The dryers seem to blow Sealant/Wax back onto the windshields of car and trucks after the wash causing tiny almost dots of white. No one hardly ever complains but I was wondering if anyone else has this problem or a fix for it. I did have one lady leave me a google review a year ago claiming it was water spots but they wipe off so I know it's got to be one of the products I use. I do HP rinse after each sealant pass and I follow up with a slow SF rinse at the end of every wash.
Dryers blowing sealant back onto car, any way to stop it?
- Thread starter APW
- Start date
Greg Pack
Wash Weenie
Do you have on board blowers?
No, drive through.
soapy
Senior Member
You are probably not getting the proper rinse. Has your spot free rinse pump reduced time or output. Try adding another rinse pass or slowing the last rinse down.
Greg Pack
Wash Weenie
As soapy indicated, I'm wondering if you are getting it blown out of cracks and crevices of the vehicles.
Waxman
Super Moderator
YES: You could try for more rinsing , longer blower time given , or a different product, I guess.
But aren't we delving into the obvious limitations of any automated wash process?
If you load the chemicals on nice and heavy like I ( and other owners) do, there is always going to be some dripping out of cracks after the wash process. Water hides in many places on the vehicle; under trim, roof racks, jambs, side mirrors, under-hood cowling, grilles..ETC!!!
You could hand wash a vehicle, then blow it dry with the best leaf blower money could buy and there would still be water / chemical that you missed.
But aren't we delving into the obvious limitations of any automated wash process?
If you load the chemicals on nice and heavy like I ( and other owners) do, there is always going to be some dripping out of cracks after the wash process. Water hides in many places on the vehicle; under trim, roof racks, jambs, side mirrors, under-hood cowling, grilles..ETC!!!
You could hand wash a vehicle, then blow it dry with the best leaf blower money could buy and there would still be water / chemical that you missed.
soapy
Senior Member
You might also try cutting back on your wax/sealant a little. You want to see beading but anything more is overkill IMO and makes it hard to get a good rinse.
washnshine
Well-known member
One last thing - how are the nozzles configured on your drive-thru blower? If it is a typical 2 45° angles at the corners and 1 straight down at the center - you might be able to tweak it so if there is some blowback, the last nozzle the car passes under can “correct” it. Maybe make sure your straight and center top down is last and can push or disperse those droplets either down or off to the side. I’m sure you have but take a good look when a car goes under what nozzle(s) are causing the most problem.
The cowls hold a lot of soap! It is difficult to dilute as a lot of operators and throwing on lots of soap, tri foam, lava, etc...
most customers don’t care about a bit of soap blowout and a few spots. Unfortunately when it is on the windshield they do care!
In addition to rinse I would consider further diluting the products (if it can be done without harm) as well as trying different chemistry. A cheaper manufacturer with a tri foam conditioner will leave a lot more spots then a polish from a higher quality line
most customers don’t care about a bit of soap blowout and a few spots. Unfortunately when it is on the windshield they do care!
In addition to rinse I would consider further diluting the products (if it can be done without harm) as well as trying different chemistry. A cheaper manufacturer with a tri foam conditioner will leave a lot more spots then a polish from a higher quality line
Greg Pack
Wash Weenie
Talk to your chemical rep. Some products are better "foam killers" than others. It's best to put on the foamy products first, then follow with a liquid product that knocks down foam afterwards. Also, you may need to insert a rinse pass towards the end to get enough foam off. Another solution may be to start reducing the concentration of products. However, you may lose some of the desired effects on the car if you do that.
I'm dealing with a similar problem too on my new automatic where I've got two foaming waxes going on. One is being applied through a typical foaming applicator, another is going on through a lava applicators. I'm having to follow these with a rinse and then applying a total car protectant that helps break down foam. It seems to me that a liquid application of wax/protectants produces a better overall result but the show pizzaz is not there. I have learned I don't want to use lava again unless I use it for a soap. It doesn't apply protectants evenly and the ones that bond really well will make a subtle streaky appearance on the bottom halves of cars.
I'm dealing with a similar problem too on my new automatic where I've got two foaming waxes going on. One is being applied through a typical foaming applicator, another is going on through a lava applicators. I'm having to follow these with a rinse and then applying a total car protectant that helps break down foam. It seems to me that a liquid application of wax/protectants produces a better overall result but the show pizzaz is not there. I have learned I don't want to use lava again unless I use it for a soap. It doesn't apply protectants evenly and the ones that bond really well will make a subtle streaky appearance on the bottom halves of cars.
I am dealing with the same problem with my new Ryko Maxx5, you may want to check the tips you are using. As someone said, increase the ratio of water to soap will eliminate the heavy usage of soap that will cause the soap to form in the joints of a vehicle and during the blowing process will blow the sealant back on the vehicle during the drying process. It is frustrating trying to produce a clean, dry, shinning vehicle. The quality of the wash diminishes when you see a car leaving the wash with soap on the rear or back of vehicle.
Waxman
Super Moderator
Another idea is a lower pressure rinse, which pushes the foam off, rather than make more suds.