[dfwcowboy]

Originally Posted by KirkH

Applying wax with a polisher saves wax and makes it spread thinner so its easier to wipe off. I do hand wax sometimes when the customer is afraid of the polisher hitting the car.

I have the opposite experience. It could be simply technique, but never liked applying wax with the buffer.

[panther1le]

So I ended up doing the polish with Meg 205 and a white pad, did the IPA and then applied reload, the car looked amazing. Last week I washed the car with Meguiars Deep Crystal since it was the only one I had. The car was still looking great. Yesterday, I washed the car with Meguiars Gold and when rinsing I started to notice no beading at ALL, the reload was completely gone. When I was drying the car I also noticed the towel really sticky. Honestly, I'm not a fan of the rinseless washes, but I'm wondering if this has something to do with the process.

[Burly]

You need to IPA or Eraser wipe down after the 205. If you don’t the Reload will smear and streak from the oils in 205. That black pad is probably too soft and may not cut enough to clean up even the lightest scratches or swirls. Get a couple white pads, at minimum one for each side car. Don’t use a lot of polish, prime it, then a couple pea sized drops per section.

[panther1le]

Originally Posted by Burly

You need to IPA or Eraser wipe down after the 205. If you don’t the Reload will smear and streak from the oils in 205. That black pad is probably too soft and may not cut enough to clean up even the lightest scratches or swirls. Get a couple white pads, at minimum one for each side car. Don’t use a lot of polish, prime it, then a couple pea sized drops per section.

I did the IPA after the 205, and used a white pad also. I started with the black but I didn't like the results so I switch to the white pad.

[Joe M 2012 2SS]

Originally Posted by panther1le

So I ended up doing the polish with Meg 205 and a white pad, did the IPA and then applied reload, the car looked amazing. Last week I washed the car with Meguiars Deep Crystal since it was the only one I had. The car was still looking great. Yesterday, I washed the car with Meguiars Gold and when rinsing I started to notice no beading at ALL, the reload was completely gone. When I was drying the car I also noticed the towel really sticky. Honestly, I'm not a fan of the rinseless washes, but I'm wondering if this has something to do with the process.

I'm not a fan of Meguiars Gold Class Car wash and Reload. Had the same experience with it. It left some type of residue on the paint and killed the beading/sheeting.

Plus Megs Gold Class smells absolutely horrendous, like one of those things they stick in urinals in public bathrooms.

Get some Carpro Reset, and the beading/sheeting will be restored. I only use this as a pre-foam before a 2 bucket wash. It removes most all the road grime/film before I actually touch the paint. 1.5 oz. in a foam gun or cannon is all that is needed.

For your regular weekly washes try Optimum Car Shampoo. You can get it on sale at autogeek/autopia/detailed image for about $24 for a gallon when they have one of their 25% off/free shipping sales. It cleans great, rinses clean with no residue, and smells good too.
Adams Car Shampoo is also really good, but is more expensive. Lusso Auto Bathe is my favorite, but is ridiculously expensive.

[panther1le]

Originally Posted by Joe M 2012 2SS

I'm not a fan of Meguiars Gold Class Car wash and Reload. Had the same experience with it. It left some type of residue on the paint and killed the beading/sheeting.

Plus Megs Gold Class smells absolutely horrendous, like one of those things they stick in urinals in public bathrooms.

Get some Carpro Reset, and the beading/sheeting will be restored. I only use this as a pre-foam before a 2 bucket wash. It removes most all the road grime/film before I actually touch the paint. 1.5 oz. in a foam gun or cannon is all that is needed.

For your regular weekly washes try Optimum Car Shampoo. You can get it on sale at autogeek/autopia/detailed image for about $24 for a gallon when they have one of their 25% off/free shipping sales. It cleans great, rinses clean with no residue, and smells good too.
Adams Car Shampoo is also really good, but is more expensive. Lusso Auto Bathe is my favorite, but is ridiculously expensive.

Just by doing a wash with Reset the beading will be restored? Do I need to apply the Reload again or not?

[SSport16]

Yeah definitely get away from Mequiars or anything like basic wash soap. Stick with similar products, wash with a silica based product like Carpro Ech20 or the foams from Carpro. Mixing different types of products really screws things up, I always say, the simpler things are and the process you use, the better the results. I have never had any beading issues, but the again I am real OCD when it comes to detailing so I really put a lot of detail into doing things, but over the years have learned to simplify things which actually made the results better, because it was being done right with the right products.

[Joe M 2012 2SS]

Originally Posted by panther1le

Just by doing a wash with Reset the beading will be restored? Do I need to apply the Reload again or not?

If the Reload is still on the paint, and the residue from the Megs is on top of the Reload, the Reset will remove the residue and wont harm the Reload, provided you don't leave the Reset on for too long.

I went a year using Reload.....topped with Hydrofoam….trying all kinds of different soaps for my 2 bucket washes...I'm a car shampoo junkie......there were times I thought the shampoo had stripped off all the protection.....but then I tried Reset.

It restores the beading/sheeting to like new again. This soap is designed for coated cars, or cars with silica protection on them.

Again, I only use it as a pre-foamer. Foam the car down when the surface is cool to the touch, in the shade, and allow foam to dwell for a few minutes without drying, and then rinse it all off.

People do use it in a 2 bucket wash, but you cannot allow it to dry before rinsing. I like to wash the entire car before rinsing, so I use Optimum, or another soap that leaves no residue on the paint, even if it dries a little on a cool surface.

Many soaps now also contain glossing agents in them, and I have found that on top of silica, they can leave a residue that stops the beading/sheeting.

If your beading doesn't come back after foaming the car with Reset and rinsing, it is gone. Based upon everything you stated my guess is you have residue on top of it which is masking the beading effect.

[torqueaddict]

Originally Posted by panther1le

I did the IPA after the 205, and used a white pad also. I started with the black but I didn't like the results so I switch to the white pad.

My reload experience even with CarPro Reset was similar. The beading decreased noticeably with every wash and the rain finished it off. There are other products out there that require less jumping through hoops.

[Gunkk]

Originally Posted by torqueaddict

My reload experience even with CarPro Reset was similar. The beading decreased noticeably with every wash and the rain finished it off. There are other products out there that require less jumping through hoops.

Reload doesn't last forever. Its service life is 2 weeks to 3 months depending on quality of prep and severity of environment.

[Glen e]

Originally Posted by torqueaddict

My reload experience even with CarPro Reset was similar. The beading decreased noticeably with every wash and the rain finished it off. There are other products out there that require less jumping through hoops.

Agreed… I was on the reload/essence bandwagon for 6 to 8 months, and it worked OK. Still got some streaking, and the application was a bit finicky for me. Switched to blackfire SIO2 spray and all that went away; super easy to apply, very forgiving, and gloss and durability equal to, or better than reload. Another one that's super easy and forgiving is McKees 10 minute si02 paint sealant. Just my experience.

[SSport16]

I just put Reload on again yesterday on the Camaro, the fall application. No streaks, easy on/easy off. I am curious as to why some have issues and some don't. I am real meticulous, but even at that, I was done with the whole car in less than an hour. My Equinox is getting the full strip down, polish, and Reload next week, that is my vehicle that is my true DD and takes the most beating with the weather and such. I last put Reload on it back in the spring, around April, still beads and looks great.

Just interesting of the completely different results people are getting.