[Venky03]

Originally Posted by AJ56

Repaint from a high quality body shop will be at least 1L+. Honda dealer wanted 95k for my Amaze which is the same surface area roughly, and authorised dealer prices are somewhere in between low quality roadside shops and high quality ones.

The price I quoted was from my authorized Renault service center(it is even less for non-metallic shades), and I totally agree with the fact that factory finish can't be matched.

The point that I was trying to make is that the ceramic coating is just a sacrificial protective layer on top of the clear-coat (not magic) and will not help against deeper scratches/scuffs/dents. Also as you mentioned all products and workshops are not the same, so it is hard to gauge the quality of the coating being used and the same applies for PPF.

When I asked about the brand of the ppf, they mentioned that it was some brand from Korea.

But for interested users : please refrain from going with the ceramic coating/PPF just because your favorite YouTuber recommended it, do your due diligence and do some research about the plethora of coatings available on the market first before jumping in; also most of the workshops which offer budget coatings/PPF will be reluctant to tell you about the brand being used.
If you're just looking for hydrophobic properties and dust resistance then sealants can provide good results at a much lower cost.

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by Venky03

The price I quoted was from my authorized Renault service center(it is even less for non-metallic shades), and I totally agree with the fact that factory finish can't be matched.

The point that I was trying to make is that the ceramic coating is just a sacrificial protective layer on top of the clearcoat(not magic) and will not help against deeper scratches/scuffs/dents. Also as you mentioned all products and workshops are not the same, so it is hard to gauge the quality of the coating being used and the same applies for ppf.

When I asked about the brand of the ppf, they mentioned that it was some brand from Korea.

Ceramic coatings are highly misunderstood I feel, they are not designed to prevent surface abrasion (except very fine wash induced marring)/scratches/rock chips, etc.

They are designed to bond to the paintwork and protect it from the elements chemically, not mechanically (PPF does that). UV resistance which protects against paint fade, strong hydrophobic properties that make cleaning very easy as nothing sticks, gloss, very light swirl resistance, etc.
Using ceramics eliminates the need to periodically apply sealants and waxes which don’t last more than 1-2 months in our climate.

Chances are it’s not Korean but one of the cheaper Chinese films currently flooding the market. Will also add that whatever you decide, get it from a professional detail shop as dealers in my experience do some of the lowest quality work as it’s just an add on service for them, not their core business. Holds true across brands.

[Venky03]

Originally Posted by AJ56

Ceramic coatings are highly misunderstood I feel, they are not designed to prevent surface abrasion (except very fine wash induced marring)/scratches/rock chips, etc.

Using ceramics eliminates the need to periodically apply sealants and waxes which don’t last more than 1-2 months in our climate.

Absolutely agree with everything you mentioned about ceramic coating, but as for the sealant I can vouch for Seal N Shine as I've been using it personally and easily lasts me for 5-6 months. Now it can vary for all of us depending on the frequency of car wash, but I'm dropping the link to a comparison video and let you be the judge :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaKDHt2gcBE

As for the cost, the turtle wax bottle will easily last at least 2 years, while the ceramic is one time use. Seal N Shine and Hybrid Solutions products are an absolute delight to work and very affordable for those who are ready to take out some time and work on their cars.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by AJ56

Ceramic coatings are highly misunderstood I feel, they are not designed to prevent surface abrasion (except very fine wash induced marring)/scratches/rock chips, etc.

They are designed to bond to the paintwork and protect it from the elements chemically, not mechanically (PPF does that)...

Excellent post. I feel that it really grounds expectations of ceramic coat, focussing on what it really does rather than what we might dream of it doing.

I am the laziest person in the world when it comes to car care. Making the car easier to clean would be the appeal to me. And it now seems to have passed beyond affordability to my pocket. Not planning my next car in quite a while, but, in the unlikely event that I bought new, I'd rather add 50k to my car-buying budget!

And lazy though I am, honestly, getting a lovely shine on a car is not the hard work it used to be. Get the car polished/detailed a couple of times a year, and apply liquid wax. Mine is Optimum brand. Just spray on a tiny amount at the final dry when you wash.

