Ask the Detailer

A couple of new Griots products I saw yesterday: Everyone is throwing “ceramic” into their product names nowadays, but Griots has as good a track record as anyone. One of you guys should try them and let us know.

 

I’ll be a a lab rat. It’s in my cart just gonna wait for the sale. I have $100 in rewards with autogeek which is always fun to try on new products. This would be a different option to spiked punch which I’m so hooked on.

 

I shot them an email for a product sheet to take a look at. The wash may be a great product to add to my products for ceramic maintenance.

 

They’re running a different sale every day until Christmas. Today’s isn’t great.

 

Definitely interested in some reviews. Both products would probably be great for what you’re talking about.

 

The nice thing about Griots is that they have their own chemists....and are generally not quick to the market with a new product. They've built a solid product line, back it with a legitimate guarantee and great customer service.

 

I am picking up some Purple Power Vehicle and Boat wash to help strip waxes before I ceramic coat my wife's van (test subject lol). When using....is it just something like a capful or 2 per gallon and wash as you normally would? Use it a couple times before I coat it (like wash it a couple different times in weeks before for anticipation of coating it)? Haven't used it before and don't know how harsh it is. TIA

 

Never used that soap but what I will ask is.

what coating are you going with?

do you plan on a detox and clay?

polish?

also buy yourself a bottle of eraser by carpro. Good coatings all come down to the surface prep. The better you do the prep the longer the coating maintains it performance and durability. They also require frequent maintenance which I know will be no issue for you but I mention for the sake of good information for others. I personally use the hell out of eraser nowadays not just for coatings but for sealants as well.

 

my plan as of now is the following:

wash (planned with purple power boat and vehicle wash)
clay and iron remover
polish (compound if necessary, but i don't think i have to)
eraser by carpro (neighbor/friend/coworker has a bottle he said I can use. shouldn't need whole thing anyway)
ceramic coating is Armor Shield IX by Avalon King (Pan the Organizer convinced me I can do it for ease of use and longevity of a claimed 5 year coating)

planned to use carpro's reset to wash unless suggestions for something else. I've used the Meguiar's Ultimate Wash n Wax, but heard/read that using a wash with a wax in it is dumb/pointless and just get a good pH neutral soap. (open to suggestions)

 

I would dilute it per the instructions first, which is 6oz/Gallon. It will strip most waxes and sealants off of a car's paint as its not pH neutral . Brian form Apex has a video on it:

https://youtu.be/wyM2xsXeI2E

Scott from Dallas Paint has a vid on it too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWpRnnhKGzY

 

Ur good. Reset is the only soap I use. If your doing a polish and decon clay it won’t matter if you use purple soap. I follow those steps but always just use reset. Don’t know much about that coating but I’m sure it’s good. Have fun.

 

For ceramic coatings CarPro Reset is good but expensive. Any pH neutral soap can work, like Meguiar's Gold Class or something similar. Stay away from the Wash and Waxes as they can interfere with the hydrophobic properties of your ceramic coating. If you need to wax/seal your coating you can try The Last Coat (ver2.0) or Beadmaker, these play very well with ceramic coatings. Generally I would say use what your coating manufacture recommends with their products. The quick spray hybrid ceramic waxes also work well with the ceramic coatings.

Addition options for ceramic friendly soaps:
Cheap options
https://canadiangearhead.com/best-soap-for-ceramic-coated-cars/

 

Even though expensive, CarPro Reset is the wash of choice for a coated car. Meguiars Gold Class, like several other soaps, contain gloss enhancers which you do not want or need. Coatings work best when clean, and you want a soap that leaves nothing behind. I do like your process, and when you combine all the other steps you're taking, that surface should be well prepped for your coating. As a topper, BeadMaker would work well, as would Ethos Defy. There are a couple of folks on here who use Griots 3 in 1 Ceramic as a topper....I've not used it that way.

