[tylerboland01]

I spent the better part of 12 hours detailing my car, the last step of which involved applying Gtechniq CSL to the paint. Everything turned out great until I noticed a water spot on the edge of the hood, that also has a slightly hazed run.

It's pretty clear that a drop of sweat managed to make its way onto the panel while I was applying the CSL, no thanks to the wonderful Texas weather.

How can I go about fixing this? From what I've been reading, I'm going to have to polish off the spot then reapply the coating. Do I have to do the entire hood or can I just do a small section? How aggressive of a polish am I going to have to use?

Pic of the damage, it's kinda hard to see but in direct sunlight it's pretty noticeable.

[Detailed Image]

You're correct... polish and recoat.

You do not have to do the entire panel, just the small isolated area. Since the coating is fresh, you may even be able to polish it out by hand, otherwise I would use a 3" pad on a DA polisher. As always, use the least aggressive method. Start with a polishing pad and a fine polish.

Once the spot has been removed, wipe with a prep solvent (ie GTechniq Panel Wipe) and then reapply the coating to the area that was polished.

This is how you will make spot repairs on a coated car in the even that you get a scratch that needs some attention, bird dropping mark, etc.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Zach McGovern
Professional Detailer
Detailed Image "Ask-A-Pro Blog" Author

[tylerboland01]

Took forever to polish the spot off with the current heaviest polish I had, chemical guys 34v. Reapplied and apparently my applicator was at the end of its life, becuase I walked out this morning to a massive faded spot and streaks galore. I picked up some heavier megs compound and repolished the entire hood. At this point stating from scratch seems to be the better move, and I'll reapply the CSL tomorrow morning before it gets too hot.

Can I use a regular new microfiber application pad to apply the CSL or is there something special about the provided pad.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by tylerboland01

Took forever to polish the spot off with the current heaviest polish I had, chemical guys 34v. Reapplied and apparently my applicator was at the end of its life, becuase I walked out this morning to a massive faded spot and streaks galore. I picked up some heavier megs compound and repolished the entire hood. At this point stating from scratch seems to be the better move, and I'll reapply the CSL tomorrow morning before it gets too hot.

Can I use a regular new microfiber application pad to apply the CSL or is there something special about the provided pad.

You should never re-use a coating applicator. They are a one time use product.

Any foam, microfiber, or suede applicator will be fine... we prefer the "CarPro style" applicators with a foam block and suede towel wrapped around it. Click here to view foam block & micro-suede applicator.

Zach McGovern
Professional Detailer
Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog Author

[tylerboland01]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

You should never re-use a coating applicator. They are a one time use product.

Any foam, microfiber, or suede applicator will be fine... we prefer the "CarPro style" applicators with a foam block and suede towel wrapped around it. Click here to view foam block & micro-suede applicator.

Zach McGovern
Professional Detailer
Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog Author

Thanks for the advice, I'm a little new to ceramic coatings so errors were bound to happen.

Going to hit the hood with my finest polish when I get home, wash the car, then do an IPA wipedown. Gotta let the car dry and cool off then I'll reapply the coating.

CSL looks great when it's applied correctly, really nice deep shine and the beading is fantastic. Washing is a breeze, just hose it down with a gentle soap, almost never have to scrub.

[Detailed Image]

Yep - I have CSL on my personal car and have been very happy with it for about 1.5 years now

Zach McGovern
Pro Detailer
DI Ask-A-Pro Blog Author