At home ceramic coat

[kssod]

Esoteric car care has great videos. I've use Kamikaze ISM and it is great. Also used Gyeon can coat for a simpler application.

[JoeyO]

I want to apply a ceramic coating by myself, but my X3 has water spots all over. It is only 5 months so it’s in mint condition. No scratches. I just need to get rid of the water spots before applying the ceramic coating.

I’ve never machined polished, so I’m afraid of doing that. Are there any very-light polishes I can apply by hand?

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by JoeyO

I want to apply a ceramic coating by myself, but my X3 has water spots all over. It is only 5 months so it’s in mint condition. No scratches. I just need to get rid of the water spots before applying the ceramic coating.

That could be either super easy, or tricky, depending on the source of chemical in those water spots, and how long they've been on the car. Water spots are nothing but residual chemicals from water drops after those dry on the paint. If your car got dumped on by an acid rain cloud, or just sprinklers, makes a big difference in how easy they will dissolve during subsequent washes. Also makes a difference what minaral composition of water flows through your garden hose.

Personally, I don't do anything special to get rid of water spots beyond washing the car, and then applying Tar & Sap Remover on the lower half of doors and fenders, plus wheels.

If necessary, you can sprinkle some of the following:

• Dedicated Water Spot remover.
• Iron & Fallout Remover.
• For REALLY stubborn spots and tree-sap globs, my go-to product is Car Pro DeScale. It dissolves EVERYTHING, but you want to wash it off quickly afterwards!

Originally Posted by JoeyO

I’ve never machined polished, so I’m afraid of doing that. Are there any very-light polishes I can apply by hand?

Polishing with an orbital polisher is the same as polishing or applying wax by hand, just WAY quicker, easier, and more consistent! Unless you want car-show perfect shine, a 1-step gentle polisher (or 2-in-1, or 3-in-1) application is all it takes. You can polish car panel-by-panel, from one wash to the next. No need to over-commit to the whole car, unless you want to, have the time, and are having fun.

Start with something simple, like G9 (large pad) kit here, and have fun!

Or, if you car has lots of intricate curves and shapes and budget is flexible, go with G8 (small pad) + G9 (large pad) kit with all the supplies here. I have this setup, and its been working great for me for years!

HTH,
a

P.S.: There are dozens of brands of chemicals and tools out there. All are very similar. Using ANY of them REGULARLY is way better than over-thinking about which brand to apply to what problem and not doing anything in the interim.

[allinon72]

It's less about product and more about prep. It's very DIYable if you're willing to learn. You must do a light polish first if you want any chance of it lasting. Otherwise you will spend a lot of money and time without a good result.

[JoeyO]

Originally Posted by afadeev

That could be either super easy, or tricky, depending on the source of chemical in those water spots, and how long they've been on the car. Water spots are nothing but residual chemicals from water drops after those dry on the paint…..

Thanks for the advice. The reason I have fear of an orbital buffer is because 1) years ago I purchased a brand new VW and told the dealership DO NOT POLISH IT. Sure enough, when I picked it up I saw they polished it and did the most horrible job I have ever seen. Massive fish-scaling and hologram look. So I learned that an orbital polisher in the wrong hands can wreak havoc on a finish. 2) My BMW is only 5 months old. I’m petrified to take chances on such a new vehicle. I only do bucket washes and watch carefully what touches that finish. I don’t want to screw it up. But as they say, perfection is the enemy of the good.

I might try one of those water spot remover solvents, first. I’ve had my eyes on the Chemical Guys Water Spot Remover. I have a feeling my water spots aren’tvery deep (I hope, crosses fingers).

If I were to use an orbital polisher, any advice on a very very light-duty polish liquid?

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by JoeyO

Thanks for the advice. The reason I have fear of an orbital buffer is because 1) years ago I purchased a brand new VW and told the dealership DO NOT POLISH IT. Sure enough, when I picked it up I saw they polished it and did the most horrible job I have ever seen. Massive fish-scaling and hologram look. So I learned that an orbital polisher in the wrong hands can wreak havoc on a finish. 2) My BMW is only 5 months old. I’m petrified to take chances on such a new vehicle. I only do bucket washes and watch carefully what touches that finish. I don’t want to screw it up. But as they say, perfection is the enemy of the good.

