LifeShine or DiamondBrite - Page 2

steveb008 · 28-08-2008, 06:15 PM

Both packs have arrived. I will apply to my car over the weekend and report back on the applicaiton of each.

Booster · 29-08-2008, 07:16 AM

Look forward to hearing how you got on. My new car arrives Sunday and I think I am going to go with the Autoglym Lifeshine.

steveb008 · 29-08-2008, 09:39 PM

Iam going to apply tomorrow, so I'll report back on that. I am to 'age' them quickly by repeated washing during the week ... plus I've got over 1200 miles to travel during the week too.

The process I'm going to follow will be: wash, clay, wash, sealant.

Booster, what colour car you getting?

Booster · 29-08-2008, 09:51 PM

Quartz grey.

steveb008 · 30-08-2008, 04:53 PM

Ok, I washed the car with a very warm soapy solution to help remove as much of the old wax as possible, clayed the vehicle, washed normally, plenty of rinsing and dryed off (ran to Tesco's for lunch to blow out any moisture!)

Split the car into four quarters and diagonally applied sealants (bonnet diamondbrite, boot/roof LifeShine).

LifeShine: went of just as EGP would - looks like EGP but with a stronger yellow colour and a stronger smell too. Wait till it's gone dull before wiping off - very easy. 7/10 for easy of application, lost marks because I has to avoid plastic (or at least think I have too). the little bottle will do the car again if needed.

DiamondBrite: two stages. Stage 1, nice and easy and can go over plastic. Very clear liquid sometimes difficult to see if you've down a place. 8/10 for Stage 1 application; lost marks for hard to see but gained for going over plastic. Wait a while then Stage 2, a creamy solution. The bottle said put on in straight lines, which was easy enough. 8/10 for Stage 2, just the straight lines to loose it marks.

Overall the application of the sealant was easy, the prep is the hard bit, and the bit you pay for (it seems worth it too!!!)

The finish: Very little to pick between the two. The DiamondBrite seems a little deeper in colour, but only by a fraction, although the paint work looked a little more 'orange peely' under extreme inspection as a result. I think the DiamondBrite covered very minor inperfections (small stone chips) better. I would challenge anyone to tell the difference. When I asked friends and neighbours their preference there was no winner. Infact you can not tell where the split was (I can 'coz I done it!).

I am now going to wash the car every day for a week. I also have about 1200 miles to travel. Hopefully the washing and mileage will help determine the better sealant. I will report back.

Booster · 02-09-2008, 07:50 AM

Looking to get a Lifeshine kit.

Is ebay the only place you can get them from?

They seem far too cheap to be real. eg £6.50 with £6.50 p&p.

steelwind101 · 02-09-2008, 08:51 AM

Hello Booster,

The dealers make huge mark ups, there was reports people were filling these bottles with EGP etc. The ones you get should be sealed with foil across the top, thats an untampered genuine bottle.

Personally if your paying £350 for these treatments, i would see about a proper detail with correction that on a 3 series, fresh from a dealer would run at about £200 depending on the wax you choose.

Geoff

steveb008 · 03-09-2008, 08:26 PM

Now half way through the week. Have jet washed the car every evening (neighbours now know I'm mad!!). The initial silkyness of both sealants has gone, but both still very smooth - put this down to the claying. I'd like to report back on the condition of shinyness etc but it too dark to tell at the moment, will have to wait until the weekend. Beading of water is identical as far as I can tell.

Will report back at the weekend.

Booster · 04-09-2008, 05:49 AM

Cheers Geoff,

I have bought a kit from a bloke on ebay that has sold about 30 in the last couple of weeks (his work must be missing some stock

) and they state that the bottles were sealed.

Am I ok to use the window stuff on the windscreen even though I have aero wipers? I know that Rain X and the like and aero wipers makes for a very smeary windscreen.

Tarmac_Terrorist · 04-09-2008, 10:49 AM

Looking forward to hearing / seeing the results of this sealent test.
I'm not sure beading should be the complete deciding factor as to the best product though (although probably the best). There are some excellent waxes which tend to 'sheet' water rather than bead it. All down to surface tension I guess.

I can confirm that the properties of Lifeshine should create beading though. Does / should Diamond Brite do the same?

