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Australian Tesla Ceramic Coating, PPF, Tinting and other Accessories
- Thread starter Gior
- Start date
OzTzlaBloke
Member
Keep in mind too that PPF isnt tool steel hardened to HRC60 
That PPF warranty wont ever cover operational expected wear. Stone chips. Scratches. Dings. etcetc
Same with graphene or ceramic coats. 99% of legitimate warranties require annual maintenance from the licensed installer. So that means, basically doing it again every year. And, youd be paying for all the cleaning - deiron - clay bar - paint correction etcetc before the finish was in a state ready for coating
All coatings are, is really just a Wax 2.0 that lasts longer:
Wax 1-2 Months
Sealeants 2 - 4 Months
Coatings 6 - 12 months
It tends to work out as per above in the real world. If the vehicle isnt garaged and is outside in the environment, the temperatures etcetc these are variables
Note this is assuming proper multi bucket + microfibre or touchless foaming washes done right, maybe some ceramic quick detailer too etcetc
If the owner does dumb shwyt then *ANY* coating can be ruined in a day. Thats a fact. No 5 year warranty. No 12 months before the annual touchup. Theres many many things an owner can do to ruin any coating in a day. None of them are covered in warranty.
Also, theres allot of trash in the market. e.g. I wasnt mistaken about a "pro" product having reference to the Mohs scale. Its utterly false and wrong. It is no where near the hardness, by orders of magnitude, in a scale that was designed for minerals and geology.
That PPF warranty wont ever cover operational expected wear. Stone chips. Scratches. Dings. etcetc
Same with graphene or ceramic coats. 99% of legitimate warranties require annual maintenance from the licensed installer. So that means, basically doing it again every year. And, youd be paying for all the cleaning - deiron - clay bar - paint correction etcetc before the finish was in a state ready for coating
All coatings are, is really just a Wax 2.0 that lasts longer:
Wax 1-2 Months
Sealeants 2 - 4 Months
Coatings 6 - 12 months
It tends to work out as per above in the real world. If the vehicle isnt garaged and is outside in the environment, the temperatures etcetc these are variables
Note this is assuming proper multi bucket + microfibre or touchless foaming washes done right, maybe some ceramic quick detailer too etcetc
If the owner does dumb shwyt then *ANY* coating can be ruined in a day. Thats a fact. No 5 year warranty. No 12 months before the annual touchup. Theres many many things an owner can do to ruin any coating in a day. None of them are covered in warranty.
Also, theres allot of trash in the market. e.g. I wasnt mistaken about a "pro" product having reference to the Mohs scale. Its utterly false and wrong. It is no where near the hardness, by orders of magnitude, in a scale that was designed for minerals and geology.
My 5 year old coating still beads well, so it has outperformed your 6-12 months expectation. I asked my detailer recently if it should be recoated. He said there was no need to do anything. I have another car with an 8 year old coating that gets a much harsher treatment. It’s starting to show strong signs that it needs a re-coat.Keep in mind too that PPF isnt tool steel hardened to HRC60
That PPF warranty wont ever cover operational expected wear. Stone chips. Scratches. Dings. etcetc
Same with graphene or ceramic coats. 99% of legitimate warranties require annual maintenance from the licensed installer. So that means, basically doing it again every year. And, youd be paying for all the cleaning - deiron - clay bar - paint correction etcetc before the finish was in a state ready for coating
All coatings are, is really just a Wax 2.0 that lasts longer:
Wax 1-2 Months
Sealeants 2 - 4 Months
Coatings 6 - 12 months
It tends to work out as per above in the real world. If the vehicle isnt garaged and is outside in the environment, the temperatures etcetc these are variables
Note this is assuming proper multi bucket + microfibre or touchless foaming washes done right, maybe some ceramic quick detailer too etcetc
If the owner does dumb shwyt then *ANY* coating can be ruined in a day. Thats a fact. No 5 year warranty. No 12 months before the annual touchup. Theres many many things an owner can do to ruin any coating in a day. None of them are covered in warranty.
Also, theres allot of trash in the market. e.g. I wasnt mistaken about a "pro" product having reference to the Mohs scale. Its utterly false and wrong. It is no where near the hardness, by orders of magnitude, in a scale that was designed for minerals and geology.
