tire shine and brown tires?

[Russell]

My tires start turning dark brown after using most any tire shine product after a week or so.

What is the cause adn/or is there a product that does not change tire color?

 

[river_rat]

Don't shine them. They look dumb shiney, IMO.

Use Westley's Bleech White to clean them, and when dry, I applied Turtle Wax F-22 Protectant to the sidewalls for semi-gloss black amd UV protection.

 

[ryan2022]

I've had some products turn them brown.

Any tire and mag cleaner should remove it (you can actually rub it off with you finger.

Not sure about US costco, but we have the tire shine with the cleaner in a 4 can package.

I buy one and it lasts for a couple of seasons. If you spray it on, then wipe it off right away, it just gives you a really dark, jet black tire. If you let it sit for a while, the shine increases. Its pretty good stuff!

 

[Craig in Canada]

Russell:

I know exactly what you speak of. Over the years I found a number of products which did not cause the brown gunk. Lately, based on the now aging "guru report" that circulated with tire shine tests, I've been using the "new" "original" Armor-All applied by sponge. The "new" formula is water based, not the old formula that was actually detrimental to the plastic is was applied to. The "original" product is medium shine - actually fairly matte when applied with a sponge. I find it to be a perfect "OEM look" - clean, cared for, black but not wet or shiny. It's also a thin product so you can easily work it into the sidewall lettering or texture with the sponge and it won't build up.

I'd suggest a very thorough cleaning with an excellent tire cleaner product like Eagle One A2Z (or whatever they are calling it these days) and a firm bristle brush.

I've never had the new Armor All build up (like Meguiars Endurance), attract dust (like most products), turn brown (like you observe), get sticky or sling onto the car. It's been working great. It lasts a fairly long time, too, and I only use a half to single squirt or so from a finger sprayer (not a trigger sprayer) per tire.

 

[Russell]

Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada
Russell:

I know exactly what you speak of. Over the years I found a number of products which did not cause the brown gunk. Lately, based on the now aging "guru report" that circulated with tire shine tests, I've been using the "new" "original" Armor-All applied by sponge. The "new" formula is water based, not the old formula that was actually detrimental to the plastic is was applied to. The "original" product is medium shine - actually fairly matte when applied with a sponge. I find it to be a perfect "OEM look" - clean, cared for, black but not wet or shiny. It's also a thin product so you can easily work it into the sidewall lettering or texture with the sponge and it won't build up.

I'd suggest a very thorough cleaning with an excellent tire cleaner product like Eagle One A2Z (or whatever they are calling it these days) and a firm bristle brush.

I've never had the new Armor All build up (like Meguiars Endurance), attract dust (like most products), turn brown (like you observe), get sticky or sling onto the car. It's been working great. It lasts a fairly long time, too, and I only use a half to single squirt or so from a finger sprayer (not a trigger sprayer) per tire.



I think I know what part of the issue is. I need to really clean the tires well to remove old tire shine material. I have been simply using a brush and car wash soap. I will try somehting stronger next time i wash teh car and I will treat the tires with Armorall original.

 

[Eddie]

I thought tires came with a surface coating to help protect against UV deterioration and almost all tire shine stuff is not a good thing to do. I would check with tire manufactures to confirm whether this is still considered a no-no.

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada
Russell:

I know exactly what you speak of. Over the years I found a number of products which did not cause the brown gunk. Lately, based on the now aging "guru report" that circulated with tire shine tests, I've been using the "new" "original" Armor-All applied by sponge. The "new" formula is water based, not the old formula that was actually detrimental to the plastic is was applied to. The "original" product is medium shine - actually fairly matte when applied with a sponge. I find it to be a perfect "OEM look" - clean, cared for, black but not wet or shiny. It's also a thin product so you can easily work it into the sidewall lettering or texture with the sponge and it won't build up.

I'd suggest a very thorough cleaning with an excellent tire cleaner product like Eagle One A2Z (or whatever they are calling it these days) and a firm bristle brush.

I've never had the new Armor All build up (like Meguiars Endurance), attract dust (like most products), turn brown (like you observe), get sticky or sling onto the car. It's been working great. It lasts a fairly long time, too, and I only use a half to single squirt or so from a finger sprayer (not a trigger sprayer) per tire.




Everything you say is dead on. I remember the old Armor All and how it hurt plastics. I had to replace some interior trim pieces on my 94 Corvette that became brittle due to AA. However, like you said, the new product is water based (no silicone anymore) and I use it just like you on tires and such. I also like the matte low gloss look. I can't stand the used car lot wet shine look!

 

[mjoekingz28]

I know this cannot take into account UV damage (which may make it a deal breaker), but, when you take your tire off for maintenance, compare the inner sidewall to the outer sidewall. Clean both sides and compare if the usage of a tire protectant is good or bad.


Do automotive products not have to meet any honesty requirements? I mean, just about any bottle or spray I pick up says clean, shines and protects. It is a protectant afterall so it should help rather than hurt.

 

[Craig in Canada]

Originally Posted By: mjoekingz28
I know this cannot take into account UV damage (which may make it a deal breaker), but, when you take your tire off for maintenance, compare the inner sidewall to the outer sidewall. Clean both sides and compare if the usage of a tire protectant is good or bad.


I do - no issues with the new AA. Every seasonal change the assemblies get scrubbed inside and out with A2Z and then the wheels get a coat of wax and the tires are left uncoated for the off season. There are no "bad" effects on the side which gets AA (which also receives all of the UV exposure).

I don't use a tire dressing for UV protection, I use it as a detailing step. Think about how often they tell you to apply sunblock to your skin when you're out in the sun and then think about the environment tires operate in. I'm not really certain that there's a whole lot of UV protection going on at your tires after the first day although I've never done any specific research on the topic.

