Griot’s 3-in-1 Ceramic Wax Review

Bro you are on a specific product thread claiming that your vehicle looks like shit after a month. Sounds like a product slam to me. At no point did you ask “what did I do wrong” I’m not saying this product does not have faults but you clearly have not done your homework. How many vehicles have you done with this product I’m up around 50. What was your exact process to applying it? What kind of leaves are we talking about? And why the hell do you just spray water on it instead of grabbing a bucket of soap and do it properly. It’s not fair to imply that it’s a product that failed you when you obviously failed the product.

 

If you want to do it right from the get just ask. The people here have tons of experience.

to be more constructive

I would

wash
Decon
Clay
Wash
Polish with da
Eraser
Apply griots 3-1
Let it cure 24hrs in a garage
Reapply second coat
Let cure again.

if you do all these steps and still have an issue then you can call me an ass.

 

I might be in trouble. I just washed with some chemical guys soap and applied the 3-1... oops?!

 

On your 2020?

this is why statements like his are poison. His vehicle obviously needed prep and correction before the sealant was applied. There is no genie in a bottle in the detail world. It takes work and dedication to the proper steps. Your 2020 should be good to go it hasn’t had enough time in the elements to have such issues. Your paint could use a decon but it’s fine. In no world are you going to walk out to your truck and it look like that. I don’t care if you park it outside under leaves.

 

Yep it’s a 20. I was just trying to lay down some protection before the snow showed up

 

I’ve seen plenty of roofs look like that, but only ones that weren’t washed regularly. I can’t imagine the product caused it directly, as I’ve not experienced this at all.

What was the weather like in the day or so after you applied it? Since you’re saying it was tough to wash off, I wonder if this stuff settled on your roof before the product had finished curing. That’s the only reason I can think of.
The roof will get this dirty when it hasn’t been washed recently, but it should wipe off pretty easily, even without a good sealant on it. Only time I’ve had difficulty with it is when it sat that way for a long time.

Since this isn’t the case for you, all I can think is that the crud got on there during the curing process. Considering you did it in late September, it’s quite possible that fall was starting and the trees kicked out a lot of junk on it right about then. None of the vehicles I’ve done have had this happen, but I didn’t do them when the trees were shedding.

Best bet, (in my non-professional opinion) is do a clay bar / decon, and reapply the product. Keep an eye on it for 24 hours to make sure nothing settles on it. Anything that settles on the paint during curing could get trapped in the sealant. Like I said, I’m only giving an educated answer since I haven’t experienced this. 3-in-1 leaves a hard coat, so it could be a hassle.

 

You’re probably fine, especially if you haven’t noticed an problems. Decon isn’t a must, it just helps the product to bond better, not to mention it makes your paint look a lot better to begin with. As long as your paint was clean, the product will work. It just won’t last as long as it would on decontaminated paint. That goes for any product though.

 

Definitely weird that it took a month for this to show up. Another thing is that stuff from the trees is very capable of eating into clear coat or sealants. The most confusing part is that it was that difficult to remove. This product has had the opposite effect for me. I could get my daughter’s Tundra pretty damned clean with just a hose rinse off after I applied this product.

 

I completely agree. It looks like my roof hasn't been washed since the Bush administration. I had a guy at work who's white Acura looked like this but he parked under a tree every day for a few years. He said it was impossible to keep clean.

I think it was actually nice for a few days until the 24th when it rained and I posted this picture, saying I was impressed with the hydrophobic properties.

That's probably a safe bet. I went back and read some of your posts in this thread and realized one mistake I made is that I didn't apply a 2nd coat. I don't remember reading that on the bottle or I missed it all together. That could also be an issue.

That's what I'll do. Thanks for the feedback.

 

I also missed the part about a second coat originally. It worked just fine on one in my opinion. Only difference I’d think it would have made was giving you an opportunity to inspect it and wipe off any contamination before the first coat fully cured.

It’s really a guessing game when it comes to a lot of these things. Not sure how any user error you made would’ve caused it. This stuff is pretty straightforward, so there’s really not much to mess up. Unless you were completely negligent and just applied it over crap that was already there I don’t see what you could’ve done to cause it. The pic you posted shows a clean vehicle, so that’s not the case.

Unless there was some invisible crap on the paint that took a while to show up, I’m thinking it’s just a weird circumstance. I’m not a scientist, so I can’t think of any reason that would have happened. It either had to occur during curing, or there was just some nasty stuff in the air at some point.

