Autobead Surface Prep 500ml

Panel wipe that strips wax and oils before a ceramic coating

Autobead Surface Prep 500ml

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£8.95

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Size 500ml

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Autobead Surface Prep 500ml Autobead Surface Prep 500ml £8.95

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Autobead Surface Prep is a multi-solvent panel wipe with a measured and predictable flash off, so nothing is left behind. It removes existing silicones, waxes and sealants, giving an optimal bond between the paint or glass and the protection you apply next.

  • Leaves nothing behind
  • Better bond for coatings
  • Strips old protection
  • Shows the true finish
  • Quick spray and wipe
  • Works on glass too
  • Predictable flash off
  • Multi-solvent panel wipe
Read the full description

Full Description

Autobead Surface Prep is a multi-solvent panel wipe with a measured and predictable flash off, so nothing is left behind. It removes existing silicones, waxes and sealants, giving an optimal bond between the paint or glass and the protection you apply next.

Autobead uses it to degrease the surface before its paint and alloy coatings, and says it works great before its hard detailing waxes too. Spray it onto a clean, dry, cool surface and wipe off with a clean, dry microfibre. This is the 500ml spray.

Key Features

  • Multi-solvent panel wipe
  • Predictable flash off
  • Removes silicones, waxes and sealants
  • For paint and glass
  • Use before coatings and waxes
  • 500ml spray

More in Panel Wipe & IPA and from Autobead.

Royal Mail Tracked 24 from £3.95, free over £100.Delivery details

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Key features

  • Surface Prep
  • Panel Wipe
  • Coating Prep
  • Oil Removal
  • Clean Finish

The Drivers HQ

Expert Notes

Coatings and waxes need a clean surface to bond to. Polishing oils, old wax and silicones get in the way, and a panel wipe removes them without leaving a residue of its own.

Its predictable flash off means it evaporates cleanly, so you can wipe and move straight on to the protection step.

Autobead calls it essential before its ceramic coatings, and it works just as well before a hard wax, stripping old protection so the new layer bonds to bare paint.

Perfect For / Suitable Surfaces

  • Paintwork
  • Glass

Caution: Check sensitive areas that may have had a smart repair before use.

Technical Specifications

Product Type
Panel Wipe
Formula
Multi-Solvent
Removes
Silicones, Waxes, Sealants
Use On
Paint, Glass
Size
500ml
Flash Off
Measured, Predictable
Use Before
Coatings, Waxes, Sealants
Brand
Autobead

How To Use

Check

  1. Make sure the surface is clean, dry and cool to the touch.
  2. Check any smart repaired areas first.

Wipe

  1. Spray directly onto the surface.
  2. Wipe off with a clean, dry microfibre cloth.
  3. Apply your coating, wax or sealant.

Top Tip: Use it after polishing and before your sealant or wax, as Autobead recommends, so the protection bonds to bare paint.

Performance Benefits

  • Removes polishing oils before coating, wax or sealant application
  • Reduces the amount of dirt left for the wash mitt
  • Helps lower wash mark risk
  • Works as part of a safer wash process
  • Useful during winter and heavy road film build-up
  • Rinses away before shampoo washing

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I use Surface Prep?

After polishing and before applying a coating, sealant or wax, so the protection bonds to bare paint.

Will it remove my wax?

Yes. Autobead says it removes existing silicones, waxes and sealants.

Can I use it on glass?

Yes. Autobead says it prepares paint or glass for new protection.

Is it safe on smart repairs?

Autobead advises checking sensitive areas that may have had a smart repair before use.

Do I need it before a wax?

Autobead says it works great before any of its hard detailing waxes, giving an optimal bond to bare paint.

Who sells Autobead in the UK?

The Drivers HQ is the exclusive UK reseller of Autobead.

HQ Suggests Tips & Insights

  1. Work one panel at a time.
  2. Change to a fresh microfibre often.
  3. Use it on glass before a glass coating.
  4. Check smart repaired areas first.
  5. Use on clean, dry, cool panels.
  6. Spray, then wipe straight off.
  7. Wax or seal straight afterwards.

From the Advice Centre

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The Brand

Autobead

Autobead (also written AutoBead or Auto Bead) was founded on simplicity and efficiency: car care products that get a car clean and protected with as little wasted effort as possible. It has supplied car cleaning and maintenance products to drivers in Germany, Switzerland and Austria since 1999, and its range now covers every stage of a detail, from citrus pre-wash and shampoo to compounds, polishing pads and Silex ceramic coatings.

