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Drying Aid not working

clean machine said:
What kind of equipment do you have. If the ph of the presoak has to much alkalinity you wont dry at all the water will just sheet on the car. Also instead of trying to make the drying agent stronger go ther other route and try making it weaker. Don't worry about soft water it has no affect on Drying agents just alkaline presoaks.
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We have Futura machines. I'll try making it weaker. We haven't tried that. We just keep trying stronger - with no results.
 
Here are a couple of checks you might want to try.
1. Start at the mixing tank and make sure you are getting wax there.
2. Go to the main pump stand and disconnect the wax line at the wax solenoid to see if you are getting the wax mixture to the solenoid.
3. Go to the controller and in "forced outputs" turn on the wax solenoid. You will hear it click. see it you are getting wax through the solenoid valve.
4. Check the wax check valve to see is it is allowing anything though it.
I say this as you may not be getting any wax to the gantry.
Worth a try.
 
Well, sad to report no luck with switching presoaks to lower alkaline. Just to be sure the presoak wasn't the problem we took it out all together and washed my truck with NO presoak at all, just water. Still no change in the drying aid. The water clings to it like a sheet. Very frustrating.
 
MikeV said:
Here are a couple of checks you might want to try.
1. Start at the mixing tank and make sure you are getting wax there.
2. Go to the main pump stand and disconnect the wax line at the wax solenoid to see if you are getting the wax mixture to the solenoid.
3. Go to the controller and in "forced outputs" turn on the wax solenoid. You will hear it click. see it you are getting wax through the solenoid valve.
4. Check the wax check valve to see is it is allowing anything though it.
I say this as you may not be getting any wax to the gantry.
Worth a try.
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Thank you! I did try everything you said and it all works prefect. I also spent a few days doing some careful measurements and figuring out how many cars per ounce we were putting the chemical on and it was exactly what the manf of the drying aid says it should be (Blue Coral Cold Wax). Totally stumped as to why it isn't working???
 
You switched back to your original presoak but are still using a different drying agent than you used to use, correct? To verify, you should go back to the presoak AND drying agent that last worked for you. Getting good drying in a HP automatic can be very difficult. Good cleaning often requires a high pH (alkaline) product that makes getting water to break very difficult. Also, the amount of water we put on the car requires a lot of product in order to be effective.

It can be difficult to simply use an ounce per car measurement. For example, 1/4 oz mixed with 10 gallons of water is a very different dilution ratio than 1/4 oz mixed with 5 gallons of water. Bottom line, if the amount per car that Blue Coral recommends is not specific to your machine (not likely) it is only a ballpark figure and may not work properly. Your soap salesman should be working that through for you if he wants to earn your business.

Hope that's helpful. I know how frustrating to can be to try to get clean, dry cars out of an automatic.

David
 
Time to get the rep out. there is a possibility they changed formulas or you have a bad batch. Have him make this stuff break on the car or replace/refund
 
I'm actually having the same problem. I recently switched back to Blendco super sat HPH and now I am not getting a good break from my high pressure clear coat (drying agent). The presoak is titrating at about 25 drops so it is definitely a very high ph (cleaning very well though). There are two rinses and a triple foam application before the high pressure clear coat. I can't see how the pre-soak still be a factor after all these rinses. I also apply my clear coat on the pass immediately after the triple foam application. (so the triple foam is being rinsed off by the clear coat). Maybe this is a factor? I am going to try backing off on my presoak tomorrow and also maybe a recipe change. I am using a Coleman Water Wizard 1.0.
 
Buzzie, high alkalinity can be a factor in drying, When there is residual alkalinity you can see the water try to stick and "drag" off the car. Here's a way to demonstrate. Just dip your hand in the alkaline presoak tank and then try to rinse it off with water. Rinse a while, and your hand will still feel slimy. Now, dip it in low ph detergent (or vinegar solution) and the sliminess will go away instantly. it's a simple thing to do to demonstrate why the CCP products have trouble bonding to the surface with residual alkalinity.

Also, has anyone fooled with the ball valve on the bottom of your tank? you probably know about that. They are often choked off to create enough suction for product to be drawn through. I never liked the wizard clearcoat. It's like a SS and it takes time to reach the car. usually the gantry is half way down the length of the car when the clearcoat comes out. I'm converting to all low pressure applications over the next couple of weeks to hopefully improve drying.
 
briteauto said:
Did you have a recent tempereature change in your region? That can cause issues with drying.

I went through some drying aid issues a while back. I think I even posted on the forum for some help.

I wasn't satisfied with how things were going with what I had. I switched to a product that uses no mineral seal oil. It is a low pH product that does a superb job for me, and since there is no oil, I don't have any streaks or smears from build up on the windows, as some can cause. Keeps the wash cleaner, and has a great scent that stays on the car. By far the best product I have used, and I have had some "bigger" and more expensive name brands over the years.

It is called Shining Armor by Jobe. Jobe also has several other similar drying aids - some might be better suited for different operators and conditions. They are all available at Kleen Rite.

Good luck.

Mike
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Mike,
I just bought 5 gallons of this to give it try. Do you put it on in a high pressure application? Also, what tip are you using for what type of hydrominder. I am using blendco push in tips.
 
Buzzie,

I have gone back and forth between the yellow 90:1 and purple 120:1 - tips are for model 506/511. I would say you could also start somewhere in there. Yes - I do use this in a high pressure application.

These products (low pH drying agents) make sense to me. As many other posts have stated, you may be having a problem with residual alkaline on the car. If this is the case, and your drying agent with mso has a pH of 7, which many of them do, you are not lowering the pH on the surface of the car enough to get the job done.

I forget exactly what Shining Armor is, but I know their whole line of low pH drying agents (Jobe) go anywhere from a pH of 3-5. This will take care of a high residual alkaline on the surface. They also tend to keep bays and tunnels cleaner as well, without the oil.

I see that several chemical manufacturers offer the low pH, no mso drying agents now. I know JBS and Simoniz also have them - I am sure they work well too. Jobe happens to be the one I tried and it worked, so I stuck with it. Plus, you can't beat their scents.

Good luck and let us know if this helps.

Mike
 
How many ounces per car do you think you are pulling with the shining armor. I am down to an 8:1 tip and still pulling less than 1 ounce per vehicle. Still not getting a good break from the wax. I am not a big fan of the high pressure application.
 
Buzzie,

I apologize for the confusion - it is my fault. The application in my IBA is low pressure - yes I do use it as a high pressure in my self serve bay - much less concentrated.

My amount per car is right around 2 ounces in the IBA - with low pressure delivery and a bigger hydrominder tip.

I am certain you need to pull more than an ounce per car for a good break - right around 2 is where I have seen the most success.

Again, I apologize for the mistake - I typed too quickly.
 
Just a follow up 14 years later🤣. I switched from a Kip Solenoids to DEMA solenoids on the drying aid many years ago and they would still fail every 30-60 days and I’d replace the guts and they would go back to working. Well guess what finally occurred to me? Maybe it’s not in the solenoid. So I replaced the 10 psi cracking pressure check valve on the line with a 3 psi cracking pressure one and guess what? I haven’t had to mess with it since. Hopefully I can save someone else from the years of headaches this gave me…
 
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