Just had a ceramic coating applied...(PIC HEAVY)
#26
Looks awesome! Luckily you have folks in your area that do this! My local dealer offers a similar product, but they are not very good with installation and don't do any paint correction before applying it.
I have it on my car, and it's really just a good wax.
I have it on my car, and it's really just a good wax.
#27
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W213 Night Edition 220d. (ML250 SLK350AMG)
NFA that looks really good. I have heard of that before a friend in Sydney had it applied (i think it was the same product) and he swears by it.
I have never applied a coating / bonding like that on any of my benzes as i always thought they held up pretty good.
In the dealerships here they recommend Permagard. Have you heard of that one? Is it different to yours?
Do they do your wheels too? Does that help with the brake dust?
Thanks, and i really admire the length you went to for perfection. You drive a Benz, and for the 2 blokes to do that work all day, i think it is amazing value.
I have never applied a coating / bonding like that on any of my benzes as i always thought they held up pretty good.
In the dealerships here they recommend Permagard. Have you heard of that one? Is it different to yours?
Do they do your wheels too? Does that help with the brake dust?
Thanks, and i really admire the length you went to for perfection. You drive a Benz, and for the 2 blokes to do that work all day, i think it is amazing value.
#29
i put it on my car with 3800 miles on it. yes it will protect you from micro abrasions because you will never run it through a manual car wash again only touch less . i love it because i dont want to spend hours cleaning my car. most days i just dust it 5 min . when i do run it through a touch less no wax just the basic 10 min to dry by hand . had the wheels done to no scrubbing break dust.
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mickhoog (08-20-2018)
#30
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W213 Night Edition 220d. (ML250 SLK350AMG)
i put it on my car with 3800 miles on it. yes it will protect you from micro abrasions because you will never run it through a manual car wash again only touch less . i love it because i dont want to spend hours cleaning my car. most days i just dust it 5 min . when i do run it through a touch less no wax just the basic 10 min to dry by hand . had the wheels done to no scrubbing break dust.
#31
After having my new car 1 week, I noticed some tiny brown/yellow translucent dots on my bonnet. The seem to follow a trail as though they had been partially washed off but didn't quite get washed following some torrential rain
So far, to try to clean them off, tried soaking a baby cotton in water and placing it on the dots for 15 mins hoping the water would soften them up to wipe away but I had no success with that. Tried wiping gently with a wet micro fibre cloth but no success. They seem really stubborn although I am extremely gently
My sales told me that I should only use water to wash the car as it has a ceramic coating. Question to you all it what do you advise to get this cleaned off ? I suspect it is either dried on insect poo or tree sap or some kind of water insoluble deposit.
I googled this issue and came across products like Turtle Wax bug and tar remover but they are not ceramic coating friendly so...
Any advice is much appreciated
So far, to try to clean them off, tried soaking a baby cotton in water and placing it on the dots for 15 mins hoping the water would soften them up to wipe away but I had no success with that. Tried wiping gently with a wet micro fibre cloth but no success. They seem really stubborn although I am extremely gently
My sales told me that I should only use water to wash the car as it has a ceramic coating. Question to you all it what do you advise to get this cleaned off ? I suspect it is either dried on insect poo or tree sap or some kind of water insoluble deposit.
I googled this issue and came across products like Turtle Wax bug and tar remover but they are not ceramic coating friendly so...
Any advice is much appreciated
#32
MBWorld Fanatic!
After having my new car 1 week, I noticed some tiny brown/yellow translucent dots on my bonnet. The seem to follow a trail as though they had been partially washed off but didn't quite get washed following some torrential rain
So far, to try to clean them off, tried soaking a baby cotton in water and placing it on the dots for 15 mins hoping the water would soften them up to wipe away but I had no success with that. Tried wiping gently with a wet micro fibre cloth but no success. They seem really stubborn although I am extremely gently
My sales told me that I should only use water to wash the car as it has a ceramic coating. Question to you all it what do you advise to get this cleaned off ? I suspect it is either dried on insect poo or tree sap or some kind of water insoluble deposit.
I googled this issue and came across products like Turtle Wax bug and tar remover but they are not ceramic coating friendly so...
