To determine whether you have a clear coat or a single-stage finish perform this simple test.

1. Find an inconspicuous area to test, such as the lower rear quarter panel of your car's fender or inside the door jamb.

1. Clean this area first with car wash and water or Meguiar's Quik Detailer® or Ultimate Quik Detailer®. You don't want any dirt or grime to interfere with your test.

1. Using a small piece of white cotton, such as a piece of terry cloth towel, rub a little paint cleaner or Cleaner/Wax into the paint of this inconspicuous area.

After rubbing for a few moments, turn your cloth toward you and look to see if there is any color from your paint on the cloth. If you have a red car and you now have red paint residue on your cloth, this is a pretty good indicator that you have a single stage finish. If you have a red car and you don't see any red paint residue on your cloth, this is a pretty good indicator that you have a clear coat.

To be 100% sure, you should test in a couple of different areas.

Note: If you have a white, or very light colored car you should use a dark piece of cotton cloth and look for the color of your car's finish on it after rubbing some paint cleaner or Cleaner/Wax into the finish for a few moments.