In peak detailing season I may apply AA to the tires once or twice a month and that's all it needs. I use A2Z only a couple of times per year, but the wheels and tires get cleaned by 40:1 Simple Green and a soft brush every wash. My snows get AA when they're mounted, and maybe once or twice during the rest of the winter when conditions allow me to hand wash in the driveway. As of right now I think the last hand wash was mid-Jan and they still look blackish, certainly not brown nor as grubby as the untreated side.

I don't use AA on interiors. For interiors I use Meguiars #40 or 303. Both of those attract dust/dirt more than AA (which is bad for tires) but have other properties I prefer for interiors. I use AA under the hood, if anything, due to low dust attraction. AA is also very inexpensive.

 

[bigmike]

I use soap, water, and a scrub brush. They look great when I'm done, but not shiny.

 

[PF52]

Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada
I've been using the "new" "original" Armor-All applied by sponge.


I'm using the foamy spray-on version of the new Armor-All. I like it because it doesn't sling, doesn't turn anything brown, and it comes in a "Low Gloss" formula (along with Medium and High Gloss for those who prefer) which look very realistic to me. I like the tires to look clean and new, not shiny and oily. Yuck!

 

[bretfraz]

I think Barry (CapriRacer) has discussed this before. Tires are mfr'd with a wax that excretes when you are driving, in a process called blooming. The wax is designed to protect the sidewall from UV degradation. Sometimes that is the cause of "browning" when mixed with oily tire shine products. We wrote about this in Guru Reports Wheel & Tire care guide on p.83.

For the record, we rated Armor All original shine #1 not because it's the best product on the market, but because it's a decent, safe product that is inexpensive and widely available. The best overall tire dressing I've ever used was Zaino Z16.

 

[Russell]

Originally Posted By: bretfraz
I think Barry (CapriRacer) has discussed this before. Tires are mfr'd with a wax that excretes when you are driving, in a process called blooming. The wax is designed to protect the sidewall from UV degradation. Sometimes that is the cause of "browning" when mixed with oily tire shine products. We wrote about this in Guru Reports Wheel & Tire care guide on p.83.

For the record, we rated Armor All original shine #1 not because it's the best product on the market, but because it's a decent, safe product that is inexpensive and widely available. The best overall tire dressing I've ever used was Zaino Z16.


I forgot about the Guru reports. I still have the wax and tire products reports I think i will revisit them. Good stuff.

 

[Volvo_ST1]

Originally Posted By: river_rat
Don't shine them. They look dumb shiney, IMO.

Use Westley's Bleech White to clean them, and when dry, I applied Turtle Wax F-22 Protectant to the sidewalls for semi-gloss black amd UV protection.


I hope that product you mention is not bleach, because bleach oxidizes rubber very quickly.

 

[Craig in Canada]

Originally Posted By: bretfraz

For the record, we rated Armor All original shine #1 not because it's the best product on the market, but because it's a decent, safe product that is inexpensive and widely available. The best overall tire dressing I've ever used was Zaino Z16.


I should also clarify that I used the guru reports observations to choose a couple of things to try (if I hadn't already tried it). The GR articles also educated me about a couple of factors I hadn't really considered before reading them such as a dressing's tendency to attract dust and dirt. This was something I noticed with dressings I used in the past, but not something that I thought was hugely variable between brands of dressing. Clearly I was wrong.

After trying AA "new" "original" I observed the same great qualities that GR did and had no driving desire to seek any other replacement products. There was nothing I was looking to do "better" than AA "new" "original" - on tires anyways.

Zaino is also infinitely more difficult for me to source than AA.

Thanks for your work on the guru reports, by the way. I had no idea one of the authours was a poster here.

 

[NHHEMI]

Originally Posted By: bretfraz
I think Barry (CapriRacer) has discussed this before. Tires are mfr'd with a wax that excretes when you are driving, in a process called blooming. The wax is designed to protect the sidewall from UV degradation. Sometimes that is the cause of "browning" when mixed with oily tire shine products. We wrote about this in Guru Reports Wheel & Tire care guide on p.83.

For the record, we rated Armor All original shine #1 not because it's the best product on the market, but because it's a decent, safe product that is inexpensive and widely available. The best overall tire dressing I've ever used was Zaino Z16.



Yup. However, all tires will/can turn brown. It isn't because protectant was used. As you said, to protect the tire from UV/Ozone damage tire mfg's add a wax compound to the tires when making them. While driving it causes the sidewalls to flex which then causes the wax molecules to come to the surface. This forms a protective barrier. It is called "blooming" and it turns the sidewall brown or grayish. I have had untreated( tire shine )sidewalls go brown.

No tire protector can stop it because it comes from things inside the tire that travel to the surface over time as you drive. Some can keep the tire shiney longer which masks the brown effect but it is still there.

All you can do is clean the tire and retreat.

 

[Craig in Canada]

It is indeed important to note that most people are unaware of the CLEANING step. They just keep layering more tire shine on over and over without using a proper cleaner. Years ago I did this too.

I've been very happy with Eagle One A2Z wheel and tire cleaner for use a couple of times per season for deep cleaning. It gets all old protectants, road contaminants and "brown" off of the tires. It's also very effect on brake dust.

Don't use a brush that is too harsh on sidewalls and actually scuffs them up, but use one firm enough to get clean right down into the lettering and other sidewall details. As I mentioned I wax my alloys off the car (winter and summer) so brake dust comes off pretty easily until the wax is gone. I use diluted Simple Green (about 40:1) for cleaning wheels and tires at every wash. It seems to work well without being too strong. I can get brake dust and road grit off but I typically don't need to reapply AA every wash.