Any advice is much appreciated
So far, to try to clean them off, tried soaking a baby cotton in water and placing it on the dots for 15 mins hoping the water would soften them up to wipe away but I had no success with that. Tried wiping gently with a wet micro fibre cloth but no success. They seem really stubborn although I am extremely gently
My sales told me that I should only use water to wash the car as it has a ceramic coating. Question to you all it what do you advise to get this cleaned off ? I suspect it is either dried on insect poo or tree sap or some kind of water insoluble deposit.
I googled this issue and came across products like Turtle Wax bug and tar remover but they are not ceramic coating friendly so...
Any advice is much appreciated
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dukester34 (08-26-2018)
#33
Senior Member
Thread Starter
After having my new car 1 week, I noticed some tiny brown/yellow translucent dots on my bonnet. The seem to follow a trail as though they had been partially washed off but didn't quite get washed following some torrential rain
So far, to try to clean them off, tried soaking a baby cotton in water and placing it on the dots for 15 mins hoping the water would soften them up to wipe away but I had no success with that. Tried wiping gently with a wet micro fibre cloth but no success. They seem really stubborn although I am extremely gently
My sales told me that I should only use water to wash the car as it has a ceramic coating. Question to you all it what do you advise to get this cleaned off ? I suspect it is either dried on insect poo or tree sap or some kind of water insoluble deposit.
I googled this issue and came across products like Turtle Wax bug and tar remover but they are not ceramic coating friendly so...
Any advice is much appreciated
So far, to try to clean them off, tried soaking a baby cotton in water and placing it on the dots for 15 mins hoping the water would soften them up to wipe away but I had no success with that. Tried wiping gently with a wet micro fibre cloth but no success. They seem really stubborn although I am extremely gently
My sales told me that I should only use water to wash the car as it has a ceramic coating. Question to you all it what do you advise to get this cleaned off ? I suspect it is either dried on insect poo or tree sap or some kind of water insoluble deposit.
I googled this issue and came across products like Turtle Wax bug and tar remover but they are not ceramic coating friendly so...
Any advice is much appreciated
The name of the game when washing is to keep the paint lubed with foam/soap, and the less 'on paint' touching time, the better. I foam it down with the foam gun, lightly wash the paint in straight lines only (no swirling motion) from top to bottom with a microfiber mitt, rinse, then a use electric blower to dry (water flies off with the ceramic coating) and then hit the windows with a drying microfiber.
If you fail to use a soap then you aren't breaking the surface tension of the water and the contaminants from the air/driving are staying on the paint. Anytime you see a bird dropping or tree sap and you don't have time to wash the car, spot clean immediately with a damp microfiber using very light pressure after dabbing to let the water break it down. Never apply pressure when rubbing or it could scratch the coating. I keep a clean microfiber and new water bottle in the trunk.
Now, with that out of the way. Post some high quality photos of your paint condition and I'll try and help to resolve the spots.
#34
Super Member
#35
Cleaning ceramic coating
However, I have posted two pics from yesterday.
Pic 1 was the spot as I had noticed it initially ~ 1.5 to 2mm diameter with a browny shade. When I looked at it from an angle, I could see it is a very very slightly raised surface. The much smaller dots can also be seen at an angle but also face on due to their color.
In pic2 taken in the evening after I had another go at gently cleaning the larger spot with a cotton bud with a tiny dab of turtle wax, it is visibly less brown. This morning, in overcast conditions, it took me 30 secs to find the larger spot as the color was/is alot less obvious ~ the gently cleaning I did yesterday apparently made an improvement.
As for my "dealer", it was the sales who advised me about only using water, not the "body work" specialist who I did not get an opportunity to meet. It was the sales again who advised using a dab of wax to clean it. Note the bud was a micro bud ~ also 2.5 to 3mm in diameter so the area affected by my cleaning was mainly on the spot itself and not much surrounding surface.
Before
After gentle cleaning with a bud. The stain is still there but much less obvious
Last edited by mister__p; 08-27-2018 at 04:36 AM.
#37
Senior Member
Thread Starter
One Year update. The coating is still 100% and I'm about to have my newest car in the stable done. Worth every penny for those of you on the fence!
