Ceramic coatings
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chrisj75
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Not Duraflex, but MOHS+ (applied professionally 12 months ago).
As it's the first time I've had a car coated, I can't really compare it to anything else, but in itself it's fantastic. First few months (over winter), it really helped with the cleaning process, most of the dirt just came off with snowfoam. A quick wash and dry, and it's back to the day it was done. Fast forward 12 months, and I think it's wearing off a bit. But, I use other Gyeon products as part of the washing process - Gyeon Bathe+ (as a wash, or applied a panel at a time to damp microfibre and rinsed off, then dried), or Gyeon Wet Coat (sprayed onto a wet panel, wiped off, rinsed & dried). Both give additional hydrophobicity, great beading.
Basically, to look after your coating, you need ph-neutral products, here's mine :
ph-neutral snow foam
ph-neutral wash/shampoo (Autoglym or Gyeon Bathe/Bathe+)
Gyeon Wet Coat
Gyeon Drying towel, soft cloth & polishing cloth
As it's the first time I've had a car coated, I can't really compare it to anything else, but in itself it's fantastic. First few months (over winter), it really helped with the cleaning process, most of the dirt just came off with snowfoam. A quick wash and dry, and it's back to the day it was done. Fast forward 12 months, and I think it's wearing off a bit. But, I use other Gyeon products as part of the washing process - Gyeon Bathe+ (as a wash, or applied a panel at a time to damp microfibre and rinsed off, then dried), or Gyeon Wet Coat (sprayed onto a wet panel, wiped off, rinsed & dried). Both give additional hydrophobicity, great beading.
Basically, to look after your coating, you need ph-neutral products, here's mine :
ph-neutral snow foam
ph-neutral wash/shampoo (Autoglym or Gyeon Bathe/Bathe+)
Gyeon Wet Coat
Gyeon Drying towel, soft cloth & polishing cloth
All Gyeon ceramic coating maintenance is the same,Duraflex is the "PRO Only"version of Syncro,so best just to follow what you've been told by your detailer,l have applied the Syncro kit to a mates car,matter of fact l still have another kit somewhere in a cardboard box collecting dust...lol most peeps that get there cars ceramic coated are'nt really into detailing because they dont have the time etc etc
Again i'll say it Ceramic coatings do have there pros and Cons but definitely not for myself as l am into detailing
Again i'll say it Ceramic coatings do have there pros and Cons but definitely not for myself as l am into detailing
Having had a few ceramic coatings now I'd start with "don't panic" 
There seems to be a worry that you can do the wrong thing but it's not a magic potion you'll hurt. Whatever your chosen car shampoo is will be fine. As a good all rounder Gyeon Bathe is good and obviously designed for other Gyeon products so fine. I find CarPro Reset is good for reviving beading of the coating after a few washes. Beyond that wash it and top up with Gyeon Cure once in a while.
There seems to be a worry that you can do the wrong thing but it's not a magic potion you'll hurt. Whatever your chosen car shampoo is will be fine. As a good all rounder Gyeon Bathe is good and obviously designed for other Gyeon products so fine. I find CarPro Reset is good for reviving beading of the coating after a few washes. Beyond that wash it and top up with Gyeon Cure once in a while.
Having had a few ceramic coatings now I'd start with "don't panic"
Well said scotty, I also find reset perfect every few washes
Pros
easy maintenance
Finish, ie gloss and water repellency.
Cons
Expensive
Get scratches on your clear coat? That'll have to be compounded by a machine polisher, then you'll need to re coat the affected area,
They don't last as long as the manufacturer suggests
They offer scratch/swirl resistance but won't stop you swirling your paint if you don't have a stringent wash method just like any other coating wax or Sealant
Yeah the finish is one of the main reasons I’m wanting it and the little bit extra swirl scratch resistance
The detailer who is applying it I’ve to go back and see him a week later for him to do the first wash and show me the correct way and what products to use
Well said scotty, I also find reset perfect every few washes
Reset is just a Shampoo. Do you guys mean Reload?
My car is coated in CQuartz Finest Reserve. It’s a Pro only product. Car was at the detailers for the better part of a week. Cured under heat lamps etc.
I regularly use Reload after a few washes as a sacrificial coating but I also use Hydrofoam every so often which is Similar to Gyeon Wetcoat. Expensive but very good.
No I meant Reset. It's not necessary to use it every wash as it's a little different to regular shampoos. I tend to use Gyeon Bathe or Bilt Hamber Auto Wash the rest of the time. My car had Cquartz Finest (the original one pre Reserve) on it.
I didn't get on with Reload as it smeared easily on black. Prefer Gyeon Cure.
No I meant Reset. It's not necessary to use it every wash as it's a little different to regular shampoos. I tend to use Gyeon Bathe or Bilt Hamber Auto Wash the rest of the time. My car had Cquartz Finest (the original one pre Reserve) on it.
