[MK3]

I recently moved to Chennai from Bengaluru. Its been long since i pampered my car, can't delay any longer
Been to 3M car care(next to Mainland China) in OMR road on 4th july 2015. I had booked earlier for interior cleaning of my Fabia at 9.45 AM.

Met with Mr.Srivant of 3M-OMR by 9.45AM. Being the first customer for the day, had time to view demo and discuss about packages. After the demo and discussion, went for the planned germ clean plus and additional UV Protect. Spent the next 3 hours in the Lounge. Spent the 3 hours in skimming through newspaper and magazines, had tea, checked the car in between. In the mean time, 4 more cars(innova,linea,nano,city) came in. Whenever i crossed 3M(OMR) earlier, i would see lot of cars and assume that without prior appointment, its impossible to get car detailing done. Only now i realized, that its not the case. Out of the above 4, few of them came in directly. Also, cars of people visiting Mainland china are parked just near 3M as they both are in the same complex.

Once the work is done, internal inspection is carried out and any issues found during that time is fixed quickly. When its done, customer get to inspect the car. I found the seats a little wet and was told that it would dry in the next couple of hours and it did. I felt the interior cleaning was done well. Paid the charge, gave a relative's contact for free wash recommendation. All in all a pleasant experience, so far!

After i left the place, enroute to my home, i noticed two things (i)the front power windows was functioning erratically(Guessed it could be due to the wetness) and (ii)the chrome lining of front passenger A/C vent was missing. Called up Srivant and informed about the same.

My Fabia is Ambientte model, with power windows for the front passengers only. Front passenger has a control for his/her side window. Driver has two controls, one for his/her side window and one for the front passenger side window.
For ease of understanding, lets call
Front passenger side power window control -> PW-P
Driver side power window control -> PW-D1(for driver side window) and PW-D2(for front passenger side window)

Took my car back to 3M, With a hose, they blew air to dry of any wetness near the controls and checked the power windows again, the PW-P control started working fine after a few tries. However, the PW-D1 and PW-D2 were erratic still, the driver side window works sometimes and sometimes not with PW-D1, the front passenger side window doesn't budge at all when tried with PW-D2. They removed and opened the Controls(PW-D1,PW-D2), blew air, removed some dust, re-attached and checked, this time, the PW-D1 control was working for window up and down, except that you need to keep PW-D1 pressed until it completes its operation. And PW-D2 didn't work at all. Srivant told me about a nearby shop where power windows are done, sent a person with me. Person at the shop told that he only works on after-market setup and it looks like the switch may be gone and might need replacement. He also told us to get it done at the showroom(as i expected) and that the cost might come around Rs2000/-. I called up my SA in bangalore(Vinayaka Skoda - Mr.Pradeep) to enquire on the cost and was told the switch might cost around Rs2000/-. Informed Srivant over phone and left to 3M.

AT 3M, Srivant sat with me, apologized for the power-window issue, gave me an envelope which had Rs2000/- in it. Asked me to use it to get the repair done and collect the bill in their name. He also gave me a coupon for free car wash to compensate me for my tension and time. I thanked him and told him that he responded better in the given situation. When enquired if they missed some precautionary measure when cleaning, he replied in the negative and told me that its a first occurrance. He also told me that he couldn't find the chrome lining, but will try to check it at the time of closing when they sweep the entire shop.

I reached home, had my lunch, after about 2 hours, checked the PW-D1 and PW-D2, no improvement. Next day morning, i got a sms from Srivant stating that he was able to find the chrome lining and that i could collect it. I messaged him back thanking him and that i would collect it later since i was leaving to north chennai and would be back by night. Then, started from home to north chennai to meet few relatives. Reached OMR tollgate, waited for my turn to get the ticket. When i reached the counter, i pressed PW-D1, nothing happened, pressed again, still nothing, aarrgh!

Luckily, my kid, seated behind had opened the window, used it to handover the cash and collect the ticket. After that, stopped by the road side, checked both controls, PW-P is working, PW-D1, PW-D2 are not working. Messaged Srivant and continued the journey. On my way back, stopped at the same toll, same issue with window and now, my kid was sleeping and the window is closed Opened driver side door, handed over the ticket. The guy at the counter looked at me strangely(or so i thought) and then gave back the ticket.

