Questions about ceramic coatings/sealants

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
11,526
Location
OH
With these long lasting sealants we have now such as the new spray on ceramics (like the hybrid Meguiar's) and sealants like K1000, what do you use as a maintenance product? For example, once one of these products is applied, I wouldn't want to keep reapplying them each time I detail the vehicle. Would I just use a quick detailer each time? Would this keep the sealant in tact, or would it remove it?
 
I wish I knew!

Years ago, I wouldn't consider these sealants much different than the waxes/silicones we used and thought it to be just marketing. Today, these auto parts stores(Meguiar's and others)sealants may be different/better, IDK!

I only quick detail my vehicles now(every time to every other time I wash the vehicle) and they look awesome all the time. And my vehicles kept outside for as long as 15-18 yrs of our ownership.

Our weather here in NY State aren't any different than yours in OH meaning, )))HOT((( in the summer and brutally (((COLD))) in the winter.
 
I put a sealant on once a year and then just wash with a fast-wax built into the wash product the rest of the year. Body always looks great and we have the same weather as you only colder. (Friends of mine live in Cinci).

My neighbour had the ceramic coating put on his ram and he just washes the car with the same stuff I do and no issues.
 
It depends on how often you wash your car. A spray sealant may only give you three months of protection depending on climate etc. You are paying for some convenience and time saving.

For washes in between application of sealant, a good spray wax or a quick detailer works well. A detailer like Sonax Brilliant Shine has some sealant properties to it. These give you a sacrificial layer so to speak. Say if you wash your car every month, you could apply the spray sealant after the first wash and then for the next two use a spray wax or detailer as you dry. In time you will see how long the sealant holds up.
 
None. There are soaps out there which leave some sort of wax behind (ex. 1Z Einszett Perls Shampoo) if you want something that doesn't require an extra step and by extension introduce additional marring to the clear coat.
 
I don't plan on doing traditional washes, like using a bucket of suds and a water hose between sealant applications. I'm talking about just using a spray cleaner/detailer. I realize you can use the Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic every time on a wet vehicle, but I don't want to wet the vehicle down every time I detail it.
 
How exactly are you going to remove dirt that builds up on the paint surface overtime?
 
I had OptiCoat Pro applied almost 5 years ago, July 2014, to my Durango.

It still performs as well today as it did in July 2014. They gave me a bottle of Opticoat brand car wash to wash it with. I still have that bottle and its unopened. I have never hand washed, hand waxed, or did anything by hand to the paint. Its only been through touchless tunnel car washes. Nothing sticks to it. Waterspots from rain? Go through the carwash, or wait til it rains again and drive it before the water dries.

The proper way to apply it is to first do a full paint correction, because any imperfections in the paint are locked in then.
So it is expensive to have done. IIRC it was at least $1000, maybe $1100. This includes all metal, plastic, and glass. The entire body.
 
Originally Posted by parshisa
How exactly are you going to remove dirt that builds up on the paint surface overtime?


This car will be a garage queen, so dirt build-up isn't going to happen. Most, if not all of my detailing will be for dust removal. The only time the car may get dirty is if I happen to get caught in the rain, then I would use a pressure washer to remove the dirt...
 
I'd strongly recommend against quick detailers - they are not intended for even slight dirt removal. Look into rinseless or waterless washes. ONR would the most cost effective option. Bottle of ONR and 5-7 high quality microfiber towels will do the trick. Plenty of videos on youtube as well a ton of info on Autogeek forum.
 
+1 on the ONR.

If the car is super dirty, I do the two-bucket method with Griots Brilliant Shine car wash, then while it's wet I put two capfuls of ONR in about 3/4 gallon of distilled water and apply it to the car with a microfiber towel soaking wet with the solution. Then dry with waffle weave towels.
If barely dirty I just rinse with water and ONR like above.

Using the ONR puts a thin coating that's very shiny and dust/pollen doesn't seem to be attracted to it. Seems to be electrically neutral, don't know for sure.

I wash the car every weekend if I can.
 
Another great product (especially if the car is ceramic coated) would be CarPro's ECH2O. Can be used as a rinseless wash or diluted with the distilled water as a quick detailer/drying aid. Has some SiO2 in it and will leave some protection/beading properties
 
Originally Posted by parshisa
I'd strongly recommend against quick detailers - they are not intended for even slight dirt removal. Look into rinseless or waterless washes. ONR would the most cost effective option. Bottle of ONR and 5-7 high quality microfiber towels will do the trick. Plenty of videos on youtube as well a ton of info on Autogeek forum.





This is a good idea.

Just power washing will not remove all the contamination. You need a good soap like ONR that has plenty of lubricity to safely remove decontamination without scratching.
 
Originally Posted by sasilverbullet
+1 on the ONR.

If the car is super dirty, I do the two-bucket method with Griots Brilliant Shine car wash, then while it's wet I put two capfuls of ONR in about 3/4 gallon of distilled water and apply it to the car with a microfiber towel soaking wet with the solution. Then dry with waffle weave towels.
If barely dirty I just rinse with water and ONR like above.

Using the ONR puts a thin coating that's very shiny and dust/pollen doesn't seem to be attracted to it. Seems to be electrically neutral, don't know for sure.

