Auto Finesse Citrus Cleaner and Beading

[JHZR2]

My 240d gets seldomly used, and is always garaged. It had collected some surface dirt over the last few years, and it really only ever got wet if it happened to rain when it was out of the garage. It always looked shiny and great, but recently had a few spots on the paint that looked like water spots that had dirt in them that we're causing some discoloration.

The car had backfire ivory carnauba wax a number of years ago (see the rate my beading thread), and so I wanted to wash (P21S), wax (backfire ivory carnauba), then use my new sonsx brilliant shine QD protectant on top.

I completely wet down the car, then used a little of the Auto Finesse Citrus Cleaner on the spots. Wanting to have a feel for the product, I used my finger to agitate it a bit. Nice lubricity and it was good at loosening spots that were organic residues. But it wasn't successful at these grey water spots - bummer.

But what I was disappointed to see was that the water beaded differently - less I think, where I had rubbed this "gentle" cleaner than everywhere else.

I took shots of my trunk lid first in normal light then set up so colors were much more washed out, which is easier to see how the water sits.

I'm not necessarily implying that the product is harsh, but it does seem to strip what wax might be on a surface... Or at least change it's beading characteristic.

Overall at the end of the day, it came out looking good.

Thoughts on this effect?

 

[Falken]

I'm not sure.

Maybe you should just go the regular route of just washing, towel drying, then just waxing with Mother's or Meguires or something.

But use something that has no compound in it. Just a wax.

I never liked the idea of buffing a surface shiny too often.

Scratched a bit but shiny works for me, buffing it down to the next eventual paint job isn't a goal of mine.

 

[L_Sludger]

Congratulations. Your car has never been more beige!

 

[BTLew81]

Not surprised. It appears from my reading that this is a APC of sorts, which will almost always remove LSP (Wax/Sealant).

While the wax you use is very good in the looks department, I am sure you are aware of the not so great durability. Something like Collinite might have held up better to this cleaner.

In terms of the spots, have you tried clay, paint cleaner, or a light polish? I have a feeling those options might work well.

The areas you treated with the cleaner should probably have a fresh coat of wax applied. At the very least, it has weakened the protection you have.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: BTLew81
Not surprised. It appears from my reading that this is a APC of sorts, which will almost always remove LSP (Wax/Sealant).

While the wax you use is very good in the looks department, I am sure you are aware of the not so great durability. Something like Collinite might have held up better to this cleaner.

In terms of the spots, have you tried clay, paint cleaner, or a light polish? I have a feeling those options might work well.

The areas you treated with the cleaner should probably have a fresh coat of wax applied. At the very least, it has weakened the protection you have.



The citrus cleaner specifically states that it is gentle and won't strip wax. The car gets less than 1k/yr, and is garaged the rest of the time. It was still beading and shedding water super-easily, and the last wax was multiple years ago, so longevity is not a concern here.

My intent wasn't a full correction, rather just a wash with some new protection. Goals were accomplished, car looks great, just surprised at the product's apparent ability to strip despite advertising claims. Still it did clean ddcently, with nice lubricity.

 

[gregk24]

It stripped the wax, plain and simple.

 

[matrass]

looks like your lsp was removed.

 

[Falken]

Some of the new syn waxes are easy to apply and after a simple wash would knock your socks off.

I'd drive the car more and use easier products more regularly.

Older mercs and bimmers, boxy Vdubs and boxy Toyotas are real head turners when they are clean and shiny.

I'd figure out a way to get out with it more.

 

[JHZR2]

That ivory carnauba is a dream to apply. Couldn't be easier besides something that spritzes on like zaino zcs or that sonax brilliant shine QD.

Once every few years is no big deal.

Love driving my 300CD and 240D. A 67 HP diesel sedan may never be a "classic", but it's like a brand new time capsule, and I like to keep it that way. The CD gets the miles (though more of a rarity, it had more miles to begin with). Plus we only take it for weekends to the shore or mountains, so each use is 50-100 mike drives, which is optimal for minimizing wear and giving everything a shakedown.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: gregk24
It stripped the wax, plain and simple.


Thought so. While a good product, this confirms that was the case. Just goes against the mfr claims.

 

[RTexasF]

Citrus is a natural degreaser and you said the wax was applied "a number of years ago" so it was long gone. There was nothing there to strip! The Merc looks great.

 

[Falken]

I need to strip Touchless wash buildup and may try this citrus product, then wash it by hand, then slap on Meguires wax in the black box.

I love the idea of a product that gently strips a wax and doesn't use abrasives to do it.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: RTexasF
Citrus is a natural degreaser and you said the wax was applied "a number of years ago" so it was long gone. There was nothing there to strip! The Merc looks great.


The car hasn't seen more than 2-3 weeks out of the garage in the years since last waxed.

It beaded well last week:

Given the beading and the fact that the water sits differently in the location where I applied the stuff, wouldn't you say that obviously there was something there?

I'm just disappointed that the product claims specifically to not strip carnauba.

 

[hummdrumm]

The contaminates in the areas you treated may have already compromised the carnauba before the treatment.

 

[RTexasF]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: RTexasF
Citrus is a natural degreaser and you said the wax was applied "a number of years ago" so it was long gone. There was nothing there to strip! The Merc looks great.


The car hasn't seen more than 2-3 weeks out of the garage in the years since last waxed.

It beaded well last week:

Given the beading and the fact that the water sits differently in the location where I applied the stuff, wouldn't you say that obviously there was something there?

I'm just disappointed that the product claims specifically to not strip carnauba.


In all honesty I would get that same minimal beading after a machine polish with no wax whatsoever. I think you need to come to reality that the wax was history and the citrus cleaner simply did the job it was intended to do. If you want a real test then apply a wax like Collinite #845. Two days later use the citrus wash and see how it turns out.

 

[JHZR2]

No reality needed - the car is stored enough that appreciable amounts of wax are likely NOT needed other than looks.

Just more trying to understand what Im seeing and what it means in terms of removal/change to the surface.

 

[97tbird]

Must be dependent on the prior was/condition, etc...
Never had any changes in beading with surfaces I had ONR and Sonax quick detailer on, after using Auto Finesse Citrus...

I am going to buy a 1L bottle of it next time.