# Auto Finesse satin tyre gel - massively disappointed



## MrHooky (Apr 9, 2010)

So when my Megs Endurance Tyre Gel ran out I bought some AF satin gel to replace as heard nothing but good things about them. I've used it a number of times now on both mine and my wife's car and whilst it looks good once on, the durability is rubbish. I put some on my wife's tyres last night after just doing the wheels. I then cleaned the bodywork of the car this morning using a hose, not specifically aiming at the wheels/tyres as they were clean yet once the car was cleaned, the AF dressing had pretty much disappeared. So yet another coat required.

The longevity if it rains is next to nil. The bottle is pretty poor, there was some small leakage from my CYC order, plus when dispensing on to my sponge applicator it seems to trickle down the side of the bottle. It's also runnier than a 'gel', much more watery than the Megs.

Not sure if I've got a bad batch but I won't be buying again. Either back to Megs or will try G techniq's tyre gel offering. Won't be long either the amount I seem to be using.

Rant over...


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## steview (Sep 23, 2010)

contact tim at cyc im sure he will help sort your leakage issue out


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## MrHooky (Apr 9, 2010)

steview said:


> contact tim at cyc im sure he will help sort your leakage issue out


Wasn't so bothered about the leakage, a minimal amount came out in transit, just noticed it down the side of the bottle before I'd even used it.

I'm more bothered about the fact the product seems pretty poor longevity wise. The slightest hint of water and it's washed straight off...


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## steview (Sep 23, 2010)

yes i see what you mean unfortunatley i cant comment as ive not tried the product in question


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## Kane. (Feb 5, 2011)

Were the tyres clean before you applied it?


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## MrHooky (Apr 9, 2010)

Kane. said:


> We're the tyres clean before you applied it?


Yep - purposely went round the tyre with a detailing brush and degreaser (virosol) so I don't think it's that. Tyres were dry too before application as recommended.


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## JakeWhite (Oct 14, 2011)

I've used it and found it to be quite good....


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## Ninja59 (Feb 17, 2009)

cleaned using a hose did you use any shampoos or snowfoam etc? as that is likely to affect it.

Without knowing what do the instructions say in regard to drying time i know some if you put on and do not let dry on then it will not last but leave it for X time it will last ages.


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## MrHooky (Apr 9, 2010)

Ninja59 said:


> cleaned using a hose did you use any shampoos or snowfoam etc? as that is likely to affect it.
> 
> Without knowing what do the instructions say in regard to drying time i know some if you put on and do not let dry on then it will not last but leave it for X time it will last ages.


No shampoos or snow foam no. Just the sprinkle setting from the hose and the car cleaned with carl-lack shampoo. Doubt any shampoo dripped from car to tyres either.

Drying wise, this was applied Saturday evening c.10pm. Car was then washed this morning c.10am so I'm guessing 12 hours drying time should be ample!


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## msb (Dec 20, 2009)

After all the hype of it coming out i drew the same conclusion of satin its durability is pants to be quite honest, and having to go round applying 3 coats, what a faff:wall:
I'm a big af fan and 99% of their products have exceeded expectations but satins just not ever going to be on my go to list tyre dressing wise so i will be sticking with pinnacles black onyx for the forseeable future


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## bigslippy (Sep 19, 2010)

Got to be honest , Satin has been a let down for me too , I scrubbed tyres with G101 on a Vectra , once they had dried put on 2 coats and hour apart ... looked fantastic ... for 2 days cos the rain had washed it all off:doublesho , I thought it may have been the cheap tyres .... so did same on my own car last Thursday , overnight rain , all gone Friday morning


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## bero1306 (Jan 24, 2011)

M4D YN said:


> better sticking to the real chemical companies mate :thumb:


Who are they then. 

Satin seems as good as any i have tried but saying that none last.


