Long term lifting issues

PaintProtectionPro · August 2, 2018

So I have been installing paint protection film full time since around 2002 and have never really had any issues. Lately I have been having problems with long-term durability where I install a kit and then 6 to 7 months later there is a random inside corner section under a light or around a vent that has popped up and let go where the film has actually delaminated itself from the glue. Granted I get paid to warranty the product but I hate having issues like this and I hate having my customers have issues to deal with. I asked my rep and he assures me I'm the only one having this issue however I have a hard time believing this. I use the 3M pro series film. Installs stay at my shop at least 3 hours after install for QC and then are checked with a follow up about 2 weeks out. I just seem to have a slew of random failures popping up after about 6 - 8 months and I'm really over it!

XPEL Jeff · August 3, 2018

Do you blast all of your edges with an air compressor after install?

Jake · August 3, 2018

If the glue is delaminating from the film I would say it is a film issue. Sounds like you are making sure the film is down well, and again its not peeling up off the paint. Are you using an adhesive promoter of any kind in theses areas?

highplains · August 3, 2018

17 hours ago, PaintProtectionPro said:

So I have been installing paint protection film full time since around 2002 and have never really had any issues. Lately I have been having problems with long-term durability where I install a kit and then 6 to 7 months later there is a random inside corner section under a light or around a vent that has popped up and let go where the film has actually delaminated itself from the glue. Granted I get paid to warranty the product but I hate having issues like this and I hate having my customers have issues to deal with. I asked my rep and he assures me I'm the only one having this issue however I have a hard time believing this. I use the 3M pro series film. Installs stay at my shop at least 3 hours after install for QC and then are checked with a follow up about 2 weeks out. I just seem to have a slew of random failures popping up after about 6 - 8 months and I'm really over it!

I've run across this issue myself too, also with 3M pro series. Anytime I raise an issue with 3M they tell me I'm overstretching the film, could be but I have pictures of a bumper that I did in a couple pieces that one side peeled but the other side didn't. Same truck, same film, same install approach. If I was overstretching it you would think both sides would've peeled the same.

XPEL Jeff · August 3, 2018

3 hours ago, Jake said:

If the glue is delaminating from the film I would say it is a film issue. Sounds like you are making sure the film is down well, and again its not peeling up off the paint. Are you using an adhesive promoter of any kind in theses areas?

Jake is right. I missed that part about the delaminating. That's a warranty issue for sure.

JoshVette · August 4, 2018

3M rep gave me a couple samples of the new Pro Series and I used it on my mirrors which are very round so it required a pretty aggressive stretch and they look like crap, none of the edges that were stretched against have stayed down after a day. I'm not impressed. I've stretched other films just the same and even though there's stretch marks at least they stayed down and in place.

PaintProtectionPro · August 4, 2018

Here is 1 example. Only 1 side failed and it’s about 7 months old. I redid the whole bumper and added a relief cut into this corner so I KNOW it won’t happen again. I have not had to replace 1 job in the last 4 years and now it seems like 1 in 5 cars I’m having some kind of failure.

PaintProtectionPro · August 4, 2018

Also those are not cut lines on the car. It’s just the glue edge. Im ready to branch out and try some other films. Any recommendations? I see all these install on YouTube where these people are flush cutting edges and one squeegee stroke and there down. It all seems like a fairy tail.

If I did my cuts and edges like this it would fail on every edge that wasn’t wrapped around 1/4 inch. 1 squirt and bam locked in. It just seems fake.

Edited August 4, 2018 by PaintProtectionPro

Jake · August 4, 2018

@PaintProtectionPro Just like social media makes people in daily life feel like their lives are somehow inferior to other from all the great stuff people post to make their lives look perfect, the same thing goes with all the install pic's and video in our industry. Although i am sure the install in this video is done well, it's a promo video for customer to be amazed. It's made to look like everything goes perfect. Doesn't show the whole story. I do everything I can to make sure our install are as good as can be.That being said we have all had installs that could have been better. Some will never admit that and say "every car they have done is perfect", but we all know that's just not true. I always wonder why do i see all these amazing install on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube all the time, but never see them in the wild? I made it a point to start to see installs from different areas and states that I thought would blow me away. At the end of the day in person they were good , some even great.But nothing really that I hadn't seen before. An install can only get so good. There is no magic that can make it better. You are still putting a film on paint.

I have been using Xpel exclusively about a year now. Going from Suntek I feel a lot more confident about edges not coming up.With Suntek I was getting issue with lot tech's blowing up edges with the pressure washers, and mirrors creeping back a few weeks down the road. Since i have been using Xpel I haven't had it happen once.Not saying you can push anything down and have it stay, you still need to be mindful about it. It was a learning curve to make the change to the Ultimate. But now with the Ultimate Plus the ease of install is a lot better.