But, yes, If I was cash-rich, and buying a brand new car of such a price that the ceramic was only a small extra: I'd do it!

(Making this a no, but yes post!)

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by Venky03

Absolutely agree with everything you mentioned about ceramic coating, but as for the sealant I can vouch for Seal N Shine as I've been using it personally and easily lasts me for 5-6 months. Now it can vary for all of us depending on the frequency of car wash, but I'm dropping the link to a comparison video and let you be the judge :

https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=uaKDHt2gcBE

As for the cost, the turtle wax bottle will easily last at least 2 years, while the ceramic is one time use. Seal N Shine and Hybrid Solutions products are an absolute delight to work and very affordable for those who are ready to take out some time and work on their cars.

Saw this last year, I was one of his first subscribers on YouTube, Apex is one of the few channels that I trust in a sea of product promotion found in most detailing vids.

Seal n shine as well as Soft 99 Fuso Coat are some of the best sealants you can buy, but in my testing both failed in 3 and 4 months respectively, assuming one uses water beading as a guide (no other way honestly). This is still great considering Menzerna Powerlock and CG Jetseal which failed in under 1.5 months. All were tested on the same panel.

Yes sealants are cheaper than a quality ceramic coating kit. But you can do your car multiple times in one 50ml or even 30ml bottle. You’ll go through around 15-18ml per coat for a small-medium sized vehicle. Also if you want maximum value, try Carpro Cquartz Lite, it’s 150ml for around 6k on Amazon and you’ll get 8-9 applications out of one bottle. Will outlast even the best sealants.

Here’s a test showing different coatings and sealants including Turtles lineup, Scott HD is another great channel with honest content.

https://youtu.be/mFmqDelzBz4

[Venky03]

Originally Posted by AJ56

Yes sealants are cheaper than a quality ceramic coating kit. But you can do your car multiple times in one 50ml or even 30ml bottle. You’ll go through around 15-18ml per coat for a small-medium sized vehicle. Also if you want maximum value, try Carpro Cquartz Lite, it’s 150ml for around 6k on Amazon and you’ll get 8-9 applications out of one bottle. Will outlast even the best sealants.

Can you recommend any DIY friendly ceramic/graphene coating, most of the ceramic coatings I saw require a good amount of curing time in a closed environment and many of us don't have the luxury of having a personal closed door garage here. Also saw many warnings about raised spots due to improper application, which is obvious as the thickness and hardness of ceramic coating is more; but how can we avoid it?
Also do you coat your windshield as well?

Thank you for your inputs!

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by Venky03

Can you recommend any DIY friendly ceramic/graphene coating, most of the ceramic coatings I saw require a good amount of curing time in a closed environment and many of us don't have the luxury of having a personal closed door garage here. Also saw many warnings about raised spots due to improper application, which is obvious as the thickness and hardness of ceramic coating is more; but how can we avoid it?
Also do you coat your windshield as well?

Thank you for your inputs!

Yes you can coat your windshield (and every other glass surface) but there are dedicated kits formulated for application on glass, the coating used on painted surfaces cannot be used for glass. Just like paint, you want to surface prep the glass properly before applying to get the maximum life and performance out of the coating

Carpro Cquartz UK 3.0, one of the easiest coatings to apply for beginners and very durable, 1.5 years+ of life provided your washing is on point. Get the 30ml kit as you’re only doing a single car.

Coatings require 2-3 days before exposure to rain, and no washing for 7 days to allow full curing. You don’t need a covered environment, as long as you’re not applying in direct sunlight or on a very hot panel you’ll be fine.

High spots have nothing to do with the thickness or hardness of a coating (hardness anyway takes many days of curing to be attained). High spots are caused by improper levelling of the transfer solution/solvent.

Generally you apply the coating in a cross hatch manner to get full coverage, wait a few mins until it flashes (turns rainbow like from certain angles) and then you level it with a microfibre towel, flipping to a clean side for the final wipe.

