Old man changing car sealant needs help?

**Flycaster** · 09-03-2023, 09:21 AM

I`ve been using car sealants on my car`s for years. Actually started way back when with Zaino products. Anyway, about 6 months ago I did a garaged 2019 G70, and about 3 months ago did a garaged new 2023 EV6 GTL with Blackfire Crystal Seal. This seal works very nicely in terms of protection here in southeast Florida, but it is a beading seal and I`m now looking for a sheeting seal. I`m retired (84 years old,) and my days of putting in the energy of stripping and/or claying are long gone. So, I guess I`m looking for an easy way out of doing the following: Is it possible to change from my present beading sealant to a water sheeting sealant without having to first strip the present sealant off? Or, maybe there would be an easy way to strip the present sealant...maybe something like an alcoholic wipe or Dawn (hopefully Dawn as that would be an easy wash)? Assuming that I remove the present sealant without killing myself, a water sheeting product like Dr. Beasly`s LS 10 has been recommended? BTW, I`m no longer a "perfectionist" when it comes to detailing, so what I am looking for is an easy way out to hopefully maintain some protection and sheeting without having to do the "full" detail. Thanks.

**Flycaster** · 09-04-2023, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by Flycaster

I`ve been using car sealants on my car`s for years. Actually started way back when with Zaino products. Anyway, about 6 months ago I did a garaged 2019 G70, and about 3 months ago did a garaged new 2023 EV6 GTL with Blackfire Crystal Seal. This seal works very nicely in terms of protection here in southeast Florida, but it is a beading seal and I`m now looking for a sheeting seal. I`m retired (84 years old,) and my days of putting in the energy of stripping and/or claying are long gone. So, I guess I`m looking for an easy way out of doing the following: Is it possible to change from my present beading sealant to a water sheeting sealant without having to first strip the present sealant off? Or, maybe there would be an easy way to strip the present sealant...maybe something like an alcoholic wipe or Dawn (hopefully Dawn as that would be an easy wash)? Assuming that I remove the present sealant without killing myself, a water sheeting product like Dr. Beasly`s LS 10 has been recommended? BTW, I`m no longer a "perfectionist" when it comes to detailing, so what I am looking for is an easy way out to hopefully maintain some protection and sheeting without having to do the "full" detail. Thanks.

Got the answer, and it was surprisingly simple. Wash with Dawn. Areas that still show beading, will be the areas that will need a re-wash. Afterwards, if no areas showing beading, then the original sealant has been removed.

**Setec Astronomy** · 09-04-2023, 01:23 PM

I wouldn`t be so sure, we`ve gone through some exercises here or at AGO which indicate Dawn simply "clogs" the sealant with its surfactants. I would just wash the car, and apply your new sealant, if it gives you the results you want, great. If you don`t want to do that, an IPA wipe is going to be more effective than Dawn, and I believe in the previous testing that I referred to, actually removed the Dawn and restored the beading.

Here, I found the relevant threads:

LSP stripping

Sealant Test: PowerLock (+/-) BlackHole, Wolfgang DGPS, & BlackFire WD

So--since all this time we think we`ve actually been stripping sealants, when in fact they are still there with yet another layer of crap on them, and then we "wax" over the top of that, I`d just not worry too much about it.

**Flycaster** · 09-04-2023, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by Setec Astronomy

I wouldn`t be so sure, we`ve gone through some exercises here or at AGO which indicate Dawn simply "clogs" the sealant with its surfactants. I would just wash the car, and apply your new sealant, if it gives you the results you want, great. If you don`t want to do that, an IPA wipe is going to be more effective than Dawn, and I believe in the previous testing that I referred to, actually removed the Dawn and restored the beading.

Here, I found the relevant threads:

LSP stripping

Sealant Test: PowerLock (+/-) BlackHole, Wolfgang DGPS, & BlackFire WD

So--since all this time we think we`ve actually been stripping sealants, when in fact they are still there with yet another layer of crap on them, and then we "wax" over the top of that, I`d just not worry too much about it.

Some good advice. I really liked the CS, but the problem here in FL is that when it rains and the water beads, but stays there under the blazing sun until it dries, the chemicals contained in the beaded rain drops can etch the finish. Same with the water used to from the lakes to water the grass. So, I`m figuring that the less water that remains (unremoved) from the car, less the chance to mar the finish???

**Setec Astronomy** · 09-04-2023, 01:57 PM

Oh, I completely understand. It seems to me that Mike Phillips used to advocate for sheeting sealants, but he said no one liked them because the beads were the payoff for all your hard (detailing) work, and people wanted to see that, they didn`t want to spend all day polishing and have the water spread out on the car just like the guy who parks next to them at work who hasn`t washed his car in 3 years.

**Flycaster** · 09-04-2023, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by Setec Astronomy

Oh, I completely understand. It seems to me that Mike Phillips used to advocate for sheeting sealants, but he said no one liked them because the beads were the payoff for all your hard (detailing) work, and people wanted to see that, they didn`t want to spend all day polishing and have the water spread out on the car just like the guy who parks next to them at work who hasn`t washed his car in 3 years.

Ah, but that is not my understanding of sheeting, at least from what I have read and seen from youtubes. Yes the water gathers, but then runs off the car`s surface in sheets, leaving the areas of run-off dry. Of course, now I`m starting to think, what about completely flat surfaces? No runoff, puddling? But, I think that my new EV6 GTL is all angles???

**Setec Astronomy** · 09-04-2023, 02:45 PM

Yes, you`re right it will run off (hopefully), I was just trying to illustrate why those sheeting sealants never seem to be popular.

**Flycaster** · 09-05-2023, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by Setec Astronomy

Yes, you`re right it will run off (hopefully), I was just trying to illustrate why those sheeting sealants never seem to be popular.

Got it, thanks. Although I have been out of serious detailing my cars for several years, I do remember that Phillips was a detailing guru. He was probably right about beading being the tell-all of a good detailing job. But, now a days, I do believe that spray on sheeting sealants are coming (or have come) into their own as an end point for a good detail. Although the heat and sun here in southern Florida do havoc on our cars, I find that being able to garage my car goes a very long way to protect even "minor" detailing such as I now do.