Are ceramic coated cars really that much easier to wash and maintain?

[papasmurf_m3]

Ive seen the photos and videos for ceramic coating and it does look nice. But, does it really add more gloss to Yas marina blue in particular? If so, I might be game.

Is it really that much easier to wash and keep clean?

Can you really just foam the car and rinse without touching the car only to dry like the videos on the gram.

Or does it still require touching the car with wash mits each wash with ceramic coat? Sure seems that way without ceramic.

Does for example the ceramic pro gold or something similar really protect from swirl marks and scratches? Even tiny rock chips on bumper? I can go clear bra ok. but, after 3 years you have 2 different shades of blue. No thanks.

So what do you do? Just put some headlight protection film at least and get details as needed, old school?

What's the consensus for Yas owners? Which do you prefer? Ceramic coat or old school details.

My 2016 YMB M3 is being shipped to San Diego. So, I'm just trying to gather some useful info before it arrives.

Thanks in advance and sorry if this topic has been covered. I tried to search and couldn't find what I was asking.

[DocL]

Yes. Next question.

[hellokitty]

Yes, I just spent 40 hours paint correcting a car plus ceramic coating.

For my ceramic coated cars, I use a pressure washer and a foam cannon. Blast it with the foam and let it sit for 5 minutes then rinse off. Then I use a battery powered leaf blower to dry it off since the water runs right off the coating. I set a record today for washing my car in 15 minutes with the 5 minute waiting time for the foam to dwell using this method. Quick and easy.

[papasmurf_m3]

Originally Posted by hellokitty

Yes, I just spent 40 hours paint correcting a car plus ceramic coating.

For my ceramic coated cars, I use a pressure washer and a foam cannon. Blast it with the foam and let it sit for 5 minutes then rinse off. Then I use a battery powered leaf blower to dry it off since the water runs right off the coating. I set a record today for washing my car in 15 minutes with the 5 minute waiting time for the foam to dwell using this method. Quick and easy.

Wow that's fast. I'm assuming the car wasn't filthy. How often do you wash your ceramic coated car?

You still should use wash bucket method after foaming the car right? Or purely touch less wash?

I forgot to mention leaf blower. So, once dry no need for quick detail Spray anymore correct?

This sounds great. Wasn't sure if this was all hype.

[ellipsis212]

If anything, you're never polishing or waxing and when you wash and dry properly you get that just waxed look.

It's not magic though for keeping dirt and dust away. Car still gets really dirty after driving in the wet.

[hellokitty]

Originally Posted by AlphaPro_F80

Wow that's fast. I'm assuming the car wasn't filthy. How often do you wash your ceramic coated car?

You still should use wash bucket method after foaming the car right? Or purely touch less wash?

I forgot to mention leaf blower. So, once dry no need for quick detail Spray anymore correct?

This sounds great. Wasn't sure if this was all hype.

Once a week wash.

Yes leaf blower, no detail spray. Only detail spray select parts to remove stuff that didn't come off the car.

I use touchless wash all the time and maybe hand wash once every 3 months using rinseless wash method / Wolfgang rinse less wash

[flipnkraut]

Just remember that not all ceramic coatings are made equal. If you're going to spend the time to do it correctly if you're DIYing or spending the money to get it done properly, make sure you're getting a quality coating.

Yes ceramic coating will make it easier to wash but even then depending on how dirty your car is, you're still likely going to need agitation to get everything clean. If you just try to foam and rinse and then try to dry with a towel, you're going to be grinding dirt into your coating and possibly clear coat causing swirls.

Which leads me into your next question, no ceramic coating isn't a magical forcefield. It will still swirl and definitely won't protect against rock chips.

[N1rve]

If you want a literal barrier, PPF is nice to have on the car and if you wash it incorrectly, the PPF self heals from the minor scratches like from swirl marks. But you would literally need to PPF the entire car to have this benefit. This also protects against rock chips.

[Clark_Kent]

This has been covered in a number of threads. I suggest searching the Cosmetic Maintenance subforum for the ceramic coating related threads. You may find the below of interest and I commented on my experience and thoughts on ceramic coating (Post #6).

https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1610545

Also, a few comments. You will need to put wash media to the paint if you want the car to get clean. Foaming the car and blasting it off with a pressure washer will not suffice. As someone else mentioned, if you wipe a panel with a light colored microfiber cloth after you foam and pressure wash only with no wash media, it will show dirt. The ceramic coating also does not prevent rock chips and it does not prevent swirl marks or scratches.

