|
Paint
Protection Questions
|
|
General
|
|
Can
it be removed?
Yes. It can be removed easily and will not damage the
paint. To remove the film, you must heat the surface
to approximately 150°F while working a corner of the
film with your fingernail. Once you have enough of the
material free from the surface to hold on to, slowly
pull the film from the paint.
|
|
Will
it really stop rocks from chipping the front of my car?
Yes. The material that it is made from was originally
designed by 3M engineers to protect the leading edges
of aircraft propellers and rotor blades from rock chips.
It is a much easier task to protect your vehicles paint
than it is to protect a propeller moving at nearly the
speed of sound.
|
|
Can
I see a line where the shield stops?
A line is slightly visible where the shield stops, but
the three alternatives to that line are a bug shield,
a bra, or rock chips.
|
|
How
hard is it to see on the car after it is applied?
The material is about 99.5% clear. On any color darker
than stark white, you can't see the film. On a stark
white car, you can see that .5% of color, but it still
is "invisible" at a short distance.
|
|
How
long will it last? When will I have to replace the kit?
Our product is warranted for 4 years, though the material
has an average life span of about 7 years. Except for
rock chips, the same factors that affect the life of
your cars paint affect our product. Whether or not the
car is garaged and whether or not it is kept washed
and waxed will make a big difference.
|
|
How
is the kit applied? Do you spray it on?
The plastic material comes to us in a large roll. Our
machines cut the plastic into shapes designed to fit
various parts of your car. These pieces are then applied
to the vehicle in a very similar fashion to that of
window tint. The pieces and the painted surface are
wet with a solution and moved into position, then the
solution is squeegeed away.
|
|
Will
my paint fade differently under the shield than it does
on the rest of the car?
No. The material does contain an inhibitor to prevent
the plastic from reacting to the sun's UV rays, but
this does not prevent the UV rays from passing through
the plastic into your paint.
|
|
Is
this material safe to use on the new water based acrylic
paints that are being used by some manufacturers?
Yes. The material has no harmful effects on water based
acrylic paints and still provides the same level of
protection.
|
|
return
to top
|
|
Installation
|
|
I
don' t think the kit is cut right. It seems to be too
short.
Depending on the kit you are applying, some kits are
purposely designed short so that you have to stretch
them into place. The purpose of this design is to compensate
for an unusual curve on the vehicles surface or to help
pull out excess material around the edges that would
otherwise be very difficult to lay down.
|
|
I
can't get the material to stick to the paint in some
areas. It seems like there is no adhesive on the material.
Two things can cause this. First is not removing the
wax from the vehicle's paint before starting installation.
Second is not washing out all of the soap/water solution
with the alcohol/water solution before squeegeeing down
the material.
|
|
The
mirrors on my car are so curved, how do I go about laying
down the material on this kind of surface?
There are two popular installation techniques on mirror
pieces. One way to apply the material to them is to
start in the center of the mirror and squeegee an area
about the size of a half dollar. Then, moving outward
in a circle squeegee around and around the half dollar
about a half inch at a time until you reach the edge
(see figure A below). The second technique is to start
on one end and stretch the material across to the other
side. This technique helps to remove much of the excess
material from around the edges. On both techniques,
it is very important to use ONLY the alcohol/water solution.
|
|
|
|
return
to top
|
|
Warranty
|
|
Does
the warranty provide for a replacement kit in the event
that it is improperly installed?
We can only guarantee work that is done at our facility
or by one of our technicians. Work performed at one
of our dealer's facilities is the responsibility of
that dealer. Individual replacement parts are available
for a reduced cost.
|
|
How
does the $1,000.00 Car Axent Paint Protection Guarantee
work?
In the unlikely event you sustain damage to any painted
surface protected by our kit, merely supply us with:
your proof of purchase, a copy of your insurance claim
and policy along with a declaration from you stating
that the damage occurred within the with the terms of
our guarantee, then we will process a check payable
to you for your insurance deductible amount, up to $1,000.00.
Other terms and conditions apply. For further information,
please read the Car Axent $1,000
Paint Protection Guarantee.
|
|
return
to top
|
|
Special
Care
|
|
What
if I want to take my car through a car wash or have
it waxed?
You can do anything to the shield that you normally
do to the rest of the car's finish. The shield will
accept wax and polishes just as your paint does and
will last longer with regular applications.
|
|
What
do I do when wax builds up on the edges of the kit when
I wax my vehicle?
