2020 Ceramic Coating 1 Year Test

[The Guz]

Thanks for the update!! Good to see the big names hanging in there, some of the more “boutique” options leave more to be desired.

Really good to see the performance of CQ lite and Cancoat are meeting/exceeding claims.

Is this a loss for the graphene crowd?

Lite coatings may be the way to go. Decon and reapply a few months down the road.

I am going to call it for graphene unless it revives from the dead over the next few months. This is version 2 of SPS and I think there is a newer version.

I may have missed it in there somewhere, but what type of car wash soap are you using? A ceramic or just a regular soap?

I don't use any coating soaps. Never been a fan of coating soaps. They leave a funky film behind. I used GTechniq W4 for this particular wash.

 

[DMiglio]

Lite coatings may be the way to go. Decon and reapply a few months down the road.

This is another reason I’ve stuck with them. My daily drivers are out in the elements basically 24/7, they need to be polished every 6-12 month to deep clean the paint and keep the appearance in tip top shape.

A 2-5 year coating doesn’t interest me as much for that reason alone. Doesn’t hurt the man himself, Mike Phillips wrote an article pertaining to this very issue of long term coatings and daily drivers.

https://www.autogeekonline.net/foru...daily-drivers-mike-phillips.html#post_1583403

 

[noorth]

This is another reason I’ve stuck with them. My daily drivers are out in the elements basically 24/7, they need to be polished every 6-12 month to deep clean the paint and keep the appearance in tip top shape.

A 2-5 year coating doesn’t interest me as much for that reason alone. Doesn’t hurt the man himself, Mike Phillips wrote an article pertaining to this very issue of long term coatings and daily drivers.

https://www.autogeekonline.net/foru...daily-drivers-mike-phillips.html#post_1583403

Once you have your paint up to a level your happy with, what is the basic process you use to maintain it?

This is the approach i'm trying to adopt. I was thinking more like 12-14mths personally for a polish.

 

[DMiglio]

Hey Noorth, I know my polishing schedule seems a tick in the “too often” side, but I lived in Chicago, Illinois at the time. I recently move to Florida, so I’m hoping to be able to adjust that closer to 12 months.

Problem was winter and all the junk on the roads, I swear the roads were dirty at least 6 months out of the year. There was always filth coming up from the road with any level of rain.

General maintenance procedure for me is:

-Weekly or bi-weekly washes.
-One bucket method using multiple towels or mitts and foam gun when I choose to or maybe have to.
-Soap is either P&S Pearl or Carpro Reset, planning to try Megs Hyper Wash as some point.(Clean rinsing, strong cleaners and leaves nothing behind)
-Toppers and drying aids usually suited to my LSP ex. Carpro Echo2 with Cure or Reload(Merlin’s Elixir) for coatings, P&S Beadmaker, Megs Xpress Spray Wax and Duragloss Aquawax for typical sealants or waxes.

Depending on climate, local environment and the life your car lives, with proper washing methods there’s no reason you can’t get 12-14 months. I only did mine more often as I felt my car became contaminated due to weather and roads and being outdoors 24/7.

I’d recommend using a tested and proven coating Lite product and their soaps/toppers.

Can’t go wrong with Gyeon or Carpro in this respect!

 

[The Guz]

Keep in mind this thread is not gospel on me telling everyone which is the "best" coating to use. It is more capturing how they are holding up in my particular environment. It will come down to each person to make the decision on which coating to go with. If you have something you want to try then go for it. Only you can determine if that product will perform well for you. We can see the big names are holding up pretty well which is why they are recommended.

It also does not matter that much with everybody topping their coating.

 

[waterman]

Hello,

This may have already been discussed in another thread. Would it be possible to use the coating toppers more frequently in place of the actual coating? I have wolfgang coating on one of my cars that I installed two years ago. I top this with wolfgang sio2 spray(I’ve also used blackfire coating booster which I really like)

Instead of putting on another coating can I continue to use the sio2 spray? If I used it after every other wash would I get the same protection?

