# Gtechniq C5 application



## mar (Aug 28, 2009)

Folks

I've splashed out on some C5 but I might have come a cropper in teems of the application.

The instructions clearly state that the wheels need to be wax free, but I have 5 or 6 layers of CG Wheel Guard on there. This is probably not a good thing.

Looking for suggestions to remove the Wheel Guard / any other hint on applying the C5 please.

Cheers


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## Yellow Dave (Apr 5, 2011)

I personally would go through the whole cleaning process of de tar, ironX, strong APC then wipe down with IPA. No point applying it unless the wheels are 100% clean


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## Keir (Aug 31, 2010)

yeah no point in using it if there not clean tbh I'd just wait maybe a month let the wax ware out then go in for the kill.


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## E38_ross (May 10, 2010)

Exactly what yellow dave says. Clean with strong wheel cleaner, then ironx, tardis, clay, polish if you want, then beat ipa wipe down then apply as per the instructions.


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

personally i'd give them a polish with something first.. 
tardis iron x and clay wont remove 100% of the wax..

maybe an acidic wheel cleaner like carplan wonder wheels(just make sure to rinse very well)

when i applied mine i cleaned with wonder wheels, then meguiars wheel cleaner, then tardis, iron x, clay and IPA wipedown before c5


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## mar (Aug 28, 2009)

Thanks folks. 

From what's in my goody cupboard I can achieve:

Bilberry 
Clay
Iron-x

I'm missing the seemingly important ipa wipe down. 

Am I likely to be wasting my chuffing expensive c5 with that prep work?

Cheers


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## E38_ross (May 10, 2010)

mar said:


> Thanks folks.
> 
> From what's in my goody cupboard I can achieve:
> 
> ...


yes, IMO. it'll bond, but not very well. IPA is very important in removing any oils or remaining waxes etc. it's cheap from ebay and well worth it. you should, ideally, be using it before you put a fresh coat of wax on the car too if you are starting from scratch again.

here you are

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IPA-ISOPR...Supplies_ET&hash=item3354c6287b#ht_1452wt_989


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

ipa wont remove much if any of the wax ross..

you need an acidic wheel cleaner at least.. or i'd use a paint cleanser/polish..

ipa will disperse the oils, and kill the beading/sheeting but it wont remove the layer itself..(the same goes for tardis ect) 

bilberry is non acid..

do you have any polishes? even SRP?
i'd go for, 
Bilberry clean.
iron x.
clay.
polish
IPA or degreaser really well rinsed.

dry completely then apply.


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## E38_ross (May 10, 2010)

cheers craig. bilberry id non-acidic but it's very alkaline!! pH around 12 IIRC.


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## mar (Aug 28, 2009)

I think I do have some Wonder Wheels from way back when. 

When I was keen but had little idea..!

It looks like Maplins sell IPA so I may pop down and pick some up. 

So the arsenal now looks like:

Bilberry
Wonder Wheels (?!?!)
SRP
Clay
Iron-x
IPA

Then hyper expensive c5

Sound like a plan?

Do


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## E38_ross (May 10, 2010)

i would do:

bilberry
wonder wheels
ironX
clay
IPA

ironX before claying. i wouldn't bother with SRP because it largely gets its finish from filling oils, the IPA will remove them and you'll have a non-polished finish again (well, it's a VERY light abrasive with more masking oils), you don't want these sitting on your surface before applying C5.


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## mar (Aug 28, 2009)

Cheers fella. 

Looks like IPA is a no go as there's no stock in my Maplins. 

Meths any good?


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## E38_ross (May 10, 2010)

does it have to be done this weekend? i have never used anything like white spirit but in theory it should be ok, though best to hear from someone who has tried it first!! IPA is a great addition to any detailers armoury....i suspect most, if not all, regular detailers have some!


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## mar (Aug 28, 2009)

Doesn't have to be tbh. 

Just childish impatience on my behalf. 

Slightly more chance of the wife seeing the C5 and asking how much it was if I leave it a week. She will go bat**** at the cost.


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## E38_ross (May 10, 2010)

just tell her it was cheaper then  or hide it in the car :lol:

i wouldn't do it until you have all the tools for the job. is it going to be a "wheels off the car" job?