Met with Srivant today and collected the chorme lining for A/C vent, showed him the PW-D1 and PW-D2 not working and left.

I wanted to narrate this to emphasize on the following
1. Whenever we take our car back from service/detailing/cleaning/washing whatever, its better to check as much of the controls. I always do(did this time too) check the indicator, light, emergency light, wiper but never the power windows. Even enroute to home, with temperature outside in chennai, i drove with A/C and closed windows, not thinking a second for powering down the windows. On my way in, i wanted to have a word with our apartment security and by chance i noticed this power window issue. Good that i was located close by to 3M.
2. I felt, the way the situation was handled, is good

Moderators, I couldn't post to 3m-car-care-chennai thread as 'reply box' itself was not available for me. Please merge if required.

[connect2prashan]

Originally Posted by AshBabu

1. Paint Sealant for new car (though TBHP recommended against it)
2. Anti-corrosive under frame coating with five years warranty
3. Nomad Mat
4. Paint protection film

I would be very happy to know the price for Nomad Mat and Paint protection film.

ppf was done for the front bumper and OVRMs only? Or any other part too?

[AshBabu]

Originally Posted by connect2prashan

I would be very happy to know the price for Nomad Mat and Paint protection film.

ppf was done for the front bumper and OVRMs only? Or any other part too?

Nomad Mats: (Rate 1 Sq.Ft - Rs.240.00)

The total used Sq.Ft will depend on the area covered. I have asked them to cover the complete area as far as possible (even under the front seat) to protect the beige carpet. About 22 sq.ft was consumed and total cost came to about Rs. 4750.00 (after discount)

PPF: (Rate 1 Sq,Ft - Rs. 465.00)

PPF was applied for Front and Rear bumper, complete bonnet, OVRM, under Door handles and door edges. About 62 sq.ft of material consumed. The cost worked out to be Rs. 26000.00 after discount. Please note door handles and edges area were not included in the calculation and was covered with pieces cut for other area.

[reihem]

Picked up the 3M car care kit. Shall give it a try this Sunday.

[reihem]

Took the new Jazz for nomad carpeting, underbody treatment and CR70 film for the wind shield. Total damage was ₹17480 after discount.

[mail4ajo]

I recently picked up an used 2009 i10. The interiors were were in bad shape. As I cannot stand dirty interiors, I decided to get the Germikleen service done. I have had great experience for my Jazz with 3M OMR which is still periodically maintained at the store.

I got an appointment fixed early. Took about 2.5 hours to remove 6 years of grime and dirt. It was obvious that the interiors of the car was never cleaned. After the long wait, received a spanking clean car. Will post some pics shortly. Total cost was about Rs 2000. The store continues to offer great service.

[Cruiser_D]

Dear Moderators,

I thought of sharing my experience on the exterior detailing service done for my vehicle at 3M Car Care, Chennai. However I couldn't post this at 3M Car Care thread which is already existing in Team-BHP Chennai Directory due to access privilege issues. Please accept my apology for creating a new thread and consider merging this with existing one if you find it worth for reading.

I drove my car yesterday to 3M showroom in OMR road near Mainland China, was bit skeptical about the appointment since I didn't made any booking in advance. Usually we may require advance bookings for weekend service here.

I reached there around 1.30 PM, met the advisor Mr Gowtham right outside in their parking area. First thing I did is to enquire on the normal foam wash service, got the same response which I already heard multiple times, "Sir, we do not undertake foam wash service on weekends". The reason is, due to the weekend rush, all the slots are usually full in advance for exterior/interior detailing service and hence they don't have the space/resources/time to do the normal wash. However this has become a norm irrespective of whether bookings are there or not, No foam wash during weekends. Previously I had taken their UV protect scheme couple of times when they turned back for a normal wash during weekend. But no offence made. This is a reputed firm which is known for detailing services and hence the priority for just a foam wash is bare minimum. It does make sense.

