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Ceramic Coatings (and other protections)

3K views 23 replies 13 participants last post by  farmergiles 
#1 · (Edited)
I've had my ID.4 for a few days now, and I'm looking at getting some interior/exterior protection (as we are financing it on PCP, and we have small children...). I've been quoted anywhere from £200 to £1,000 for all sorts of packages from local detailers - many of them recommend "ceramic coatings" on the paint - are they worth it? Will they actually protect the car long-term? What about interior protection - the ID.4 has velour seats (full leather was sadly not an option), how can we best protect those from the grossness of children?

edit: I just got a quote for £500+VAT for "complete interior protection including leather, fabric, and plastics, plus 3-year-guaranteed ceramic coating". This apparently takes two days to complete - is the price and time reasonable?
 
#2 ·
Ceramic coating will do little to 'protect' the coat in terms of obvious damage (dents and deep scratches caused by others). It's essentially a synthetic wax that gives good gloss and lasts longer. It's primary purpose is to just make the car easier to clean.

Unless you are very particular about your cars condition and hate seeing microscratches and hazing in the direct sunlight, I wouldn't bother.
 
#3 ·
I'm not usually too fussed, but we are PCP'ing the car and thus need to keep it in pretty good condition. To be honest I'm more worried about what my kids are going to do to the velour seats over the next 3-4 years, but I've heard goof things about ceramic coatings and was curious.
 
#4 ·
The fact it's on PCP would only change anything in terms of fair wear and tear charges if you were to hand it back (it's more likely you will trade it in, so would get value based on it's condition).

If you get damage on the car, having a ceramic coating on won't do much to reduce the damage. Particular at the extent to which you get charged based on the fair wear and tear regulations.

An interior dressing can be helpful for cleaning spills in the car though. Just look for something online and do it yourself.

I mean, I like keeping my cars looking good, and will be applying a ceramic coating to my Zoe when I finally get a chance. But if you aren't fussed and your only motive is to reduce damage charges as it's on finance, then I wouldn't bother.

A full paint protection film is about the only thing that will prevent damage like that, but that is very expensive and unlikely to be cost effective in the long term!
 
#11 ·
I have had two dogs on the rear seat in a contract hire DS3 and my Leaf on PCP and the answer is simple. I use seat covers, or hammocks, in fact, as these also protect the rear of the front seat.
I also have seat covers on the front seats.
Plenty of choice on Amazon.
When the DS3 was checked at the end of the hire, the inspector commented on how good the interior was (and also the exterior and wheels)
If you want to protect the interior, do not waste money on treatments, especially from a dealer. I was fooled into agreeing to them when i bought my first new car and what a waste on money.
No paint treatment can protect the paint from damage, only from some oxidation and in theory from tree sap and bird droppings. Another con job.
 
#8 ·
A lot of the time my car is parked outside and I had wondered about whether any of this miracle coating systems really did much in the way of protecting the paintwork. My last car ended up with marks in the paint left from what looked like small blobs of pollen from somewhere plus the usual bit of bird muck. The adverts for these coatings seem to be so full of bullshit language that I am inclined to think the hype exceeds the reality but if there is a product that has been proven to provide protection that is real and last long enough to make the cost of the stuff worthwhile then I would be interested. I really wish we could trust adverts but as I get older I think the adverts just get more deceptive or may be it is just that I am getting a bit more cynical.
 
#10 ·
It really does depend on your expectation.

If you are hoping to never wash the car again, then no. Nothing will stop that. If you are particular about microscraches and general marring that is only really visible in direct sunlight, then this will help minimise the risk of those occurring by making washing easier. You still have to work on washing the car by hand properly and regularly.

For me it's just a way to keep it looking nicer for longer. Once I have polished the paint by machine and cleaned everywhere, I am looking to apply some form of protection for more gloss and to minimise the need to do the polishing again! I either use a wax, which looks great but only lasts a few months, or a synthetic wax. There are some that are easier to apply and last a few months, or ceramics which last up to a year but are more tricky to apply.

There is nothing stopping you applying it yourself. It just takes a while and can be difficult if you don't have the space.
 
#9 ·
I've been quoted anywhere from £200 to £1,000 for all sorts of packages from local detailers - many of them recommend "ceramic coatings" on the paint - are they worth it?
Pure profit for the dealer.

IYou can wax it yourself or pay a detailer to do it.
 
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#12 ·
If you've got kids, then consider some sort of cover on the back seat. Food and drink, felt pens, glitter, you name it - I've dealt with it over the years. Also don't leave any spills until they become a stain. Accidents happen, but if dealt with quickly, it's not a deal breaker. If they spill milk - then burn the car!

You can probably treat the velour interior with a Scotchgard coating if the thought of an additional cover freaks you out. For wet dogs, then cover or nothing. Wet vacuum or a steam clean can rejuvenate interiors.

Waxes - I've tried them all. I'm a bit of perfectionist, or certainly used to be. My wife used to have a Audi A2 TDI in Cobalt Blue which is basically very dark navy, almost black and would show up the slightest mark. Wash, degrease, clay, machine polish with Menzerna 203S, panel wipe then dress with Collinite 476. You can probably maintain the look with regular washes, say once a month with two-bucket approach, but vacuum at least every week. She's now got a i3 in Solar Orange which looks fantastic in the right light. It's never had a ceramic coating.

One word of warning - ceramic coatings can't be applied unless you know what you're doing. Preparation is everything. You just need to see YouTube for disasters from people that thought it was a two minute job.
 
#16 ·
I wouldn't bother with paying for any exterior coating, but I would recommend getting some Scotchgard spray for the seats. It does help to mitigate any liquid spills on the fabric and is a cheap and easy way to help keep it looking a little cleaner. What I would say though is that car seats are designed for a tough life and there is very little that can't be cleaned off a seat by a valeter. Just look at some of the valet videos on Youtube.
 
#19 ·
When I was young and contraception was still officially illegal here a mate of mine tried this instead of a rubber johnny. He reported success but the thought of it definitely did not appeal. Luckily like most things that were officially illegal here they were easily got hold of if you knew where to go.
 
#18 ·
I'd advise caution regarding dogs in cars. I bought my Leaf from a main dealer and it was professionally valeted just before I took it over. The previous owner had kept a dog in the space behind the rear seat, I'm not a dog lover and the vehicle stank of dogs. It took many weeks of continual cleaning with upholstery cleaner to subdue the odour, and even now there's still a whiff of wet dog in the car 18 months later. It's a bit like a non-smoker taking over a car which was previously used by a smoker, I suppose.
 
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