1). Your hands are NOT wrong hands. You will care way more about the outcome than any college drop out that polishes/washes cars at dealerships.
2). Even brand new cars' paint is far from perfect. Port of entry and dealer run cars through automated car washes, hire guerillas to peel protective paint, and focus on covering up transportation damage more than anything. If you talk to a pro detailer, they will talk your ear off with stories of problems with new vehicle paint.

The worst you can do is try, get discouraged, and THEN take it to a pro who will finish the job. No downside to trying, unless you intend to polish with baking soda and 80-grit sand paper!

Good luck,
a

I might try one of those water spot remover solvents, first. I’ve had my eyes on the Chemical Guys Water Spot Remover. I have a feeling my water spots aren’tvery deep (I hope, crosses fingers).

If I were to use an orbital polisher, any advice on a very very light-duty polish liquid?[/QUOTE]

[TboneS54]

Originally Posted by JoeyO

I want to apply a ceramic coating by myself, but my X3 has water spots all over. It is only 5 months so it’s in mint condition. No scratches. I just need to get rid of the water spots before applying the ceramic coating.

I’ve never machined polished, so I’m afraid of doing that. Are there any very-light polishes I can apply by hand?

Yes, you can do by hand, but this situation of yours is the safest time you'd use a machine - a d/a with soft pads and mild polish. These aren't harsh enough to ruin your paint.

You can get a pretty nice D/A from harbor freight for like $60. $8 pads (get like 3) for polishing and $20-25 bottle of polish (I love Griot's boss perfecting). And get some nice 70/30 polyester/polyamide microfiber towels somewhere like 300gsm-400 for wiping polish away and applying sealant/spray without adding new scratches.

[spazzz]

Originally Posted by JoeyO

Thanks for the advice. The reason I have fear of an orbital buffer is because 1) years ago I purchased a brand new VW and told the dealership DO NOT POLISH IT. Sure enough, when I picked it up I saw they polished it and did the most horrible job I have ever seen. Massive fish-scaling and hologram look. So I learned that an orbital polisher in the wrong hands can wreak havoc on a finish. 2) My BMW is only 5 months old. I’m petrified to take chances on such a new vehicle. I only do bucket washes and watch carefully what touches that finish. I don’t want to screw it up. But as they say, perfection is the enemy of the good.

I might try one of those water spot remover solvents, first. I’ve had my eyes on the Chemical Guys Water Spot Remover. I have a feeling my water spots aren’tvery deep (I hope, crosses fingers).

If I were to use an orbital polisher, any advice on a very very light-duty polish liquid?

I wouldn't bother with a water spot remover. Just try a dab of vinegar on 1 spot and see if it works. Then maybe get a bottle of the magic stuff.

Pick a coating then buy their fine polish to use first> 16oz.

If I was to pick a good reviewed inexpensive machine I would pick the Griots G9. 1000watts and a 9mm orbit, which would be perfect. I would also buy a 5 inch backing plate to use so it spins easier.
Then all you have to do is get some 5 inch polishing pads for it. Now that pad choice is a whole different thing. I don't use a DA anymore so my pad knowledge on that is restricted to a shit ton of reading.

It is so easy you will kick yourself for thinking there is some kind of hoodoo voodoo involved.

[LuvMyE92]

Originally Posted by JoeyO

My BMW is only 5 months old. I’m petrified to take chances on such a new vehicle. I only do bucket washes and watch carefully what touches that finish. I don’t want to screw it up.

Practice on your wife's car. Then you can do the BMW.

[Phillies8008]

Originally Posted by JoeyO

Thanks for the advice. The reason I have fear of an orbital buffer is because 1) years ago I purchased a brand new VW and told the dealership DO NOT POLISH IT. Sure enough, when I picked it up I saw they polished it and did the most horrible job I have ever seen. Massive fish-scaling and hologram look. So I learned that an orbital polisher in the wrong hands can wreak havoc on a finish. 2) My BMW is only 5 months old. I’m petrified to take chances on such a new vehicle. I only do bucket washes and watch carefully what touches that finish. I don’t want to screw it up. But as they say, perfection is the enemy of the good.

