www.empireclearshield.com 1 800 839-1557 INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS Application Tools Necessary: Squeegee Two (2) Heavy Duty Spray Bottles Prepared Slip Solution Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol Non-scratch Absorbent Cloths or Blue Lint Free Shop Paper Towels Wax/Adhesive Remover Olfa Knife (optional) IMPORTANT: Read all instructions thoroughly before beginning application. GENERAL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: Installation should always be performed in a controlled environment with a temperature range of 60° to 90° F. Application should not be performed in direct sunlight or in windy conditions. Prepare supplied slip solution per instructions. Prepare the alcohol/water solution using one (1) part alcohol to two (2) parts water. Remove any wax on the surface with 3M Adhesive Remover and a soft cloth. Contaminates, such as bug residue, road tar, grease, oil or dirt, should be removed by cleaning the surface with the slip solution and wiping with the non-scratch absorbent cloth or lint free paper towel. Verify size and placement of all parts before removing liner. Clean hands thoroughly. Even the smallest amount of dirt on your hands will transfer to the adhesive, causing an undesirable appearance. Also, always keep your fingers wet to prevent the adhesive from sticking to your fingers. Do not needlessly handle the adhesive side of the material. Keep contact with the adhesive side of the material as brief as possible and keep your fingers wet, as fingerprints will show thru the material. 1 HOOD: Wet the area of the hood where the kit will be applied with the slip solution, as well as your fingers. With the material rolled up, pull a small amount of the film away from the liner on one end. With the rest of the kit rolled up in one hand, use your other hand to hold down the end of the material that you have pulled loose from the liner on the appropriate end of the hood. Then slowly begin to pull the liner towards the opposite end of the hood, forcing the material to be rolled out onto the hood. If the kit has a relief cut, be careful not to stretch or tear the material in this area. You may have to use your fingers to free the material around the relief cut from the liner. Once past the relief cut, you may proceed normally. A relief cut is any narrow cut-out in the material which deviates from the normal hood line for the purpose of allowing the material to lay flat over heavily contoured surfaces. With the material laying on the surface, apply more of the slip solution between the hood and the material to allow the kit to be easily positioned on the hood. Lift the material from the hood one side at a time to spray the material and the hood with the slip solution. It may take some gentle tugging to lift the material from the hood, but care should be taken not to excessively stretch the material. Also, spray the top of the kit with the slip solution prior to positioning the kit so the squeegee will not drag the kit out of position. Now with the material moving freely on the hood, center the kit between the fenders, approximately 1/8” from the front edge of the hood. Be sure the kit is level across the width of the hood. The kit may not line up with every edge of the hood, which is normal since stretching may be needed to relieve excess material caused by the curvature of the vehicle. You may proceed to the next step as long as the kit is symmetrical from side to side. If it is not, however, you must realign the kit, ensuring the whole kit is symmetrical at every edge. Once the kit is in place, spray a small amount of the alcohol solution between the kit and the hood in the center of the hood. Make several small vertical strokes with the squeegee in the center of the hood, starting gently and increasing pressure with each stroke until you have an area 3-4” wide from top to bottom that is free of the solution. The kit is now anchored to the hood in the center and will not move freely so you do not have to worry that the kit will slide out of place. After anchoring the center of the kit, lift one side of the material back to the point where the material has adhered and spray the adhesive side of the material and the hood with the slip solution. Place your hand on top of the kit and stretch the kit into position, making sure that the kit lines up along the grille and edge of the hood, keeping the 1/8” gap between the kit and the front edge of the hood. Spray the edge of the material with the alcohol solution, forcing the solution between the hood and the kit, and tack the corner using the squeegee. The alcohol solution promotes quick adhesion and helps prevent the material from lifting up around the edges after the area has been squeegeed. Keep the top surface of the kit wet to ensure that the squeegee slides easily over the material. (Note: When using the alcohol solution, the material will adhere to the paint very quickly, so it is necessary to work quickly to achieve the desired appearance.) 