jkrutch

It may be less prone to swirls (my car is silver so I can't really tell), but the chip resistance isn't any better than any other car I have owned. I am as careful as possible about driving behind gravel trucks and not following other cars too closely on the highway, but I still ended up with a few very small stone chips after less than 2k miles. I expected better. My car was September production and the b pillar label states C744.

MBE55AMG

I'm in the same situation as you. My frontal areas of the car has been noticeably damaged a bit, paint scrape-wise. It's barely noticeable unless you look fairly close to it.

jkrutch

The problem is the Johnny Sessa gravel trucks running all over 595 and I95. Its a South Florida thing...I live in Davie...what about you?

MBE55AMG

True dat. I'm up in Palm Beach Gardens myself.

awiner

I acutally have noticed a difference in chip resistance between my 2001 and 2003 CL55. The 2003 has the Nano clear coat and has far less chips than my 2001 had at this point in its life.

Dr Chill

I live in PBG too (Ballen Isles). How about you?

HELL ONA HARLEY

Thats because you don't have it...... This artical and many others I've been reading seems to confirm this....

http://www.germancarfans.com/News.cf...es-benz/1.html

I would say for sure there is only a hand full of cars (if any) with this new paint here in the states... I suspect the new increase in prices across the board on all new mercedes has something to do with them just now implementing the technology to the paint in addition to the active headlights that no one seems to have either.....

jkrutch

I would say for sure there is only a hand full of cars (if any) with this new paint here in the states... I suspect the new increase in prices across the board on all new mercedes has something to do with them just now implementing the technology to the paint in addition to the active headlights that no one seems to have either..... [/B][/QUOTE]

According to MB I do. And apparently (based on the article) the nano paint doesn't help with chips...mainly swirls and scratches. There are plenty of cars with the nwe process...just look at how many people's 04s have the "C" in front of the paint code. Why would you think virtually no one has it?

HELL ONA HARLEY

EX BEEMER is the person who reported this "C" prefix info and it was told to him over the phone by a MB customer relations person according to his post. I Simply don't believe most anything MB says, and certainly not from a customer relatations person.... This paint is brand new and certainly most all cars built in 03 if any don't have it according to info I have read. I will most certainly believe the articles I'm reading rather than unsubstantiated info gathered here (for now).... I always thought the paint codes were in the vin anyway.... B.T.W... Whats the build date of your car????

jkrutch

Late September and it is an '04.

HELL ONA HARLEY

Well.... According to the link I provided you may or may not have it (I would say probably not)..... Most of the more recent articles I've read says the paint was NOT used before Jan 04 and some even say the paint will not be used untill spring of 04. Personaly I don't care either way and have reserved feelings for being a guinea pig on something as important as my paint on a $60K car as four years of testing doesn't seem like a long time to me. There has been many automakers in the past that have tried to improve paint with disasturous results (ford and chevy come to mind) and don't need peeling paint or difficult future paint repair work... B.T.W paint chips and Mercedes come hand in hand as most will say thier paint sucks as with most auto makers now a days... Guess its not all their fault, the damn E.P.A and Waterbased paints are the one who suck.

norb

Hellon, you need to go over to Lexus, they way you are going, you're not going to have a good experience with MB ownership. You'll end up being an MB hater.

HELL ONA HARLEY

Karl

That article on German Car Fans makes it sound like this Nano coat is brand new as of Jan 1 2004. Service Info 98.00/14c came out yesterday as an update to 14b that came out in Dec 03. It was revised to list the expanded model range as of Sept 03.
No where in the DTB is Nano mentioned. It is PPG CeramiClear clear coat.
Here is the DTB:

Subject: Models 170, 203, 208, 209, 211, 215, 220, 230

"As of June 3, 2002 [YES 2002!], the model C215 is now painted with PPG CeramiClear clear coat which reduces visable scratching <snip>. All CeramiClear cars have a C in front of the paint code.
This clear coat is being phased in on the other models listed in the subject above.
As of July 14, 2003, all 170 and 230 models shall be painted using this clear coat.
Additionally, a limited number of C208 and W/S210 model vehicles , have also been painted using this clear coat BUT they do not have the C before the paint code. There are 3 C208 vins listed and 32 W210 vins listed. I will not list them here. Pmail me at aufever@prodigy.net if you want them or a copy of the DTB.

awiner

Makes sense since my 2003 CL55 was built in Nov 2002 and has a Cxxx color code.

AMG493

So, is "CeramiClear" the same as the Nano Tech clear coat paint, or are they 2 distinct processes? My black SL55 has the code C040, it was built in 10/03. The "C" prefix in the paintcode must stand for CeramiClear. Does anyone have an "N" prefix?

Karl

I have NO IDEA where the word NANO came from. CeramiClear is a registered trademark of PPG. Nowhere in ANY MB literature is the word Nano listed. It seems to have appeared on the German Car Fans site. I do not know where they got it from. Their info is wrong as far as what MB says. [I believe MB info 1st since I have been working for a MB only dealership for the past 24 years]

If you want the correct info straight from MB, let me know. If I don't have it available, I can make phone calls to get it.

