Hello,

I am scheduled to get my car fully coated (Body, headlights, glass and wheels) with ceramic coating (specifically, Graphene Ceramic Coating, 7-years protection, by ADAM's).

I'd like to hear your thought and experience with ceramic coating (not specifically graphene based ones, but even traditional Ceramic Coating). This will be the first time for me to apply ceramic coating on my W222. Historically, I have been washing my cars by myself in my garage, polish certain areas as needed, and then use SIO2/Silica spray to give the surface some lubrication and protection, but never considered ceramic coating until finally now..... A professional technician is going to stop by and work on the car.....

Thoughts? Any good/bad experience? Other recommendations?

 

I had it done to my GL550 and will have it done to my S550 later next month. My GL was black and had a 3 stage paint correction done prior to the Flight Shield ceramic coating being applied. Make sure your detailer does the full paint correction too in order to make the paint as perfect as possible prior to coating. Otherwise it will never shine the way it should. It's wonderful never needing to wax your car again. Your car will always bead with water in the rain and will clean so much easier after it's coated. Bugs should come right off with just a spray of the hose without any effort. And when clean, it should sparkle almost like if you just applied a fresh coat of Carnuba wax.

A few things to keep in mind:

1. Ceramic is a sacrificial layer. It does not make your paint scratch or swirl proof. So NEVER take it through automatic car washes after the paint has been corrected and coated. Otherwise you'll lose the new luster you just paid a lot of money for.

2. You can still get hard water spots on it that could require compounding to get rid of, so never park near a sprinkler, never wash with tap water in direct sunlight, and always dry immediately after the wash.

3. If you like to do your own washes and love a perfect looking car, buy a DI Rinse system so your car can be rinsed with deionized water that will not leave water spots as long as the resin in the system has not worn out. With this, you can wash your car in direct sunlight and it will dry spot free. But always test the water quality before each wash to make sure the meter is reading 0 PPM.

4. Do not use any acidic based wheel cleaners on your wheels or near your paint as those will wear away at the coating and will eventually strip it all off.

 

[QUOTE=DaveW68;8299022]
A few things to keep in mind:
1. Ceramic is a sacrificial layer. It does not make your paint scratch or swirl proof. So NEVER take it through automatic car washes after the paint has been corrected and coated. Otherwise you'll lose the new luster you just paid a lot of money for.

The only part I hate is that I can't use automatic car washes anymore .... I wonder why? ... I like to wash my car myself but I also take it once a month to automatic car wash

 

I have Cilajet on my car, and am very happy with it. Car still looks clean after rain!! Plus, Cilajet has a spray that you can use for touchups between washes, and it seems to work quite well.

 

Because although the coating makes the paint "less" susceptible to scratches and swirls, it does not make it bullet proof. Ceramic coatings will get swirl marks too and thus ruin the investment you paid to make your paint look perfect. Touchless washes should still be OK. But avoid automatic "soft cloth" and brush car washes as those WILL leave swirls on your new coating. The darker your paint color, the more noticeable the swirls. Like a good wax or other coating, ceramic is only a sacrificial layer over your paint. It just lasts a lot longer than any other protective coating and it makes cleaning your car a lot easier. But you still have to take the same precautions with maintaining your paint as you do without a coating.

 

[QUOTE=S_W222;8299031]from what i understand, the car wash has to use treated water (chemical soap?) that instantly breaks down dirt due to the short duration of the wash and the customer expectation of satisfactory results.
that treated water can deteriorate the coatings over time.... it even has this affect on traditional waxes albeit some waxes are of course better than others...

 

[QUOTE=kafklatsch;8299053]How about Touchless Washing stations?

 

[QUOTE=kafklatsch;8299053]You are correct about that. The soaps in car washes use harsher, more acidic chemicals that will wear away at the coating over time. This is why I do all of my own car washes by hand with Ph neutral soap. I also have a pressure washer and use that DI rinse every time, thus allowing the car to dry spot free without having to hand dry it with microfiber towels or a good chamois.

The only time I would consider a touchless carwash would be in the winter to knock the salt off the car. But I'd never do that more than once a month and with temps that are well above 32 degrees. Otherwise, it's always a hand wash by myself using my equipment as described. The OP could also let his detailer do maintenance washes if he doesn't want to do them himself. A maintenance wash likely wouldn't cost more than $30.

 

I’ve been using ceramic coatings (various products) for the last several years on several different vehicles. I always do the job myself, from paint correction through application of the 3rd layer or ceramic coating. It is so easy to do. Easier than applying a high quality wax, imo, and Much longer lasting.

Never used a Graphene based coating, however, the results of regular ceramics has been spectacular - thus their has been no impetus to switch.

 

Based on some readings online, and doing some research, it seems that Graphene Ceramic Coating, is just a Ceramic Coating of the same backbone, yet with Graphene Oxide added to increase water beading, surface roughness and scratch resistance as well as durability and reduced water spotting. I would give it a try, it would assume it will be at least as good as the additional ceramic coating or hopefully better ... only uses who tried both will be able to tell if there is a difference, so in my case i will have no benchmark as to how graphene base don compares to others.

 

You can still use automatic carwashes. My LS460L was ceramic coated and it was washed a ton in automatic car washes and the coating held up fine. My S560 is also coated, and it too gets run through automatic carwashes. Take the time to find a good one.

 

Since these ceramic coatings are so good, why don't manufacturers put them on the cars during production in addition to, or instead of, clear coating?

