My wife picked up her brand new Mercedes GLE 300d on Monday. The dealer refused to comply with my request to leave the plastic on and not detail it, and my wife didn't want me to fight with them about it. After having my local MINI dealership give me free extra swirls at no charge, I was cringing when I walked to the service area to see the car. Surprisingly, they did a very good job and I only found one very light defect in a C-pillar. My question is about what I should do when I give it it's first detail this weekend. I was planning on a once over with Menz FG400 and then PF2500, but now I'm thinking just PF2500 with a finishing pad on my Rupes 21. Or should I go even lighter...perhaps SF4000? For LSP I'm going back and forth between Sonax PNS or CQUK. Obviously PNS is easier. Suggestions?
New car prep question - 2016 Mercedes GLE Polar White
- Thread starter fotomatt1
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Because "the delivery wouldn't be complete if the car wasn't detailed" according to the salesman and sales manager. They look at you like you're crazy when you say you want it with the plastic still on. In their defense, it was one of the few dealers I've been to where they knew what they were doing. They had two experienced detailers on staff that had proper equipment, and even a good stock of high quality microfiber, and Rupes and Flex polishers. This M-B dealer is also a classic car dealer, so I suppose they need to have someone good in-house.
Mike Phillips
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- Dec 5, 2022
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Before you start abrading it with anything... does it have the very cool Ceramiclear finish?
Look at this article,
Ceramiclear Paint Code Location on Mercedes-Benz
And if you find the letter C in the paint code then read this,
Ceramiclear Paints - Be Careful
Congrats on the new MG
Look at this article,
Ceramiclear Paint Code Location on Mercedes-Benz
And if you find the letter C in the paint code then read this,
Ceramiclear Paints - Be Careful
Congrats on the new MG
medicscott
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- Mar 16, 2015
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- #7
What products did you use? I assume this one doesn't have ceramiclear either?
medicscott
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Mike Phillips
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Mike,
Thanks for the warning!
Good man....
Yes. Our SL 500 has the Ceramiclear finish.
- Thread starter
- #10
Good man....
Yes. Our SL 500 has the Ceramiclear finish.
Mike,
So when I got home tonight I fully ascertained that the Mercedes doesn't have ceramiclear paint. Paint code is 149...no C. What would you suggest? I have a ton of Hybrid pads for my Flex 3401, all Lake Country HD pads for my Rupes 21, and Megs MF finishing pads for both. For abrasives I have Menzerna FG400, PF2500 and SF4500, and Sonax Perfect Finish. Again, this paint has a very minimal amount of defects. I'm leaning towards PNS as my LSP and I'll probably coat it in the Spring, unless you think I'm better off to just do it now.
View attachment 51767
Just passing on advice i was given..
Do not add coating to a single stage white.. (which yours is.. same paint as my merc..) apprently (and i beleive Mike P may have spoken about this too..? ) the single stage paint can oxidise under the coating and dull the appearance.. hence traditional sealants and waxes with periodic polishing maintains the finish to the higher level..
And here's what i have learned on this paint.. its bloody hard.. and correcting light swirls in a timely manner is best achived with MF on DA and foamed wool on rotary.. correspondingly compounds tend to be of the more robust end of the scale and those which diminish rapidly tend to simply extend work time..
With all this said it can be finished to a high standard (accepting the factory orange peel.. i didn't accpet it but thats another story), and finishing products such as 4000 or carpro reflect give great results especially when jewelling (rotary).. just a slow process...
Re LSP I would go with sealants to avoid the darkening of the colour from waxes.. and i ended up with collinite 845 as a great all rouder.. it has some wax content but it hasn't darkened the paint like for example pinnacle souveran does..
As an aside keeping it looking bright between washes has led me to use ONR as a spray detailer, i also use ONR with OCW added as a geral detailing spray... seems to work well on this paint with plush MF's...
Hope any of this was helpful...
Pic is yesterdays shot.. thats collinite 845 2 coats a month ago, another quick coat after washing on the weekend (note is has been wet sanded and jewelled.. but the gloss level of factory is certainly close).
Just passing on advice i was given..
Do not add coating to a single stage white.. (which yours is.. same paint as my merc..) apprently (and i beleive Mike P may have spoken about this too..? ) the single stage paint can oxidise under the coating and dull the appearance.. hence traditional sealants and waxes with periodic polishing maintains the finish to the higher level..
And here's what i have learned on this paint.. its bloody hard.. and correcting light swirls in a timely manner is best achived with MF on DA and foamed wool on rotary.. correspondingly compounds tend to be of the more robust end of the scale and those which diminish rapidly tend to simply extend work time..
With all this said it can be finished to a high standard (accepting the factory orange peel.. i didn't accpet it but thats another story), and finishing products such as 4000 or carpro reflect give great results especially when jewelling (rotary).. just a slow process...
Re LSP I would go with sealants to avoid the darkening of the colour from waxes.. and i ended up with collinite 845 as a great all rouder.. it has some wax content but it hasn't darkened the paint like for example pinnacle souveran does..
As an aside keeping it looking bright between washes has led me to use ONR as a spray detailer, i also use ONR with OCW added as a geral detailing spray... seems to work well on this paint with plush MF's...
Hope any of this was helpful...
Pic is yesterdays shot.. thats collinite 845 2 coats a month ago, another quick coat after washing on the weekend (note is has been wet sanded and jewelled.. but the gloss level of factory is certainly close).
- Thread starter
- #13
I don't think Mercedes uses single stage paint, do they? I mean it most definitely has clear coat, making it a two stage if I'm not mistaken?