I might try one of those water spot remover solvents, first. I’ve had my eyes on the Chemical Guys Water Spot Remover. I have a feeling my water spots aren’tvery deep (I hope, crosses fingers).

If I were to use an orbital polisher, any advice on a very very light-duty polish liquid?

A regular orbital polisher can indeed screw up paint. It only moves in one direction, and if you keep it in one spot too long the heat build up can damage your clear coat and (eventually) the paint itself.

However, a dual-action polisher (ex.: this one from Griot's Garage is much safer to use. Instead of only moving in one direction it oscillates as well as spins, so the pad isn't sitting on only one spot. Unless you're a professional or have a lot of experience, this is definitely the type of polisher you should be using. Personally, I wouldn't use anything but a DA.

I'm not going to say you can't screw up your paint with a DA, but it's a lot harder to do than with a regular orbital. As long as you employ even a small modicum of common sense and don't just sit on one spot for two minutes or something, you'll be absolutely fine.

As for the polishing product, I'm again going to cite Griot's Garage – I have no affiliation, just a very satisfied customer and I'm familiar with their product lineup. Something like their Complete Compound would be used to get out deeper scratches and swirl-marks. Something like their Cermaic All-in-One Wax is going to get out light scratches, as well as act as a wax. You probably won't get as good a result as polishing then waxing, but it's only one step as opposed to two, and I've been happy with the results.

If you do prefer to go the two-step process, something like their Boss Perfecting Cream for light scratches followed up by something like their Ceramic Liquid Wax would do the job.

Again, I'm only linking Griot's products because I'm familiar and have been satisfied with them. There are plenty of other brands out there that will do a great job too – Meguires, Gyeon, etc.

Honestly, doing it yourself is pretty easy so long as you're willing to put in the work. If you want the best results you're going to want to wash the car thoroughly, clay bar it, decontaminate it, and prep-spray it before polishing. I've found that I can get 80-90% of the results a professional with provide for a fraction of the price in products and time (depending on what value you put on your time, I suppose). That being said, I will generally have my cars professionally detailed once per year. I like to have a kind of "reset" done once a year where it's done more-or-less perfectly.

That being said, for the car I have on-order I'm going to have it PPF'd and ceramic coated, which'll take polishing out of the equation entirely. I haven't decided if I'm going to do the coating myself afterwards or have the installer do it at the same time as the PPF. I guess it'll depend on how lazy I'm feeling at the time, lol.

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

Practice on your wife's car. Then you can do the BMW.

Always an option too. As dirty as my wife keeps her car, she'd never notice regardless of how good or bad a job I did.

[Elderado82]

I've been using Griot's Ceramic All-in-One Wax with a rotary polisher and an orange pad, followed by their Ceramic 3-in-1 Wax Spray. I apply the spray with edgeless plush microfiber towels and buff in three steps:

• Spray onto the surface.

• Wipe in a crosshatch pattern (up and down, then side to side).

• With a fresh, dry microfiber towel, go over the same area in a crosshatch pattern again to dry.

• Finally, I grab another clean microfiber towel and hand-buff lightly. I work panel by panel, especially on the hood and roof, using 3x3 ft sections.

Every 90 days, I hand-wash with Griot's Car Wash and reapply the Ceramic 3-in-1 Wax Spray. Once a year, I do a full rotary wax with the Ceramic All-in-One Wax.

I know some people won’t agree, but I almost always use automatic washes, followed by a sponge bath if needed. Day to day, dust rinses off, road grime rinses off, brake dust rinses off, and bird droppings rinse off (thankfully). The only time she really needs a sponge bath is if I get caught on a muddy surface or tar gets on the paint. I rarely encounter swirls or scratches from washing, and if I do, they come right out during the annual machine wax and polish.

My car consistently has a beautiful shine with a bright, glassy hue. This routine has kept my paint in excellent condition over the years, and I get compliments weekly.

I hope these steps help someone looking for a tried-and-true method that doesn’t require a lot of time or money to maintain. Also, I’m not sponsored by Griot’s. I simply love their products, and they smell amazing.