Crystal Serum Light

Nicholls said:
Hi Antti, just curious apart from C2V3 do you find there is any need to top CSL with say Exo for extra gloss or hydrophobics or does CSL do fine on its own and just with top ups of C2V3 ?

Cheers.
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I personally don't like exo, but there is new version out so it maybe better. Csl is good enough on it's own. I just use C2V3 for added benefit. Exo would be needed more with C1 coating.
 
How necessary is CSL now that Exo V3 is being released? I know alot of people were topping CSL with Exo V2 as it had superior hydrophobic properties over CSL and as a result cars were also staying cleaner longer. With an improved Exo V3 being easier to use and more durable I don't see a reason for topping CSL or using CSL altogether. Why would one use CSL at all if anymore with the advent of Exo V3?

I'm just playing devils advocate here.
 
Zubair said:
How necessary is CSL now that Exo V3 is being released? I know alot of people were topping CSL with Exo V2 as it had superior hydrophobic properties over CSL and as a result cars were also staying cleaner longer. With an improved Exo V3 being easier to use and more durable I don't see a reason for topping CSL or using CSL altogether. Why would one use CSL at all if anymore with the advent of Exo V3?

I'm just playing devils advocate here.
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Bump?

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I feel the same way and it seems the just exo v3 alone would be fine

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It compares to the ceramic coating?

I'm less concerned with water beading, and more concerned with protection from swirling.

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mwemaxxowner said:
It compares to the ceramic coating?

I'm less concerned with water beading, and more concerned with protection from swirling.

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CSL is 3-5 year coating. It is more durable and harder than EXO. You will still get water beading with CSL.

EXO is a softer coating and more hydrophobic then CSL. That's why it's used as a topper for CSL, though not really necessary. You could use C2V3 or something similar also as a topper for CSL instead of EXO.

EXO, at least the previous version, can be a little challenging to apply. I haven't used the latest version of EXO.
 
Sounds like csl still gets the nod for my needs.

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It's been a couple months since this thread had any action so I thought I'd bump it up a little....I'm looking at finally getting into a coating and have pretty much narrowed it down to CSL or EXO V3.

It seems as though CSL is the "harder" coating at 9h but the V3 EXO is now up to 7h from the previous V2 at a mere 2h, which most ppl didn't even think it was worthy of the coating badge and more of a super sealant....I'm not looking for something that's "scratch resistant" but if something can withstand the inevitable love marks that a car gets from touching it over time that would be nice....i havent seen much reviews/videos on CSL's stand alone performance like beading and sheeting as most top with EXO....EXO is pretty well known for its water behavior characteristics and the V3 EXO looks to be similar to the previous V2 but with added hardness and easier application, there's just not much on it as a stand alone I'm guessing to it's rather young age.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!
 
I applied CSL for the first time yesterday and didn't have issues at all: wipe on > immediately wipe off > buff > move to the next 2X2 section. Simple. Here's a video I shot of the application process:



Applying EXO v2 over it, on the other hand, was a PIA. That I did not enjoy - it dried way too quickly, streaked in places, and then a hardened EXO crystal scratch my paint. Hopefully, V3 is more user-friendly as claimed.
 
Angus,
nice video!!!....that looks super simple to apply....I like the thought of having the harder 9h surface from CSL, but not sure on it's stand alone beading....where as EXO is a known hydrophobic maniac and has upped longevity and hardness in the newest version....both will get regular washes with hyper wash and final wipes with Ultima or d156
 
Does anybody top CSl and EXO with carpro reload? if not, what kind of topper do y'all use? Not really to sure if anybody does. Any suggestions and feedback would be great.
 
Why wouldn't you use their version of reload c2v3


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FWIW the below is the hood of a vehicle that was coated with CSL + C2V3 back in March and has not been touched (in an Autogeek-ian way) since. Rain, sleet , snow, sitting outside. I'd guess I could restore the self-cleaning abilities by, you know, actually washing it and hitting with C2V3 again. It darkened the paint a bit and I really liked it after application (and application was easy as could be and the product went a loooong way) but if you're gonna go with CSL, I'd top with EXO V3 which would likely improve the self-cleaning characteristics of CSL. If you plan on washing/topping the CSL with some regularity I'd say it's an excellent choice, just not the strongest self-cleaning abilities if the vehicle is gonna be neglected.

View attachment 57292

Last winter I messed about with 6 or so coatings (after standard decon/compound/correction) on vehicles that I planned on washing maybe once over the course of the summer, if that. CSL showed the least self-cleaning abilities of all of them w/ respect to not maintaining them in any way, shape or form. On the flip side, anecdotal evidence from others experiences indicate that CSL topped with EXO will likely be a category leader in the self-cleaning arena.
 
thx for the insight budgetplan, it's looking like I'm gonna go with EXO V3 and give it a shot....the hydrophobic properties are really what I'm more so after....we get nasty monsoons here in AZ and the "slushy" mix of dirt and rain is a PITA if the car sat through the storm and has the mix dry on the car.... coatings are new to me so we'll see how it goes and how I like the one I choose, after all learning is part of the experience and fun.
 
SeanChav said:
it's looking like I'm gonna go with EXO V3 and give it a shot.....
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From my own experience - make sure you blow out any crystalized EXO from around the dropper before applying it to the applicator pad. Something I should have done but didn't know to and now have a few nice long scratches in my paint thanks to EXO V2 crystals embedding themselves into the applicator pad.
 
SeanChav said:
Angus,
nice video!!!....that looks super simple to apply....I like the thought of having the harder 9h surface from CSL, but not sure on it's stand alone beading....where as EXO is a known hydrophobic maniac and has upped longevity and hardness in the newest version....both will get regular washes with hyper wash and final wipes with Ultima or d156
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Thank you! CSL was almost too easy to apply. :)
 
Angus said:
From my own experience - make sure you blow out any crystalized EXO from around the dropper before applying it to the applicator pad. Something I should have done but didn't know to and now have a few nice long scratches in my paint thanks to EXO V2 crystals embedding themselves into the applicator pad.
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are u talking about right out of the vial before u prime the app pad?
 
So basically everybody just puts on CSl and then EXO and doesn't put any topper over EXO after?
 
coopermosley said:
So basically everybody just puts on CSl and then EXO and doesn't put any topper over EXO after?
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cooper, from all the reading I've done about these coatings together it seems that most don't put anything on them after a wash.... or at least the don't put it in the description or mention it in their review....I did see a few where they topped it with C2 V3 though
 
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