Crystal Serum Light

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58LesPaul

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Crystal Serum Light coating is supposed to last 3 to 5 years. If I'm not mistaken that is 1 to 3 years more than any other coating. Why isn't this coating used by everyone? It's not the most expensive and doesn't seem any harder to apply, seems it should be the go-to coating.
 
I use it among others. I can't speak for the durability yet, but it's a great looking coating. Application is fairly easy. If you end up with any high spots you will be compounding them off like it says, polish doesn't really phase it. I like to top it with EXO, improves the look and makes it a little more hydrophobic. Although I have heard CSL alone is pretty hydrophobic, I've always topped it. Topping with EXO does make it a little harder application, it can be topped with C2v3 also which is easy, makes it almost as hydrophobic as EXO just doesn't last as long as EXO. It's a great coating.
 
You will find that for many it is their go-to coating, but not all of them are on here talking about it

Just because its an extremely tough, durable coating doesn't necessarily make it "the best" coating. This is subjective and there are many different reasons for which a coating can be described as "the best". Even though there is every reason that Crystal Serum Light can be called "the best"

Some prefer a certain coating because its the easiest to apply...some prefer others due to the extremely hydrophic properties...others prefer a certain coating due to a unique look that it gives...some may only want a 1 or 2 year coating because they like to re polish their car and re coat or try something else...

Overall there are many different characteristics of a coating that appeal to different people for different reasons, but yes some tick more boxes than others. We are spoilt for choice that's for sure.
 
Pinnacle and gloss coat for me.After polishing for hours the last thing I want to to do is compound off a high spot and make a mess.
 
I'm having CSL applied soon, and am stoked about it.

I asked my detailer about exo, and he told me in his opinion, it's a waste of money and chemical if csl is already being applied. But would be happy to apply exo and charge me for it. Lol

I will use the c2v3 over it once in a while. CSL seems like a great deal to me. I was looking at opticoat pro, but that was SOOOO expensive to have done.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
 
CSL is a great coating and for certain people its the coating they first reach for. But that being said, CSL had a bigger learning curve for new users versus a few other coatings. A bit more experience is good with coatings before CSL.
 
I have been testing CSL for a while now, with our longest test panel approaching 6 months of abuse. The panel has been washed just twice in the 6 months (most recently last week), and the coating is still as hydrophobic as it was on day 1. Pretty impressive given the circumstances.

I also have CSL applied to the hood of my personal vehicle which is maintained to the highest level and it is performing perfectly, as expected.

To be perfectly honest, CSL is our favorite consumer grade coating on the market right now. The slickness is off the chart, application is a breeze once you get the hang of it, and the protection seems to be on par with any other coating out there.

As far as the 5 year durability, you will notice that GTechniq does mention that in order to maintain hydrophobic properties for such a duration, the coating may need to be topped either with a spray sealant like C2 or with another coating like EXO. However, as we know, water beading is not a representation of actual protection... without opening a can of worms, I'll just say that most vehicles can benefit from a light polish every 1-3 years depending on how they are used, therefore I personally don't pay much attention to coating durability claims past the 3 year mark.

I would highly recommend checking out CSL if you're looking for a new coating to try... you can find my "Initial Impressions" article on the DI Ask-A-Pro Blog.




 
It really is a great coating for a consumer grade product but everyone has different preferences for various reasons. For example as great as CSL is, it's not cost effective for me. Keep in mind this is Canadian prices but cquartz uk is about 90 or so for a 50 ml bottle while CSL is over 100. For me uk is good enough and doesn't justify the cost to me personally while for others it will.
 
Yup, here in the US, CQUK is $73 and CSL is $110 for 50 mL each... however if you consider that each bottle will do about 5 applications, that breaks down to $14.6/car and $22/car respectively. I have found that CSL is a time saver and produces a clearer finish (we have struggled with oily smearing with CQUK), therefore an extra $7 per application for a super slick finish that has a longer durability rating and will save us time during application is absolutely worth it..... not to mention we charge a fair amount more to apply CSL vs. a 2 year coating, so the margins are higher ;)
 
See what I just wrote here...



http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...acts-hot-cold-temperatures-3.html#post1443323




Mike Phillips said:
I've written a number of times on this forum that my own experience is that a coated car gets a dirt stain on the coating just like any LSP on any car. The stain doesn't wash off. So how do you get the dirt stain off?

If you compound or polish the paint now the coating is gone. So now what? Re-coat the car? If you try any other way to remove the dirt stain you still don't know what's left on the surface because there's no true or accurate test to determine what's on the surface. All anyone can do is simply guess.

And that's how coatings go...

That's why "m not sure I'm sold on the idea of long lasting anything, waxes, sealants or coatings. Sure the "protection" might be there but if the car in question is a DAILY DRIVER then the surface is going to get a dirt stain on the surface and for this reason if you want the car to look it's best ALL THE TIME then you must do something to it at least once in a while.

Kind of back to what I started typing about 20 years ago...

“Find something you like and use it often”


Only "Find something you like and use it often" doesn't apply to coatings but it does apply to cleaner/waxes. Thus the reason I use a light cutting cleaner/wax to maintain that show room new look on my own daily driver that is driven, parked and stored outside 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


If you’re reading this and you don’t know what I mean when I say that the paint on daily driver’s gets dirty? Then read these two articles and look at the pictures…





Road Film - If you drive your car in the rain your car has road film

Road_Film_From_Driving_in_the_Rain_01.jpg




Here's why you need to polish paint...