 

[oneheadlite]

I have a 7 month update on the coatings. There has been a dramatic decrease in hydrophobic behavior on some of the coatings.

These coatings were heavily beat up during the 4th of july. The car sat outside with the illegal fireworks from the neighbor landing all over it. It sat on the car for a couple days before I washed it. This stained many of the coatings, although they were already water spotted.

Goes to show that lab claims are different than real world use.

Here is some text information on the coatings.


SPSGraphene – Has lost its hydrophobic behavior. Starting to sheet slow. I will probably call it done soon.
Gyeon Syncro – Surprisingly this has help up better this go around. It is still beading and sheeting at a good rate. The first time I used it, Skin was about done during this time frame.
CquartzTiO2 – This looks to be a coating application error so this has been rules out.
Adams UV Paint Coating – Has lost its hydrophobic behavior. Starting to sheet slow. I will probably call it done soon.
Jade Ice – Has lost its hydrophobic behavior. Starting to sheet slow. I will probably call it done soon.
Drexler Ceramic(Base Coat + Top Coat)– This is similar to TiO2 in an application error so ruling this one out as a competitor.
Shine Supply Beadlock Pro - This is a nice surprise. Has retained its performance rather well. Sheeting and beading nicely.
Jade Quartz – Started to show signs of losing it's hydrophobic behavior.
Adams Spray UV Coating - Failed within 3 months. Nothing noticeable on the surface at 7 months.
22ple Insanity – Brand new for 2020 and hyped by 22ple as being their best coating. It is surprisingly how poor it has held up. I will probably call it done soon.
22ple HPC - Surprised at how poorly this is also performing. I will probably call it done soon.
Gyeon Mohs –The water behavior got better as it cured. Hanging in there towards the top of the list.
IGL Quartz+ - Has lost its hydrophobic behavior. Starting to sheet slow. I will probably call it done soon.
Cquartz Lite - Has held up nicely up to this point at 7 months.
Gyeon CanCoat - Still hanging in at 7 month. Lost some of its hydrophobic performance.
Cquartz UK 3.0 - Has been haning in there as well. Fast water sheeting. Not the tightest water beading.
Drexler Ceramic Base Coat – Like Beadlock this has been a surprise in its performance.

Keep in mind this thread is not gospel on me telling everyone which is the "best" coating to use. It is more capturing how they are holding up in my particular environment. It will come down to each person to make the decision on which coating to go with. If you have something you want to try then go for it. Only you can determine if that product will perform well for you. We can see the big names are holding up pretty well which is why they are recommended.

It also does not matter that much with everybody topping their coating.

Guz - thank you for not only doing this thread, but for sharing the information in such a helpful way. It's a ton of work to maintain documentation of what was done where and get pictures and video of how it's behaving, but it's really awesome how you share your written observations/summary of each one. You really help shine light on the subtleties that might be missed just from watching a water behavior video/etc (not to discount those - that's still a lot of work to record and share!).

I really enjoy seeing your reviews/write ups - I count you as one of several "Human Coating Encyclopedias" that shares their wealth of knowledge to help the community (not to pad their pockets).

 

[weekend warrior]

Mike The Guz....as you know I ceramic coated my car....which is a daily driver....I live in Fl. and we been having rain almost every afternoon lately....this morning went for a walk and checked my hood and sure as crap I seen water spots...is Gyeon a better protection then ceramic for water spots ...I will try rinseless wash to see if the spots come off....

 

[DMiglio]

Hey, I’m not anywhere near as knowledgeable as Mike on this subject but I’ll try and help you.

Concerning the water spots, I’d say more than likely they will wash right off. It being rain water you’ll get spots but nothing that should etch. Idk off the top of my head if Gyeon has a product, but Carpro has one to handle tough water spots called Spotless.

CarPro Spotless Water Spot Remover

I’m in central Florida and can confirm we’ve had A LOT of rain for a couple weeks now. As far as any water spotting, everything I’ve had washes right off except for when I’ve been hit with sprinklers.

