Shelf life of Car Products?

[lloyd3]

Washed my car the other day with some Turtle Wax Zip Wash that's been on the shelf in my garage for at least 10-years. I was looking for some Meguier's car wash product that I've been using for years, but it had disappeared (run out? can't remember). I figured this stuff should be about the same (that it would clean things up w/o stripping the existing wax on the car).

I was pressed for time, so I quickly ran the car around the block to blow off the excess water and then quickly towelled it off. This was a very bad plan as the car is now one giant water spot! Just getting one section back to decent takes an immense amount of time. The chrome is even worse (I hope it isn't etched!). Getting it cleaned up will take days, and I'm still working on it.

Normally Turtle Wax stuff is just fine. Not top of the line, but OK. I'm half temped to call them and bitch.  What the heck happened here?

[73rallye440magnum]

Did you shake it violently before use?

[bill440rt]

Water spots usually come from that: hard water. Unless there was so much soap that not all got rinsed off.
Have you tried washing the car again?

[Chad L. Magee]

The lifetime of car products depends greatly on how it is being stored.  Is it temperature controlled or in a hot/cold fluctating place?  Temperture fluctuations can cause degradation (decomposition) processes to happen in certain chemical mixtures.  This also leads to seperation issues, so you do need to "shake the bottle" if it says so.  I have car wax containers that are over thirty years old and the wax is perfectly usable (infact, I sometimes use it for waxing really faded paint).  Sometimes, though some products just don't keep well.  I have had wheel polish go bad in as little as two years, while the bottle right next to it is perfectly fine.  Still do not know why on that one....

[DadsCharger00]

Use this. Will remove water spots fairly quickly, and easily with not a TON of work. spray on towel, wipe on car, wipe off with another towel before it dries. Done.

[lloyd3]

Thank you folks for all the input! I have tried everything but washing it again, and that is next.  I can't remember if I shook the product adequately or not, but I did use it on another car sitting nearby that was getting the overspray from the primary job. And, since it was already wet and I had a bucket-full of water and soap, it got washed too. It didn't get the "around the block" treatment and it didn't get the spots that the Charger did.   Go figure? (& probably why I haven't whined to Turtle Wax.)

DadsCharger:  I have something from Meguier's that is very similar. I got caught in a bit of rain yesterday, so a re-wash probably makes more sense now. It certainly can't hurt.  I used to love to wash my car, but now it just seems like work, as often as not. Probably because all I see are the flaws that shouldn't be there.

[Aero426]

Agree on the temperature and type of storage.     These chemicals don't last forever.    I'd be inclined to agree on the hard water piece of things.     If it doesn't clean up with simpler measures,  claying the car "should" take it off.  

I do have a car that the previous owner left to dry in the sun.   It left spots on the hood that he and I have tried just about everything to get off.   Even claying did not touch it.     Buffing with compound helped quite a bit, but still did not get it all.     It is old single stage paint.    I am almost ready to hit a spot with some 2000 or 2500 grit wet sand paper.  It definitely etched the paint.

[lloyd3]

Well....this is "new" acrylic enamal, much like the "old" stuff, and I have the orange-peel and fish-eyes to proove it (long story).  The reason I'd gone back to the more traditional waxes is because it is old-technology paint.  I had no idea it was going to be this much work.

[wingcar]

Here in Arizona during the summer time.....with our 100 degree plus temps, you must store them in a cooler location or you will be buying replacments sooner than later......

[lloyd3]

I spent the better part of 6-years working on a remediation project at Sky Harbour. I now understand hot.