HELL ONA HARLEY

Here ya go bro..... This will keep ya busy for a while....

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...=Google+Search

HELL ONA HARLEY

Karl.... Are the new mercedes being painted at the factory with PPG Paints???? Perhaps the word "nano" is something the press is calling it....

onesixeight

Karl...

Thanks for a copy of the bulletin

It seems that even some late w210's (no e55's) have the "scratch resistant" clear coat paint.

I'm happy that both my Benz have at least scratch resistant clear coat paint...better than nothing. But hopefully this is it...nano or whatever

EDWARD CONROY

I have one small one so far. I found with my previous Benz that applying touch up paint with a very fine brush, just barely wetting the tip and carefully dabbing the center of the chip, leaves them unnoticeable from even a few feet away.

Frank Wiesmann

Mercedes used the word nano for the following reason. It means tiny or microscopic and describes the tiny ceramic particles that give the clear coat its scratch resistant qualities.

rgbyhkr

Well that and the fact that "nano" is a currently popular buzzword.

AMG493

I found this release on the PPG website, note the date is 1/8/03. It appears that CeramiClear is the brand name of the PPG OEM clearcoat that MB is using. Per the article, it is used as part of the existing paint process. Further, they state that there is an after market version for body shops to use when repairs are required. So Nano = CeramiClear......

CeramiClear Clearcoat from PPG Raises Standard for Long-Term Vehicle Gloss, Durability

Cindy Carey / Jim Bianchi
Bianchi Public Relations
248-269-1122
ccarey@bianchipr.com
jbianchi@bianchipr.com

Jeff Worden
PPG Industries
412-434-3046
worden@ppg.com

TROY, Mich., Jan. 8, 2003 – What do you call an automotive clearcoat that is so superior to existing coatings that its maker had to create a more rigorous test to measure its durability? PPG Industries calls it CeramiClear clearcoat. The clearcoat is the final original equipment manufacturer coating applied to a vehicle and it protects the color coat while providing a durable, glossy appearance.


CeramiClear clearcoat is the first automotive clearcoat to use nanoparticle technology and raises the standard for combined resistance to scratches, mars and acid etch. The patented nanoparticle technology creates a highly cross-linked network at the surface of the coating for superior resistance to damage caused by day-to-day use, car washes and environmental hazards such as acid rain and tree sap.



Developed in conjunction with a European luxury vehicle manufacturer during a three-year period, CeramiClear clearcoat was first commercialized by PPG in August 2002. According to PPG, commercialization of CeramiClear clearcoat in Europe will accelerate in 2003.



"CeramiClear clearcoat is unmatched in scratch, mar and acid-etch resistance and retention of gloss throughout a vehicle's lifecycle," said Dennis Taljan, global director, decorative products for PPG. "We actually had to create new, tougher test procedures for CeramiClear clearcoat since no automotive coating had achieved this level of mar resistance before. On average, vehicles coated with CeramiClear clearcoat will have fewer, narrower and shallower scratches and mars for better long-term coating appearance. Simply put, CeramiClear clearcoat will help new cars look new longer."



PPG subjected CeramiClear clearcoat to extensive testing, including exposure to repeated car washes and various weather conditions. After approximately 40 cycles in a car wash, scratches that appeared on vehicles with CeramiClear clearcoat were about half the width and depth compared to those on vehicles with conventional two-component isocynate clearcoats. The result was a significantly higher gloss appearance on the vehicles coated with CeramiClear clearcoat.



Tests showed that after several months of weathering and passes through car washes, CeramiClear clearcoat retained more than 80 percent of its gloss appearance, while most standard clearcoats maintained a little more than 20 percent of their gloss. CeramiClear clearcoat has also outperformed most current commercial clearcoats in field testing for resistance to acid etch by as much as 50 percent.



This innovative technology works with an automotive plant's existing waterborne basecoat, primer and electrocoat layers and can be used with a conventional circulating system. The coating does not increase emission levels or introduce new emissions to the waste stream and can reduce an automaker's total cost by decreasing in-plant damage, buffing and dealership touch-up, Taljan said.



According to Taljan, vehicles coated with CeramiClear clearcoat can still be damaged by such items as keys, but scratches associated with day-to-day use as well as degradation from ultraviolet radiation, acid rain or salt are less likely to affect the appearance of a vehicle's coating over time.



To further meet the needs of its customers, PPG developed an aftermarket refinish clearcoat – which provides approximately the same level of protection as the factory-applied CeramiClear clearcoat – for vehicles requiring body repairs.



On the forefront of innovation in decorative and protective coatings and environmental application concerns since 1927, PPG has long been a leader in helping automakers advance technologies and processes used in the application of automotive coatings

MBE55AMG

Steeplechase. Conveniently in front of you.