Last night I put the first coat of Z5 on and in about an hour it was dry. I wiped it off and went over the car with Z6. Looked great. I let it sit for 24 hours and tonight I mixed the same amount and went for a second coat. The conditions were the same as last night but after 1 hour it wasn't dry. I waited another hour and it looked dry so I wiped it off but noticed that spots were steaking. When I finished I used the Z6 and that got the streaks. Sounds ok so far. I went to apply another coat and the finish acted like it didn't want to take another coat, both coats tonight acted different from last night. I did apply it but both coats acted funny and didn't go on like it did on the first coat. The third coat is acting just like the second. I have reviewed everything I did to see if I did anything different and the only thing I did was use the same pad (I cleaned last night with dawn) but tonight I sprayed it with Z6 to keep it from taking on the Z5 too much. The rags I used were the same from last night too. I didn't apply another coat of Z6 before I did the first coat of Z5 tonight because the car has not moved so I didn't think it needed another. Am I missing something?

BTW, My garage has A/C so humidity is not a problem. I had it like 72 just like in the house.

 

Are you using ZFX?

 

Of course! I put 5 drops to about 1/2 a bottle.
Could it be that I'm putting on too much and when I put on the first coat last night, the clear soaked up the extra and tonite with a coat of Z5 on is making a difference? Will it take less after you have the first coat on?

 

It could very well be that you are using too much. Really hard to say without being there, but yes, subsequent coats should require less to get full/complete coverage.

If it doesn't clear up quickly, a Z7 wash should take care of any remainder streaking.

 

Just thought of something, when I bought my towels to do the car I washed them with some others and used a fabric softner. Maybe after wiping down the car last night that left something on the finish from the the towel. I have the third coat on now and it looks like it's drying ( been about 2 hours now). I'm going to let it sit over night and see what I have in the morning. It could be the fabric softner from the towel. If it looks like it's not right tomorrow I'll do a Z7 wash and start over. What do you think?

 

I would bet the fabric softner is causing your problem. Rewash your towels and use a double rinse cycle, and do not use fabric softner on your car towels. If you are putting your Zaino on too thick that is another problem, if you mix up one oz of polish you should be able to do your car 3-4 times, if you had no Zaino on your car at the start, one oz should still do your car two times

 

Do not use fabric softener (most contain silicone that the towel will adsorb and it will weaken the towels static charge and clog the fibres thereby reducing their effectiveness) towel will also treat the fabric softener as if it was dirt by trying to store the tiny particles of the softener in the towel fibres. This will clog up the micro fibres and render the towel ineffective. Add a teaspoon per towel distilled white vinegar in place of a softener, the vinegar doesn't coat the fibres but instead works to eliminate detergent residue and the acid counteracts any alkaline minerals in the water supply. Vinegar (Acetic acid, pH=2) works well in the rinse cycle to make your towels softer. Detergent is an alkaline (pH=12, the opposite of acidic on the pH scale).

When you wash your towels (or anything for that matter) there are small amounts of detergent left behind, when your add Vinegar it balances the pH of the solution and helps removes the excess detergent from the wash. Do not wash micro fibre cloths / towels with other non- micro fibre fabrics, as they will pick up lint from other fabrics.
JonM

 

I left the last coat on all night and it still wasn't dry this morning. It looks like the Zaino is not sticking to the finish so it won't dry and there is a film all over the car. I'll wash the car with the Z7 and start over. I believe your right about the towels and the fabric softner.

 

Well I'm pissed off now! I washed the car with Z7 and it took a strong mix to even faze it. The finish looked like it had fine dark tiger stripes in it before I started. I washed a section then dried it to see if it was coming off. After a double mix of Z7 it looked like it was working so I washed the car real good. I got it dried and back in the garage and now that it's dark and have nothing but flourescent light I can see what looks like clouds in the finish in some spots. Also now I have some "new" swirl marks from where I had to scrub to get what ever was on the finish off. After looking at the car now all over it looks like I need to just start over because if I continue to rub to get the spots with the haze out I seem to be putting in fine like swirl marks. From this point I think I need to wash with dawn again and address the swirl marks then start fresh ONE MORE TIME. GEZZ I'm so pissed because the finish looked so good before I applied the second coat last night. I sure hope the problem was the towels because if it wasn't I'm not going to go down this road again. Hell, I'm going to rub the clear coat off at this pace. Sorry but I just had to vent. When I saw the new swirl marks and the haze spots I just lost it. Just using a nornal wax was so much easier even if it did take doing it every month. From the amount of work I have already done I could have waxed it atleast 4 times.

Maybe I should get some Z Fusion to address the swirl marks and just hope like hell that I don't have to do this again. To have this problem is just BS!

All you guys seem to not have problems like this so if there is anything I need to know I'm all ears

 

Well at this point I had nothing to loose so this is what I did.
I let the car sit and dry real good for an hour and then took a "new" MF towel and wiped the car down. It took what ever was on the finish off and now looks like it did after the first coat. I don't understand this but it worked. Maybe what ever was on there (Z5?) had to dry because when I was drying the car after the wash it wouldn't come off no matter haw hard I tried. At this point maybe I should give it a dose of Z6 and wait till tomorrow to try another coat of Z5? Maybe the Z5 will hide the few swirl marks I have. What do you guys think?


Lession learned: DON'T USE A TOWEL THAT HAS FABRIC SOFTNER IN IT!

 

nxt

 

Has the car left the garage at all?

 

Only backed it out to wash it. It has rained about everyday now so I won't drive it anyway.

After thinking about it I think I should have tried to wipe the car down before I washed it. I tried to wipe it down this morning and it acted funny like it did the night before. I'm thinking that maybe the Z had dried and didn't come off with the wash and after it dried I was able to wipe it off. It looks good now so I'm thinking I'll try another coat tomorrow night and see what happens. I have nothing to loose at this point. All I know is something kept the Z from adhearing to the finish last night and it wouldn't dry. Only conclusion at this point is the towels.

 

*I* would give it a break and let the car sit in the sun for awhile.

 

I put another coat of Z5 on today and it acted normal. It looks good again. The other night when I put the coat on, the Z acted like it didn't want to stick to the finish. It had to be something from the towel I used when I removed the first coat. I now think the film of dried Z that didn't adhere to the finish is what was making the stripes and haze spots. After the wash and rub down it all came off and left the original coat of Z5. I re-washed my towels and you can tell a difference in the way they feel and work now. I wish I had known that and I'm sure Zaino says it somewhere but I failed to read it. Anyway, I'm back on track now and the few swirls that are there I may take some fusion to if the Z5 doesn't cover them up. I'm just glad I didn't have to start all over again.

Like I said before:

Lession learned: DON'T USE A TOWEL THAT HAS FABRIC SOFTNER IN IT!