 

It is a time consuming process!... imagine production lines adding a few more hours per car... and then with all the requirements of needing to store the car for at least a day (if not longer) to be inside a garage or indoor, it is just not practical for their operation.... Someone has to come up with a smarter method of a better clear coat that has same characteristics of ceramic coating...

 

Think of a ceramic coating like a wax or sealant, thats basically all it is...one thats really really durable. Its a maintenance item, not anything a car manufacturer would use

 

Nobody has made claims that high end ceramic can't stand up to automatic car washes. But the car washes will still leave small scratches and swirl marks on the paint. On your white car, they won't be very noticeable. But on a dark colored car, the swirl marks will be VERY noticeable.

Clear coating is pretty thick with several layers applied during the paint process. Ceramic coating is microscopic thin and can be compounded off with just one pass of a buffing machine or even using a highly acidic cleaner. Clear coats will easily stand up to both. Ceramic coating also has a definitive life span, whereas the clear coat should last the life of the car. The point of ceramic coating is to add a harder sacrificial coating to your paint that better withstands things like bird droppings, bugs, and environmental fallout. It also provides a great hydrophobic surface, which makes cleaning a breeze.

 

I did do some research into this coating last year. It appears that the Graphene claims on their packaging are grossly over-hyped. If your detailer will offer you a lower price on a good 5 year professional ceramic coating, then take the lower cost as it will be every bit as good and durable, or perhaps even better.

I watched this video back in December when I was getting ready to buy my S550 as I knew I would be getting a paint correction and ceramic coated. I wanted to make sure I was getting the best coating. When you have an hour, watch this entire video as this gets into the science of theirs and other coatings. And if you're going to take your car through automatic car-washes, then get the least expensive coating that you can since the scratches and swirls produced by those washes will dull the look of your ceramic coated finish anyway, especially on your dark colored car.

 

Luckily, I did watch this video before, I have to say that the chemist who appeared on the 23rd minutes has no idea about what he is talking about (he made so many wrong claims). Maybe I am skewed towards Graphene because I used graphene before during my PhD research, but that is not the reason I want to try it on my car now.... The chemist in the video even tried to add pure graphene to ceramic coating and this is not how it'd done. There are some other videos by much more reputable streamers that show more meaningful discussion and more qualified presenters. From those videos, I concluded that graphene based is at least as good as traditional one but most likely slightly better (nothing to lose at all, yet for almost same price).

 

The guy has been studying the use of graphene for 6 years. I trust his judgment. And based on the head to head testing, the non-graphene ceramic coating was much more hydrophobic and slicker.

But at the end of the day, if you are going to be spending a decent sum of money to get a full paint correction and ceramic or graphene coating.....and then take your car through automatic car washes, you are just throwing your money out the window. These coatings need to be properly maintained in order to get the maximum life out of them and to keep up the beautiful shine that a full paint correction brings out. And the only way to do that would be handwashing your car with soft microfiber mitts and using a ph balanced soap.

 

Thanks for the advice regarding car wash. Regarding the guy and his view of ceramic coating, I actually disagree with him, he mentioned lots of arguments/statements that are scientifically completely wrong. The number of reviews online that are supporting that graphene based is as good as (or better) than standard ceramic coating is actually more inclined to support graphene-based than non-graphene based coating.

 

No doubt this is true, but its important to tell the poster specifically what the issue is. What you originally said certainly made it sound like the ceramic coating itself would preclude the use of automatic carwashes, and from his response thats how he took it. Thats not true. Automatic carwashes cause marring in paint, thats a fact but that fact doesn't change because there's a ceramic coating on the car. Coated or not, carwashes will marr the paint over time. They won't however destroy the coating specifically if the coating is a quality one that was properly applied.

 

This is really helpful comment, and you changed the way i originally understood how ceramic coating works or will impact the owner ability to use or not use car wash!. thanks a lot!

 

The guy in the video is one of the most respected, highest producing retailers and installers of ceramic coatings in the country. I am pretty into this stuff too, and I have read a ton about it and I would agree that the Graphene specifically is really a snake oil. That doesnt mean the Adams Graphene coating you're getting is a bad coating, it isnt and in testing it does very well. But saying it does well because its "Graphene" is dubious.

Adams Polishes is a fairly well known offender when it comes to selling "hype" products. They have very good products, but that Hype is there. Chemical Guys is the same way. Until you see some of the huge players in ceramic coatings selling graphene coatings, like CarPro or GTechniq or Modesta...I'm inclined to agree that "graphene" is just marketing silliness.

 

I was actually referring to the chemist he interviewed, not the youtuber.... The chemist has no idea what he is talking about and made lots of arguments that scientifically make no sense (not about coating, but about graphene and heat transfer and how the process works)

 

When you have time, please watch these two videos ... To me, ADAM'S products seem to be the only company that is using a graphene based coating with the understanding of how it works and how it should be done. I agree that mostly likely others are just using it for marketing purposes.... but i truly believe that ADAMS have been improvement on their products by introducing graphene.
1) short 15min review/interview: 2) this one is too long interview with so many details :

 

When people spend upward of $2000 for a 3 stage paint correction and ceramic coating, many of them think this makes the paint rock hard and it won't scratch in car washes, kicked up rocks won't harm the paint, nothing will stick to it, and that they can relax on their maintenance of the painted surfaces. It seems the OP was under the impression that the coatings would protect his corrected paint from scratches and marring when using car washes. I think we've made it clear that the coatings will not protect against the paint marring caused by those washes. They also don't protect against hard water spots, so always wash and dry in the shade and not in high heat conditions where the hard water will dry quickly. Or just wash and rinse with DI water.