29-08-2008, 07:16 AM	#12 (permalink)
Booster Nissan GTR Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 3,954	Look forward to hearing how you got on. My new car arrives Sunday and I think I am going to go with the Autoglym Lifeshine. __________________ Audi A5 3.0TDi Quattro Sport Tiptronic

29-08-2008, 09:51 PM	#14 (permalink)
Booster Nissan GTR Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 3,954	Quartz grey. __________________ Audi A5 3.0TDi Quattro Sport Tiptronic

02-09-2008, 07:50 AM	#16 (permalink)
Booster Nissan GTR Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 3,954	Looking to get a Lifeshine kit. Is ebay the only place you can get them from? They seem far too cheap to be real. eg £6.50 with £6.50 p&p. __________________ Audi A5 3.0TDi Quattro Sport Tiptronic

02-09-2008, 08:51 AM	#17 (permalink)
steelwind101 Mitsubishi Evo X Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bombing Westlands Farm Zambia Posts: 2,134	Hello Booster, The dealers make huge mark ups, there was reports people were filling these bottles with EGP etc. The ones you get should be sealed with foil across the top, thats an untampered genuine bottle. Personally if your paying £350 for these treatments, i would see about a proper detail with correction that on a 3 series, fresh from a dealer would run at about £200 depending on the wax you choose. Geoff __________________ Rhodesia, what a time it was http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVLS8ny0HUU Ole Mugabes Farm, he plants crisps b/c he likes crisps (comical) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkGjjUp4zJo

04-09-2008, 05:49 AM	#19 (permalink)
Booster Nissan GTR Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 3,954	Cheers Geoff, I have bought a kit from a bloke on ebay that has sold about 30 in the last couple of weeks (his work must be missing some stock) and they state that the bottles were sealed. Am I ok to use the window stuff on the windscreen even though I have aero wipers? I know that Rain X and the like and aero wipers makes for a very smeary windscreen. __________________ Audi A5 3.0TDi Quattro Sport Tiptronic

28-08-2008, 06:15 PM	#11 (permalink)
steveb008 stranger Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 14	Both packs have arrived. I will apply to my car over the weekend and report back on the applicaiton of each.

29-08-2008, 09:39 PM	#13 (permalink)
steveb008 stranger Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 14	Iam going to apply tomorrow, so I'll report back on that. I am to 'age' them quickly by repeated washing during the week ... plus I've got over 1200 miles to travel during the week too. The process I'm going to follow will be: wash, clay, wash, sealant. Booster, what colour car you getting?

30-08-2008, 04:53 PM	#15 (permalink)
steveb008 stranger Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 14	Ok, I washed the car with a very warm soapy solution to help remove as much of the old wax as possible, clayed the vehicle, washed normally, plenty of rinsing and dryed off (ran to Tesco's for lunch to blow out any moisture!) Split the car into four quarters and diagonally applied sealants (bonnet diamondbrite, boot/roof LifeShine). LifeShine: went of just as EGP would - looks like EGP but with a stronger yellow colour and a stronger smell too. Wait till it's gone dull before wiping off - very easy. 7/10 for easy of application, lost marks because I has to avoid plastic (or at least think I have too). the little bottle will do the car again if needed. DiamondBrite: two stages. Stage 1, nice and easy and can go over plastic. Very clear liquid sometimes difficult to see if you've down a place. 8/10 for Stage 1 application; lost marks for hard to see but gained for going over plastic. Wait a while then Stage 2, a creamy solution. The bottle said put on in straight lines, which was easy enough. 8/10 for Stage 2, just the straight lines to loose it marks. Overall the application of the sealant was easy, the prep is the hard bit, and the bit you pay for (it seems worth it too!!!) The finish: Very little to pick between the two. The DiamondBrite seems a little deeper in colour, but only by a fraction, although the paint work looked a little more 'orange peely' under extreme inspection as a result. I think the DiamondBrite covered very minor inperfections (small stone chips) better. I would challenge anyone to tell the difference. When I asked friends and neighbours their preference there was no winner. Infact you can not tell where the split was (I can 'coz I done it!). I am now going to wash the car every day for a week. I also have about 1200 miles to travel. Hopefully the washing and mileage will help determine the better sealant. I will report back.

03-09-2008, 08:26 PM	#18 (permalink)
steveb008 stranger Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 14	Now half way through the week. Have jet washed the car every evening (neighbours now know I'm mad!!). The initial silkyness of both sealants has gone, but both still very smooth - put this down to the claying. I'd like to report back on the condition of shinyness etc but it too dark to tell at the moment, will have to wait until the weekend. Beading of water is identical as far as I can tell. Will report back at the weekend.

04-09-2008, 10:49 AM	#20 (permalink)
Tarmac_Terrorist Nissan GTR Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North Hampshire Posts: 3,579	Looking forward to hearing / seeing the results of this sealent test. I'm not sure beading should be the complete deciding factor as to the best product though (although probably the best). There are some excellent waxes which tend to 'sheet' water rather than bead it. All down to surface tension I guess. I can confirm that the properties of Lifeshine should create beading though. Does / should Diamond Brite do the same? __________________ MY06 MKV Golf GTI MY07 BMW 318i SE