But this time I specifically went there for exterior Power Shine service. After getting the recorded response for the normal wash, I asked them how about the availability for an exterior detailing. He was more than happy to guide me to their lounge after having the keys for taking the vehicle to the service slots. Just to give some background on the vehicle, it is a 2012 model Honda Brio SMT. During the course, she had developed minor stains and grime on the body and the surface became so rough. My office parking space is open and as a result, the paint had gone dull over the period as well. There were portions with swirl marks as well.

I had to wait in the lounge for some 10 minutes, the adviser was in some discussions with Mr Srivant (the owner) on something else. By that time the service staff had already started their demo work on the vehicle. The adviser then came and informed me that demo is ready. They had done the demo on the down corner portion of the bonnet. As per their explanation, they initially applied 3M G-PAC for removing the stains, followed by polishing for glazing the surface and finally they applied the wax for UV protection and shine. The difference was clear as the surface became so smooth and shining. I got pretty convinced and gave the go ahead.

I have tried to capture here the details to the best of my understanding of the process which was explained to me by the adviser. There may be some additional procedures as well in between which I might have missed here, but the following are the major ones.

1. Pre-inspection: Identify the areas with stains, minor scratches and swirl marks.
2. Foam Wash: Includes interior vacuum, mat cleaning and dashboard dressing.
   
3. Tar/stain removal: Application of G-PAC lotion which neutralize the stains and other dirt.
   
   
4. Clay Wipe: This procedure wipes off the stains and dirts which got neutralized by G-PAC application.
   
5. Masking: Covers the non metal surfaces like head lights, wind shields, ORVM (glass portion).
   
   
   
6. Rubbing compound: This is for badly oxidized or faded portions of the paint. It works through the paint layers and revives the good paint underneath.
7. Polishing compound: Polish out the entire paint surface for glazing effect, the paint starts looking good but still unprotected.
8. Wax application: Finally the wax application for UV protection and shining.
   
   
   
   
9. Post Check: Ensures that the identified portions during the pre-inspection process are neatly revived.

They have also done engine and Tyre dressing.



IMHO they have done a neat job. Stains and minor scratches (in the rear bumper & ORVM portions caused by kissing of the bikes in the signals) were removed. The surface became so smooth. I could also see the swirl marks were greatly reduced.


But one thing I noticed is, earlier there were few faded tiny portions on the top caused by bird drops. It was slightly dented as well. But after the service, I could see the paint got removed and the bare metal portion got slightly exposed. It could be an over effect of rubbing compound. As the paint was already damaged initially, it might have got cut through the slimmer paint layers. However they are only very very tiny portions (one or two) and it is hard to notice.

So overall I am pretty happy with the work done. Their validity claim on the polishing & waxing is 6-7 months. Hope it would last through for the specified period. They also offered me one foam wash coupon as a gift which I could avail during weekdays with no validity expiration!

[Prodigy07]

Are there any reviews on 3M Car care Anna Salai?

I'm planning to get PPF treatment for my Baleno!

[CGB]

Originally Posted by Prodigy07

Are there any reviews on 3M Car care Anna Salai?

I'm planning to get PPF treatment for my Baleno!

I did PPF and combo treatment for my City there. Pretty crowded and does a good job. Make sure you take a appointment before going.

[greenhorn]

went to the 3M shop at omr. the facility is well set up, and the service delivery is good, and the front end people are good - very polite and courteous, and know what their products/services.
I availed 2 services from them
1. under body rust proofing
2. glass polishing

Glass polishing was a bust. I pointed out some visible scratches on the glass, and i was told that those are major ones which cannot be removed without damaging the glass, but the minor ones will be gone. I am not sure what sort of scratches were removed, because i can still see all the minute scratches which used to blind me when an oncoming vehicle shines their headlight at me.
That was a waste of 1.5K+

I am not sure if the problem was with the product, or with the way they applied it. 3m's glass polishing compound has good reviews on amazon, so was surprised with this result. Funnily, when I asked them about the polish they used, they said it comes as a powder which is then mixed with something for use - which is surprising because as far as I know, 3M does not sell dry cerium oxide or any powdered glass polishing product. One is a liquid, and another is a set of pads. So I wonder what product he used.

