Griot’s 3-in-1 Ceramic Wax Review

ur killin me

 

Just wanted to see his process for each. Was a simple spray on the towel, wipe on, flip the towel, buff off.

 

I used this stuff about 2 months back. Works great, almost too great. My foam cannon,which used to leave a nice thick coat of foam, slides right off due to the ceramic properties.

 

I just did my third wash post-Griot's on the Sienna and it's still looking good and beading well. I'm very happy with it.

 

I just remember the guy from Xtreme Solutions finding fault with the test because of the way Scott applied the products....too funny

 

Unless there is some kind of mandatory way of applying that will cause failure if not followed, how could anyone have an issue with his application?

 

If they’re all applied the same way, in the same conditions, I don’t think it would matter. Kind of like the F11 crowd will make excuses for its failure for whatever reason. If it’s the only product that fails in those conditions, I gotta assume it’s inferior.

 

F11 is overhyped nonsense? Hmmm. Where have I heard that before...









It failed on the first wash..... There is no excuse that covers that IMO. But what do I know? I just use quarters and hose it off.

 

Did somebody say F11??? Heard that stuff is awesome on smokers.

 

Alright so I screwed up bad, need some pointers on how I should proceed next. Preface: this is all pretty new to me.

Used my new 3-1 this last weekend, it came out bad. Real bad, just swirly and smudged all over the place. Makes me sad. Spend a good 5 hours on interior and exterior.

Washed it in my driveway, don't have a garage, there was probably some dust floating around, and the sun started peeking out from the trees, I don't imagine that helped. Used the softest microfiber I could find, I think it came with a different polish I bought.

Anyway, what are my best next steps? Do I need to take this layer of 3-1 off? I see a lot of comments about decom with IronX, then Clay, then 3-1 (after washing obviously). I do also have a few light scratches I'd like to address, not sure if I can integrate that into this whole process.

Other products I have: Griots Speed Shine, pretty much all of the Chemical guys stuff.

Thanks as always

 

how exactly did you apply it? The only negatives i've heard of is it tends to streak if you apply too much. post up a pic so we know what we're dealing with.

I would start with trying some inconspicuous spots with dish soap and also isopropyl alcohol.

 

This is beyond streaky. It looks like I greased my ass and rubbed it all over the truck. I gave the panels 4-5 sprays and rubbed it in. I'll go snap some pics in a minute

 

Did you buff it off with a clean micro fiber afterwards?

 

Ok few red flags in your post.

1 you are gonna need at least 6 MF towels product goes on with one off with another 2-3 panels then start fresh with one more clean one at the end for a full wipe down.

2 doing sealants outside is pretty much a bad idea

to start fresh it should be deconed Clayed and polished to prep the surface. If you do that then you could correct the paint.

 

Yes, sprayed on and buffed with a soft microfiber cloth that came with some other polish I bought

 

10-4, gonna replace all my towels just incase. Any suggestions?

 

Pretty sure you spray on, use one towel to spread it, and then a new clean towel to buff it off. I'm not sure from your response if this is what you did.


It should also be noted, what I am saying is based PURELY off what I have read in posts on here. I do not have the product, nor have I used it. Just sharing my understanding of the process. Gurus, if I am mistaken, please guide me!

 

Rag company drago are awesome
Griots PFM

most the guys that are serious about detailing on these threads have dedicated rags for different applications. I would not use drago or pfm to wipe down trim I reserve them for paint only unless the get old or what not. I also am a big fan of color by application. Engine bay and wheel rags can be had for much cheaper aka Costco or CG from Amazon.

 

I appreciate the help, I'll give this another go once I see if there are any 4th of July deals

 

Start with these. On sale for prime day and they are very good for the cost.

Deal of the day for Prime Members: Chemical Guys MIC_506_12 Professional Grade Premium Microfiber Towels, Gold (16 Inch x 16 Inch) (Pack of 12)

$35 Chemical Guys MIC_506_12 Professional Grade Premium Microfiber Towels, Gold (16" x 16") (Pack of 12) - Safe for Car Wash, Home Cleaning & Pet Drying Cloths

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A8MZ7IA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_PR8FY4JD2AGFMQ4Y48EV?_encoding=UTF8

cost just over $1 a towel. This is one of two products I will actually recommend by CG btw

 

He was tweaked because their product failed quickly...maybe within 30 days

 

Red Flag - free towels are usually pretty crappy

 

That's what I'm talking about! Ordered, thank you VERY much

 

This stuff is pretty legit for a $20 price point. I’ve had no issues with streaking yet... and I’m far from a professional... I consider myself pretty damn good at detailing... but not professional. It’s kinda my go to product right now.