Dirty_Old_Ford_006.jpg
Click to expand...


:dunno:
 
mwemaxxowner said:
I'm having CSL applied soon, and am stoked about it.

I asked my detailer about exo, and he told me in his opinion, it's a waste of money and chemical if csl is already being applied. But would be happy to apply exo and charge me for it. Lol

I will use the c2v3 over it once in a while. CSL seems like a great deal to me. I was looking at opticoat pro, but that was SOOOO expensive to have done.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I would be interested in his opinion on the hydrophobic properties of both. The main reason I use EXO on top is because I read the CSL wasn't as hydrophobic. It sounds like he's used both as stand alones
 
The GTechniq USA rep also advised that EXO on top of CSL was not necessary as CSL is slicker and harder than EXO. EXO may be a little more hydrophobic, but that has no real benefit to the vehicle owner.

As I mentioned, I have CSL on the hood of my personal vehicle, and it is very hydrophobic IMO. Water just slides right off of it in the rain or during washes.
 
I agree. Though I'm the least "experted" here of anybody in this thread. Seems folks get caught up in water shedding ability. I want swirl protection and for it to be easier to clean.

In regards to Mike's post, that's interesting. I'm not looking for a coating as a means to be able to perform maintenance less on my truck, just to make that maintenance easier. And also, hopefully, to resist light scratching that leads to swirling.

I'll still wash my truck at least weekly, but it is black, and water spots oh so easily! It is my hope that this will make the drying process easier and make my chances of staying on top of it before drying occurs better, and cut down on water spots. And also make it easier. My clear coat seems very soft and susceptible to scratches very easily.

2016 f150. Black

I'm also wondering if this will allow nothing more than a light polish once a year or so, going forward. Then a reapplication in a few years.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
 
zmcgovern45 said:
I have been testing CSL for a while now, with our longest test panel approaching 6 months of abuse. The panel has been washed just twice in the 6 months (most recently last week), and the coating is still as hydrophobic as it was on day 1. Pretty impressive given the circumstances.

I also have CSL applied to the hood of my personal vehicle which is maintained to the highest level and it is performing perfectly, as expected.

To be perfectly honest, CSL is our favorite consumer grade coating on the market right now. The slickness is off the chart, application is a breeze once you get the hang of it, and the protection seems to be on par with any other coating out there.

As far as the 5 year durability, you will notice that GTechniq does mention that in order to maintain hydrophobic properties for such a duration, the coating may need to be topped either with a spray sealant like C2 or with another coating like EXO. However, as we know, water beading is not a representation of actual protection... without opening a can of worms, I'll just say that most vehicles can benefit from a light polish every 1-3 years depending on how they are used, therefore I personally don't pay much attention to coating durability claims past the 3 year mark.

I would highly recommend checking out CSL if you're looking for a new coating to try... you can find my "Initial Impressions" article on the DI Ask-A-Pro Blog.




Click to expand...

Hey Zach,
I've read several of your write ups and always find them very informative. If I'm not mistaken, which I very well could be, you were one of the people that said CSL wasn't as hydrophobic as EXO is that correct? I know beading doesn't equal protection, but I also know customers really like the behavior of water on EXO.
One more question. I know C2v3 will bond to CSL down the road. Have you tried applying EXO to CSL after it has been on for an extended period of time?? If so does it seem to bond ok?
 
Exo V3 I see is launched, easier to apply than CSL,more hydrophobic,more glossy and more durable than before (24 months). Also cheaper than CSL. Exo V3 can be used stand alone. Would be nice having two same colour/model cars,one coated with Exo V3 the other with CSL to compare, or if easier split a car or hood down the middle with either. Exo V3 really does look promising on its own.
 
Yeah, seems to me if you want to use exo, it might make the most sense to use only exo.

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DaveT435 said:
Hey Zach,
I've read several of your write ups and always find them very informative. If I'm not mistaken, which I very well could be, you were one of the people that said CSL wasn't as hydrophobic as EXO is that correct? I know beading doesn't equal protection, but I also know customers really like the behavior of water on EXO.
One more question. I know C2v3 will bond to CSL down the road. Have you tried applying EXO to CSL after it has been on for an extended period of time?? If so does it seem to bond ok?
Click to expand...


Hi Dave - you'll see in this thread and also in the comments of my CSL article on DI that I mention that CSL is quite hydrophobic. GTechniq states that it is not as hydrophobic as EXO, however that is a bit misleading because CSL is still very hydrophobic per my personal testing... EXO is just ridiculously hydrophobic. I will try to get some videos of the water behavior of CSL on my own cars for reference, but when I drive my car through the rain, the majority of the water just flies right off if that gives you any indication as to how well CSL repels water.

Also, here is a video (not in english) that I found demonstrating CSL vs. CSL + EXO.

CSL on passenger side, CSL+EXO on driver side. Skip to 1:26 to see the hydrophobic properties... as you can see, CSL repels water very well on its own!

 
Thanks Zach. I knew I read somewhere that CSL wasn't as hydrophobic. I have to agree CSL does great. It will definitely be a lot easier not applying EXO over it. Looking forward to trying out Essence + on it. I've got a neighbor/friend who has a black Acura I put CSL on, it's got some fine scratches and marring. I'm not much for taking pictures, but since it's a new product I think posting results on different coatings will be beneficial for everyone.
 
Has anyone tried just applying exo2 or csl over essence or is it still recommended to use panel wipe or that sort prior to app?

Is 2nd layer recommended?

Thanks!
 
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