 

[noorth]

Hey Noorth, I know my polishing schedule seems a tick in the “too often” side, but I lived in Chicago, Illinois at the time. I recently move to Florida, so I’m hoping to be able to adjust that closer to 12 months.

Problem was winter and all the junk on the roads, I swear the roads were dirty at least 6 months out of the year. There was always filth coming up from the road with any level of rain.

General maintenance procedure for me is:

-Weekly or bi-weekly washes.
-One bucket method using multiple towels or mitts and foam gun when I choose to or maybe have to.
-Soap is either P&S Pearl or Carpro Reset, planning to try Megs Hyper Wash as some point.(Clean rinsing, strong cleaners and leaves nothing behind)
-Toppers and drying aids usually suited to my LSP ex. Carpro Echo2 with Cure or Reload(Merlin’s Elixir) for coatings, P&S Beadmaker, Megs Xpress Spray Wax and Duragloss Aquawax for typical sealants or waxes.

Depending on climate, local environment and the life your car lives, with proper washing methods there’s no reason you can’t get 12-14 months. I only did mine more often as I felt my car became contaminated due to weather and roads and being outdoors 24/7.

I’d recommend using a tested and proven coating Lite product and their soaps/toppers.

Can’t go wrong with Gyeon or Carpro in this respect!

Thanks DMiglo, i was actually referring to polishing. Are you using a finishing polish or cleaner polish etc? I actually have cosmic V2 but its expensive to use 2x per year. Great looks.

See how things go this year. Last winter i found PNS and colly 845 held up pretty well. Some say sealants and even lite coating will not last a 3-5mth winter. I don't drive my car that much because i work on ships 6mths a year. So i will have to see how V2 holds up. If i can get a year i might stick with it.

Everytime i plan to apply a full blown ceramic i get turned off after reading all the problems you can have. And i'm a drive way detailer.

 

[DMiglio]

Thanks DMiglo, i was actually referring to polishing. Are you using a finishing polish or cleaner polish etc? I actually have cosmic V2 but its expensive to use 2x per year. Great looks.

See how things go this year. Last winter i found PNS and colly 845 held up pretty well. Some say sealants and even lite coating will not last a 3-5mth winter. I don't drive my car that much because i work on ships 6mths a year. So i will have to see how V2 holds up. If i can get a year i might stick with it.

Everytime i plan to apply a full blown ceramic i get turned off after reading all the problems you can have. And i'm a drive way detailer.

Ahh gotcha, in that case it’ll generally be a finishing polish(Megs 205 or Ultimate Polish), polishing pad or finishing pad, panel prep/wipe down and then coating. Hope that answers your question!

Never tried Polish Angel products myself but I remember a few years ago there was a thread on here about their products. Every vehicle posted in that thread had phenomenal paint and high praise from members.

 

[weekend warrior]

well it rained this afternoon so when it stopped I went down and wiped the hood off....what I can see there were no water spots...will check again when the sun is out...thanks for your reply

 

[The Guz]

Hello,

This may have already been discussed in another thread. Would it be possible to use the coating toppers more frequently in place of the actual coating? I have wolfgang coating on one of my cars that I installed two years ago. I top this with wolfgang sio2 spray(I’ve also used blackfire coating booster which I really like)

Instead of putting on another coating can I continue to use the sio2 spray? If I used it after every other wash would I get the same protection?

You can use a spray sealant to your hearts content. It is better than not having anything on the paint.

Mike The Guz....as you know I ceramic coated my car....which is a daily driver....I live in Fl. and we been having rain almost every afternoon lately....this morning went for a walk and checked my hood and sure as crap I seen water spots...is Gyeon a better protection then ceramic for water spots ...I will try rinseless wash to see if the spots come off....

Water spots are a potential risk on a coating.

well it rained this afternoon so when it stopped I went down and wiped the hood off....what I can see there were no water spots...will check again when the sun is out...thanks for your reply

Rain water is not the cause but rather the dirt on the surface. It is also possible the water spots were never removed. Ammo NYC speaks about the phenomenon of water spots reappearing after compounding due to heat cycling the paint. Just something to keep in mind. If you go with a water spot remover it could degrade the hydrophobic behavior of the coating.

