Ceramic coat - maintenance

[jvamagic]

Hi,

I preformed a two stage correction polish and then prepped the car so I put a coat of GTechniq CSL. The car came out pretty good if I do say so myself.
I ran out of time and did not get around to putting down a coat of GTechniq EXO (I purchased the GTechniq EXO and CSL Kit).

It's been a week now and want to put down a coat of EXO. Can I wash the car with the current car wash cleanser I have (CG Honeydew Snow Foam) and then coat the car or do I need to use a specific car wash soap to maintain the integrity of CSL?

Can I use GTechniq EXO on another car (since I own 4 cars) if it's not really necessary on my car that currently has a coat of CSL??

Also, going forward, can I use the CG soap that I have (I have two gallons of CG soap) or should I use different soaps? I
I have quite a bit of CG V7 sealant spray as well. Can I use this on a ceramic coated car after washing the car?


Thanks in advance,

~JV

[The Guz]

I was looking at Gtechniq's site as I applied Exo right after CSL or a day after. Here is what they state.

If you are applying over CSL, EXOv4 can either be applied straight away after you have finished applying CSL starting the process at the same place you did with CSL and following the same order of panels you did with CSL, or it can be applied up to 24 hours after finishing the CSL application

If you ask me I think you would be fine applying Exo a week later. I am not familiar with that shampoo so I can not say if it will cause any issues if applying Exo. But if you use a prep wipe (ie panel wipe) you should be ok.

I will mention this, CSL's water behavior is ok. It is more sheeting rather than beading. Exo is the icing on the cake for this combo if one likes that tight water beading. It also seems to have a better self cleaning effect than CSL as a stand alone. Try applying Exo in a few spots and see if you like it.

To answer your questions you most certainly can use Exo as a stand alone coating.

Technically you would want a maintenance product that is designed for coatings. With that said you will be ok using V7. Just be aware that it may mask the coatings properties for a short time.

If you look on Gtechniq's site they show their quick detailer as the only maintenance product. It does work well with their coatings. Others like to use c2v3.

[JWilliams.RadiantDetail]

That soap will be fine, and V7 will be fine, it only lasts 2-3 days as far as I can remember anyways lol. Boy does it look great when 1st applied though.

[jvamagic]

That soap will be fine, and V7 will be fine, it only lasts 2-3 days as far as I can remember anyways lol. Boy does it look great when 1st applied though.

@the_gus and @williams Thanks for the replies.

What detail spray would you recommend aside from gtechniq and v7?
Best bang for the buck.

[AutowerxDetailing]

A ceramic detail spray will better maintain the hydrophobic self-cleaning properties of your coatings. I highly recommend CarPro Elixir. One of my favorite new products.

[Bruno Soares]

I was a user of CG honey dew in the past. Works really well. But I would not use it on a car with ceramic coating. The gloss enhancers in that soap really mask the hydrophobic properties of a coating and will likely affect its self cleaning abilities. Perhaps save it for washing wheel and other cars without a coating?

On a coated car I’d use CarPro Reset or Meguiar’s Hyper Wash if you prefer something a little cheaper.

[The Guz]

@the_gus and @williams Thanks for the replies.

What detail spray would you recommend aside from gtechniq and v7?
Best bang for the buck.

If you want to stick with a detail spray meant for coatings then the two I would recommend are CarPro Elxir and Ech20. Ech20 is a waterless wash but it is quite versatile in it's use. It won't leave durable protection behind but it makes for an excellent drying aid and quick detailer at 1:20 to primarily add gloss and slickness. Elixir on the other hand will leave protection behind which will get you around 4-6 weeks. It works as a drying aid as well. I would recommend getting both and alternating between the two.