Does Ceramic coating need any special care

[Brian23]

.I am looking at buying a MB that has Ceramic coating. Does it need any special care?

 

[Rotorhead500]

Yes. Minimum pH neutral shampoos, ideally ones formulated for ceramic coating longevity.

Soft wash mitts (noodles, lambs wool, etc...).

 

[Brian23]

Yes. Minimum pH neutral shampoos, ideally ones formulated for ceramic coating longevity.

Soft wash mitts (noodles, lambs wool, etc...).

Thank you

 

[Rotorhead500]

Thank you

They're good at what they do, but not the fit & forget solution some people think them to be. Generally makes cleaning your car easier, back to a nice finish, but does need a little TLC as to how you do it, or you reduce the coating's advertised life.

Other thing to remember too, if a panel gets damaged (car park door ding, handbag dragged down side, etc), the affected panel typically has to be wet-sanded back, polished and coating reapplied.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Worth a watch:

 

[Rotorhead500]

White Details is also a good watch on TubeYou - he's meticulous!

Edit: I really need to get out more...!

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Everything in moderation in my book but I do use the 2 bucket method with a lambs wool mitt and decent shampoo and the cars do get 2 polishing sessions annually. Now that I’m retired and have more time I keep adding to the valeting kit I bought some wheel woolies last week for keeping the wheel barrels and calipers clean that’s about as far as I’m going to go in our climate

 

[mioba]

Everything in moderation in my book but I do use the 2 bucket method with a lambs wool mitt and decent shampoo and the cars do get 2 polishing sessions annually. Now that I’m retired and have more time I keep adding to the valeting kit I bought some wheel woolies last week for keeping the wheel barrels and calipers clean that’s about as far as I’m going to go in our climate

Ditto. I do the same twice a year polish and wax, keeps the car cleaner after a wash.

I say ceramic coating does the same but is probably harder wearing than polish and wax. Ceramic just keeps it easier for the owner to maintain the quality paintwork I would assume.

 

[daveenty]

The theory behind the ceramic coating is mainly the finish which it gives, it can be stunning if it's been correctly applied, ideally by a specialist. I appreciate that nowadays there are kits available to allow you to do your own, though the professionals tend to get the higher quality stuff which, in theory, should last for up to three years of normal use.

So, the finish is the main thing and to maintain it the car should need nothing but careful washing as intimated by several posters above. I use the obligatory 2 bucket method on mine, using Meg's Gold Class and a micro-fibre wash mitt. Ideally I'd use a Di vessel to rinse it off but, as I don't have one, I use a Korean drying towel which was recommended to me by the guy who applied the ceramic coating. This works fine for me as the car is usually put away after washing so it's dry and ready for storage.

Another concept of a ceramic coating is that it protects the paintwork from fine scratches/swirls etc. In my experience this does not happen. The paint is still susceptible to damage and will mark if not treated with a bit of respect. I found this out the hard way with a bouncing stone up the bonnet. I did manage to polish most of the mark out but ended up removing the coating in that area by doing so.

Incidentally, I still use a quick detailing spray after every wash, mainly for appearance but also for the bit of extra shine which it seems to give. My detailing person suggested this, though not as often as I tend to do it, and the helpful people at Clean Your Car recommended a specific product which is suitable for both coated and uncoated cars which is handy as I have both. I also go over it with other bits, though this is purely down to my own obsessiveness...

The most important thing is minimal contact with the finish, so read up on washing techniques and take your time.

Oh, and welcome to the world of CDO, which is a bit like OCD but with the letters in the correct order.

Gratuitous picture of mine after a quick clean: -

 

[Ron240]

Think of ceramic coating as a clear hard shell that has chemically bonded with the paintwork.
It protects against fading and bird droppings, water will bead and run off, and the car will generally be easier to clean and look much more shiny after doing so.
Not all ceramic coatings are the same though, because they have different hardness and length of time where they continue to be effective.
A coating rated up to 1 year will be a ceramic based sealant and is not something I would consider. The proper starting point for ceramic coatings is 3 years and up and should be professionally applied by accredited detailers. In fact a lot of these coating are only supplied to professional detailers.

If you are buying a used car that has had a ceramic coating applied then it is a helpful to know what grade of coating it has and when it was applied.
Washing is done as normal, although you can if you wish top up the protection with a spray recommended by the manufacturer of the coating. On multi year coatings this can be done once a year.

I had a 3 year coating applied to my previous car then traded it in 11 months later.
I had the same 3 year coating applied to my new car last month.
Photos taken when picking up my car from the detailer.
Prices vary with type of coating and location, but mine cost a very reasonable £395 for a full 2 days work.

