Is ceramic coating or paint correction necessary for me?

[animescreen]

I got a new x3 2019 and want to keep in great condition due to the fact i like this car and costing me a lot. I'm in Seattle where it rains a lot and won't be using this car much (more like weekend car). I'm in Seattle btw where rains a lot!!!!

I do the following (whenver it seems like it rains after i drive this, I'll do this the following day) So if it's like weekend driving, I'll do this on a Sunday and drive Fri and Sat. Or even 2x a day if it keeps raining.

1). Pressures wash rinse
2). Foam Gun with good pressure washer (gas powered honda)
3). Pressure wash rince
4). Foam Gun again
5). Air dry with leaf blower (yes it works just can't drop it onto the car) then microfiber the remaining

If dirt, mudwater, or debris comes too play from Seattle weather or random happenings,

I add the 2 bucket method with grit guards if it rains on Sunday and then I'll wash on monday and leave in garage the whole week

So with that said, is ceramic cover or paint correction needed? Of course I'll do my claybar and wax (whenever its warranted) Ceramic coating seems quite pricey and doing it alone seems like you need pros.

[rlmccarty2000]

If this is your first time coating a vehicle I would suggest one of the coating lite products like Gyeon CanCoat, CarPro CQuartz Lite, or TacSystems Moonlight. All of these have a forgiving application and you get 6 months to a year from one application. Since you are blow drying your car these products really bead making blow drying much easier.

Once you get the hang of applying one of these you can step up to a full blown coating (if you want to) and you will be more familiar with applying a coating. Truthfully the hardest thing about applying a true coating is learning not to over apply and buff off completely. In Seattle the most difficult thing may be keeping the coating dry long enough for it to cure. Lol.

[Paul A.]

I agree with rlmccarty and will add another point...the X3 will be much easier to clean with your frequent washings. And, like brother Mccarty said, it drys soooo much easier and quicker.

[Desertnate]

I agree with rlmccarty and will add another point...the X3 will be much easier to clean with your frequent washings. And, like brother Mccarty said, it drys soooo much easier and quicker.

Whole heartedly agree. In a climate where a vehicle is constantly exposed to weather, coatings are the way to go. They will also stay clean a bit longer as grime doesn't cling as easily.

Coatings might be a little more expensive on the front end, but they will least 18~24 months (10-ish for those like CanCoat), which to me is worth it.

[animescreen]

So you get yours done professionally? So they do the whole process from start to finish.. like clean, wash polish (or whatever done between) then ceramic coating? That's quite long 18-24 months. When do you know when you need to reapply? water beading starts to not slide?

Do you put was over the ceramic coating too.. or ceramic coating basically replaces wax now

Wonder if ceramic coating is a new thing cause 8 years ago i just heard wax and claybar lol

[animescreen]

If this is your first time coating a vehicle I would suggest one of the coating lite products like Gyeon CanCoat, CarPro CQuartz Lite, or TacSystems Moonlight. All of these have a forgiving application and you get 6 months to a year from one application. Since you are blow drying your car these products really bead making blow drying much easier.

Once you get the hang of applying one of these you can step up to a full blown coating (if you want to) and you will be more familiar with applying a coating. Truthfully the hardest thing about applying a true coating is learning not to over apply and buff off completely. In Seattle the most difficult thing may be keeping the coating dry long enough for it to cure. Lol.

So thin coat.. and buff off completely (is there way to know its buffed out completey?

And when you mean full blown coating are we talking like using lights etc to cure or something?

Yeah Seattle rains a lot but can't you just coat when it is dry outside.. Then park it in garage and wait until dries then bring back out and when not raining and buff out? I'm guessing once it rains all operation has to restart..

This is one reason not many detailers out here. Rain and darkness.. What's the point lol but ocd me.. allows me to continue

[vobro]

If you do it yourself make sure you clean under the door where hinge is located. BMW uses a corrosion inhibitor called cosmoline, on white paint this area always stains and looks awful

[Desertnate]

So you get yours done professionally? So they do the whole process from start to finish.. like clean, wash polish (or whatever done between) then ceramic coating? That's quite long 18-24 months. When do you know when you need to reapply? water beading starts to not slide?

Do you put was over the ceramic coating too.. or ceramic coating basically replaces wax now

Wonder if ceramic coating is a new thing cause 8 years ago i just heard wax and claybar lol

No, I do not have it done professionally. I do all the work my self and have on several of my vehicles, at least one of them more than once. I will wash the vehicle, clay, polish it out, wipe down with a prep spray, and then apply the coating.

For the coatings I've used, by the time 18~24 months rolled around I did notice the water beading wasn't very good. I also noticed at that point the paint looked like it needed to be polished up again.

You do use a coating as a replacement for a wax. I'm not sure how long they have been around, but I started using them about four years ago.

[animescreen]

If you do it yourself make sure you clean under the door where hinge is located. BMW uses a corrosion inhibitor called cosmoline, on white paint this area always stains and looks awful

Your one post away from 666 so please do two post today lol

What do you mean under the door? You mean when i open the door and see the hinge area coat that as well with ceramic? I'm guessing cosmoline helps prevents rust right.

