Review - Sonax Spray and Seal.

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: PimTac
I’ve heard of the issues with coatings and some products that limited their shelf life once opened. Clogged nozzles comes to mind.

I checked the bottle again thoroughly and also the Sonax website. No mention of limited lifespan.


I think I figured out why. The Sonax product is not SiO2 (silica) based, so that explains why there is not a limited shelf life.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: PimTac
I’ve heard of the issues with coatings and some products that limited their shelf life once opened. Clogged nozzles comes to mind.

I checked the bottle again thoroughly and also the Sonax website. No mention of limited lifespan.


I think I figured out why. The Sonax product is not SiO2 (silica) based, so that explains why there is not a limited shelf life.




I had to check the bottle. It contains modified siloxanes, silicones and isopropanol.

My error. This product was discusssed in other forums with comparisons to Gyeon Cure, CarPro Reset and some others. That suggested the idea is was silica based. Assumption on my part.


So far the shine is holding up. I hope to do a quick rinse off or a quick wash in the next few days. The car does have some dirt and tree pollen on it. I’ll post how the sheeting and beading are holding up even at this early stage.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: PimTac
I did not see one.


That is odd. Most silica based products have a limited lifespan- usually a year or less. Is this a silica based product?


Ive not personally encountered an issue with using a product longer than that. What happens?

If the Sonax stuff doesn't do that, it would be a benefit.

Does Sonax claim uv protection?

 

[InvalidUserID]

Thanks for sharing your experience with this product. I saw it recently on my Amazon suggested items.

If anyone is familiar with Sonax products, would this be redundant to use with Sonax Net Shield? I'm unfamiliar with sealants and such.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted By: InvalidUserID
Thanks for sharing your experience with this product. I saw it recently on my Amazon suggested items.

If anyone is familiar with Sonax products, would this be redundant to use with Sonax Net Shield? I'm unfamiliar with sealants and such.



Good question. I would lean towards being redundant. The Sonax PNS you mentioned is a excellent sealant with a nice lifespan of 6-8 months in general. I would look into using the Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer with each wash. Use it while you dry the car and it will boost the shine and add some lifespan to the PNS.

 

[demarpaint]

Looks good, thanks for the review.

 

[PimTac]

Update:

Today I washed the car as we are having our Sept summer encore. The water beading is holding up quite nicely. The car is shiny even though a bit of dirt and dust is built up on the horizontal parts.

A quick rinse took about 90% of that dirt off. I went ahead and gave it a full wash with Sonax car wash. While it didn't need it I went ahead and resprayed with the Spray and Seal.

I really like this product for its convenience and quickness. The one thing I have noticed is that you are paying for that convenience. As a comparison, the Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer gives about the same protection and costs less. I am guessing around six months of protection from either product based on mild weather.

If you are time constrained, then the Spray and Seal is a product made for you. If you want to save a few bucks the the Brilliant Shine Detailer is just as good with just a little more effort.

 

[jimbrewer]

Detailer is protective of the finish like wax?

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by jimbrewer
Detailer is protective of the finish like wax?




In the case of the Sonax BSD, yes. Not all detailers will achieve this.

The Sonax BSD has some sealant property to it. If you apply it to a non waxed or sealed car it will provide beading and sheeting results just like a wax or sealant. It is a unique product in that class.

If you do have a waxed or sealed car then using the BSD in the maintenance wash schedule will help to extend the primary protection. It's also very easy to do if you use it as you dry. That is a perfect way to help dry the car and add shine and a little more protection in one step.

 

[PimTac]

I'm bumping this thread to give an update.

We finally broke 50F here and the car definitely needed washing. I used the Sonax car wash product I already have which took the dirt right off. Afterwards I noticed the sheeting ability of the Sonax Spray and Seal was gone for the most part. There was still some beading but not ideal. The last time I applied the S&S was in November. I suspected it had worn during the winter so I would give it a three month lifespan or maybe for months for winter weather.

This time around after washing I went with the Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer. Since it wasn't all that warm I experienced some streaking but that is easily taken care of.