I didn't get on with Reload as it smeared easily on black. Prefer Gyeon Cure.
See with me Scotty, use bathe, bathe+, enigma or BL auto, then every 3-5 washes depending on whether I think it is needed use reset.
No I meant Reset. It's not necessary to use it every wash as it's a little different to regular shampoos. I tend to use Gyeon Bathe or Bilt Hamber Auto Wash the rest of the time. My car had Cquartz Finest (the original one pre Reserve) on it.
I didn't get on with Reload as it smeared easily on black. Prefer Gyeon Cure.
It’s just a normal shampoo with no gloss enhancers. So what’s the benefit of using others in between times?
I personally was advised by the detailer that coated my car to use reset every few washes. Agree doesn't have gloss enhancers but is stronger than a lot of others. Whereas enigma, bathe+ etc has SI02 Etc
Mine told me that I should always use a shampoo that didn’t contain any gloss enhancers or wax and that Reset is perfect for this and specifically designed to be used on Ceramoc coated cars. He also said that the (G Technic Gwash that I still had plenty of left) would also be fine.
So I don’t understand why you would use Reset as an occasional product.
Personal preference really. It tends to be more expensive than other options. You'll certainly do no harm using it all the time. It describes itself as an intensive shampoo so I just don't feel it's necessary every wash. No rules to this detailing malarkey. Each person has a different routine.
I see. Yes it certainly is expensive. I’m also not a fan of runny shampoos. I much prefer a bit of gloopiness. Will probably go back to GWash
Mate, not making it up. Your detailer advised you one thing and mine another. So what exactly is the difference using a "normal shampoo" + a silicone based QD like BSD, V07, reload, cure etc, vs. something like angelwax Enigma that is specifically for ceramic coated cars and includes "SI02"? Get the feeling you enjoy arguing just for the the sake of it
I’m not saying you are making anything up and I’m not arguing with you. My point is that if Reset is just a shampoo with no additional properties I don’t understand why someone would use it occasionally as if it’s doing something special and it’s not going to damage the ceramic coating or anything.
It was a genuine question. I don’t see why you think I’m being argumentative. @scotty76 answered the question anyway.
By the way, isn’t Angelwax Enigma a wax with Sio2 in it rather than a wax for a ceramic coated car? I’ve not heard of any wax that’s supposed to be applied to a coated car. What would the point be over Reload etc?
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Apologies, had a bad day, cracks in windscreen
As per shop and shine on Enigma:
Angelwax Enigma Shampoo is a ceramic infused car shampoo designed to boost the looks and durability of ceramic coatings and waxes
It is all subjective as scotty said, I like BH autowash, and reset most, as black car comes up a treat.
No worries mate. I’ve not heard of BH Autowash. Will maybe give that a go next.
Have you even given Hydrofoam or Gyeon Wetcoat a go? Not tried the latter but gather they’re similar.
Have you even given Hydrofoam or Gyeon Wetcoat a go? Not tried the latter but gather they’re similar.
BH autofoam works out really cheap as super concentrated. Funny enough, when car was coated I went through the products I had and was suggested NOT to use CarPro Hydro2 (which I had) and other spray on rinse off like Wetcoat, as he said doesn’t work or interferes with coating which I do find odd, but have listened..for once.
I do like adding reload, Gyeon Cure or Bouncers done and dusted for a bit of extra shine and hydrophobicity (is that a word)
Loved your write up about “bedding in” TCU in your RS5. Now that must have been fun....oh and nice Hoover by the way
I got a dyson corded the other week to go with handheld cordless
Thanks man. Funnily enough my detailer didn’t recommend Hydrofoam either said i’d be better off with Reload. Also said that the best QD is Reload diluted with water.
Must admit I miss using products like Blackhole and proper waxes but the gloss from the coating is indisputable.
Must admit I miss using products like Blackhole and proper waxes but the gloss from the coating is indisputable.
Same here, said reload is best.
I know what you mean, can’t do any on the fly correction, but for ease of maintenance (especially on dark colour) and the instant shine, would have it every time.
Gimme a shout and I'll gladly take yer guff ceramic coating back off yer brief lol
Then you can use anything on it
Re edit wait a year from its application then bring it to me as they'll be hee haw ceramic left it on the paint lol
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Got to confess that I'm starting to side more with Jassyo06 on the coatings front that I thought I would. I was really impressed with GTechniq CSL and Exo when I applied it 18 months ago, but Exo didn't even last 6 months and so earlier this year I re-coated it with ExoV4 and that lasted about a month before you could see the difference in water behaviour. Since then I've tried Gyeon Wetcoat a couple of times and haven't been impressed with how long it lasts (2 weeks at best). Gyeon cure the same, just doesn't seem to last. So either I'm completely crap at applying this fancy stuff (which is quite possible), I have some very trick paintwork that nothing sticks to (highly unlikely) or it's the fact that my car is washed every week that the coatings are just worn away really easily. Not sure I'll bother again.
