How Do You Maintain Coated Vehicle

[BLM]

Just curious as what your routine is for maintaining your ceramic coated vehicle.
Do you only wash it with a neutral PH wash or do you use a certain wash? Do you apply an SI02 detailer after washing it? Do you apply sealer or wax?

 

[evo77]

This type of question will probably yield a slew of different responses because everyone tends to have their preferred ways.

What brand are you using?

Generally, you should follow the maintenance directions from the coating manufacturer to ensure you maximize the life of the coating. And I'm a firm believer in brand synergy which is that you use products within the same line (soaps, detailers) because they have been developed to work together with the coating. You certainly don't have to and your not gonna kill the coating by using other products but I feel that you improve the chances for better performance this way.

 

[BLM]

What brand are you using?

Not using any brand at present. Just trying to educate myself on what would be the correct maintenance process.

 

[Texchappy]

I regularly (at least as much with health allows) use rinseless and waterless to keep clean. I occasionally use a topper (aiming at using in brand) but don’t think a coating should need it.

 

[s_ribs]

I'm of the opinion that the coating should be doing the work. If I need to add any sort of topper routinely then the coating wasn't all that good. The only time I can see using something on top if it's at the end of life and I want to extend it out a few more months. Beyond that, just regular or rinseless wash (depending on the time of year).

Lately ADS Shampoo+ is my go-to soap for a standard wash and N914 for rinseless. I'll do a stronger wash with CarPro Reset once and a while and use Descale as needed to 'unclog' the coating.

 

[BudgetPlan1]

For the most part, foam with pH Neutral Shampoo, wash it & call it a day. If'n I'm extra motivated I'll hit it with a maintenance product for fun 'cuz that's the easy part & I get to feel like I'm doing something 'good'; I can convince myself it adds an extra bit of 'pop' whether it actually does or not. As long as I believe it adds something I enjoy (who cares if it NEEDS it or not), whether it actually does or not in a 'scientific' sense is irrelevant...this is all supposed to be fun, no?

Hit it with a decon product when it comes out of Winter (or a nice day in the middle of Winter) to help with lift the extra grime and give it a bit of a deeper cleaning with little extra expended effort. Been mucking about with the whole 'Low pH, High pH' combo but to be honest, not sure it does anything significantly more for the 'deep clean' than when I just hosed the coated surfaces down with a Tar remover or UltraRed.

 

[Desertnate]

I treat my coated vehicles just like I did when I used sealants.

I'll do a bucket wash with a quality soap, Meguiars Hyperwash is my current affordable favorite.. If I'm feeling really motivated I'll give it a wipe down CarPro ECH2O or Armour Detail Amplify.

During the winter when it's too cold to do a bucket wash, I'll take the vehciles through a touchless wash to keep the salt and grime at bay.

Since I've been trying out 3D Pink and it doesn't clean as well as Hyperwash, I'll probably do a decon wash in the spring. Normally I don't do that, but just by looking at how things are going I can see the beading is dropping off a bit and probably needs a bit of help.

 

[Flash Gordon]

I washed this car today with Dawn
It doesn't get driven much, but the coating is at least 4 years old
It only gets washed about 5 times per year, so that helps
Toppers imo, mean your coating sucks or you applied it wrong

 

[Flash Gordon]

 

[opie2]

Normal routine - foam with labo primus 2.0, pw off, rinseless with n914.

Whenever the paint shows signs of mineral deposits and or possible ferrous deposits(time duration varys) i will incorporate in some manor labo purifica and or labo sidero into the mix for a decon.

I will at times add ADS ceramic spray sealant or ADS amplify to the surface. Not because the coating needs it but because i want to. Similar to how budgetplan explained it.


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[Setec Astronomy]

I washed this car today with Dawn
It doesn't get driven much, but the coating is at least 4 years old

Wow, what coating do you use, Flash? And I guess that customer doesn't ask for the Armor All on the tires. Interesting color, BTW.

 

[Flash Gordon]

Wow, what coating do you use, Flash? And I guess that customer doesn't ask for the Armor All on the tires. Interesting color, BTW.

It's my own private label. So private I won't even sell it or promote it
Yes, this is one of those money is no object customers so he gets the tire coating

 

[CleanIT]

Question, is there any evidence that putting a topper on top of a coating helps preserve the underlying coating? Sounds legit in theory, but I'm not sure it works that way.

 

[Flash Gordon]

Question, is there any evidence that putting a topper on top of a coating helps preserve the underlying coating? Sounds legit in theory, but I'm not sure it works that way.

I think it's just for people who our obsessive about everything in life. It's not just their cars, they are that way with everything

I have a handful of customers that will have me remove last year's coating and reply another with no justification at all
They will say:
"I feel like something else needs to be done besides washing"

They get 0 argument from me

 

[Flash Gordon]

Nothing looks better than a freshly polished and coated ride imo
It's why I'm not a proponent of "lifetime coatings"
After 2-3 years it needs to be freshened up/redone

 

[opie2]

Nothing looks better than a freshly polished and coated ride imo
It's why I'm not a proponent of "lifetime coatings"
After 2-3 years it needs to be freshened up/redone

Agreed on all three statements.

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[Coatingsarecrack]

Wash and top every 1-2 months. Use a QD or Ammo Hydrate if not blow drying and just towel drying.


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