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## mar (Aug 28, 2009)

IPA ordered off the bay. 

It'd be a costly half job so I'll wait. 

Wheels on. No jack etc so I'll do the best I can.


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## E38_ross (May 10, 2010)

if you're only doing the faces then 15ml will be plenty. where abouts are you based? if you aren't tooooo far away from me i'd be happy to help you out and bring a trolley jack with me. they aren't ideal but cars which come with a spare tyre come with a mini-jack thing which you can use to remove the wheels. with C5 it really is best if you can do the insides too but i understand (trust me  ) it's a right pain in the back side!


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## mar (Aug 28, 2009)

Thanks for the offer Ross. 

I'll give some thought to the insides as well as the faces. 

The car is an E91 M sport so I'm not sure 15ml would come close to being enough. They're bug, wide beasties.


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## E38_ross (May 10, 2010)

mar said:


> Thanks for the offer Ross.
> 
> I'll give some thought to the insides as well as the faces.
> 
> The car is an E91 M sport so I'm not sure 15ml would come close to being enough. They're bug, wide beasties.


my dad has an E92 M3 with the 19 inch alloys, i used a 25ml bottle but still had a fair amount spare. 15ml may be pushing it but you could certainly do the fronts completely and the rears just having the outside doing.... after all, the fronts get the most dust


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## MickPontoon (Aug 8, 2011)

mar said:


> I think I do have some Wonder Wheels from way back when.
> 
> When I was keen but had little idea..!
> 
> ...


bloody hell mate are you for real?

they are a set of wheels not an ancient relic


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## E38_ross (May 10, 2010)

MickPontoon said:


> bloody hell mate are you for real?
> 
> they are a set of wheels not an ancient relic


wow, that's a useful post 

he's just spent about £30 on the best wheel sealant on the market and wants to make sure it's applied properly, what's wrong with that?


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## Alpina-d3 (Mar 16, 2011)

e21-Ross sorry son but you talk c*ap. 

they are a set of alloys wheels, not unicorn sperm.

G5 isn't the best sealant by a long shot, Its new so people are trying it out.

2-3 years from now G5 will be forgotten about.


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## E38_ross (May 10, 2010)

Alpina-d3 said:


> e21-Ross sorry son but you talk c*ap. Lol
> 
> they are a set of alloys wheels, not unicorn sperm.


and your car is just a polished diesel rep-mobile IMO but i don't care if you want to take care of it do it. stop with the personal insults it's getting rather boring. i didn't see him saying what i said was crap. in fact, i think the OP thanked me at some point?

i've yet to see you post anything that's remotely helpful to anyone, what a valuable addition to this site you are


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## MickPontoon (Aug 8, 2011)

alpina-d3 said:


> e21-ross sorry son but you talk c*ap.
> 
> They are a set of alloys wheels, not unicorn sperm.
> 
> ...


lol


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## mar (Aug 28, 2009)

Struggling to find the value you've added here, Mick.


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## MickPontoon (Aug 8, 2011)

mar said:


> Struggling to find the value you've added here, Mick.


a wheel cleaner like bilberry or smart wheel left Undiluted to soak for a few mins then jetted off then repeated will remove most of the waxes i can be sure

then use a very strong APC like G101 - a mild wheel cleaner again undiluted and agitated to clean of any remaining waxes

iron X to remove the fallout, twice if needed

i would be very surprised if anything on the detailing market could stand that apart from an industrial coating:thumb:


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## Deeper Detail (Oct 31, 2010)

Some really creative and wild posts on here! 

I've done the accreditation day and if you clean them really well as posted earlier and then use a polish like scholl/menz, whatever, by hand to remove any remnants of coating, then IPA wipedown you will be good to go.....

And from what I've seen and used, G5 will be around in 2-3 years :thumb:


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## E38_ross (May 10, 2010)

MickPontoon said:


> a wheel cleaner like bilberry or smart wheel left Undiluted to soak for a few mins then jetted off then repeated will remove most of the waxes i can be sure
> 
> then use a very strong APC like G101 - a mild wheel cleaner again undiluted and agitated to clean of any remaining waxes
> 
> ...


ah, like C5 you mean  will see off neat bilberry and ironX no problem. even tardis doesn't really affect it.

alpina-d3 - i didn't say it was better by a long shot, but i've yet to find a wheel sealant better. the closest i've seen is probably the nanolex. all other waxes or PTFE coatings are absolute cack in comparison and can't even last 1/2 as long. what do you mean in 2-3 years it will be forgotten? it's been around for a few years now and it's probably better known than ever; on many wheel sealants threads it's probably recommended by the greatest number of different members of any product so i'd say it seems to be doing pretty well.