Maybe from a certain type of tree, a chemical plant nearby, etc. Hard to give a catch all answer because everyone’s environment varies.

 

wow. Some testy people on here. no one is calling your new baby ugly... lol. We need to step back ease up on the coffee.

As for decon, that's why it took me so long to try the Hydro2 I've had for 8 months. I was too afraid to use it unless I felt that I not only did a good job but a perfect job. I'm glad i did put it on as I hadn't realized how much the garbage dealership coating was degrading. After sealing, it's unreal. After adding the beadmaker... wow. If the beadmaker lasted longer I wouldn't even consider a change but the Griots is supposed to have much, much better useful life on the paint.

 

Ill take a sec to apologize for letting this get under my skin a bit. Maybe it was just timing but hey it is what it is. I spend a ton of time here on these detail forums and usually try and be very constructive and give people the information they may be looking for. @FirstGenVol i believe you may have had an issue with your application and I’d love to know what was the culprit of this situation. Sorry it got a little hot.

 

It's all good. I could have responded better as well. I have no idea what the issue is but I still think it's a good product and I plan on using it in the future.

 

After buying a gallon of this stuff a couple of weeks ago I still haven't had a chance to use it on the truck. BUT, my boat motor was in need of some attention so it got a little love this afternoon.

After a quick polish and a coat of 3 in 1 she's looking much, much better. I'll throw another coat on it tomorrow evening when I get home from work.

Man, you just gotta love these newer products. They're SOOOOOOOO much easier than the old school stuff.

 

You know it....I'm old enough to remember how happy we were when the original Turtle Wax came out!!!!

 

I can't say that I remember that but, I still have a can of Meguiars yellow carnauba sitting on the shelf. I hate that stuff.

 

Growth pattern looks like the mold we fight constantly in central Texas. It's on every outdoor surface here, and also on damp indoor surfaces if you're not vigilant. Trees are mold depositories. Rain washes it out of the air, off the trees, off everything, then it thrives on whatever it lands on. I wouldn't be surprised if it grew on your fresh detail job seemingly overnight. It can be hard to remove from any surface. Probably just an unusual set of circumstances.

 

What's the best winter wash method that will be the least harmful to the 3-1 protection? I normally do Optimum no rinse when not too dirty. Would just doing a hand rinse at the car wash be the best method when it's really dirty? Trying to avoid using the car wash soap.

 

I don’t know much about winter but my go to soap is CarPro reset

 

Snow and brined roads here in the winter. I try to keep the salt washed off, and I guess I'll see how the Griots holds up.

I have no intention of using a drive through car wash.

 

I haven’t tried to the Griot’s but I LOVE the Meguier’s spray on ceramic wax!

I bought after seeing a lot of good reviews. Here is one comparing the two:

https://youtu.be/sqbu5cli3C4

 

I bought some Griots 3 in 1 today. I read the SDS on the Griots website and its some seriously nasty shit. It would be worth while to read through it and wear all the PPE. Obviously the SDSs are worst case scenario but this one is particularly nasty in comparison to others ive read.

I am overly concerned about stuff like that and ill be the first to admit it but this is on the of the first products im not considering not using.

 

Have read about the Meguiers? You have me worried now lol

 

I wouldn't be worried just a heads up for future use, pretty much all waxes and spray detailers have nasty shit in them. I can't imagine they have enough in there to really mess you up. But the Griots has a chemical in it that says it can cause organ damage with a single exposure. When I see shit like that I make sure I follow their precautions. I mean it can't be that bad and what ever that chemical is probably in a super small amount but still....

 

I have not read the MSDS on 3 in 1, but I am not breathing this stuff in or ingesting it. I just know it works for me.

I wonder what the MSDS sheets would reveal for all of the other detailing products?

 

Keep in mind they have to tell you the worst of it....assuming you're reading the SDS. In most cases though, it's not gonna bother you at all in the extremely small doses it comes in. Most things will say to use in well ventilated areas for safety reasons, yet lots are scented with fruity/pleasant smells. If you pulled SDS on everything, you'd wear a condom just to take a bath ha.

 

LOL! Agree.

 

HA yeah im not paranoid but car cleaning products scare me for whatever reason

 

Can i ask....
How dirty is your vehicle?
Do you use automatic carwashes?
What do you wash your vehicle with?
What do you wear while washing your vehicles?

I'm not trying to be a d!ck, I just am a bit curious. You may very well know something I don't or do something I should.

 

I meant to say i'm wary of waxes