Am I expecting too much from ceramic coat

So I had a ceramic coat done gtechniq crystal serum ultra with the exo water repellent coat over.

I've had the car back about 8 weeks and I've washed it twice in that time; snow foam and two bucket method with all g techniq products drying towels microfiber etc.

Even after just those washes its starting to swirl again; I've also noticed where I dried off a water mark with a microfiber cloth it swirled it quite badly and where a friend rubbed the roof with his hand left clear swirls.

Are these every day things too much for the ceramic coating? And if they are is it even worth doing in the first place?

Trying not to rant here because I'm not very educated on the topic but it was not a cheap thing to do and I'm feeling like it was a bit of a waste of money tbh.

Thanks

Dillon

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Seems to be a soft ceramic coating alright. Did you try polish it? Just remember at the swirls are now contained to the ceramic coating rather than your paint. Or maybe you are using too much pressure while washing the car. Lad in work got his done about a month ago and had no issues with it swirling being hand washed every week

Did it have a proper two stage correction before the ceramic coat was applied? If not the swirls could be locked in under the coating

depends who did the work as well

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Originally Posted by E90 Brian

Did it have a proper two stage correction before the ceramic coat was applied? If not the swirls could be locked in under the coating

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This. .....................

yes I think it did as I seen some progress pics of the polish and a before and after of the bootlid.

I dont want to name where I got it done but it's a reputable place and I paid for a full paint correction prior and interior engine bay wheels off hubs painted etc - spent 1500 on the full service

I was worried it was rushed though as he kept pushing the finish date back further and further - he had the car for two weeks but I think he only started working on it in the last few days

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The progress pics https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...457b56b98b.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a60573419f.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c59136d6dd.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...25b08da961.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ac42004621.jpg

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Originally Posted by Dillon

The progress pics https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...457b56b98b.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a60573419f.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c59136d6dd.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...25b08da961.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ac42004621.jpg

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Who did the work? I know someone who got a ceramic coating done by a guy who posts on FB and based not too far away from me. The quality of the work done on the car I saw was terrible and it didn’t last.

PM sent John

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Brian at spirit detailing did mine last week.

Im very very happy.

He uses a Japanese made ceramic

Yeah it wasn't spirit who did it

Rang the guy and he told me if anyone as much as runs their finger on it while theres dust on it it will mark

Total waste of money as far as I can see - either that or I got swindled Haha

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I had a coating about 12 months ago and it's still 100% car was corrected before hand. Cost a grand and the car has been clean and swirl free since, and I am not that careful with the washing.

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Think I just went to the wrong place so - if anyone wants more info on my experience at said unnamed detailer feel free to PM Haha

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I have emailed gtechniq to get their take on what their coating should do - hate feeling ripped off couldn't help myself Haha

I'll let you all know how it goes

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In galway was it? Sound like they didnt correct it properly, the photos mean nothing, you can correct a car simply by altering the angle of the photo slightly. They might have used a filler to fill up the scratches and coated over that. They will of course blame you washing technique so not much comeback, but a shame really. Instagram and FB might be the best way to flex your consumer muscles.

Cant speak for gtechniq coatings as I never used them, but any I have applied would have offered more resistance to swirling than the actual clear coat....that doesn't mean scratch proof and I feel that some manufacturers and approved applicators sometimes hype up the ability of coatings. I personally always stressed that they are definitely not a fool proof protection system, and in doing so probably talked myself out of quite a bit of work...would rather that than a mislead customer. It's not just that aspect that I made them aware of, but things like their glassy appearance, the need for a few new bottles of products that replace some of their current arsenal, not to wax ot seal over it as most car lovers enjoy a few hours on occasion and are tempted to attempt boost shine but this negates the coating.

Certainly dust rubbed on the car will affect most coatings. What Wash Mitt and Drying Towel are you using? Doubt you have the process wrong.

I can tell the company from the pictures, and would be pretty confident that there were no shortcuts taken in terms of prep, polishing, application, etc. Definitely strange that a coating durable for 5 year (or is it more??) would mark so noticeable so soon. Be interested to hear what gtechniq will say.

Thanks Curran appreciate your input on this with the wealth of knowledge you have, that's why I haven't named any names as I just don't have enough knowledge to be sure something wrong has been done and might just be expecting too much of the coating.

I'm using a gtechniq Mitt and towel bought the full gtechniq kit after I got the coating done, it's the crystal serum ultra so 9 years is the warranty apparently.

Thanks again appreciate the input

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Had to post in here again cause this thing really is useless - Winter time now and the car is caked in dirt after a day every time I clean it, doesn’t appear to be hydrophobic whatsoever.