If it’s too sticky when wiping you’ve waited too long between application and levelling, the flash times vary significantly by ambient temperature and humidity levels, so there’s no fixed interval but its roughly 2-5 mins. Follow the label instructions for layering more coats, generally you wait 1-1.5 hrs between layers, too long and you’ll have issues with bonding as the base layer starts curing.

If you do get high spots and don’t address them and the coating cures, it’s still fairly straightforward, just use a light cut polish like Menzerna 3000 with a towel/hand applicator and buff over the high spot to level it, IPA wipe and reapply the coating in that section.

[kiredd1005]

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

Please share details here. Many, including me will find it useful. I’m also thinking of coating my Crysta.

Shared you his number via DM.

[thanixravindran]

Originally Posted by Venky03

If you're just looking for hydrophobic properties and dust resistance then sealants can provide good results at a much lower cost.

Originally Posted by AJ56

Yes sealants are cheaper than a quality ceramic coating kit. But you can do your car multiple times in one 50ml or even 30ml bottle. You’ll go through around 15-18ml per coat for a small-medium sized vehicle. Also if you want maximum value, try Carpro Cquartz Lite, it’s 150ml for around 6k on Amazon and you’ll get 8-9 applications out of one bottle. Will outlast even the best sealants.

Thanks both of you for the informative posts. I have not detailed much my i10 which is closer to 11 years now after it become old (> 7 years).
Initially I have waxed myself and then used to do a 'Wash & Wax' at 3M once in 6 months. I washed the car only on weekends myself with Sonax and 3M Car shampoos and only Jopasu duster for daily dusting (Covered parking)

But since I got a new car couple of weeks back, I am planning to restart my car washing/maintenance etc. I have decided against PPF and Ceramic coating but just want to maintain the car for water beading and easy dusting off with Jopasu duster as currently I have covered parking but seeing heavy dust from the street.

The sealants you refer are all waxes with additives or they are completely different?

Also, I am planning to do Water less car wash (Proklear or CarPro) may be once in a week. In that case, how the sealants will impact? Does it makes life easier or sealants need to be applied frequently?

[Venky03]

Originally Posted by thanixravindran

But since I got a new car couple of weeks back, I am planning to restart my car washing/maintenance etc. I have decided against PPF and Ceramic coating but just want to maintain the car for water beading and easy dusting off with Jopasu duster as currently I have covered parking but seeing heavy dust from the street.

The sealants you refer are all waxes with additives or they are completely different?

Also, I am planning to do Water less car wash (Proklear or CarPro) may be once in a week. In that case, how the sealants will impact? Does it makes life easier or sealants need to be applied frequently?

I use the same combo of jopasu duster and proklear waterless wash, and having a layer of Seal N Shine on top makes things a lot more easier.

The sealants are not waxes, they are synthetic. Will tell you the routine I follow :

• Usually the jopasu duster will pick up all the dust as the surface becomes more slick.
  
• If there are any more marks still left, use the proklear waterless wash.
  
• 2 Seal N Shine coats every 6 months.
  
• Mix Sonax BSD in 1:4 or 1:3 proportion with water and spray it on at least once a month to rejuvenate the sealant protection.

I also coated my windshield, optional for you. There are two versions of the proklear waterless wash, get the one without wax and do not use the waterless wash unless necessary, if particular panels are dirty just clean them and be done with it no need to clean the entire car.

Always use new or washed microfiber cloths with the waterless wash, order at least a dozen if required.

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by thanixravindran

Thanks both of you for the informative posts.
Initially I have waxed myself and then used to do a 'Wash & Wax' at 3M once in 6 months. I washed the car only on weekends myself with Sonax and 3M Car shampoos and only Jopasu duster for daily dusting (Covered parking)

But since I got a new car couple of weeks back, I am planning to restart my car washing/maintenance etc. I have decided against PPF and Ceramic coating but just want to maintain the car for water beading and easy dusting off with Jopasu duster as currently I have covered parking but seeing heavy dust from the street.

