CQuartz after Essence

[dwaleke]

Hi all,

Today I prepped my car for CQuartz. I polished with Essence and when I was finished the day was also done.

Is it ok to apply CQuartz tomorrow (12-14 hours) after Essence has been applied without an Eraser wipe down?

Will doing an Eraser wipe down lessen any positive interaction between Essence and CQuartz?


Thanks,
Dan

[fdresq4]

Hi Dan and welcome!

Quick question, did you apply Essence via machine or by hand?

Some help right from Essence product page...

o use Eraser between Essence and CQuartz?

If your using Essence by machine and you wait until the vehicle is finished then you can apply Reload or CQuartz after you finish the vehicle starting in the same direction you polished. If you want to be ultra safe you can still Eraser but in our testings to date we have not seen any failure when we skipped Eraser.

If your using Essence by hand then we recommend you use Eraser before coating.

3 - How long does CarPro Essence last?

We expect 1 year on its own BUT we recommend applying reload or CQuartz over top for the much better hydrophobics and dirt resistance. This will provide 115+ Degree contact angle instead of 90 deg contact angle (not so good) with Essence alone.

4 - So, I can use Essence with CQuartz?

Yes, any CQuartz coating and any of our CarPro Nano sealants like Reload it will work great.

As to your other question, was your vehicle sitting outside or inside? My concern would be environmental fallout..i.e. Pollen and such sitting on the surface.

Cant wait to see the pics of your car!


Steve

[dwaleke]

Thank you Steve.

I did read all the information on the product. I just wasn't sure of the answers to my questions.

I applied with a Flex 3401. Car was kept in the garage overnight.

Well I did a eraser wipe down on the roof and hood and not the rest of the car. Seemed to work good everywhere. I did have the application of CQuartz wrong on the hood. I did not work the product long enough before trying to wipe off. Had a mess on my hands. I polished the hood and started over.

Looks like I did not replace the suede application enough on the rear of the car. Had to polish a small section and reapply back there too. CQuartz is a little finicky, but I think I have the process down now.

One last question. I was not able to apply reload on the car. I won't be able to until Thursday (4 days away). I imagine the car will accumulate dust sitting in the garage. I know I cannot wash the car for at least 7 days. Can I rinse off the car, dry it, and then apply reload in 4 days?

Or should I risk just dusting off the car and applying reload before moving it out of the garage to sit outside for a few days?

Thanks for you help.

[fdresq4]

If it were me, I would wait 30 days before the RELOAD. You can use water in the first 7 days then soap and water after that. Just keep the car dry for 24 hours if you can. If it gets wet, rain, sprinklers, just be sure to gently get the water off. The least amount of touching the product/surface the better.
RELOAD can be applied an hour after CQ application and is beneficial if you can't keep the car in an enclosed area overnight. Gives it a little extra protection from water.
Also another trick, albeit hard with pollen this time of year, let your car sit in the sun to help the curing process. CQ will fully cure in about 30 days.
Hope this helps,

Steve

[richy]

I think you'll be fine with ONR if it gets dusty.

[dwaleke]

Thanks guys.

I was under the impression the cquartz was vulnerable to water in the first 30 days. And reload protected the coating until it fully cured. If it is only fit the first 24 hours then I'm not worried.

Thursday the car will go back to daily driven duties and may get wet and dirty without the ability to wash until weekends.

Given the chance I'll let the car sit out in the sun.

[Worthrj]

I usually wait 3 weeks before applying reload. I'm sure you can go crazy and apply a few later, but I wait for a long time. What I've found is CQuartz is not finicky, its the installer. I've applied UK in direct sunlight outside in summer no problem at all. The key to CQuartz, (and this is very near sighted and not exhaustive) is wipe it off again and again. Anytime I apply a coating, I always have an extra set of hands with suede towels. I apply it, the helper follows me with a wipe down, and then I follow him with a wipe down of panel as well. I always reuse my suedes as well. Just throw them in APC, wash em', and they're ready for more coatings and soft as suede. Don't get caught up in all the fine print, just be practical and use common sense. There's a few suede towels in the kit for a reason, use them. Stuff like that.