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## Yellow Dave (Apr 5, 2011)

lol at all the useless posts that this thread has generated!

Clean them with everything you have possible, then IPA to remove all the remaining oils, ignore all the wasted posts and pick and choose what you think is right from all the recommendations, although most are pretty much following the same guidelines.

Once I've refurbished wheels C5 will be applied before the tyres go back on, and as they're only 16's will maybe even try a 2nd layer on the fronts


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

MickPontoon said:


> a wheel cleaner like bilberry or smart wheel left Undiluted to soak for a few mins then jetted off then repeated will remove most of the waxes i can be sure
> 
> then use a very strong APC like G101 - a mild wheel cleaner again undiluted and agitated to clean of any remaining waxes
> 
> ...


for someone who is saying everyone else talks .... then says a strong apc will remove whats left of the wax is laughable..
APC is a degreaser.. it will remove the OILS from the wax and leave the coating there..

mar, i'd drop the bilberry.. 
go straight to wonder wheels, then tardis, IX and then SRP the abrasives will remove the wax..
then IPA to remove the oils of the SRP and maximum bonding will ensue...


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## MickPontoon (Aug 8, 2011)

CraigQQ said:


> for someone who is saying everyone else talks .... then says a strong apc will remove whats left of the wax is laughable..
> APC is a degreaser.. it will remove the OILS from the wax and leave the coating there..
> 
> mar, i'd drop the bilberry..
> ...


it was a joke...i didnt say he was talking ****..what the hell has it got to do with you anyway and get your facts straight


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## MickPontoon (Aug 8, 2011)

Yellow Dave said:


> lol at all the useless posts that this thread has generated!
> 
> Clean them with everything you have possible, then IPA to remove all the remaining oils, ignore all the wasted posts and pick and choose what you think is right from all the recommendations, although most are pretty much following the same guidelines.
> 
> Once I've refurbished wheels C5 will be applied before the tyres go back on, and as they're only 16's will maybe even try a 2nd layer on the fronts


as useless as you layering waxes and sealants lol


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## MickPontoon (Aug 8, 2011)

E21_ross said:


> ah, like C5 you mean  will see off neat bilberry and ironX no problem. even tardis doesn't really affect it.
> 
> alpina-d3 - i didn't say it was better by a long shot, but i've yet to find a wheel sealant better. the closest i've seen is probably the nanolex. all other waxes or PTFE coatings are absolute cack in comparison and can't even last 1/2 as long. what do you mean in 2-3 years it will be forgotten? it's been around for a few years now and it's probably better known than ever; on many wheel sealants threads it's probably recommended by the greatest number of different members of any product so i'd say it seems to be doing pretty well.


didnt know it was this tough :thumb: can it be used on paintwork?


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

MickPontoon said:


> it was a joke...i didnt say he was talking ****..what the hell has it got to do with you anyway and get your facts straight


sorry.. got mixed up with usernames/posts... so i will apologise for that outburst


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

MickPontoon said:


> didnt know it was this tough :thumb: can it be used on paintwork?


c1 is the paintwork variation.. 
they are very similar, but c1 lasts longer im told..

not sure on c1 but c5 resists 300 degrees c... (Brake dust is around 270) where as wax will melt between 80-150 degrees so the brake dust will go straight through


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## Superspec (Feb 25, 2011)

mar said:


> Thanks for the offer Ross.
> 
> I'll give some thought to the insides as well as the faces.
> 
> The car is an E91 M sport so I'm not sure 15ml would come close to being enough. They're bug, wide beasties.


I did my AMG wheels (18" 5 twin spokes 9.5" at the back 8.5" at the front) and have about 10ml left out of 25ml - this was wheels off and every surface done.