Really unhappy with this, complete waste of close to 1500 quid

Sorry to hear that Dillon, really disappointing. Definitely not ceramic’s fault, I think it’s the place where you got it done. I couldn’t rate the ceramic coating that was on the Z4 highly enough. The car looked stunning no matter what. Super hydrophobic and insanely glossy.

Any chance of going back to the place? Not necessarily for a refund but.... for something... anything... 1500 is a lot spend and not have a result.

That's just how it is in winter. Road traffic film will stick to any car no matter what you use to protect it. Ceramic coatings only offer long term durability over cheaper synthetic waxes.

If you went and applied a fairly good easy to use wax like AG UHD today and then went for a drive it would end up the same way , covered in muck.

The ceramic coating will be there for a longer time, withstand harsher conditions and allot more car washes, it needs to be properly clean to show it's water repellency. It's not magic.

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Ive had mine done since the summer. I think I’ve only used a mitt to wash it maybe 4 times. I’ve started using a ph neutral traffic film remover. I top it up after nearly every wash with auto finesse aqua coat. Maybe try something similar to top it up? I bought the gtechniq top up but haven’t used it yet so I can’t tell if that’s much better, it definitely takes a couple of days for the dirt to stick to mine and I find it’s not as prone to having dirt stick to it as before the ceramic. I’ve noticed my fathers car that was done by a dealer less that a fortnight ago is already deteriorating so there is obviously different levels of deterioration for different coatings.

If I was you I’d get a second opinion by someone and after that make a decision whether you’ve got what you paid for or not.

Did you contact gtechniq when you had concerns over the scratching? PM me the gist of what they said?

A ceramic coating should at worst be offering you some resistance to swirling and hydrophobic properties that should definitely be noticeable even over a waxed car. I'm not saying a ceramic coated car cant become caked, of course it can, but if a car becomes caked in 20 miles of your regular drive I would expect it to be noticeable cleaner for say 50 miles. A car with regular wax or sealant will give some very noticeable results over a short period, but a ceramic should be offering it over the lifetime. Some factors can affect this though. Applying the wrong products over the coating, thus clogging the nano links and nullifying its ability to be hydrophobic; but that is relatively easy to restore and doesnt affect its durability or ability to resist swirls. It's a 9 year coating so I wouldnt expect to see any noticeable drop off in performance for at least 3 years and should still be performing well for another 3 years.

So, in short the coating doesnt seem to be offering you anything. It's a warranty covered application so I would certainly raise the issue...definitely if it's not offering hydrophobic properties. It's worth noting that an effort should be made to ensure the coating is cleansed properly and assessed then, before outright saying it's doing nothing. It would be worth contacting the approved installer and I would expect that it would be their suggestion to do the same. I would want to ensure that in that process that there isnt something quick and easy to apply, a quick detailer type product that will give the appearance of restoration and thereby kicking the can down the road in effect.

I can advise further if you PM me gtechniq's response.

I Got a Cayenne done in August 2018 with the full Gtechniq package (think it cost 1,800 - I didn't have to pay as a builder sprayed concrete on the car)
I have to say I am still very happy with it, swirling is minimal and when clean the shine is unreal - It still does get dirty especially in this weather but washing it properly means it stays cleaner longer. The exo has faded so will probably do that myself next summer but the underlying coating seems to be doing what it says it should.

Bit of a thread revival here, sorry Curran I never seen your message above as haven’t been active would have pm’d thanks for the offer

I emailed gtechniq but didn’t get a response; also rang the applicator and was pretty much told where to go so just chalked this whole thing down to a live and learn.

On that note, I am trading the 4 in against a carbon black 530e; and am considering going down this rabbit hole again cause I didn’t learn really 🙄😂

Anyone got a recommendation for a detailer / ceramic coating installer?

If you are near Dublin I am currently getting mine done from a guy who has done the owner of reflect autocares jeep and a few guys on here also. He charges 40 quid to wash and decontaminate the car and only then can give you a price on polishing it and coating it as every car is different. Can send his number if you like

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That would be great thanks - And even better I can wait and see how you get on first 😜

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Originally Posted by schoonerm3

Brian at spirit detailing did mine last week.

Im very very happy.

He uses a Japanese made ceramic

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I got my 430d Snapper Rocks Blue done with Brian in Spirit just before the lock down.

I’m also very happy with the job and my all the dealings...

As Schooner said, he uses a Japanese coating.
The work before the ceramic coating is the key...


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