Checked this out and also applies to NSW - head to ServiceNSW - and ofc there’s a blood-sucking fee
OzTzlaBloke
Member
Which is why the amount of beading is not a measure used to determine the coating condition by many suppliers on their warranty
And, any micro scratches such as swirl marks, areas with stone chips, bits where solvent like windscreen washer fluid has gone onto A pillars and a hundred other things will be entirely uncoated in those super small areas. Does it matter? Over half the pro grade warranties for Ceramic Coatings say it does and therefore the hundred odd reasons why more than half the suppliers mandate 12 month annual minimum
Appreciate if you apply different test like does it bead or have different definitions like its ok to oxidise the paint within swirl marks etcetc then it "lasts" allot longer as youve changed the definitions used to make the assessment
I dont necessarily think that logially the number of suppliers who think a certain way are right - i.e. Argument by popularity is a fallacy - but it does appeal to me as I dont pay for these sorts of services between my associates and my own efforts so I tend to do it more and have higher expectations.
Putting away discussion on sealants with coating/polymers/waxes all together and just talking to never doing any paint correction in 5 years on a regularly used road car - no way as an owner Id ever go anywhere near that long without having the Rupes out and showing some love.
We are very different owners. My black cars do not have swirl marks. They are washed outside and dried inside under 8 very large led flood lights, so I’d notice them. The last thing I want to do is start hand polishing my car. Zero interest in that. If the coating makes my car easier to clean and keeps my cleaning scratches away than it has met my need. Its kind of like the car. The car can do way more than I use it for, but I didnt buy for those things so dont care.Which is why the amount of beading is not a measure used to determine the coating condition by many suppliers on their warranty
And, any micro scratches such as swirl marks, areas with stone chips, bits where solvent like windscreen washer fluid has gone onto A pillars and a hundred other things will be entirely uncoated in those super small areas. Does it matter? Over half the pro grade warranties for Ceramic Coatings say it does and therefore the hundred odd reasons why more than half the suppliers mandate 12 month annual minimum
Appreciate if you apply different test like does it bead or have different definitions like its ok to oxidise the paint within swirl marks etcetc then it "lasts" allot longer as youve changed the definitions used to make the assessment
I dont necessarily think that logially the number of suppliers who think a certain way are right - i.e. Argument by popularity is a fallacy - but it does appeal to me as I dont pay for these sorts of services between my associates and my own efforts so I tend to do it more and have higher expectations.
Putting away discussion on sealants with coating/polymers/waxes all together and just talking to never doing any paint correction in 5 years on a regularly used road car - no way as an owner Id ever go anywhere near that long without having the Rupes out and showing some love.
OzTzlaBloke
Member
Yes I see. Many would consider the notion of drying under huge flood lights a water spot disaster waiting to happen
Which is why I think around half the suppliers do annual or your warranty is dead, and the other half are like dont touch it for years. When I asked my associate this (whos more into it than me hes a surface finish nazi who runs a big multi booth spray operation) hes all "99% of those with legit warranty" meaning he dismisses the approx half other camp in the pro suppliers who think the other way
Im glad mate you have a good routine that works for you
Which is why I think around half the suppliers do annual or your warranty is dead, and the other half are like dont touch it for years. When I asked my associate this (whos more into it than me hes a surface finish nazi who runs a big multi booth spray operation) hes all "99% of those with legit warranty" meaning he dismisses the approx half other camp in the pro suppliers who think the other way
Im glad mate you have a good routine that works for you
High quality led lights do not emit heat and offer no drying. I have no water spots, but my house water is massively softened and filtered to 1 micron. I also control water spots by quickly drying the horizontal surfaces first, and never washing in direct sun.