Get the prep 100% though - I thought my wheels were spotless having being just replaced under warranty and thoroughly cleaned before application - but I didn't have any IPA (I'd only just started detailing and didn't know about it) and the coating has failed after about 5 months (although they are still a lot easier to clean than normal.) Prep is absolutely key.


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## Superspec (Feb 25, 2011)

MickPontoon said:


> as useless as you layering waxes and sealants lol


Layering waxes and sealants isn't useless. It ensures you didn't miss any areas and as such improves its performance.


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## E38_ross (May 10, 2010)

MickPontoon said:


> didnt know it was this tough :thumb: can it be used on paintwork?


C1 is what you use for paintwork. Claying, tardis, apc etc won't remove it. Only way is polishing.


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## MickPontoon (Aug 8, 2011)

would a regular bottle of C1 do a medium car say a focus for instance?

what is it like if it goes on black trim


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## E38_ross (May 10, 2010)

MickPontoon said:


> would a regular bottle of C1 do a medium car say a focus for instance?
> 
> what is it like if it goes on black trim


i had a 25ml bottle of C1 and coated a new shape BMW (E92) M3 and my E21 3 series with it, so yes, it'd easily do that. looks great on black trim, awfully similar to C4. will last 18-24 months or more on black plastics.


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## MickPontoon (Aug 8, 2011)

E21_ross said:


> i had a 25ml bottle of C1 and coated a new shape BMW (E92) M3 and my E21 3 series with it, so yes, it'd easily do that. looks great on black trim, awfully similar to C4. will last 18-24 months or more on black plastics.


am i right in think you use a cotton make up pad applicator ?

i did use some C4 on the black trim (E46 compact)

but i would like some C1 on there to give a really nice gloss and like you say its pretty durable and will aid cleaning and dirt pick up

all i ever wash with is some G101 prewash at 5% dilution and some good shampoo 2BM and some reglaze as a drying aid

i find if the car is properly clean already this is plenty but like would that something extra as we all do


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## E38_ross (May 10, 2010)

C1 can last up to 5 years so yep, pretty durable. there would be no point cleaning with an APC just use a good pH neutral shampoo, also don't bother with things like a snow foam as it's not needed.

the cotton applicators come with the pack when you buy it. if you're unsure though, don't buy it and get someone else to apply it for you. it is technically professional use only. if you're in SE london you aren't too far away from Rob anyway.


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## MickPontoon (Aug 8, 2011)

E21_ross said:


> C1 can last up to 5 years so yep, pretty durable. there would be no point cleaning with an APC just use a good pH neutral shampoo, also don't bother with things like a snow foam as it's not needed.
> 
> the cotton applicators come with the pack when you buy it. if you're unsure though, don't buy it and get someone else to apply it for you. it is technically professional use only. if you're in SE london you aren't too far away from Rob anyway.


The APC prewash help loosen any road film and dirt/dust so its a very helpful step

its simple enough to apply as long as you apply how it says on the website, i have seen how they apply it and it looks very easy and effective


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## E38_ross (May 10, 2010)

MickPontoon said:


> The APC prewash help loosen any road film and dirt/dust so its a very helpful step


not really needed with C1 as the dirt won't stick as much and it's scratch resistant anyway so it'll save you having to both doing that all the time mate 

an APC wouldn't kill C1, but it might reduce the beading effect you get with it.


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## Karls (Apr 12, 2009)

CraigQQ said:


> ipa wont remove much if any of the wax ross..
> 
> you need an acidic wheel cleaner at least.. or i'd use a paint cleanser/polish..
> 
> ...


Can I use a cleanser such as Swissvax Cleaner Fluid to act as the 'polish' stage on your list?


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

Karls said:


> Can I use a cleanser such as Swissvax Cleaner Fluid to act as the 'polish' stage on your list?


Yes you can. It's chemical cleansing and slight abrasives will remove any wax and an ipa wipedown will remove cleaner fluids oils.


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## Deeper Detail (Oct 31, 2010)

IPA and or panel wipe, depending on what's underneath :thumb:


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## Karls (Apr 12, 2009)

CraigQQ said:


> Yes you can. It's chemical cleansing and slight abrasives will remove any wax and an ipa wipedown will remove cleaner fluids oils.


Great! Thanks for your help :thumb:


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