Please post pics when you're done, as well as a review of that coating, as that's one I'm not familiar with. I'd like to hear how it was to apply, wipe off, and how forgiving it was as it pertains to high spot removal, if you have any to deal with.

 

Will do. I believe Pan the organizer said it was easier to apply/remove than quartz 3.0. Supposed to last 5 or 7 years(condition obviously play a factor). But I'll update on process for sure. Like I said, testing on my wife's van since its white.

 

CarPro ECH2O was the other product for water restricted areas. Its safe on ceramics.

 

For stripping, I use 3 oz (~1/3 cup) per gallon.

 

I agree with @briarpatch I personally like cquartz 3.0 and have had no issues with using it so if the coating your doing is easier and lasts longer then I would say go for it.

 

@Fotnot
If you haven't purchased your AK kit yet use code SHIFT25 for $25 off of your order.

 

I ordered the kit and used the PAN25 discount for $25 off. Got 2 bottle kits for 80 with discounts and discount code

 

It actually came in the mail today when it was scheduled for the 18th.

 

So my friend thought she would be funny and leave a message in the dirt on my wife’s black van. Still there and I’m pissed. I’m sure it’ll buff out but any good reccos on products to use?

 

Did they just write it with their finger?

 

RE: Soaps for Ceramics. Avalon King is a stand alone product and isn't supported by its own detailing product line. Since it wasn't mentioned, in this case I would consider the SiO2(ceramic) infused class of soaps for maintenance washes. These are pH neutral and meant to be used with ceramic coated cars specifically. There are a handful that come to mind, some haven't even been on the market too long (like the TurtleWax Hybrid Ceramic). A few notable (not comprehensive) SiO2 soaps are: Angelwax Enigma Ceramic, McKee's SiO2, Gtechniq W1 GWash, and Gyeon Q2M Bathe. The other major brands have their versions of these as well.

If you go this route and you intend to use a topper (not required but can enhance the life and properties of coatings) on an SiO2 soap washed car I would stick to using SiO2 based toppers; ideally from the same brand as the SiO2 soap. In this scenario (using SiO2 soaps) I recommend avoiding the polymer based stuff unless you know it will play well with the other products; with too many layers of chemical coatings you run the risk of stacking too much on one another. Streaking issues or poor performance from mixing are common; e.g. the topper wont bond properly and fails early or it wont perform properly such as poor beading, sheen or reduced slickness.

So to recap:

• Scenario 1 Ceramic maint: Wash with any pH neutral nonwax soap of choice. Option to apply any topper of choice (including SiO2 toppers)
  
• Scenario 2 Ceramic maint: Wash with SiO2 soap. Option to apply only SiO2 topper of choice

Both are viable approaches to ceramic coating care, the only drawback in Scenario 1 is cure times and required curing conditions of some toppers. Some have short cure times, some take a few hours. SiO2 toppers usually have short cure times and don't have restrictive environmental constraints.

 

yep

 

Just want to point out that even though it’s expensive, Carpro Reset is highly concentrated and you use very little in the bucket. It’s a 500:1 dilution ratio, approx 1 ounce per 4 gallons of water. As much washing as I do, I use maybe a bottle a year. (I generally use about 3/4 of an ounce and 3 gallons of water.) For an average user I could easily see that bottle lasting a couple of years.

In my opinion Reset is substantially better than any other soap I’ve used. Works better in the heat than standard soaps do for sure, and leaves nothing behind.

 

What did you use to try to get it off? Some ScratchX and a clean towel will probably do the trick.

 

That’s why I took it more seriously than similar products I’ve run across. Griots takes their products very seriously and don’t just throw things on the label for marketing.

 

I'll try that. I left it alone and then threw some water and soap but it's obviously gonna need more than that.

 

You may garner something from this Apex Detail video:
https://youtu.be/2l8E-xVbDlA

 

Looks like Avalon King has a paint prep product and shampoo but I don't see it on their site or any dealer/installer marketplaces:
https://youtu.be/HzZADdU661M