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

bigslippy said:


> Got to be honest , Satin has been a let down for me too , I scrubbed tyres with G101 on a Vectra , once they had dried put on 2 coats and hour apart ... looked fantastic ... for 2 days cos the rain had washed it all off:doublesho , I thought it may have been the cheap tyres .... so did same on my own car last Thursday , overnight rain , all gone Friday morning


well my new bottle sits on the shelf ready to try let's hope i get a better result:thumb: Do you think the product is to thin or is the rubbing off excess removing most that is applied?


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## bigslippy (Sep 19, 2010)

Derekh929 said:


> well my new bottle sits on the shelf ready to try let's hope i get a better result:thumb: Do you think the product is to thin or is the rubbing off excess removing most that is applied?


I'm not rubbing any excess off as I didn't see the need too , it looks great on the tyres, the Vectra was left with me for a few days and it didn't move , but I've used it twice now and the rain seems to be washing it off, I'm hoping I've just got a bad bottle:thumb:


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## G51 NAV (Jan 14, 2007)

Not tried this but I used to find Meg's Hot Shine Tire Dressing to be just as bad. Looked great when you sprayed it on but show it some rain or a puddle and it was washed off, no matter how long you'd left it to dry. I would be tempted to generalise and say that think gels are intrinsically longer lasting than sprays and runny liquids because the Meg's Endurance Tire Gel seems much better, yet it's also true that AG Instant Tyre Dressing is reasonably good too, and that's a spray.


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## mark53 (Apr 11, 2009)

I've used Satin with no problems, definitely one of my Favourite tyre dressings.


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## Ninja59 (Feb 17, 2009)

MrHooky said:


> No shampoos or snow foam no. Just the sprinkle setting from the hose and the car cleaned with carl-lack shampoo. Doubt any shampoo dripped from car to tyres either.
> 
> Drying wise, this was applied Saturday evening c.10pm. Car was then washed this morning c.10am so I'm guessing 12 hours drying time should be ample!


Oh well must be a bit well rubbish then.

I will continue to stick to Epsuma RD50 and Pneu then


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## chrisc (Jun 15, 2008)

bero1306 said:


> Who are they then.
> 
> Satin seems as good as any i have tried but saying that none last.


never used supagard tyre and trim then?


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## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

Im sorry to hear your not satisfied with the performance of one of our products, and your comments, and those of others will as always be taken on board to hopefully used to work on bettering our products for the end user where possible. 

Without sounding defensive (as i can't and wouldn't argue with your opinion of the product) but i don't really feel you have used it quite correctly, id never advise applying a tyre dressing then washing the car, this would have had an effect on the product and Im not really surprised your not getting the desired result.

James


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## bero1306 (Jan 24, 2011)

chrisc said:


> never used supagard tyre and trim then?


Never will. used some of the range and its terrible :lol:


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## chrisc (Jun 15, 2008)

bero1306 said:


> Never will. Poor range :lol:


best there is beats any of my autosmart dressing by a mile:thumb:


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

James B said:


> Without sounding defensive (as i can't and wouldn't argue with your opinion of the product) but i don't really feel you have used it quite correctly, id never advise applying a tyre dressing then washing the car, this would have had an effect on the product and Im not really surprised your not getting the desired result.
> 
> James


Even after 12 hours? I've washed my car and applied tyre dressing, then washed my car the next day after driving it somewhere muddy ect..

if its not withstanding water after 12 hours, then it never will.

I found revive, no matter how much I buffed the excess still runs in the rain(and I'm not the only person to find this)


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## Damien89 (May 13, 2007)

AG vinyl and rubber care, just pour in a small glass and apply with a brush, uses very little product and lasts even if washed with just plain water the tires still look great for a week or 2.


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## matttnt1 (Nov 29, 2011)

Ninja59 said:


> cleaned using a hose did you use any shampoos or snowfoam etc? as that is likely to affect it.
> 
> Without knowing what do the instructions say in regard to drying time i know some if you put on and do not let dry on then it will not last but leave it for X time it will last ages.


Hi, out of interest why would a snow foam specifically affect it?


