Second coat of M21 Questions

[Jim Shearer]

If you put a coat of M21 2.0 on in the evening and wait until morning to wipe if off would it be okay to put the second coat on right away? Was there enough cure time?

If you put a coat of M21 2.0 on wait until it is dry and wipe it off then have to drive the car somewhere would it be okay to wipe it down with UQD? How about Last Touch? This assumes there is no dirt or grime on the car, no wet streets, etc. Just drove it about 25 miles and back. To look at it nobody would think it would need washing. If fact, they would think you just got through detailing it.

Thanks

[KTruck]

Re: Second coat of M21 Questions

Hi Jim:

You will probably get different answer to your questions. Here is what I do.

First, I would apply the wax; let it haze and wipe it off. To me leaving the wax on the vehicle has no advantage. You run the risk of having grit or dirt stick to the suface and then scratch the paint when you remove the wax.

The second coat can really be applied anytime. If I drive the vehicle I will wipe it off with a detailer and apply the wax. I like to save my UQD for maintenance between waxing so I usually use one of the other products. Any will work and should not cause a problem. The key is to always have a clean surface to work on before applying the wax. I do whatever is required to make sure the surface is clean before I apply the wax.

Regards,

KTruck

[Tim Lingor]

Re: Second coat of M21 Questions

If you put a coat of M21 2.0 on in the evening and wait until morning to wipe if off would it be okay to put the second coat on right away? Was there enough cure time?

If you put a coat of M21 2.0 on wait until it is dry and wipe it off then have to drive the car somewhere would it be okay to wipe it down with UQD? How about Last Touch? This assumes there is no dirt or grime on the car, no wet streets, etc. Just drove it about 25 miles and back. To look at it nobody would think it would need washing. If fact, they would think you just got through detailing it.

Thanks

Hi Jim,

I think there is a misunderstanding of what we mean by saying: "allow it to 'set-up' overnight before applying a second coat".

What we are saying is that all of Meguiar's waxes and sealants should be applied and then removed usually withing 15-20 minutes of their application. We suggest using the Swipe Test whereby you swipe the product residue with your clean finger. If it removes cleanly with no smears, then it is ready to be removed. If it does not, you need to wait a little longer. Many factors such as temperature, humidity etc affect the removal time but usually around 15 minutes is what Meguiar's suggests.

After the product residue has been removed, for the M21 sealant to "set up" properly, it is suggested that you wait overnight, if possible, before applying and removing a second coat. In the the real world, this may be difficult to do and hence why many of us will apply a second coat within 3-4 hours of the first application.

We have posted this before but we feel it is worth mentioning again. Leaving a dried product residue on the surface too long is just as bad as wiping it off too soon. Leaving it on too long can cause streaking. Therefore as we suggested above it is best to use the Swipe Test and remove the product as soon as it is ready.

I hope this helps!

Tim

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Second coat of M21 Questions

There's a thread in Hot Topics that addresses this topic in detail...

How much time to wait before applying a second coat of wax?

[Jim Shearer]

Re: Second coat of M21 Questions

We have posted this before but we feel it is worth mentioning again. Leaving a dried product residue on the surface too long is just as bad as wiping it off too soon. Leaving it on too long can cause streaking. Therefore as we suggested above it is best to use the Swipe Test and remove the product as soon as it is ready.
Tim

I have been reading this forum for well over a year and never noticed that. THANKS. I won't be making that mistake again.

[Jim Shearer]

Couple of more questions

Thanks everyone for replying. I have a couple more questions:

1. I have been applying M26 after 12 hours of cure time for the M21. Is the application of M26 as waste of time? Does it provide more protection or gloss?

2. How long after applying M21 or M26 should I wait to apply UQD? I really like the properties of UQD, especially the sheeting.

[Murr1525]

Re: Second coat of M21 Questions

- 2 coats of wax are recomended. Some people like to layer two different waxes, some just stick with two coats of the same wax. Have to see if you can tell any difference.

- It is probably best to wait 12 hours or so to let the wax set up before using detailers, unless of course some birds fly past, etc.