white, so they are lighter of course. Not much depth or "pop" in those colors. I`m more interested in protection and water spotting. Currently trying the over the counter 303 Graphene. Seems to have really good beading but little protection.

Gotta run to a Chiro appointment, chat later. Thanks again

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Risley

Hey guys, thanks so much for taking the time to reply. We live in the Naples FL area. I took my perfectly clean garage kept brand new car out for maybe a 15 minute drive in Naples and when I pulled in the garage I saw a couple of those "dots". I see them often here, and back when we lived in Charlotte NC. I`ll get a close up picture of them next time.

I`m anal about car care overall including paint. I do all my own correction and protection. Like most of us here I`ve tried a LOT of products on many different cars I`ve owned over the years.

My two cars are light silver and a metallic white, so they are lighter of course. Not much depth or "pop" in those colors. I`m more interested in protection and water spotting. Currently trying the over the counter 303 Graphene. Seems to have really good beading but little protection.

Gotta run to a Chiro appointment, chat later. Thanks again

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https://www.autopia.org/forums/attac...id=37836&stc=1Not sure if you can tell by this picture, its hard to take a close up picture clearly with an iPhone 12 Pro Max. But this is what I`m seeing on occasion. Not parked under any trees.

Risley:
Thanks for the pics of the "dot". Have you tried the hot water and baking soda mix to remove it yet????
I was with the understanding that there were MANY small dots, not ONE or TWO big dots associated with artillery fungus.
I`ve dealt with tree sap dots/droplets that were numerous and small, but a blob that looks like it`s road tar that somehow got onto a lower bottom panel.

Anyway, I`ve cut-and-pasted some technical/biological information from one of the linked threads I referenced in my above post for those who want to know more about this detailing problem and want the "Cliff Notes" information (No, I am not accusing Autopians reading this that you`re "lazy"; you`re just trying to be "efficient" in getting the most pertinent info with the least amount of effort):
"Without getting too technical, these spores come from a fungus which establishes colonies in and on organic materials such as rotting wood, wood-based mulch and animal manure when temperatures are between 50 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit during the spring and fall seasons

Artillery fungus spores grow inside tiny cups that burst when they’re exposed to bright light. The spores emit an incredibly sticky liquid that rivals Super Glue, enabling them to glob on to anything they hit up to 20 feet away—including your car. Because they are light-sensitive, you’re most likely to find them on reflective surface of white or silver colored vehicles.

Artillery fungus isn’t corrosive or an allergen, but causes millions of dollars of cosmetic damage to paint surfaces and is an annoying eyesore that’s almost impossible to remove. The longer it remains bonded to the paint surface of an automobile the harder it sticks. Even if you pry off the dark little bumps, a brown stain often remains. If you don’t catch the little bumps and destroy them, they can survive for up to 12 years and re-infest the ground wherever they fall."


Has anyone found an effective way of removing this stuff without going over each spot one by one. It`s worse than any tar or sap I have ever seen...

I find it "interesting" that this thread discussion has morphed into how to remove this "brown spot" from PPF from its title of what LSP to put on PPF to protect it. And yes, there are suggestions at the beginning of this thread for the LSP on PPF.

Thank you so much Lonnie

I have IGL Kenzo over my Xpel Ultimate. Looks great and beads like crazy. Nothing sticks.

I’ve gotten brown spots I was told are artillery fungus off with pro polish.