np20412

Hi all. Recently had my ultra white coated with opti coat pro+ (on October 3) and in the immediate few weeks after noticed the majority of high spots. My installer came out and buffed those out at the standard 3 week follow up. This morning, in the early sunrise/twilight I noticed another one. I just washed yesterday and so I tried to remove it with QD thinking I might have just missed something while washing, but lo and behold it didn't come out so I do believe it is a high spot in the coating

My installed said during his follow up that it's significantly easier to remove the high spots before full cure, and obviously it's been almost 8 weeks so I'm certain full cure is achieved now.

What is the best way/product for me to use to knock this spot down without damaging the coating?

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

You cannot knock down a high spot without risking jeopardizing the coating. If your installer says otherwise, he/she is being lazy.

Nano coatings are exceptionally thin (1-2 microns on average). Any sort of abrasive (compound, polish, etc) will remove some layer of material, but there is no bulletproof way of knowing precisely how thick the coating was in that particular spot to begin with and how much material was removed during the leveling process. Even the paint thickness gauges we use have enough variance in them that I would not stake my reputation that it was consistent enough to measure within 1 micron or that I was measuring in precisely the same spot.

Your installer should correct the high spot and then reapply the coating properly to that area, slightly overlapping adjacent areas. Hopefully this is the same practice that was done when he/she removed the other high spots you mentioned.

-Zach

np20412

Thanks. My installer never said he cannot get rid of the high spot or that he can do it without risking the coating, just that it was EASIER/less risk to the coating with the Opti-Coat to remove the high spots within the first 3 weeks prior to the full cure. He mentioned it's quite a bit more effort to remove them after the coating has fully cured.

When he removed the couple of high spots we found at the 3 week mark, he did buff them out with a polish and then reapply the coating.

In this case, I might just ask him to come out and get rid of this one as well as I don't want to risk polishing off the coating completely by doing it myself.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Good - sounds like you're in good hands.

97-SC300

iTrader: (17)

This is why we stopped/almost never use OC Pro anymore. That coating is a nightmare to install. New formula is even worse.

We only use it if some stubborn customer REALLY wants it for some odd reason. At this point, with all the other coatings out there, idk why anyone would want OC. It makes even less sense that some installers still use solely OC. That's not a fun product to use.

np20412

That's interesting. I had no idea. Never came across this sentiment when I was doing my research on which product to use. I mean, the results are great. I love everything about the coating as a customer save for these high spots.

97-SC300

iTrader: (17)

The bigger picture is that now with all the other coatings available, OC really has no advantage. The long term durability claims are all theoretical and if not met, the manufacturer can just blame the weather conditions, your washing and maintenance habits, etc.
There are plenty of other coatings that give you 3+ years of durability that are easy to install and have a MUCH lower chance of high spots.

I remember the days when we only used OC Pro.... I am very happy we have progressed in technology and I no longer have to do that haha!

6od

I'm new to all of this (forum, detailing, Lexus, in general) and was going to get my car detailed with a clear coat by a professional, and then do the regular washes myself. The one I was gonna set an appointment for was someone who seemingly exclusively uses OptiCoat (in fact I think I found them on this forum...). But now I've read this. What products should I be looking for a detailer to use?
For reference, I just got an 09 IS 250 in smokey granite mica. It has clearly been garaged most all its life, but it is now exposed to the sun from sunrise to sunset as I have no covered parking (or even shade) at home, and very rarely at work. I've washed it once myself, and within 12 hours there was a significant layer of dust. Bee pollen is also a problem. Any advice you or anyone has is much appreciated.

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

I think your plan is fine. The complaint about the opti-coat was in the install process. If your professional installer exclusively does Opticoat, then they're familiar with the process and are comfortable doing it.

What 97-SC300 was saying was that there are other coatings that are as competitive and easier to install. As an installer there is no reason to choose opticoat over one of the others on the market. Since you're not doing the installation yourself, it doesn't make much of a difference. The key is to find an installer that stands behind their work and will fix the problem if there are high spots that they missed.

np20412

The last sentence here is the key. Opti coat is as fine a product as any coating out there in terms of gloss and durability, and it's backed by a company that has solid footing in the detailing market and stands behind its product.

If you're paying someone to do the work, just make sure they understand Opti coat, the prep work, the install process, and the follow up process. Someone who works exclusively with it should have these fundamentals down and therefore they know what they are getting into with it. If they promise to come back after 3 weeks and take care of any high spots then go for it. They should also be familiar with the warranty and willing to fix issues using the warranty.

I had a hazing/spotting issue on my hood after 8 weeks. My detailer came back, polished off the coating and reapplied it under the opticoat warranty at no charge. It came out looking better than it did the first time around and haven't had the same issue pop up again. I'm guessing something reacted with the coating somehow.

k20trick

iTrader: (3)

Obviously they didnt do a good job if you noticed multiple high spots then more high spots at a later date. As an weekend warrior I noticed no matter how good or perfect you are there will always be some spots left so its best to check around the car asap, then again next morning after a good rest when its easier to remove and reapply, another technique I use now is using an abnormal amount of microfibers to ensure I am getting all of the coating off to begin with. I also ran into the same issue where I thought I got all of the coating off but then reinspection revealed otherwise and caused more work.

Best way to do it is polishing then reapplying, but I have been able to get away with using very fine finishing polish by hand until the high spot was removed then applied a topper such as carpro reload or gtechniq liquid crystal I wasn't going to recoat due to the possibility of jeopardizing a 1/2 inch high spot thin enough as a toothpick

np20412

That's not how Opti-Coat Pro+ works. The high spots are not always visible immediately, and they pop up in various lighting. Some spots that are visible in the sun or under an LED but others are not and you may only see them when you're out in an overcast lighting. The high spots also pop up as the coating cures over the course of 7-10 days and the coating achieves its maximum gloss. Unlike other coatings, Opti Coat Pro+ does not achieve maximum gloss and depth immediately after application; only upon full cure over a week after application.

Now that all the high spots have been corrected the coating looks great; and they were all corrected with a light polish followed by re-coat. No matter how good you are there will be high spots when you finish with OCP+. That's why a lot of people have stopped using it, because the time and caution required for proper application is cut down significantly with other products that do just as good a job.

I love my OCP+ finish and everything about it, but the next time I need a car coated I'll probably go with a different product.

6od

Thanks for the responses, I really appreciate it. For a car that’s left outdoors at all times and will most likely immediately be exposed to pollen (those yellow dots) and dust, would OptiCoat+ not be idea due to the cure time? It’s been occasionally breezy here and my car needs a wash after just three days.

What other detail coats (or paint correction finishes? what are these called exactly? I know it’s not PPF) are good to use?

np20412

Opti-Coat Pro+ has a 12-14 hour water free requirement, which is similar to most other coatings out there. To be safer I would recommend 24 hours water free. After that it can have water on it during the cure process, but no chemicals or soaps for 7-10 days. After that you can wash it as normal and it will continue to cure over the next 3 weeks. I believe dust and pollen can cover the vehicle immediately after application as they will not bond to the coating during the cure. These are great questions to ask someone who would be applying it to get their input.

Other popular ceramic coatings (that is what they are called) include CQuartz and their various products, Gtechnique, Ceramic Pro, Gyeon and their line of products.

FWIW, here is my Infiniti that I had Opti-Coat Pro+ on last August. I've washed this car maybe 5 times since then (granted its garaged) and it looks just as good as it did immediately after the coating had cured.

charley95

That black looks insane, nice job!!!