CSL cure time and C2v3/EXO application

[Hella JDM]

Hey all,

A few questions. I am gonna be giving my car the treatment tomorrow and I am gonna finish off with CSL. I know the instructions say to let it cure indoors for 12 hours. I have to pick my kids up at school so the car will probably sit for an hour in the garage after costing, then once I am done picking them up it will be back in the garage for 17 hours. Do you think I this ok?

How long do I wait to top with C2v3? I also think I’m gonna throw EXO on there after the first wash. Any extra prep to do with that?

 

[The Guz]

If you are going to add Exo don't bother topping with C2v3. Or else you will have to strip C2v3 somehow. Save yourself the work.

You can actually coat with Exo as soon as you get back. You can apply 2 coats of Exo right after the other as GTechniq recommends two coats of Exo.

Straight from Gtechniq's site

Apply Crystal Serum Light first following the instructions from the Crystal Serum Light web page.

Once applied you can, without waiting or needing to use Panel Wipe, apply the EXO directly over the Crystal Serum Light. We recommend you apply EXO to your vehicle's panels in the same order you did when applying the Crystal Serum Light. And as with the CSL please follow the instructions from the EXO web page.

 

[jkrig]

GTechniq says you can apply EXOv3 straight away after applying CSL by going back to the first panel you applied CSL to however, in my experience I like wait about an hour before applying EXO, with cure time there are so many variables considering humidity, the users speed of applications in reference to the size of the automobile (you will get back to that first panel alot faster on a civic than you would a Tahoe) ....I've found if you get back to that first panel too quickly EXO can be a little "smeary" (for lack of a better term) I've found if you give CSL an hour or so of cure time then EXO should go on just as easy as CSL....And I agree with GUZ, no need for C2 if you are applying EXO save it for maintenance down the road.

 

[Hella JDM]

GTechniq says you can apply EXOv3 straight away after applying CSL by going back to the first panel you applied CSL to however, in my experience I like wait about an hour before applying EXO, with cure time there are so many variables considering humidity, the users speed of applications in reference to the size of the automobile (you will get back to that first panel alot faster on a civic than you would a Tahoe) ....I've found if you get back to that first panel too quickly EXO can be a little "smeary" (for lack of a better term) I've found if you give CSL an hour or so of cure time then EXO should go on just as easy as CSL....And I agree with GUZ, no need for C2 if you are applying EXO save it for maintenance down the road.

Thanks for the reply guys. Unfortunately I goofed up and didn’t order EXO in time. So I’ll be adding EXO to the mix after a week or so after it’s first wash.

I will hold off on C2v3.

 

[NsnRogue2014]

GTechniq says you can apply EXOv3 straight away after applying CSL by going back to the first panel you applied CSL to however, in my experience I like wait about an hour before applying EXO, with cure time there are so many variables considering humidity, the users speed of applications in reference to the size of the automobile (you will get back to that first panel alot faster on a civic than you would a Tahoe) ....I've found if you get back to that first panel too quickly EXO can be a little "smeary" (for lack of a better term) I've found if you give CSL an hour or so of cure time then EXO should go on just as easy as CSL....And I agree with GUZ, no need for C2 if you are applying EXO save it for maintenance down the road.

I'm about to do this exact same application, I have CSL and EXO V4, I was wondering I know it says to apply the EXO right after CSL, and you recommend waiting an hour and then applying EXO. What if I were to wait till the next day before applying EXO V4, is there any harm in waiting for CSL to cure that long before adding the EXO V4?

 

[Pats300zx]

How long are you guys typically waiting to apply C2V3 after a coat of CSL or EXO?

 

[The Guz]

I'm about to do this exact same application, I have CSL and EXO V4, I was wondering I know it says to apply the EXO right after CSL, and you recommend waiting an hour and then applying EXO. What if I were to wait till the next day before applying EXO V4, is there any harm in waiting for CSL to cure that long before adding the EXO V4?

That is fine.

How long are you guys typically waiting to apply C2V3 after a coat of CSL or EXO?

I have had CSL + Exo on my other car for about a month and I have yet to use C2v3 on it. Don't plan to use it on my paint as I have read C2v3 is prone to water spotting. The only thing I intend to use on it is EcH20. The only area that gets C2v3 is on the wheels of my daily driver that has Gtechniq C5 Wheel Armour + Exo V3.