A soft, damp terrycloth towel, Q-Tip or soft brush will
remove any wax build-up that may occur.
|
| return
to top |
|
Headlamp
Protection Questions
|
|
General
|
|
Does
the application of these kits adversely affect the illumination
of my lights?
Any difference in the illumination quality of protected
lights protected is undetectable to the human eye. You
will not notice any difference in the performance of
your headlights.
|
|
Is
installation difficult? Can I do it myself?
The installation process is very simple. Anyone can
apply these kits provided the written instructions that
come with each Car Axent kit are followed closely.
|
|
How
long will the kits last? When will I need to replace
the kit?
The material these kits are made from is designed to
last 8 years or longer. Since most people don't keep
their cars for more than 4 years, in most cases there
will be no need to ever replace the kit on your vehicle.
|
|
What
will happen if I replace my stock bulbs with higher
wattage bulbs then add an Car Axent kit to the light?
Will excessive heat retention cause premature bulb failure?
No. Our kits are made from an .040" material which allows
heat to be more efficiently dissipated than some other
kits made from thicker material. Our material is also
more flexible and provides a better, more secure fit,
especially in areas of radical contours, while still
providing exceptional protection at speeds over 120
mph.
|
|
If
I replace my stock headlamp/fog lamp bulbs with higher
wattage bulbs, will the extra heat melt the light protection
kit?
No. Our headlamp protection kits have been tested from
300°F to -40°F with no harm to the material.
|
|
return
to top
|
|
Installation
|
|
I
have installed the kit on my headlights and they looked
fine, but now they look foggy?
When using the wet application technique, this is normal.
The fog is the result of the alcohol/water solution
evaporating under the plastic. The water vapor that
is produced results in a hazy appearance for several
days. The haze will clear as the water vapor dissipates.
|
|
Is
it best to apply your light protection kit to the lenses
wet or dry?
We have found that the wet installation yields the best
looking installation with the least amount of difficulty.
You are less likely to get bubbles under the plastic
and less likely to install the pieces crooked.
|
|
The
lights on my car are heavily contoured. Is your kit
hard to install on this type of light or should I have
them professionally installed?
Our headlamp protection material is extremely pliable
and can easily be contoured over dome shaped surfaces.
Professional installation should not be neccesary provided
that you follow the instructions closely.
|
|
I
have the headlamp kit almost completely applied using
the wet application method, but I can't seem to get
the edges to completely stick down. What am I doing
wrong?
It is absolutely imperative that a hairdryer or
heat gun is used in this area to seal the edges. The
heat serves two purposes. First, it helps evaporate
the remaining alcohol/water solution from under the
edges, and second it makes the plastic more pliable
so that it can contour to the edge of the light. Be
careful if you are using a heat gun to warm the plastic.
It takes only a small amount of heat to apply the material.
If you apply too much heat you can damage the surface
of the plastic.
|
|
return
to top
|
|
Warranty
|
|
How
does the $1,000.00 Car Axent Headlight Protection Guarantee
work?
In the unlikely event you sustain damage to any light
protected by our kit, merely supply us with: your proof
of purchase, a copy of your insurance claim and policy
along with a declaration from you stating that the damage
occurred within the with the terms of our guarantee,
then we will process a check payable to you for your
insurance deductible amount, up to $1,000.00. Other
terms and conditions apply. For further information,
please read the Car Axent 4
Year Limited Warranty $1,000 Breakage Guarantee.
|
|
Does
the warranty provide for a replacement kit in the event
that it is improperly installed?
We can only guarantee work that is done at our facility
or by one of our technicians. Work performed at one
of our dealer's facilities is the responsibility of
that dealer. Individual replacement parts are available
for a reduced cost.
|
|
return
to top
|
|
Special
Care
|
|
What
special care is required for your headlamp protection
kits?
Our kits require little special care. The most important
thing is to avoid using any abrasives to clean the lens
covering. A soft cloth or sponge will work fine.
|
|
Can
I take my car to a high-pressure car wash?
Yes. High-pressure washes will not affect the kit as
long as you avoid spraying the high pressure wand directly
into one of the edges from an inch away.
|
Will
chemicals damage the material?
The material will resist most commercially available
solvents such as acetone, MEK, lacquer thinner, gasoline,
etc... |
|
return
to top
|