Last edited by NFAREVIEW; 01-04-2019 at 11:37 AM.
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lgarcia (09-19-2022)
#38
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#39
MBWorld Fanatic!
Very helpful advise. I too wish to get ceramic coating professionally applied. At my age, I don't have younger buddies to help me, etc., and is worth it to me to spend the money and have it done right. I'm waiting till spring to have it done (mobile detailing firm and warmer weather), and now feel more confident going forward with this, knowing you guys think it's well worth the investment.
#40
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2021 E450, 2020 C43, 2015 C300, 2007 C280
I live in an elderly housing facility, so my car is not garaged. Enough pollution falls from the sky that I run my windshield washers every time I get underway, even just over night. Now, rain just washes the stuff off. A large bird bombed the roof a couple weeks ago. I forgot about it, and a few days ago, I noticed that it was gone, washed away by rain. I have washed the car ONCE, in an automatic car wash. That was last spring, to wash the winter salt off. It now looks as if it was washed and waxed only a few days ago. The wheels are gloss black with mirror-finish ribs. They look clean too. Not even any build-up of the infamous Mercedes brake dust. (I think MB may also have finally changed brake pad material to reduce that problem.) I may have already saved half the cost of the CQuarz on car washes!.
*I just checked-price is now $550 for a car.
Last edited by gfmohn; 01-04-2019 at 04:27 PM. Reason: update price
#41
Member
I highly recommend Craft Detailing in Dedham as a great shop for OptiCoat Pro+. $1399 for complete car+ wheel faces. windows other than the windshield. E450 is my second car done- Golf R prior. The VWVortex forums (which dwarf MBWorld in size & activity) heavily discuss coatings and are solidly in the OptiCoatPro+ camp.
Craft did a great job- finish looks perfect. Strangely they had a shop absolutely full of Tesla 3's & seemed thrilled to work on an E450 Wagon. No dealer arrangement with the Tesla's- they said the paint finish on Tesla's is soft and imperfect -usually with swirls from the factory, whereas they said the clearcoats on MB's were notoriously hard & they worry if there is a swirl to correct on a MB it'll be harder to polish before coating the car. They were happy mine was only days old as they said MB & Lexus are by far the best quality control on finishes from the factory.
An interesting conversation with a group that just thinks about one specific aspect of a car.
Craft did a great job- finish looks perfect. Strangely they had a shop absolutely full of Tesla 3's & seemed thrilled to work on an E450 Wagon. No dealer arrangement with the Tesla's- they said the paint finish on Tesla's is soft and imperfect -usually with swirls from the factory, whereas they said the clearcoats on MB's were notoriously hard & they worry if there is a swirl to correct on a MB it'll be harder to polish before coating the car. They were happy mine was only days old as they said MB & Lexus are by far the best quality control on finishes from the factory.
An interesting conversation with a group that just thinks about one specific aspect of a car.
Last edited by jl199986; 01-04-2019 at 09:29 PM.
#43
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2021 E450, 2020 C43, 2015 C300, 2007 C280
I highly recommend Craft Detailing in Dedham as a great shop for OptiCoat Pro+. $1399 for complete car+ wheel faces. windows other than the windshield. E450 is my second car done- Golf R prior. The VWVortex forums (which dwarf MBWorld in size & activity) heavily discuss coatings and are solidly in the OptiCoatPro+ camp.
....
....
Update and clarification: The $750 price mentioned above is indeed Arlington Auto Detailing's most expensive treatment. However, that is the price of their most expensive treatment with both Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light and EXOv4 Ultra Durable Hydrophobic Coating. Arlington Auto Detailing claims this combination "provides up to 5 years of protection." The price of their most expensive treatment with CQuartz (including the G1 ClearVision windshield treatment) remains $550, Apologies to Arlington Auto Detailing
Update: I got the CQuartz treatment in 11/17. It is now 15 months and 1 1/2 winters later. I received the "sealant" included in the price about April, My C300 (which is not garaged) still looks as if it was washed and waxed a few days ago.
Last edited by gfmohn; 02-21-2019 at 10:52 AM.
