Bought my 2nd XK8 this year and finally got around to working on the canvas top. It has a black top and was really needing a good cleaning. I had some left over 303 brand cleaner from my last XK8, the much missed Blue Cat. Applied, washed off and it suddenly looked almost new. Let it dry overnight.

I had to buy a new bottle of 303 Fabric guard as I was out. Have used this product multiple times before on the previous Jag with great results. I sprayed it on as directed and waited on it to do its thing. Went out in the garage in a few hours to see how things were progressing and found what you see in the attached pictures. The entire top was covered with this white coating. It was dry so I tried brushing it off. That had no effect.

Back in the house to search the web and found multiple threads on various forums about this same problem. I went to the company website and found the following note on the description for the fabric guard: We have recently discovered there is a quality issue with some of our most recent production runs of our 303 Fabric Guard Formula. This could result in the product leaving white residue on your fabric after treating/drying.

Now they tell me. Multiple cleaning and brushings with Dawn and the residue is mostly gone; however, it has left me with ZERO ability to shed water. Sheds about as well as it did before I started. I have requested a refund. We will see how that goes. Meanwhile I have some Raggtopp on its way since I still need to seal the top against water.

Not a rant so much as a warning. Thanks for reading this far.

 

That's really disappointing! I've just done my black top with their 303 cleaner and Marine sealer. It went on as advertised. Hopefully you can complete the task with your alternative. Good luck!

 

Thanks for the heads-up. I have been using 303 Fabric Guard on my wife's 2006 XK8's tan top annually for at least 12 years with no issues. Still have half of a 32-ounce bottle left over from this past summer's treatment. Think I will wait until Summer 2024 before I purchase any more of it....

 

Did the company say anything about how to identify the bad lots of 303? There may still be some out there in the supply chain.

My current bottle is good -- I applied it on the tan top of my 2000 BRG XK8 and have been impressed with the results. The fabric only darkened a little bit and it reminds me of a fine vintage British trench coat. It sheds water and even bird droppings like a champ months later. I'm running a little low and would rather avoid going through your ordeal.

 

I didn't see anything on their site mentioning a way to determine bad product. No recall either. The bad stuff is still on the shelves as I bought mine late last week. It's a pity as I have always thought their stuff worked really well.

 

I have been using Scotchgarde on mine, usually once a year. I can't provide any great statements on how it works, as it seldom rains here in the desert. Actually I have never driven it in the rain and it's always garaged. When it does rain here we can have flash floods, so it's advisable to drive a 4-wheel vehicle instead.

 

Just a quick update: I finally contacted customer support since I had not heard anything for over a week. They told me a refund typically takes 4-6 weeks to process and I should look for a check in the mail. Guess I'll consider that my Christmas money.

I did buy and apply Raggtopp sealant. Very easy to use, cleans up easily and most importantly works like a charm. Water just beads up and rolls off now. Very happy with it.