2 From the center of the area that is now free of slip solution, make a horizontal pass with the squeegee to the edge of the hood. Then, starting back at the center, make short, upward, overlapping strokes from the middle to the top edge, moving toward the side of the hood. Do the same with downward strokes from the middle to the bottom edge. Keep in mind that firm pressure is needed in order to avoid leaving water or air bubbles trapped underneath the material. Squeegee the trailing edge of the kit down into the ridge on the hood until it is completely sealed. This can be difficult, so pay close attention to this step. Drag your fingertips downward through the contoured area using firm pressure and hold. Doing this will stretch the material down into the heavily contoured area and pull out the majority of excess material along the front edge of the kit. It is important to not let the material pop back up in the area above your fingertips. For the most part, suction alone will be holding down the material. If you do not hold firm, even pressure with your fingertips on the material, air will be allowed back in and the material will lift back up. A small bubble under the material is allowable. If you encounter larger bubbles, you may need to release the material, re-wet the area and retry this step. With the material now in this position, follow behind your fingertips with the squeegee to complete this step. While stretching downward on the film around the grille, squeegee the film from the ridge to the headlamp, using firm pressure. If any area around the edges has lifted back up, wrap a non-scratch cloth or lint free paper towel around your squeegee and go over the edges again. This will absorb the moisture around the edges that interferes with adhesion. Repeat these steps for the opposite side of the hood. FENDERS: You may use the alcohol solution alone for application of smaller fender pieces. It is usually best to start by lining up the upper edge of the piece with the edge of the fender, while ensuring that the front edge of the material is about 1/8” from the edge of the fender. Make a very gentle narrow pass with the squeegee along the upper edge of the kit piece. Too much pressure on the squeegee when making the first pass may drag the material out of place with the squeegee. As the material begins to adhere to the paint, you may use increasingly firmer strokes until all the alcohol solution is removed from beneath the upper edge of the material. Once the material is anchored at the top, gently pull the bottom edge down with your fingers, while making sure that the adhesive is thoroughly wet with the alcohol solution. While pulling downward on the material, make a firm pass with the squeegee from the top edge all the way to the bottom edge. 3 Finish by passing the squeegee over any remaining “fingers” in the material. For vehicles with heavily contoured fenders, you may need to wrap the squeegee with a non-scratch cloth or lint free paper towel to push out any stubborn areas. MIRRORS: Thoroughly wet the mirror with the alcohol solution and lay out the material on the surface. Be sure to use enough solution so the kit moves freely on the surface. Align the kit so it is positioned evenly around the edge of the mirror and squeegee the inside edge in place. With wet fingers, stretch the material outward firmly until most of the excess wrinkles are pulled out from the top and bottom of the kit. Using very firm pressure, squeegee from the inside edge of the mirror to the outside edge. Use a firm amount of pressure to cause the squeegee to flex, indicating enough pressure to lay the material down evenly. Squeegee the wrinkles that remain on the edges. Once again, you should notice a bend in the squeegee indicating enough pressure to lay down the material evenly. Go over the edges with a squeegee wrapped in a non-scratch cloth or lint free paper towel, to ensure the material does not lift back up. FINISHING TOUCHES: When all the pieces of the kit have been applied, check all the edges to make sure nothing has lifted up. If any area has a small finger that has developed, spray some alcohol solution into the finger and squeegee again, and hold your finger on the squeegeed spot for a minute or so to make the material stay down. Make sure the vehicle is not washed for at least 24 hours. APPLICATION HINTS: You can’t use too much solution. Overlap strokes to avoid trapping air or solution under the material. Pay special attention to curves and contours where bubbles most often form. Excessive stretching is not recommended; however, some gentle stretching may be required to fit some curves. The material may be gently pulled back again if necessary to reposition the kit, or if dirt, air or excessive solution is under the material. Do not worry about small bubbles of solution 4 trapped under the material as the solution will evaporate over time, making the spot unnoticeable. Air must be removed, however. Check the kit often for bubbles as any attempt to pull back the material must be done within ten (10) minutes of application or excessive stretching will occur. If the material is accidentally stretched too far, the kit may overlap the pattern area on the vehicle. When this occurs, it will be necessary to trim the edges of the kit with an Olfa knife or other window-tinting knife. Take extra care not to cut all the way through the material into the paint. Only cut through the urethane layer, and not all the way through the adhesive and into the paint. Be very gentle and increase pressure only if necessary to get through the film. Pull away the excess film with your fingernail. Applying relief cuts may be tricky. It is imperative not to stretch the area around the relief cut, or you will have a more difficult time with the application. If you are unsure about how to handle the area around the relief cut, or if you have any questions, before you begin call our toll free number: 1-800-839-1557. CARE INSTRUCTIONS: No special care is necessary for the kit once installed. Wash and wax the vehicle as you normally would. When using high-pressure sprayers, do not place the nozzle directly against the edges of the kit or lifting may occur. You may experience a wax build-up along the hood lines or kit edges. Use a cotton swab or soft brush to gently wipe away excess wax. Swirl marks can be buffed out with a light coat of wax. Avoid picking at the edges or corners, as irreparable lifting of the material will result. 5