 

[NsnRogue2014]

I have had CSL + Exo on my other car for about a month and I have yet to use C2v3 on it. Don't plan to use it on my paint as I have read C2v3 is prone to water spotting. The only thing I intend to use on it is EcH20. The only area that gets C2v3 is on the wheels of my daily driver that has Gtechniq C5 Wheel Armour + Exo V3.

Yea I was planning on maintaining with ECH20 and reload or bead maker. This will be my 3rd coating I've done, I have Cquartz UK and Gliss on my girlfriends car but have heard such good things about CSL wanted to try it on my own car.

 

[BudgetPlan1]

I'd skip the C2V3. When I did CSL + C2V3 the self cleaning/water spotting was horrible until about 2 months in, when I'd guess the C2V3 wore off.

Everybody is different so YMMV however.

That is fine.
I have had CSL + Exo on my other car for about a month and I have yet to use C2v3 on it. Don't plan to use it on my paint as I have read C2v3 is prone to water spotting. The only thing I intend to use on it is EcH20. The only area that gets C2v3 is on the wheels of my daily driver that has Gtechniq C5 Wheel Armour + Exo V3.

 

[jkrig]

I'm about to do this exact same application, I have CSL and EXO V4, I was wondering I know it says to apply the EXO right after CSL, and you recommend waiting an hour and then applying EXO. What if I were to wait till the next day before applying EXO V4, is there any harm in waiting for CSL to cure that long before adding the EXO V4?

Nope, GTechniq recommends topping with EXO within 24 hours....then you will have a curing window for the EXO, I believe it was 12 hours

 

[NsnRogue2014]

Nope, GTechniq recommends topping with EXO within 24 hours....then you will have a curing window for the EXO, I believe it was 12 hours

Okay so I should be good, I just know that after applying CSL I'm gonna want to call it a day, so if I can apply the 2 coats EXO V4 the next day that would be perfect.

 

[The Guz]

Yea I was planning on maintaining with ECH20 and reload or bead maker. This will be my 3rd coating I've done, I have Cquartz UK and Gliss on my girlfriends car but have heard such good things about CSL wanted to try it on my own car.

CSL will go on easier than CQUK. Will feel slicker as well. Exo V3 I found just as difficult to apply as CQUK. I have not used V4 nor do I plan to use it anytime soon. CSL is not bad when it comes to hydrophobic properties but Exo takes it to another level. Not Gyeon Syncro level but pretty darn good. I would recommend you use at a minimum two towels at once and sometimes even three.

I am not much of spray topper user with anything other than Ech20. Bead maker is getting a lot of push because of the rag company and I am sure it works but I much prefer sticking with the same family as a personal preference. In addition to that I prefer the performance of the actual coating. A lot of hype on the sacrificial topper needed when it is just an option.

I'd skip the C2V3. When I did CSL + C2V3 the self cleaning/water spotting was horrible until about 2 months in, when I'd guess the C2V3 wore off.

Everybody is different so YMMV however.

Yeah I don't plan to use C2V3 on paint. I am not much of a topper user anyhow other than CarPro Ech20. C2V3 seems to be working on my wheels with the C5 + Exo V3 combo at 1:2. No water spotting.

 

[LloydStC]

Yea I was planning on maintaining with ECH20 and reload or bead maker. This will be my 3rd coating I've done, I have Cquartz UK and Gliss on my girlfriends car but have heard such good things about CSL wanted to try it on my own car.

That is fine.

I have a follow up to this question (if this thread is not too old). I used CSL and EXO v4. My situation is similar in that I had to wait until the next day but the difference is that the wait time was over 24 hours because I was coating trim at the same time. I would say the cure time for the CSL was about 24 to 30 hours. The car was not taken out of the garage and the garage temperature was in the high 50's.

In addition, when the initial layer of EXO went down, there was a bit of moisture observed with the first few strokes of the CarPro applicator pad. Using three towels the moisture disappeared quickly. Is this a sign of the EXO not bonding to the CSL?

Since the final coat of EXO was finished Monday (2/17), I have not applied any water to test behaviors.

 

[The Guz]

That is CSL rejecting the EXO. You almost have to work it in for a few passes. Exo does take more effort and towels to completely wipe off compared to CSL.