OceanView

Bought my car in April and it seems like I'm noticing more chips on my paint than I did in my previous W211 and W210.
The chips are not in the front but on the sides like doors, handles, A pillar.
Maybe Mercedes new paint and/or painting techniques are not as good as before?
Are you experiencing the same?

hyperion667

thats terrible duder, what can the dealer do about this?
did you get a simoniz or any of those extra things they try to sell you?
I am actually considering the simoniz process for my paint..

hope this works out

fromthebeginnin

Can I get a few more details on the Simoniz process, it wasn't offered?

FTB

hyperion667

http://www.simonizusa.com/

probably the best place to learn about it.....
your dealer didn't mention it?

K-A

That suucks. So far, mine seems good and strong, knocking on wood....

DHI

Close to one year of ownership and the paint is tough as nails. Almost no swirls neither which is amazing considering that I only waxed the car once. I'm actually very impressed with how nicely it's holding up.

mg-E550

almost a year and 20k miles. looking good. I didn't give it any special treatment and I don't wash it very often...maybe once a month on average.

El Cid

At 12 months and 6,500 miles my paint and other trim looks really great. Have waxed it with Meguire's three times. Car is garaged about 85% of the time, maybe more.
The Palladium Silver really does not show dirt or dust much at all or at least around here it's the same color.

K-A

Just went to the Auto Show, and was sold on this insane Sealant stuff. Guy was using it on a Jeep Grand Cherokee in front of me, and the protection measures he was showing off from it were insane! I might be switching from Wax to Sealant, so I'll post updates soon enough.

DHI

Sealant brand?

DHI

Palladium... The color I regret not choosing over Steel Gray.

OceanView

both are nice colors.
I regret not getting P2. Oh well, next car I guess.

OceanView

Are you talking about Rejex?

K-A

"T.F.P".

The stuff the guy was doing on the car with it was amazing. Writing with permanent ink, spraypainting, burning acid drops, etc. All easily polished out with the F.T.P Compound. What really sold me though, as I really want the protectant qualities, was how the hood looked after dumping a bucket of water on it, the water just "fell" off, and the hood was totally dry.

I've done some research on Sealants before this, and lots of guys swear by it, and have said it's far superior to Wax. I don't like to put a polishing compound on my paint more than once or twice a year, and I believe the protectant uses a light polish (which is why it gets harmful stuff off the paint), so I might do a Sealant, then wax 3 months later, etc. etc.

For $20 (less than what the protectant itself cost I believe), I got the Protectant, the rigorous compound (which is what got ANYTHING smoothly off the paint), the metal-protectant (used to clean off brake dust, etc. and anything else of a metal/steel surface.... He used it to make my friends rusty old key look like shiny brand new), and a couple nice applicators/towels. Great deal!

Johnny858

I don't know about you guys, but my paint is bubbling and it is at the dealer getting repainted under warranty right now.

OceanView

What color was your car?
Also what area(s) were bubbling?

Johnny858

My car is palladium silver. The paint is bubbling on the front spoiler lip underneath the fog light.

K-A

Damn, that really sucks! I've definitely noticed some slight imperfections, but as far as quality, it "seems" durable, more-so than my W211's, which felt very fragile to me. Maybe it's just in my head though.

mbuster25

My paint is holding up fine but I did notice that new MB factory paint was not as flawless as new Lexus vehicles I've owned; but MB paint appears to be harder than Lexus from my polishing experiences.


I would be cautious of some flashy salesman and the demonstrations (demos are highly scripted!). Getting marker or spray paint or having fire on your paint is highly unlikely. What's more likely is to get are scratches that polishing could likely improve the appearance of at least. And when you polish, you want to use the least agressive cut necessary to achieve the desired result.

I've tried many waxes and sealants to protect a vehicle, and I do like polymer sealants. Besides the intial cost of materials, considerations include:

* Ease of use - apply / remove, cure time.
* Compatibility - can it be layered, used on top of other products, bonding
* How well does it protect the car from elements - tree sap, road tar, birds?
* Durability - only time will tell in your environment and that is what matters (in/outdoors, under tree, etc)
* Availiability - store bought, on-line

What condition do you want your vehicle to be in and to what lengths do you want take to keep it in that condition?

K-A

I tried the Sealant on one small area of my paint yesterday, and to note, the car is freshly waxed (2 weeks ago). The slickness, and feeling of the paint with this sealant is VASTLY superior to what I've ever felt from a 1-step wax. Needless to say, I can't wait until I could cover the whole car with it!

Looks like I may be a Sealant convert in no time as well.

One thing about the Sealant, is it's supposed to be used only 2 or so times a year, to "guarantee" ultimate protection. The salesman said some "vendors/dealers" would recommend just once a year, while he recommended twice. The bottle recommends 2-3 times a year (obviously 3 for cars with more exposure to sun and particles). Seems like it's a good choice for us lazies as well.

OceanView

Seems like you have some experience with sealants, what do you use and which wax if at all?

El Cid

Hopefully things have changed, but I had a Nissan 300Zx which the dealer had treated with a sealant. Forgot to tell me that every 12 months, it had to be re-applied. After about 14 months, the whole car turned from red to grayish red. Dealer agreed to buff off the old sealant, give it a good wax/polish and leave it alone. Car was fine after that.
Paint on my car still looks great and as I hand wash it every 2-3 months, have looked it over throughly.

K-A

Interesting info El Cid. I should research how old Sealant ages on the paint. So, by re-aplying it, you avoid the "discoloration" of what would be an old coat on the paint?

I'm almost starting to think that the "$2,000" "Paint Protection Treatment" Dealers try and sell you on a car, is simply a coat of Sealant???? Imagine that....

mbuster25

For protection, and not correction (to get scratches out), I currently use Zaino and Optimum products. Zaino All-in-one, Z2 and Z5 (usually go to), and Z8. Then Zaino Clear Seal or Optimum Opti-Seal on top can further extend the protection.

I'm open to trying other sealants too, such as Blackfire, Chemical Guys, Wolfgang, etc.

I do have a waxes, but they are not used if at all. Tried FinishKare 1000p as a topper, last stage protection (LSP) but it did not seem to last and I was really turned off with the the strong petroleum smell. May try it again in future?

hyperion667

do you guys think the auto wash or the power sprayer things are bad for new paint coats??
I have not even gone to a car wash yet, just been washing at home......
and is it really a good idea to use grease removing dish soap?