 

You gotta start with a clean surface and what I mean is not just washed, but no residual previous waxes or polish. So if you use polish to correct some paint issues follow up with a 50/50 solution of alcohol and water (IPA). It will get off left over polish/wax residue and oils. 3 in 1 may work in conjunction with some griots products but who knows with others. Best to start with squeaky clean paint. Do not apply 3 in 1 in hot sunny weather.

Use clean (washed or new) microfiber towels. I use a microfiber applicator for a more precise application. A little goes a long way. 2 sprays on the applicator for 1/2 a panel. So that would be half a door, half of the truck bed, half of the hood etc. Apply it in the direction the air would flow over your vehicle while driving and back over it perpendicular to ensure even coverage. So if you spread it on north and south go back over east and west. Buff off with a clean microfiber and be sure to fold over sides frequently. Don’t be afraid to toss and get a fresh towel after a couple panels or when you detect a hint of dampness. Just did my army green over the weekend using griots fast correcting cream, IPA wipe down and then 3 in 1. Came out great.

 

Thank you, this is very helpful

 

Fast correcting cream finished down well enough that you did not have to polish? That's pretty impressive

 

I stand corrected, it was the perfecting cream. Thank god the truck didn’t need anything more aggressive.

 

Big thanks to @War Machine @ToyoMafia @briarpatch and probably others on this thread. Bought Griots 3-1 Ceramic wax over a month ago based on this review and have been waiting for a few days without rain or hot sun. This past weekend with no rain and in the 70’s I finally got the chance to give my 2021 Tundra it’s 1st waxing.

-Washed with Dawn
-Used IronX on the hood (the sun was coming out and seemed to be drying to quickly so I gave up on the IronX after the hood). Probably a mistake but it was my first time using it and didn’t want to make things worse.
-Used Nonoskin Fine Synthetic Clay pad with Speed Shine on whole truck.
-Washed with Mr. Pink using 2 bucket
-Dried with Griots PFM towel
-Very sparingly used 3-1 with one towel on, and another to immediately remove.
-Applied 2nd coat the next day more liberally.

Between both coats I went though about 10 of the Chemical Guys 12 pack microfiber towels that were on sale on Prime Day. (thanks @ToyoMafia)

I was worried about streaking and difficulty removing based on the posts here so I don’t think I used enough on the first coat. Here’s the bottle after day one:



The surface felt very smooth and the paint was glossy the next morning even using as little as I did. I applied a 2nd coat, this time I was a little more confident and had this left after.



It did rain the next morning but didn’t seem to have a negative effect. Here’s some pics later that day after the rain on it had dried.





(Did the rims but forgot the tires)

I’m very happy with the results and thankful for all the great posts here that helped. It looks better in person than in the pics even after it was rained on. The worst part (most effort) was the prep. The actual “waxing” was very easy.

This question will probably be answered by reading more posts but what wash is recommended to be used to maintain? I’ve read mixed reviews on the Griots Ceramic wash (lack of suds?)

Thanks again for all the knowledge and apologies to anyone I left out that probably contributed to making this a success.

 

Awesome Craig! I love seeing people benefit from things I’ve posted, and I’m really happy you like it. If you used the Nanoskin mitt on the whole truck I wouldn’t worry about having to tap out on the Iron X. You made the right call backing off with the sun coming out.
I agree it looks like you went a little light on the first coat, but once again it was a good call with the sun hitting. Your second pic is closer to what my bottle looks like after a coat on a truck. I’ve usually just done one coat. Didn’t realize it calls for two until later. My first results were just based on one, so I imagine you’re good to go.

As far as soap, look for something that’s PH neutral. I’ve never used Mr Pink, but I just checked and it is PH neutral so if you like that soap then roll with it. My favorite is CarPro Reset if you want to look into something else. Reset is in my opinion the very best, and works with any sealant or wax.

Your truck is looking great! Keep us posted on the longevity you get from it.