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Mike@DedicatedPerfection
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- Feb 26, 2011
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I can assure you that your new Mercedes is indeed BC/CC.
When anyone is looking for the paint code on the vehicle, the BC/CC indicates Base Coat/Clear Coat.
When anyone is looking for the paint code on the vehicle, the BC/CC indicates Base Coat/Clear Coat.
- Thread starter
- #15
I figured. Just not sure why the above poster said I shouldn't use a coating on single stage white which my car is. I'm still not sure weather or not to coat....I have CQUK...or use PNS for now.
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Mike Phillips
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Simple Simon.
You have everything you need to do a TEST SPOT.
Start with the PF2500 and a white Hybrid polishing pad. Buff one section of paint on the hood and then inspect.
Are the swirls and scratches gone to your satisfaction? If the answer is "yes" then repeat this over the entire car and the afterwards seal the paint using the PNS.
If the answer is "no" then you'll want to use the FG400. You can test it with both a polishing pad and a cutting pad to see which pad is needed but in my experience, if you need a compound to remove the defects you might as well dive in head first and use the cutting pad and get it over with. The re-polish with the polishing pad and the SF4500 to remove the haze you cannot see but it is there I guarantee it.
The seal with the PNS.
The above is normal process for correcting, polishing and sealing paint.
MOST IMPORTANT is after all the above work, use the Gentle Approach to wash your car so you don't have to do all of the above all over again. The title for the below article specifies washing a coated car but it applies to ANY car whether it's sealed with a wax, a sealant or a coating.
How to wash a coated car - The Gentle Approach for Washing a Car by Mike Phillips
If you LIKE the above article, then please click the LIKE button.
Mike Phillips
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I've spoken or typed about coating single stage paints but not like you've described above.
I've never said I think single stage paint can oxidize under a coating.
My opinion is you can coat modern single stage paints but when it comes to old school single stage paints, this would be solvent-evaporation lacquers and enamels from before 1980, that these should be polished and after polishing DON'T chemically strip the paint but simply apply a wax or paint sealant. The reason why is because old school single stage paints are very different resin technology and also very porous. They LIKE polishing oils and DON'T like being chemically stripped. Chemically stripping single stage paints, (in order to apply a coating), DULLS THEM DOWN. This defeats the big picture of polishing the paint to make it look beautiful.
Don't ever forget the big picture. That is why all of us do all this crazy stuff to car paint.
MODERN single stage paints are made using the same resins used to make CLEAR paint it's just they have pigment in them and thus you can and should treat them like a clearcoat. So coat them if that's your preference.
I think the below is the ONLY modern single stage urethane customer paint job I have coated and it came out BEAUTIFUL!
Detailer’s Paint Coating on Single Stage Paint
I hate assuming but I'm assuming in context you're talking about correcting MODERN SINGLE STAGE URETHANE WHITE PAINT?
If so, then I agree, it's probably one of the hardest paints in the hard/soft paint spectrum due to the pigment being Titanium Dioxide Powder.
Good discussion but need to keep everything accurate.
- Thread starter
- #18
I've spoken or typed about coating single stage paints but not like you've described above.
I've never said I think single stage paint can oxidize under a coating.
My opinion is you can coat modern single stage paints but when it comes to old school single stage paints, this would be solvent-evaporation lacquers and enamels from before 1980, that these should be polished and after polishing DON'T chemically strip the paint but simply apply a wax or paint sealant. The reason why is because old school single stage paints are very different resin technology and also very porous. They LIKE polishing oils and DON'T like being chemically stripped. Chemically stripping single stage paints, (in order to apply a coating), DULLS THEM DOWN. This defeats the big picture of polishing the paint to make it look beautiful.
Don't ever forget the big picture. That is why all of us do all this crazy stuff to car paint.
MODERN single stage paints are made using the same resins used to make CLEAR paint it's just they have pigment in them and thus you can and should treat them like a clearcoat. So coat them if that's your preference.
I think the below is the ONLY modern single stage urethane customer paint job I have coated and it came out BEAUTIFUL!
Detailer’s Paint Coating on Single Stage Paint
I hate assuming but I'm assuming in context you're talking about correcting MODERN SINGLE STAGE URETHANE WHITE PAINT?
If so, then I agree, it's probably one of the hardest paints in the hard/soft paint spectrum due to the pigment being Titanium Dioxide Powder.
Good discussion but need to keep everything accurate.
Mike,
Just curious if you'd consider the M-B white single stage or two stage? As a previous poster said its most likely BC/CC.
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Mike Phillips
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- Dec 5, 2022
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I agree it's 99.999999% likely basecoat/clearcoat. In order to get a Mercedes-Benz with single stage white paint you would have to go back to before the 1990's.
And just to use this post as a teaching moment... my original how-to book, The Art of Detailing and the second, updated version, The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine, both cover HOW TO TEST FOR SINGLE STAGE PAINT.
The book is jam-packed full of tons of information and available in
Paperback version
Ebook version
iBook version
So this forum is great for information but the how-to book is like a condensed version of my brain.
Page 9 of The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine
Well I can categorically confirm my polar white c class AMG wagon s205 2015 model
Is indeed single stage white.... Built in Germany not the US or South Africa...
I have wet sanded this car and brought back to a jewelled finish .. I am fairly familiar with it..
Is indeed single stage white.... Built in Germany not the US or South Africa...
I have wet sanded this car and brought back to a jewelled finish .. I am fairly familiar with it..