Regarding their underbody coating, they had 2 offerings, one with 2 year warranty, and another with 5 year warranty. I asked them that with my last under body coating(from my Tata dealer, probably wurth) , my car still rusted, and the dealership said that the warranty was for the coating only, not the car. Then they became a bit more honest, and said that any sort of warranty is offered only for new cars, and that for older cars(1+ years), the only thing thats guaranteed are the free services. I hope their anti corrosion treatment is better than their glass polish!

[RSR]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

Then they became a bit more honest, and said that any sort of warranty is offered only for new cars, and that for older cars(1+ years), the only thing thats guaranteed are the free services.

Didn't they tell you this before you got the coating? Quite surprising!

I was clearly informed on two different occasions at two different 3M outlets (Anna Nagar & Santhome) when I took my uncle's car and our car that the warranty (whether 3-years or 5-years) is applicable only on new vehicles. They did tell me that after 6 months of the car's purchase, they will not provide a warranty for the coating.

The windshield scratches are a real pain at night! It may be better to prevent these small scratches in the first place, by not using cloth or any such material to clean the glass (with or without water). It's better to use diluted windshield washer fluid and a wiper-like rubber-edged cleaner to clean the front windshield. Just spraying the diluted washer fluid from the reservoir and using the front wipers is a better way to keep the glass cleaner (than using a cloth) and free of scratches!

Edit: I now realise you got the underbody coating from a dealer. They were the ones who failed to inform you. Also, dealers (irrespective of manufacturer) do a poorer job of applying the coating. It's always better to get it done from a dedicated outlet where one can monitor the process.

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by RSR

Didn't they tell you this before you got the coating? Quite surprising!

They did tell me before they did it, but only after i asked them some pointed questions and told them about my past experience.
Their price list & brochure(similar to the pics posted elsewhere in the thread) , and the staff all said warranty, until I asked them what exactly the warranty covered.
From what he said, i understood that there is a warranty, but it is available for only new (<1 year) cars, which is fair (though disappointing for owners of older cars such as myself)
still no idea what exactly is warrantied - the coating or the underbody

[Seek]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

went to the 3M shop at omr. the facility is well set up, and the service delivery is good, and the front end people are good - very polite and courteous, and know what their products/services.
I availed 2 services from them
1. under body rust proofing
2. glass polishing

Glass polishing was a bust. I pointed out some visible scratches on the glass, and i was told that those are major ones which cannot be removed without damaging the glass, but the minor ones will be gone. I am not sure what sort of scratches were removed, because i can still see all the minute scratches which used to blind me when an oncoming vehicle shines their headlight at me.
That was a waste of 1.5K+

I had taken the same glass polishing treatment (at the same outlet) for my 8yr old Honda city last year and had fabulous results. The glass became clear like new. A few stone chip marks got exposed but that was hardly a bother in comparison to the overall visibility and anti-glare improvement.

Not sure what went wrong in your case. Have a word with srivant, who has an ear to customer feedback.

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by Seek

Not sure what went wrong in your case. Have a word with srivant, who has an ear to customer feedback.

Not sure who srivant is - the store manager I talked to had a different name, and said that one treatment along may not remove all scratches, and that another might need to be applied to remove all of them. At that point i figured i had wasted enough money and left.

I will see if I can take a shot of my windshield and night with a headlight oncoming showing the glare from all the random scratches. in the meantime, is there any way to escalate?

[Thad E Ginathom]

I have several faults in my windscreen, which covered a lot of highway miles with its previous owner. New glass is on my wishlist, but as a luxury item, because none of the faults, including one chip which looks as if it would come in the line of sight, actually annoy when driving.

Had contemplated polishing. Looks like I would not goo to 3M after your experience. I have to ask Windshield Experts, in Adyar, what they can do. Their reviews are mixed. I don't know if Carcares, OMR, which has a good reputation, does glass polishing --- but at least their guys would obviously know how to use a polishing machine, if the polish was provided.

I'm mentioning all this because, if 3M can't do a good job, then you are not going to get a good job from them, regardless of escalation. Be nice to get some refund, though.