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

matttnt1 said:


> Hi, out of interest why would a snow foam specifically affect it?


snow foams(most atleast) are basically high foaming TFR, some even slightly caustic(not caustic enough to make a fuss about by the time it comes out the lance to contact the car(average p/w dilution on 1-10 in bottle will be around 1-400 at the lance nozzle)

so they slowly wear away waxes, sealants, trim/tyre dressings ect.. same with shampoo ect.. 
thats how they clean.


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## gally (May 25, 2008)

I have to somewhat agree with Craig. Surely it's not meant to completely fail after that kind of duration. What happens if it had rained!


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## Keir (Aug 31, 2010)

I belive Satin needs to be applied in very thin layers. maybe too much was applied so it didn't bond?


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## simonjames (Jul 1, 2012)

Well I'm nearly at end of my bottle of Revive and i am one happy man! Never found it to streak in the rain and its transformed the trim on my mini. The rear trim (see foto below) used to be GREY as u like and its brought it back to life!!


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## JakeWhite (Oct 14, 2011)

I washed my car today, satin and revive were applied two days ago and since then I've been driving up and down the motor way. After it's wash today the trims still look nice and dark and the tyres are still glossy :thumb:


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## Sian (Sep 24, 2007)

simonjames said:


> Well I'm nearly at end of my bottle of Revive and i am one happy man! Never found it to streak in the rain and its transformed the trim on my mini. The rear trim (see foto below) used to be GREY as u like and its brought it back to life!!


Same on my mini trim, looks great since iv been using revive no streaking after rain either


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## G.P (Dec 13, 2011)

CraigQQ said:


> Even after 12 hours? I've washed my car and applied tyre dressing, then washed my car the next day after driving it somewhere muddy ect..
> 
> if its not withstanding water after 12 hours, then it never will.
> 
> I found revive, no matter how much I buffed the excess still runs in the rain(and I'm not the only person to find this)


I'm not to impressed with AF's tyre dressing, I don't have the gel and can only compare to 3M which for me last's longer.

Revive I'm mixed on, my Leon has the plastic at the top of the bonnet, I'm sure I keep getting Revive on my windscreen from when the rain bounce's off and up onto the screen, and when stopped the bottom half of the screen now bead's, added to this on the back bumper of my wife's Ibiza, at the bottom is 1" of plastic, Revive does not withstand the water kicked up off the rear wheel's. .


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## xJay1337 (Jul 20, 2012)

I've never used the AF Satin product. 
I have used Rejuvinate, Crystal, Tough Prep, their shampoo and their wheel cleaner (the older blue one I ended up with) butthey are all brill and do exactly what they're supposed to. 

Although on the tyre shine front I've used two products, Tyre Slik (costs like £5 delivered on ebay) and Tyre Dandy. Both products as I said cost under £6 each from ebay and work really well. They both last a long time as well.

I will try Satin to draw my own conclusions though.


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## msb (Dec 20, 2009)

When i used satin both times tyres were scrubbed with various cleaning products and were perfectly clean, the initial result was fine and with 3 layers i was more than happy with the finish but as said by others as soon as it rain it washed straight off, i know ultimatley nothing will last but satins durability is its major failing point for me at the moment
Revive however is a fantasitic product that lasts really well, i use it on my softtop and it lasts well and water beads off amazingly, key is apply and then buff no issues with residue running off then:thumb:


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## Ns1980 (Jun 29, 2011)

Bit surprised to see some poor experiences with Satin here 

As many will see from my sales threads I've recently sold Megs Endurance, Pinnacle and am selling my Blackfire. I'll probably sell my SV Pneu too. All have been good products TBH

However, I'm keeping Satin which in my experience has given a great finish and good longevity. I find it doesn't fade, darkens well, and is one of the best dressings to apply as its liquidity gets it into the grooves of tyres. A thick coat lasts a good 3 weeks (even in the recent wet weather) which is surely enough for anyone on DW. 

I respect others experiences and opinions but find them surprising given my good experience so far.


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## Junior Bear (Sep 2, 2008)

JakeWhite said:


> I washed my car today, satin and revive were applied two days ago and since then I've been driving up and down the motor way. After it's wash today the trims still look nice and dark and the tyres are still glossy :thumb:


Got any pics of satin withstanding normal conditions?