[papasmurf_m3]

Thanks for the helpful info guys. I've been more of a performance person we usually left this stuff to the professional detailers but, it's fun to learn about it take better care of the paint.

Ok, so ceramic coat is not a magic bullet. Does not add more protection against rock chips. But, it does increase gloss. That part is correct?

Ppf sounds nice too but, I don't want the car multiple colors when removed later on and doing entire car is too expensive.

So no matter what you need to agitate the foam even when only slightly dirty. And as mentioned ceramic coat does scratch and will still swirl. Other then a quicker wash it's really pretty much it when compared to wax then using a sealant.

It's a few less steps and faster wash with ceramic coat so that saves time and could be worth it.

Thanks for the info guys, I will probably hold off for now and just try to protect the paint as best I can.

I will also check out the link provided. Thank you all who responded to my newbie questions. Tips hat.

[rjd598]

Go to EliteFinish since you're in San Diego. They will answer any and all questions and will get your car dialed in to what you need. /thread

[flipnkraut]

Originally Posted by AlphaPro_F80

Thanks for the helpful info guys. I've been more of a performance person we usually left this stuff to the professional detailers but, it's fun to learn about it take better care of the paint.

Ok, so ceramic coat is not a magic bullet. Does not add more protection against rock chips. But, it does increase gloss. That part is correct?

Ppf sounds nice too but, I don't want the car multiple colors when removed later on and doing entire car is too expensive.

So no matter what you need to agitate the foam even when only slightly dirty. And as mentioned ceramic coat does scratch and will still swirl. Other then a quicker wash it's really pretty much it when compared to wax then using a sealant.

It's a few less steps and faster wash with ceramic coat so that saves time and could be worth it.

Thanks for the info guys, I will probably hold off for now and just try to protect the paint as best I can.

I will also check out the link provided. Thank you all who responded to my newbie questions. Tips hat.

The benefit of ceramic coating is longevity. Even the best wax only lasts a month or 2 in ideal conditions. Sealant maybe 3-6 months. Ceramic coatings last at least a year. Some of the pro level coatings boast 2 year protection.

Ceramic coatings are protection. But not against swirls or rock chips, but the elements. Without any protection, your cars clear coat will begin to fail which leads to oxidation, peeling, etc. Also bird crap, water spots, etc will etch into the clear coat without any protection.

As far as added gloss. In my opinion, any added gloss seen are generally due to the paint correction that is done prior to applying a coating.

[papasmurf_m3]

Originally Posted by flipnkraut

The benefit of ceramic coating is longevity. Even the best wax only lasts a month or 2 in ideal conditions. Sealant maybe 3-6 months. Ceramic coatings last at least a year. Some of the pro level coatings boast 2 year protection.

Ceramic coatings are protection. But not against swirls or rock chips, but the elements. Without any protection, your cars clear coat will begin to fail which leads to oxidation, peeling, etc. Also bird crap, water spots, etc will etch into the clear coat without any protection.

As far as added gloss. In my opinion, any added gloss seen are generally due to the paint correction that is done prior to applying a coating.

That was helpful. Thank you.

[Eric S]

Some are better than others....not all coatings are the same, although they provide the same function.

On amazon, Mr fix is 10 bucks...I would never use it, but hey, its available...there are also $400 dollar coatings. The difference is not in the marketing, but rather the chemical components of the product that make it perform better, last longer, look better, and maintain easier.

Talk to Wes down at Elite, they use Cquartz. You can have them prep the car properly, and you can maintain. Or, you can have them do it all, or at least guide you in the right direction with the products they have on hand.

But a direct answer to the original question...yes, coated cars are a lot easier to wash

[allinon72]

Yes, absolutely. But it's only worth doing if you are willing to DIY - usually that means a paint correction (light polish minimum) before the coating. I cringe seeing people pay 2k+ for a coating - that is absolutely nuts and there are too many environmental variables that will make that money go up in smoke. If you DIY, it's only a few hundred dollars.