The Drivers HQ is the exclusive UK reseller of Autobead. We keep the range on the shelf at our Ilkeston shop and deliver it across the UK.

Our customers' favourites are Heavy Dirt citrus pre-wash, Pure Shampoo, Snow Foam and the two wheel cleaners, Alloy Cleaner and Acid Wheel Cleaner.

Shop all Autobead
Autobead Downforce Heavy Cut and Fine Cut foam pads with Autobead Finishing Compound and Quick Detailer on a black display plinth in a photo studio

Autobead products by job

Pre-wash and wash. Heavy Dirt is a concentrated citrus pre-wash for bugs, bird lime and road grime, and it is safe on wax and sealants: dilute it 25:1 for everyday use or 10:1 for heavy dirt, and it also cleans door shuts, engine bays, plastics and rubber. Snow Foam is mildly alkaline and goes in the lance at 1 part to 4 parts water. Pure Shampoo is a pH-neutral 2300:1 shampoo with no gloss enhancers or waxes, so it will not mask or break down existing protection, and Ceramic Shampoo builds up a layer of ceramic protection with regular use.

Wheels. Alloy Cleaner is a ready-to-use, non-acidic wheel cleaner that is safe on all wheel types, and Alloy Cleaner Concentrate is a concentrate you dilute to suit how dirty the wheels are. For neglected wheels with baked-on brake dust, Acid Wheel Cleaner is a gel used at 1:3, but not on sensitive finishes or damaged wheels. Finish with Tyre Dressing, a gel that does not sling.

Decontamination. Iron Fallout Remover is a pH-neutral gel that turns purple as it dissolves iron particles on paint and wheels, and Tar Gel lifts tar spots with less run-off than a liquid. Keep tar removers off plastics and rubber.

Paint correction. The three compounds are graded by the sanding marks they remove: Heavy Cut up to 1500 grade, Medium Cut up to 2500 grade and Finishing Compound up to 3000 grade, each with a Downforce foam pad of the same cut (heavy, medium, fine) for dual action or rotary machines. Surface Prep removes silicones, wax and sealant before a coating.

Protection. Lance Sealant gives up to three months of protection from a foam lance, Spray Sealant is a silicone polymer and silica resin sealant, and the waxes include a Matte Wax for matt paint and wraps. Between washes, Quick Detailer and Ceramic Quick Detailer top up the gloss.

Interior. Interior Detailer leaves plastics, vinyl and leather with a matt, factory-look finish, Leather Cleaner is a pH-neutral cleaner and conditioner, and All Purpose Cleaner dilutes from 5:1 to 30:1 for everything from carpets to wheel arch liners.

Shop Autobead by type: citrus pre-wash, snow foam, car shampoo, wheel cleaners, compounds and polishes, polishing pads and ceramic coatings.

Autobead Finishing Compound and a Downforce Heavy Cut pad with a dab of compound on a detailing trolley in front of a dark blue Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk7 in a home garage

Choosing an Autobead ceramic coating

Autobead's Silex ceramic coatings come in two families:

  • Silex Series: the 1 Year Paint Coating and 2 Year Paint Coating, titanium ceramic coatings designed to be applied outdoors in a single, self-levelling layer. They resist chemicals from pH 2 to pH 12.
  • Silex Pro: the 3 Year and 5 Year Paint Coatings and the 5 Year Graphene Coating, for longer protection.

Autobead also makes coatings for alloy wheels, glass, leather and fabric.

Autobead's coating warranty matches each paint coating's labelled durability. It applies when the coating is installed by an Autobead Accredited Detailer, the warranty is registered within seven days and the car has a yearly inspection with the installer.

Whoever applies it, the paint needs to be washed, decontaminated and, if needed, polished first, then wiped with Surface Prep so the coating can bond. Do not wash the car with detergent for the first 10 days, then keep it clean with Pure Shampoo or Ceramic Shampoo.

Autobead also trains detailers through its Detail Like a Pro courses (a Foundation Day, an Advanced Day and a four-day Masterclass) and its Silex accreditation for professional coating installers.

Need a hand choosing? Visit our Ilkeston shop or send us a WhatsApp. We deliver Autobead across the UK by Royal Mail Tracked 24, free on orders from £100, or you can order online and collect from the shop.

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