The sealants you refer are all waxes with additives or they are completely different?

Also, I am planning to do Water less car wash (Proklear or CarPro) may be once in a week. In that case, how the sealants will impact? Does it makes life easier or sealants need to be applied frequently?

No paint sealants don’t have any carnauba or other natural waxes in their formula, they’re synthetic polymer based compounds (there are exceptions though marketed as hybrids).

Wouldn’t advise waterless washing if you want to keep the paint swirl free, as no matter how soft/plush your towel the process of wiping away dust after spraying your solution creates swirling specially on softer Korean/Jap paints. Dry dusting with a duster is as harmful to the finish, always have lubrication when touching the paint. Think of dust like microscopic rocks sitting on top of your clear coat.

Safest way to wash quickly is to use a touchless wash method with a pressure washer to rinse and leaf blower to dry, you have cordless versions available for both where all you need is a bucket of water. Once every couple of weeks you can do a proper contact wash with mitts and a foam cannon.

When done properly washing is never harmful to paint protection (assuming you’re using pH neutral shampoos and not alkaline shampoos designed for stripping paint of protection like Carpro Reset). Dry wiping or waterless washing results in fine surface abrasion that dramatically reduces a sealants effective lifespan.

Also, please use a 25% IPA wipe/panel prep before applying your sealant as it greatly enhances the bond to the paint by removing any road film/old wax that the shampoo could not.

[thanixravindran]

Originally Posted by Venky03

I use the same combo of jopasu duster and proklear waterless wash, and having a layer of Seal N Shine on top makes things a lot more easier.

The sealants are not waxes, they are synthetic. Will tell you the routine I follow :

Always use new or washed microfiber cloths with the waterless wash, order at least a dozen if required.

Thanks. I think this is the routine I will end up with.

Originally Posted by AJ56

No paint sealants don’t have any carnauba or other natural waxes in their formula, they’re synthetic polymer based compounds (there are exceptions though marketed as hybrids).

Wouldn’t advise waterless washing if you want to keep the paint swirl free, as no matter how soft/plush your towel the process of wiping away dust after spraying your solution creates swirling specially on softer Korean/Jap paints. Dry dusting with a duster is as harmful to the finish, always have lubrication when touching the paint. Think of dust like microscopic rocks sitting on top of your clear coat.

I agree on the water wash advantages. When I was in Bangalore, it was Cauvery water which is soft and hence even a contact wash with Sonax and Mitts gave good results. However, in Chennai, the water is from Borewell and is hard (TDS may be low but has more calcium). So I believe I will have more problems with hard water spots/stains unless I use drinking water which is a criminal waste of resources in this parched city

[Thad E Ginathom]

This is not the detailing/care thread but...

I don't know why people make such a fuss about waterless wash UNLESS they have to do their car cleaning in a place with no easy access to running water. (I currently use ONR, and I have a spray bottle for odd-patch cleanups, eg presents from crows, but I wash/rinse with water anyway.

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

This is not the detailing/care thread but...

I don't know why people make such a fuss about waterless wash UNLESS they have to do their car cleaning in a place with no easy access to running water. (I currently use ONR, and I have a spray bottle for odd-patch cleanups, eg presents from crows, but I wash/rinse with water anyway.

I’d recommend a portable pressure washer and portable leaf blower for cleaning in locations where no water/power is available. All you need is to have charged batteries and a bucket of water to dip the washers pickup line in. Much safer way to do a quick touches rinse.

[sudhirjaipur]

Originally Posted by PaneristiHobbes

that's when I decided to get PPF installed on the front of the car - bumper, fenders, bonnet and ORVMs. Couldn't be happier.

In hindsight, I should have skipped the ceramic and gotten the PPF straight away (as the detailer had recommended). but you live and you learn.

This is my thought as well. I got the four corners of my XUV500 protected with PPF 4 years back and they have been a saviour. For my XUV700, expected soon, I am debating between "full PPF except roof" or " front and rear bumpers" only. I was wondering how the full PPF feel after 4/5 years and will it give the same shine as paint.