OR you mean just clean the hinge area (with meguiars quick detailer for example).

Learning new words as i go thanks

[animescreen]

No, I do not have it done professionally. I do all the work my self and have on several of my vehicles, at least one of them more than once. I will wash the vehicle, clay, polish it out, wipe down with a prep spray, and then apply the coating.

For the coatings I've used, by the time 18~24 months rolled around I did notice the water beading wasn't very good. I also noticed at that point the paint looked like it needed to be polished up again.

You do use a coating as a replacement for a wax. I'm not sure how long they have been around, but I started using them about four years ago.

Glad you did yourself. Seems ceramic coating takes lot of patience, technique and skill. I'll practice on my mazda first. So do you polish and clay once a year? Or how often.

I was told ceramic coating last only like 4 months or so. Guess your using more potent one.

As for waxing. DO some people do ceramic coating (let say once or twice a year) then also do wax every like 4 to 6 months. (Just wondering what happens when ceramic coating and wax)

Wax is just fun for me even thought takes long .. BUt don't want some buildup and layers etc if that happens

[Desertnate]

Glad you did yourself. Seems ceramic coating takes lot of patience, technique and skill. I'll practice on my mazda first. So do you polish and clay once a year? Or how often.

I started on my own car as well and first used the McKee's 37 Paint Coating. It's very user friendly and was good product to learn the process. Polishing will remove the coating, so I only polish when I'm ready to re-apply the coating. Somewhere around the 18 month point I start figuring out when I'm going to do the work. Some here will clay a coated car a couple times a year, but I only do it at the same time I polish.


I was told ceramic coating last only like 4 months or so. Guess your using more potent one.

I'm not sure where that would come from. I've used sealants which last 5~6 months. I expect much better from a coating. The word "coating" is being assigned to all sorts of products these days. There are the traditional coatings in the small glass bottles like Gyeon Mohs or CarPro CQuartz which are a bit expensive, but will last a year or two. There are also other products like Gyeon CanCoat which are similar chemically and behave like a coating, but only last 6~12 monts depending on the environment. Lastly there are some newer spray products which are called Si2O or coating sprays which are more like a spray wax and will have a fairly short lifespan.


As for waxing. DO some people do ceramic coating (let say once or twice a year) then also do wax every like 4 to 6 months. (Just wondering what happens when ceramic coating and wax)

I'm sure there are. There are also several types of coating specific toppers you can use if you really want to layer something on a coating. Due to the chemical make up of a coating, I couldn't imagine a traditional wax lasting very long because it wouldn't bond to the paint when it dries. By adding a wax, you'd also loose many of the coating characteristics which make coatings unique.


Wax is just fun for me even thought takes long .. BUt don't want some buildup and layers etc if that happens

Even if you stick with waxing, you should polish and clay the car periodically. There is a great post by Mike Phillips here where he polished up a yellow hot rod and ran a tape line on the pannel to highlite the before/after effects of polishing. The yellow on the "after" side of the line was very different. Much brighter and more vibrant because the act of polishing removed old layers of wax and the road grime embedded in those layers, not to mention the removal of fine swirls which build up over time.

[The Guz]

Applying a ceramic coating is not that hard. It is the prep work that takes time.

Gyeon CanCoat and Cquartz Lite are two user friendly products for those not ready to step up to a more durable coating.

With these two coatings and a maintenance product one would be set for sometime. No need for a wax topper.

Here is what I would do with either product.

Gyeon:

Polish
Prep Wipe
CanCoat (2 coats at 1 hr apart)
Maintain with Gyeon Cure

CarPro:

Polish
Prep wipe
Cquartz Lite (2 coats at 1 hr apart)
Maintain with CarPro Elixir and/or Reload

Sit back and enjoy the ease of cleaning.

[animescreen]

So basically people will either go wax or ceramic right not both. When you prep wipe you mean with like quick detailed spray?


I know ceramic coating prob yields better results but waxing wit like porter cable seems bit fun lol

Ceramic coating seems more glossier too?


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[Paul A.]

There are many different types of final protection for vehicle paint but they are generally categorized into 3 categories...organic waxes, synthetic sealants and coatings. I don't use anything on top of a coating (like beauty waxes etc.). In my opinion, coatings are substantial enough and durable over the longest time of all 3 categories.

Coatings are best applied over perfectly clean paint and panel wipes are meant to do that with regard to removing anything left on top of the paint from washing, machining etc.

Panel wipes are typically NOT quick detailers as those, many times, leave gloss enhancers or some light protection on the paint. Anything left on the paint is not ideal for coatings.

"Waxing" with a machine is fun but waxes are not very durable. That's ok for some because they enjoy doing it and you get to do it a lot because of it's perishable nature.

In my opinion, carnauba waxes still impart the best, glossiest, bright and deep shine. There are many sealants and now coatings that are very very close. But...

The best shine and gloss is in the paint correction i.e. cutting, buffing and polishing the paint to remove all the imperfections.