At the minute I'm just using a BSD mix as it works just as well as anything I have on the shelf and costs very little compared to some of the other expensive crap I've bought over the years.
Reset shampoo seems stronger to me as it can remove simple top coatings like BSD whereas Gwash doesn't. I think Gtechniq also advise not to use it with Exo.
Best thing I've bought in a while is Angelwax H2Go. It actually works and seems to last a good while, especially for how much it costs. So good in fact I keep thinking if it would work on the paintwork...!
At the minute I'm just using a BSD mix as it works just as well as anything I have on the shelf and costs very little compared to some of the other expensive crap I've bought over the years.
Reset shampoo seems stronger to me as it can remove simple top coatings like BSD whereas Gwash doesn't. I think Gtechniq also advise not to use it with Exo.
Best thing I've bought in a while is Angelwax H2Go. It actually works and seems to last a good while, especially for how much it costs. So good in fact I keep thinking if it would work on the paintwork...!
I have CSL ultra with EXO V4 and I’m 5 months in and it performing as well as it did day 1. Admittedly I don’t wash it every week, but that’s because I don’t need to because of how good the coating is. The dirt literally just falls off the car. I had CSL and C2 on my previous A3 and this new stuff is definitely better by a fair amount. An annual top up of V4 I’m in no doubt will keep the coating performing very well, Ultra is a premium product and so far has shown a premium result.
Be interested on your opinion of your ceramic after the winter is finished mate
Yea me too. The stuffs not cheap so will be a true reflection of it’s worth post winter like you say. If it’s still performing well after 12 months then I’ll be happy an annual top up of EXO will keep it working to the required level. Like you say, time will tell!
Well my ceramic coating is heading for it's second winter. Still seems to be holding up well, as my pictures illustrate...
I was my car 1 to 2 times a week and this is the second one I’ve had professionally coated. I’m not sure of the requirements of coatings that you can apply yourself but mine is a pro-only product (Carpro CQUARTZ Finest Reservej that has to be cured using heat lamps etc.
I think something that you can whack on yourself outside or even in a garage is not going to last the same way a professionally applied product is. Especially given how well the paint needs to be prepped beforehand. Both times my car had it done the detailer had each one for the best part of a week.
I had a go with some Gyeon ceramic wheel sealant on my new wheels before fitting them and I could tell straight away that there’s no way it’ll last.
I think something that you can whack on yourself outside or even in a garage is not going to last the same way a professionally applied product is. Especially given how well the paint needs to be prepped beforehand. Both times my car had it done the detailer had each one for the best part of a week.
I had a go with some Gyeon ceramic wheel sealant on my new wheels before fitting them and I could tell straight away that there’s no way it’ll last.
The Pro only versions are made for the industry to keep the money cogs turning ie keeps them in a well paid job, your car didn't take the best part of the week to work on from start to finish, especially if it was a new car, heat lamps are there to accelerate the curing process
Again it's not rocket science to apply nor is it difficult to prep a new cars paint, yeah indoors is a must for applications but it can be done very successfully outdoors given the proper weather
1 to 2 times a week is quite regular in the washing stakes, and during winter months I’d say that is too often (Gtechniq recommend no more than fortnightly). The more you wash obviously the more it will degrade, and also depends what products you’re using as to how much you’re stripping it down. It then also depends if your wash products can help the coating, ie adding some suitable products that give the coating a mini boost at the end of the wash. This is why I stick to Gtechniq products to compliment my coating. I finish the wash with some watered down C2V3 which acts perfectly as a drying aid and also just a tiny little bit of extra protection. All of this is designed to preserve the product. Like I say I’m 5 months in and I do not have a single swirl nor any reduction in water repelancy. As for the wheel coatings I’m not expecting it too last beyond 9-12 months as wheels just take too much of a battering, but again I use the same products in a bid to keep it as long as possible.
Agree. I am 6 months in with mine, but as others have said, winter will (it won’t be) telling. Mine still looks as it did when done and still repels water and diet like mad, which is great given it is metallic black!
Yes, thing is about the coating is it still gives a showroom finish even if the weather prevents doing the whole shabang. Usually around January to March often as not it is sometimes too cold to do any more than a prewash, shampoo and a ph neutral rinse. Still gives amazing results though but, like any coating, it will last longer if complimented with something else, as Pook states...
Yea I’m going to try even just a pre-wash, or maybe a double pre-wash without anything else and see how it looks. During winter I really want and least contact as possible. I suspect I’ll need at least a shampoo stage for anything decent but will see.
I find a good coating of citrus juice works fine on caked on dirt, in fact sometimes, if it's only dirt from wet roads, a pre-wash is almost enough. There is also a rinseless shampoo that I use in a bucket of ph neutral water as well. But I would never use those ones on a dry car...
