Ceramic coating real life swirl/scratch resistance

[Whacky]

Wondering what everyone’s experience with swirls, marking, and light scratches on their coated cars?

im asking because I just got my car coated with Gtechniq Serum Ultra followed by two coats of EXO as topcoats.
I thought this professionally only coating would be tops for protection and help prevent light swirls, etc.

However I was doing a little quick detailing of the car with CarPro Ech2o/reload mixture using one eagles edgeless to wipe down, and a second, clean eagle edgeless to do final buff. Nothing crazy there.

I noticed however in one section of the hood I had inadvertently created a very light swirl scratch with the light buff.
I was pretty shocked and kinda upset it had happened.


This detailing was done with pretty new, recently washed towels using recommended towel cleaning methods.
The buff wasn’t done with any significant force. I was genuinely surprised I had just created a light swirl.

I did not expect that my new expensive ceramic coating would be susceptible to such marking done with what I thought was pretty careful procedure.


I wanted to know if other people have experienced similar swirls or light scratchs with their coatings using good technique?

Obviously I am aware that a coating isn’t completely immune to marring, but I wouldn’t have expected it to happen so easily with what I thought was careful technique.

Anything related to the Gtechniq Crystal serum Ultra or EXO?

Thoughts?

[Rsurfer]

How long did the coating cure?

[FrankS]

Not surprised.

EXO, though it has great hydrophobic properties, it tends to be on the soft side.

Unfortunately, you will probably get more minor swirls over time as you wash and dry the car.

Of course, the more careful you are the less the marring, but anytime you touch the car you risk inducing some swirls or marring. Any little grain of dirt trapped in your wash or dry media can cause that.

[DaveT435]

The Crystal Serum Ultra is extremely hard and scratch resistant. As mentioned the EXO not as much. You can polish the scratches out with a fine polish and reapply EXO to that area.

Just curious, you said recently washed not just washed. Do you use your towels more than once without washing them, and where do you store your towels?

[C5Longhorn]

My experience has been that they aren't any different than clear coat.

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[Wade_660]

Yea I used nanoskin mega trend on my wife’s Tahoe that’s supposed to be super hard. Put swirls on it in the first month even though I’m super careful. I put swirls in it with a waffle weave drying towel with virtually no pressure. I no longer believe the hype although I’ll continue to use coatings.


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[C5Longhorn]

Yea I used nanoskin mega trend on my wife’s Tahoe that’s supposed to be super hard. Put swirls on it in the first month even though I’m super careful. I put swirls in it with a waffle weave drying towel with virtually no pressure. I no longer believe the hype although I’ll continue to use coatings.


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkSame here, I like coatings but don't buy that I'm gaining much protection from hardness.

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[Whacky]

So the towels were new eagle edgeless towels. Washed before use using micro restore.
Stored in a new garage cabinet that hasn’t had anything else on the shelf aside from these new towels.

So I am hoping nothing was in the towel from storage or wash.

I was curious about the EXO topcoat being softer than the Crystal serum ultra, because gtechniq markets the Ultra coating as extremely durable. But the EXO topcoat being softer. Seems to negate the point of the coating from a scratch resistance standpoint.

[Whacky]

Also, the car was sitting at the detailer forat least 48-72 hours covered and indoor after the coating was applied. It had been probably at least a solid week prior to when I did my light detailing.

What is the total time it takes to cure to its final, ultimate hardness?

[FrankS]

Looks like you did everything properly with the towels and used good quality towels. The towels were not your problem.

Gtechniq Ultra is harder and more durable than EXO. The issue with these harder, more durable coatings is that sometimes they are not as hydrophobic as other less durable ones. I think there’s a trade off there. Hence the custom of using a topper coating with more hydrophobic properties that are sometimes softer and more scratch sensitive.

[Whacky]

So it sounds like the softer, more hydrophobic topcoat EXO is softer than I anticipated.
Definitely going to be even more anal about things moving forward.

I wonder what regular use with C2V3 or Reload or Ech2o as a drying aid would do to the scratch resistance of the EXO topper, or what effect they will have on the light swirls already there.

Luckily I have been made aware of this prior to doing any real significant work. I guess I just expected a much harder, more resistant coating.

[FrankS]

EXO does have some amazing hydrophobic properties. I have two coats on the sides of my car and I like the way the water just jumps off the surface, slick and easier to maintain.

If you use something to top EXO then you’ll be losing the properties EXO has to offer.

You could just continue to be careful with your washing, let EXO run it’s course (I think 12 or 18 months), live with a few swirls, then lightly repolish and apply EXO again or they may have something better by then. They’re always coming out with something new and improved.

[parshisa]

From my experience coatings do not help with swirls at all. 2 month old CQUK, washed the car 3-4 times and quite a few scratches/swirls on the hood already. I’m 99% confident in my routine and tools I use. I think regardless to how you wash swirls and scratches are inevitable.


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[Ronin47]

The coating isn’t as hard as the clear and clear swirls easily so that should clear confusion. If simple cleaner waxes remove coatings that should speak loads. I have coated and uncoated waxed or sealed cars and both marr or swirl equally. Coatings were hyped up as maintenance free initially then low maintenance but now seem like the highest maintenance lsp ever since the history of detailing. I see regression in that regard not progression. Toppers for coating? Toppers for the toppers? Protection for the protection for the protection?

I see the wax and sealant crowd as the smart guys recently.

[BudgetPlan1]

Coatings were hyped up as maintenance free initially then low maintenance but now seem like the highest maintenance lsp ever since the history of detailing. I see regression in that regard not progression. Toppers for coating? Toppers for the toppers? Protection for the protection for the protection?

I see the wax and sealant crowd as the smart guys recently.

I dunno, it depends on your level of OCD, I guess. Since I coated our cars, less washing with fewer maint products involved; Gyeon Foam, Gyeon Bathe, booster as drying aid. And Foam is of dubious value, but fun.

As for scratches/marring, gonna happen regardless of coated or not...coatings work for me because they keep car looking cleaner with less effort. Not pristine, but good enough for me. I value self cleaning abilities and don't really pay attention to claimed hardness or resistance to scratching, swirling.

I actually am starting to believe some of the hydrophobic top coats are more prone to marring than bare paint.