 

[weekend warrior]

I know the water spots were removed for sure....before I started my coating process I clearly seen them...after I use compound there were no spots....it could be the car was dirty...when it rained..since it stays outside....

 

[Bruno Soares]

I know the water spots were removed for sure....before I started my coating process I clearly seen them...after I use compound there were no spots....it could be the car was dirty...when it rained..since it stays outside....

The problem when you correct water spots is that it compounding generates heat. Heat swells the clear coat and can make the spots disappear. Then later you wonder how they came back. Most of the times it’s fine, the compound really leveled the paint and now it’s gone but it can happen that it disappears but it’s not really gone and you’re in for a surprise later as the paint goes through heat cycles.

 

[Craig Encinitas]

After using a couple light-siO2 products and other sealants for the past several years, I went with Cquartz UK 3.0 and Gliss on my daily vehicle...mainly to stay calm about it getting overly dirty and feeling the need to wash it ASAP.

When I do wash my car, dirt rinses off like no other product I have ever used. True, I never fully polished and then applied a sealant to get the most out of it, but I also did not know proper detailing techniques in the past. I have three cars to experiment with, and they all ended up with some form of SiO2 protection on them (Two have a light-coating).

In theory, if your ceramic coated vehicle gets covered in water spots one time early in its life by sprinklers, and you choose not to do anything about them other than wash your car as normal. As that coating fades out over time, those water spots should also fade because they are etched into the coating, not the clear coat?

 

[Bruno Soares]

After using a couple light-siO2 products and other sealants for the past several years, I went with Cquartz UK 3.0 and Gliss on my daily vehicle...mainly to stay calm about it getting overly dirty and feeling the need to wash it ASAP.

When I do wash my car, dirt rinses off like no other product I have ever used. True, I never fully polished and then applied a sealant to get the most out of it, but I also did not know proper detailing techniques in the past. I have three cars to experiment with, and they all ended up with some form of SiO2 protection on them (Two have a light-coating).

In theory, if your ceramic coated vehicle gets covered in water spots one time early in its life by sprinklers, and you choose not to do anything about them other than wash your car as normal. As that coating fades out over time, those water spots should also fade because they are etched into the coating, not the clear coat?

The ceramic coating is so thin that basically anything that etched into it, also etched the clear coat. Probably to a lesser extent but it will likely need to be polished out again.

 

[BudgetPlan1]

In theory, if your ceramic coated vehicle gets covered in water spots one time early in its life by sprinklers, and you choose not to do anything about them other than wash your car as normal. As that coating fades out over time, those water spots should also fade because they are etched into the coating, not the clear coat?

I'd guess it depends on the severity and 'aggressiveness' of the water spots. My singular bad incident w water spots on ceramics (due to my own negligence) occurred at
the beginning of Summer 2018. My black coated Honda Accord was sitting in our garage while we were filling the pool. The copper water supply line for the pool runs across our garage ceiling and has been accumulating dust and dirt on it since I ran the line back in 2004 or so. It was about 90 degrees that day and dirty condensation that formed as the cooler water ran through the overhead pipe in the hot garage dripped onto the hood. I pulled it out into the driveway to wash but had to leave in a hurry, not returning until late the next day. The 2 days it sat outside were full sun, 95 degrees and the spots became permanent, surface temperature of the hood was likely around 180-190 degrees while it was outside.

Water spot remover did nothing to help so I just let it ride until Summer of 2019 when I polished off the coating on the car for something new. I distinctly remember thinking I was gonna need to compound that area a bit to lessen the water spot but took a shot and it went away completely with Sonax PF and a yellow Rupes pad, disappearing in 1-2 light, quick passes....it was quite the surprise. Was the spot in the coating? I dunno but since 'easy remediation' like that is not something that occurs often in my garage, it was memorable. Dunno.