 

[Brian23]

White Details is also a good watch on TubeYou - he's meticulous!

Edit: I really need to get out more...!

Thank you

 

[Brian23]

The theory behind the ceramic coating is mainly the finish which it gives, it can be stunning if it's been correctly applied, ideally by a specialist. I appreciate that nowadays there are kits available to allow you to do your own, though the professionals tend to get the higher quality stuff which, in theory, should last for up to three years of normal use.

So, the finish is the main thing and to maintain it the car should need nothing but careful washing as intimated by several posters above. I use the obligatory 2 bucket method on mine, using Meg's Gold Class and a micro-fibre wash mitt. Ideally I'd use a Di vessel to rinse it off but, as I don't have one, I use a Korean drying towel which was recommended to me by the guy who applied the ceramic coating. This works fine for me as the car is usually put away after washing so it's dry and ready for storage.

Another concept of a ceramic coating is that it protects the paintwork from fine scratches/swirls etc. In my experience this does not happen. The paint is still susceptible to damage and will mark if not treated with a bit of respect. I found this out the hard way with a bouncing stone up the bonnet. I did manage to polish most of the mark out but ended up removing the coating in that area by doing so.

Incidentally, I still use a quick detailing spray after every wash, mainly for appearance but also for the bit of extra shine which it seems to give. My detailing person suggested this, though not as often as I tend to do it, and the helpful people at Clean Your Car recommended a specific product which is suitable for both coated and uncoated cars which is handy as I have both. I also go over it with other bits, though this is purely down to my own obsessiveness...

The most important thing is minimal contact with the finish, so read up on washing techniques and take your time.

Oh, and welcome to the world of CDO, which is a bit like OCD but with the letters in the correct order.

Gratuitous picture of mine after a quick clean: -

View attachment 74040

Yes I have washed it and it was difficult to dry, so I will look at the cloth recommended. Thank you.

 

[Ron240]

Yes I have washed it and it was difficult to dry

In what way was it difficult to dry?
A ceramic coated vehicle should actually be easier to dry than one without.
After washing and rinsing you should ideally give a final rinse with free flowing water from a hose pipe (this means any hose end attachments have been removed) working from top to bottom allowing the water to run off to leave very little apart from beads on the paintwork.
After that a large good quality drying towel can be used which only needs to be spread out on horizontal surfaces and patted to soak up the remaining beads of water, then use a gentle light contact method on the vertical surfaces.

 

[Brian23]

In what way was it difficult to dry?
A ceramic coated vehicle should actually be easier to dry than one without.
After washing and rinsing you should ideally give a final rinse with free flowing water from a hose pipe (this means any hose end attachments have been removed) working from top to bottom allowing the water to run off to leave very little apart from beads on the paintwork.
After that a large good quality drying towel can be used which only needs to be spread out on horizontal surfaces and patted to soak up the remaining beads of water, then use a gentle light contact method on the vertical surfaces.

I was using a leather, so I will have to get a drying cloth

 

[Rotorhead500]

I was using a leather, so I will have to get a drying cloth

Keep the leather for glass area only, they can trap abrasives easily. MF cloths much better all round.

I recently got a Big Boi Mini car dryer (think posh leaf blower with filter and long hose)... blumin brilliant, either for non-contact drying, or really emptying all the usual suspects that trap water (mirror housings, door, bonnet & boot shuts, etc).

 

[Brian23]

Thank you

 

[Brian23]

Thank you. Now shampoos. There are many PH Neutral on the market. Some contain Carnauba Wax, Orange Oil> Does this matter or make a difference?

 

[Rotorhead500]

If you go the ceramic route, Gyeon make a shampoo tailored to help maintain coatings, Bathe I think it's called.

Otherwise, anything by the usual suspects, Autoglym, Meguiar's, Auto Finesse... or the more niche stuff like Chemical Guys... Will also be fine.

Have a look at More Than Polish (forum sponsor I think), or Clean My Car - they'll give you a good steer & price guide too.

 

[Brian23]

I have bought the ceramic coated car now. I have looked at a few forums. Some say Carnauba Wax in the soap is good, some say Carnauba Wax is bad and that any wax is bad. I will look at the ones you talk about.

 

[Ron240]

There is no need to apply an additional wax coating over a ceramic coated vehicle. It won't do any harm but I just think you would be wasting your time.
Using a shampoo containing wax won't do any harm but personally I don't use it because my ceramic coating does everything that a wax can do.

Have you found out when the ceramic coating was applied to your car, who done it, and what grade of coating was used?
Without knowing all of this the coating could be at the end of its life.