It didn't last a rinse for me today


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## bigslippy (Sep 19, 2010)

I gave it another chance on Thursday after washing away too easily on 2 previous cars, scrubbed tyres with G101 , rinsed and left to dry for 4-5 hours before I applied one coat of Satin , looked fabulous:argie:

Friday morning the car was covered in morming dew , drove 5 miles , drove 5 miles back home 9 hours later on a warm dry day ...... later on in the evening as the light started to fade I looked at the tyres and seen this:doublesho


DSC00824 by bigslippy, on Flickr

Nothing left but thin streaks

I have no idea why my bottle of Satin doesnt like water in any form:wall:


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## JakeWhite (Oct 14, 2011)

Right, I used it again on my new (to me) honda the other day, and it seemed to perform poorly compared to the other times I have used it, not sure if different tyre brands react differently to it? But I put two coats on, didn't even use the car, come out the next day and it was a big patchy mess?? and that's without even moving the car with no rain what so ever. I will completely re-clean the tyres and try again, as most have said, I've been more than happy with the AF products I've used so far, revive is simply awesome IMO and for me it doesn't run or streak, and after the excess is buffed off the finish is lovely.


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## alteclio (May 10, 2011)

Never tried Satin, but can it be because of the tyres? I mean, not all the dressings acts the same way on different tyres. I've noticed that the Pirelli on my Seat absorb very good the dressing, but the Goodyear on my Clio doesn't. Maybe Satin works well on some tyres and not so well on others...

Just a thought...


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## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

bigslippy said:


> I gave it another chance on Thursday after washing away too easily on 2 previous cars, scrubbed tyres with G101 , rinsed and left to dry for 4-5 hours before I applied one coat of Satin , looked fabulous:argie:
> 
> Friday morning the car was covered in morming dew , drove 5 miles , drove 5 miles back home 9 hours later on a warm dry day ...... later on in the evening as the light started to fade I looked at the tyres and seen this:doublesho
> 
> ...


That dont look good, your right. it looks like it just "sat on top" of another dressing or something as it don't seem to have adhered at all (its just run off) what did you have on there before satin?


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## bigslippy (Sep 19, 2010)

I had Satin on it previously James , however I always scrub tyres with G101 before application


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## Junior Bear (Sep 2, 2008)

Hi James, I've posted in the suggestions thread about my findings from satin today. See what you think?


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## JakeWhite (Oct 14, 2011)

So I tried satin again yesterday, scrubbed the tyres numerous times with G101 until they were immaculate (no trace of anything else on there what so ever), dried them off, waited ten mins, applied a coat to all 4 tyres, came back round to buff excess, applied 2nd coat, and buffed excess and the finish was absolutely stunning! But sadly again, I've done a 4 mile trip in relatively dry conditions (Satin was applied yesterday so plenty of time to cure) and when I've got back, there is 100% no trace of satin ever being on the tyres, they are completely blank  Now, I don't mean to ruffle any feathers but after my numerous poor experience's with satin, and the fact alot of other users have had the same problems, I would say Satin needs a revision and re-released as a version 2 or something. As I say, love the look (probably the best so far!) but the durability is non-existent, and to apply satin everyday (or everytime the tyres get any water on them) could become quite costly..


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## Junior Bear (Sep 2, 2008)

I've got two full bottles that are not goin I be used


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## tangledmonkey (Apr 9, 2012)

I'm disappointed with Satin also I'm afraid . Looks lovely straight after putting it on, but its all gone at the blink of an eye! I would agree with JakeWhite that Satin need a revision, because at the moment its just not good enough. I'll be trying something else next time, unless I hear better things about a revised Satin


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## tzotzo (Nov 15, 2009)

I wasn't excited with tyre gloss.
Haven't tried Satin though.

If you guys pour your AF bottles from bigger ones, try to shake them or get a stiring machine of some kind. Chemicals tend to separate especially tyre gels and stuff.


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2012)

Coincidentally, "Gloss" is the "best" that I have tried to date!


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