I also applied Gyeon Perserve to the black plastic trim in the exterior. This is a great product and after about 9 months I could see it was not as effective in repealing dirt buildup as before. I highly recommend this product. Easy to apply. It produces a matte finish which most detailers will recommend. It has uv protection built in with its SiO2 component. It can be used inside as well.

All the door and hatch seals got treated with Gummi Pflege.

 

[blupupher]

I just bought some Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer. Have not used it on a full vehicle yet.

I did 1/4 of the hood on my mom's '07 Saturn Vue last week (1/4 Sonax, 1/4 Turtle Wax Ice paste, 1/4 NuFinish, 1/4 nothing).
She does not know I did it (the untreated side is on the pass side), and I have not had a chance to look at it since I did it. I know the Sonax and Ice had amazing beading, NuFinish was OK.
I plan on doing my Scion next week sometime once the pollen lets up a little.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by blupupher
I just bought some Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer. Have not used it on a full vehicle yet.

I did 1/4 of the hood on my mom's '07 Saturn Vue last week (1/4 Sonax, 1/4 Turtle Wax Ice paste, 1/4 NuFinish, 1/4 nothing).
She does not know I did it (the untreated side is on the pass side), and I have not had a chance to look at it since I did it. I know the Sonax and Ice had amazing beading, NuFinish was OK.
I plan on doing my Scion next week sometime once the pollen lets up a little.




I find that if you slightly dampen the cloth you will use to apply the Sonax BSD, it will go easier on the surface. The other option is to use it as a drying aid of sorts. Spray as you dry. The little bit of water helps to make the application process smoother.

Another tip is to spray onto the cloth you use rather than directly on the body. It doesn't take much and once the cloth is loaded it will take even less product. Less is better in this case.

Let us know how it turns out.

 

[demarpaint]

I have a feeling I will be checking this out soon. Thanks for posting. The car you did looks great!

A stupid question. Is this the same stuff? Spray and seal on Ebay They use a different number, and a slightly different description, I'd rather not get hosed....... Thanks.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by demarpaint
I have a feeling I will be checking this out soon. Thanks for posting. The car you did looks great!

A stupid question. Is this the same stuff? Spray and seal on Ebay They use a different number, and a slightly different description, I'd rather not get hosed....... Thanks.




The number is different. Here it is sold by a reputable dealer. Cheaper as well.

https://www.autopia-carcare.com/sonax-spray-and-seal.html

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by demarpaint
I have a feeling I will be checking this out soon. Thanks for posting. The car you did looks great!

A stupid question. Is this the same stuff? Spray and seal on Ebay They use a different number, and a slightly different description, I'd rather not get hosed....... Thanks.




The number is different. Here it is sold by a reputable dealer. Cheaper as well.

https://www.autopia-carcare.com/sonax-spray-and-seal.html

Thanks. I had a feeling it might be a touch of deceptive advertising. The free shipping was the lure.

 

[blupupher]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by blupupher
I just bought some Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer. Have not used it on a full vehicle yet.

I did 1/4 of the hood on my mom's '07 Saturn Vue last week (1/4 Sonax, 1/4 Turtle Wax Ice paste, 1/4 NuFinish, 1/4 nothing).
She does not know I did it (the untreated side is on the pass side), and I have not had a chance to look at it since I did it. I know the Sonax and Ice had amazing beading, NuFinish was OK.
I plan on doing my Scion next week sometime once the pollen lets up a little.




I find that if you slightly dampen the cloth you will use to apply the Sonax BSD, it will go easier on the surface. The other option is to use it as a drying aid of sorts. Spray as you dry. The little bit of water helps to make the application process smoother.

Another tip is to spray onto the cloth you use rather than directly on the body. It doesn't take much and once the cloth is loaded it will take even less product. Less is better in this case.

Let us know how it turns out.

Yeah, I read that as well.

When I did the portion of my mom's hood, I just sprayed a little on the hood and wiped with a microfiber. I had read that it does not take a lot, and it did not.
I plan on the first time doing it with a damp cloth to get a good coating on, then probably use it as a drying aid every few washes after that.