#44
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2021 E450, 2020 C43, 2015 C300, 2007 C280
We'll get those when Mercedes sells a couple million more passenger vehicles a year. But then, we wouldn't have our lovely exclusivity (and Mercedes wouldn't be able to charge what I estimate to be $10,000 for the star on the hood).
#45
Junior Member
Thank you. A perfect reply to the several buzzkills in this thread.
Hot damn, there are some lame *** comments here. "Oh man, I'd never spend that much" (Because I'm too cheap or can't afford it) "Oh man, I did mine for XXX dollars" (yeah good for you, your point?) "Oh man, that's way to much to spend".....
Really dudes..............just congratulate the man and move on for Odin's sake! WTF?
Really dudes..............just congratulate the man and move on for Odin's sake! WTF?
#46
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2021 E450, 2020 C43, 2015 C300, 2007 C280
gOOD DEAL
See my correction to my originial comment above. Arlington Auto Detailing's most expensive treatment with CQuartz is still only $550.
Last edited by gfmohn; 02-21-2019 at 10:56 AM.
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EvadTheFist (06-12-2019)
#47
It looks fantastic...they did a great job.
The only thing I would say - and this is not intended to start any argument -is that any claims made of helping to prevent rock chips are unrealistic. A ceramic coating, no matter how many layers (not that anything beyond 3 has any effect) will not offer any protection in this way. The only viable option really is PPF.
But I do understand the reasoning. If its a comparison protection wise vs a wax its a night and day thing.
The only thing I would say - and this is not intended to start any argument -is that any claims made of helping to prevent rock chips are unrealistic. A ceramic coating, no matter how many layers (not that anything beyond 3 has any effect) will not offer any protection in this way. The only viable option really is PPF.
But I do understand the reasoning. If its a comparison protection wise vs a wax its a night and day thing.
Funny you compare my paint to yours when yours is a matte and I have to protect mine a certain way, as do you. It's apples and oranges. I can say this, in 5-6 years I bet $100 our car is rock chip free and still has paint in the same shape as the day we took delivery. Yours on the other hand does not age well on the highway. And the fact you think a Meguires spray wax is the same product as a 9H ceramic tells me all I need to know about your automotive detailing knowledge lol. I see you have an affinity for tracking down my posts just to **** on them. Whether it's guns or wax you just can't help yourself. I know you're into me, but I don't swing that way dude. Lay off, it's unhealthy.
#48
Senior Member
Had mine done a couple of weeks ago. I was traveling on business and left the car for 3 1/2 days so the guy could do his magic. Did the paint, glass and wheels. It worked out perfectly....7 days to cure then a solid 10 days of rain. Then I drove down to Palm Springs this weekend to visit my Dad and we are in the throws of a "butterfly invasion" (seriously) and by the time I got home the car was covered in rain related road filth and about 50 splattered butterfly carcasses.
I dropped it off at the detail guy at work today for its first cleaning and it looks brand new. The shine and depth is amazing. The iPhone pics might not catch it all but you get the idea. It works especially well on the gloss black Night Package parts, they come back nice and glossy. Well worth it so far!!
I dropped it off at the detail guy at work today for its first cleaning and it looks brand new. The shine and depth is amazing. The iPhone pics might not catch it all but you get the idea. It works especially well on the gloss black Night Package parts, they come back nice and glossy. Well worth it so far!!
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Frank Rizzo (03-14-2019)
#50
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It looks fantastic...they did a great job.
The only thing I would say - and this is not intended to start any argument -is that any claims made of helping to prevent rock chips are unrealistic. A ceramic coating, no matter how many layers (not that anything beyond 3 has any effect) will not offer any protection in this way. The only viable option really is PPF.
But I do understand the reasoning. If its a comparison protection wise vs a wax its a night and day thing.
The only thing I would say - and this is not intended to start any argument -is that any claims made of helping to prevent rock chips are unrealistic. A ceramic coating, no matter how many layers (not that anything beyond 3 has any effect) will not offer any protection in this way. The only viable option really is PPF.
But I do understand the reasoning. If its a comparison protection wise vs a wax its a night and day thing.
I have never heard of Carbibles; their website does not even identify which country they are in.