[Eric S]

your 2k price is excluding variables...

a 1 step and an entry level coating might run 1000
but a 3 step and premium coating might run 3000
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE THAT IS NIGHT AND DAY

To some, its worth it. To others, its not. Just like to some a honda civic does the same transporting from point A to point B as a Brand new M4GTS. One just looks better and one will get you there faster and in more style.

[allinon72]

Well it looks like you just happen to sell the service, so your opinion isn't surprising. Nothing wrong with that, but spending 3k (your numbers) on an 80k car doesn't really add up, especially when it has to be reapplied every few years. On a more expensive car, the money becomes immaterial.

I'm a big fan of coatings, all my cars are coated and paint corrected, by me. If someone isn't into DIY detailing and they have money burning a hole in their pocket, it should be spent on PPF in my opinion.

[Kev608]

Originally Posted by allinon72

Well it looks like you just happen to sell the service, so your opinion isn't surprising. Nothing wrong with that, but spending 3k (your numbers) on an 80k car doesn't really add up, especially when it has to be reapplied every few years. On a more expensive car, the money becomes immaterial.

I'm a big fan of coatings, all my cars are coated and paint corrected, by me. If someone isn't into DIY detailing and they have money burning a hole in their pocket, it should be spent on PPF in my opinion.

+1 on the PPF. If you're not confident in prepping the paint and doing the ceramic coat yourself, Stek Dynoshield is hydrophobic and self healing. You can also DIY a ceramic coating and/or wax onto it for added protection/depth/leveling when they return the vehicle to you, since they did the hard work.

This would be worth the $3k if I had it burning a hole in my pocket....

[Eric S]

Originally Posted by allinon72

Well it looks like you just happen to sell the service, so your opinion isn't surprising. Nothing wrong with that, but spending 3k (your numbers) on an 80k car doesn't really add up, especially when it has to be reapplied every few years. On a more expensive car, the money becomes immaterial.

I'm a big fan of coatings, all my cars are coated and paint corrected, by me. If someone isn't into DIY detailing and they have money burning a hole in their pocket, it should be spent on PPF in my opinion.

Right, just like buying an OLED tv might "not be worth it" to you, but to someone who 1-has the money, and 2- likes a better picture quality over a LED, its worth it. To each his own. Im not one to spend or not spend someone's money. Im just here to give my input on what is available for their budget.

And YES, PPF is the better of the two, however its also the most expensive to have done right. (well past the $3K)

[Kev608]

Originally Posted by Eric S

Right, just like buying an OLED tv might "not be worth it" to you, but to someone who 1-has the money, and 2- likes a better picture quality over a LED, its worth it. To each his own. Im not one to spend or not spend someone's money. Im just here to give my input on what is available for their budget.

And YES, PPF is the better of the two, however its also the most expensive to have done right. (well past the $3K)

A local installer quoted me $3,200 for full PPF. Their local competitor wasn't much higher. That was just protective film on painted surfaces with no tint, no wrapped lights, no ceramic coat, no extras. The lower quote was for 3M self healing, the higher was for Xpel. We don't have a local Stek approved installer. I believe you would pay considerably more for their product.

Also, my car is basically brand new and wouldn't need much correcting/decontamination.

[flipnkraut]

Originally Posted by Kev608

A local installer quoted me $3,200 for full PPF. Their local competitor wasn't much higher. That was just protective film on painted surfaces with no tint, no wrapped lights, no ceramic coat, no extras. The lower quote was for 3M self healing, the higher was for Xpel. We don't have a local Stek approved installer. I believe you would pay considerably more for their product.

Also, my car is basically brand new and wouldn't need much correcting/decontamination.

Every new car needs decon and paint correction. It doesn't matter if you drove a brand new car straight to a detailer to install PPF or a coating, it's going to need decontamination and paint correction. Any detailer that would tell you otherwise is a bad detailer in my opinion.

Check out this video from Larry. He was brought a brand new Porsche GT3 RS and the paint was terrible.

[icegrill]

Originally Posted by Eric S

Right, just like buying an OLED tv might "not be worth it" to you, but to someone who 1-has the money, and 2- likes a better picture quality over a LED, its worth it. To each his own. Im not one to spend or not spend someone's money. Im just here to give my input on what is available for their budget.

And YES, PPF is the better of the two, however its also the most expensive to have done right. (well past the $3K)

I still went with a 75" Sony because the black levels were better🤷🏼*♂️