I wash the car every weekend if I can.


If the car was super dirty, I would use a pressure washer on it first, so not to grind dirt into the paint with a wash mitt or sponge. At that point it would be safe to wash with the two bucket method or the ONR, I would think anyway. After watching a few videos on the ONR, I think that will do the trick for doing quick detailings in between the full on detailings (for removing light dust and such)...
 
Originally Posted by parshisa
I'd strongly recommend against quick detailers - they are not intended for even slight dirt removal. Look into rinseless or waterless washes. ONR would the most cost effective option. Bottle of ONR and 5-7 high quality microfiber towels will do the trick. Plenty of videos on youtube as well a ton of info on Autogeek forum.

Originally Posted by sasilverbullet
+1 on the ONR.

If the car is super dirty, I do the two-bucket method with Griots Brilliant Shine car wash, then while it's wet I put two capfuls of ONR in about 3/4 gallon of distilled water and apply it to the car with a microfiber towel soaking wet with the solution. Then dry with waffle weave towels.
If barely dirty I just rinse with water and ONR like above.

Using the ONR puts a thin coating that's very shiny and dust/pollen doesn't seem to be attracted to it. Seems to be electrically neutral, don't know for sure.

I wash the car every weekend if I can.



+2 on the ONR. I have some in my garage.
 
Originally Posted by grampi
Originally Posted by sasilverbullet
+1 on the ONR.

If the car is super dirty, I do the two-bucket method with Griots Brilliant Shine car wash, then while it's wet I put two capfuls of ONR in about 3/4 gallon of distilled water and apply it to the car with a microfiber towel soaking wet with the solution. Then dry with waffle weave towels.
If barely dirty I just rinse with water and ONR like above.

Using the ONR puts a thin coating that's very shiny and dust/pollen doesn't seem to be attracted to it. Seems to be electrically neutral, don't know for sure.

I wash the car every weekend if I can.


If the car was super dirty, I would use a pressure washer on it first, so not to grind dirt into the paint with a wash mitt or sponge. At that point it would be safe to wash with the two bucket method or the ONR, I would think anyway. After watching a few videos on the ONR, I think that will do the trick for doing quick detailings in between the full on detailings (for removing light dust and such)...


Just buy a car cover specifically designed for interior storage and you'll never have to worry about this kind of stuff. OR if not a car cover then "bubble boy" the car. http://carcapsule.com/
 
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Originally Posted by grampi
Originally Posted by sasilverbullet
+1 on the ONR.

If the car is super dirty, I do the two-bucket method with Griots Brilliant Shine car wash, then while it's wet I put two capfuls of ONR in about 3/4 gallon of distilled water and apply it to the car with a microfiber towel soaking wet with the solution. Then dry with waffle weave towels.
If barely dirty I just rinse with water and ONR like above.

Using the ONR puts a thin coating that's very shiny and dust/pollen doesn't seem to be attracted to it. Seems to be electrically neutral, don't know for sure.

I wash the car every weekend if I can.


If the car was super dirty, I would use a pressure washer on it first, so not to grind dirt into the paint with a wash mitt or sponge. At that point it would be safe to wash with the two bucket method or the ONR, I would think anyway. After watching a few videos on the ONR, I think that will do the trick for doing quick detailings in between the full on detailings (for removing light dust and such)...


Just buy a car cover specifically designed for interior storage and you'll never have to worry about this kind of stuff. OR if not a car cover then "bubble boy" the car. http://carcapsule.com/


I've never seen a cover for any vehicle that didn't do more harm than good. The inside of the covers are a dust magnet and they usually end up putting more dust on the vehicle than if no cover is used. Plus putting them on and taking them off can put tiny micro scratches in the paint...
 
What kind of car are we talking about if I may ask? You mentioned it's a garage queen. So do we assume it will not be out on road much?
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
What kind of car are we talking about if I may ask? You mentioned it's a garage queen. So do we assume it will not be out on road much?


A Corvette. My definition and yours may be different of a garage queen. It will be driven, but only on nice days, and when I decide to take it on long trips. When not being driven it will be garage kept, and it will not be driven during the winter months.
 
Originally Posted by grampi
Originally Posted by sasilverbullet
+1 on the ONR.

If the car is super dirty, I do the two-bucket method with Griots Brilliant Shine car wash, then while it's wet I put two capfuls of ONR in about 3/4 gallon of distilled water and apply it to the car with a microfiber towel soaking wet with the solution. Then dry with waffle weave towels.
If barely dirty I just rinse with water and ONR like above.

Using the ONR puts a thin coating that's very shiny and dust/pollen doesn't seem to be attracted to it. Seems to be electrically neutral, don't know for sure.

I wash the car every weekend if I can.


If the car was super dirty, I would use a pressure washer on it first, so not to grind dirt into the paint with a wash mitt or sponge. At that point it would be safe to wash with the two bucket method or the ONR, I would think anyway. After watching a few videos on the ONR, I think that will do the trick for doing quick detailings in between the full on detailings (for removing light dust and such)...


Forgot to mention if it's SUPER dirty, I have a foam cannon that I use first, before the two bucket...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top