OzTzlaBloke
Member
Im jealous mate. Id love to have similar at my cottage, Im not across the costs and practice much with filtering the water to keep minerals out. What are we talking about in terms of money and equipment to spend the least while still having it work? Id wager this is a topic others might be interested in too. Water spots are the nemesis haha
I do whole of house so thats expensive. Cheapest option is a portable resin tank used by hirise window cleaners. Very low flow but sufficient to fill a bucket in reasonable time. Available at commercial cleaning suppliers around $500ish. Needs regular resin replacement and will output zero minerals water. It so clean you can wash your windows with it and walk away without drying. dries crystal clean with zero wiping.Im jealous mate. Id love to have similar at my cottage, Im not across the costs and practice much with filtering the water to keep minerals out. What are we talking about in terms of money and equipment to spend the least while still having it work? Id wager this is a topic others might be interested in too. Water spots are the nemesis haha
Whole of house is tricky unless you design for it. I dont like pressure loss or flow reduction. Good softener around $2k plus regular salt. Puratec Bag filter to 1 micron (these are amazing) around $150 and washable. If nothing else every house should have one of these. Its scary how much grit they capture and what you could be rubbing into your car. Carbon filter to 1 micron….lots of brands. Mine is super expensive due to daughters allergies (I have no choice). $2k to buy and around $1k per year for filters. For anyone without coconut allergy a simple $200 carbon filter is ample. This deals with chlorine and other chemicals and minerals. I then do a 0.1micron filter for drinking water.
Midnight Man
Member
Without wanting to derail the current conversation, I'm in the final stages of getting a delivery date.
My Model Y (Pearl White) is going to spend most of it's life on the M1 between Newcastle and Sydney - at least once, and sometimes twice a week.
Having had a read through here and other places, I'm of the belief that ceramic coating, nor PPF, will prevent stone chips? If my understanding is right, is there then any point in putting either of these on (and if so, which one)?
I have a 2020 Forester that has lived this life (on the Newcastle to Sydney run weekly), and whilst I understand Tesla paint =/= Subaru paint, the Subaru is in pretty decent shape (though it was ceramic coated at delivery 3 years ago).
Many thanks for any input here - I don't mind getting a ceramic coat or PPF done, but would rather save the coin if it won't make much difference in the stone-chip department. Also, is there anywhere in Newcastle that folks would recommend for either treatment if it proves to be worthwhile?
My Model Y (Pearl White) is going to spend most of it's life on the M1 between Newcastle and Sydney - at least once, and sometimes twice a week.
Having had a read through here and other places, I'm of the belief that ceramic coating, nor PPF, will prevent stone chips? If my understanding is right, is there then any point in putting either of these on (and if so, which one)?
I have a 2020 Forester that has lived this life (on the Newcastle to Sydney run weekly), and whilst I understand Tesla paint =/= Subaru paint, the Subaru is in pretty decent shape (though it was ceramic coated at delivery 3 years ago).
Many thanks for any input here - I don't mind getting a ceramic coat or PPF done, but would rather save the coin if it won't make much difference in the stone-chip department. Also, is there anywhere in Newcastle that folks would recommend for either treatment if it proves to be worthwhile?
Ceramic is fantastic for bug removal. Pointless for chip prevention. PPF will reduce chips bit unlikelynto prevent the really big ones. I think some people do both to get reasonable chip protection and ease of cleaning bugs
OzTzlaBloke
Member
Yes, generally correct. PPF is certainly helpful for that sorta application but IMHO its kinda pricey @ retail to fit. At what point do you just go stuff it - Ill do a doors on respray? If someone took the time to say sand their own paint back and try to help with the prep, a few colour coats and a few clear coats in a booth isnt all that out of zone to full PPF. Keep in mind bodgy shops sometimes offer same day doors on resprays lol
A 2-3 stage water filtration + reverse osmosis unit will give you mineral free water. One way is to wash with normal water, then rinse with reverse osmosis water. RO water basically is same as "distilled water"
I thought the Ion exchange resins exchange the minerals in the water with salt?
so the output water has a little bit of salt in it instead of the minerals like calcium
And resin can be recharged/regen with Brine - this takes the minerals in the resin to be exchanged with salt
Not sure how messy or difficult that is to do in a domestic context..
Can you describe your setup in more detail please, thanks
The window cleaner resin does not use salt. It isnt washable. It comes with a small device to check the purity, and I tested it with my salt pool tester and everything just comes up with zeros. There is no evidence of any minerals on the house glass when it dries either, which is why commercial window cleaners like it. The resin has a relatively short life but easy to replace.
I have a puretec bag filter (solids) then a purifiers australia whole house carbon filter (chlorine etc) then a puretec water softener (Calcium). The bag filter just needs a wash. The purifiers filter is an expensive replacement, and the softener uses salt.
If you do not have a person with alergy to coconut (all carbon filters use coconut but purifiers aust doesnt) than use a generic carbon filter and save a massive amount.
I then have a purifiers australia 0.1 micron filter for the drinking water.
The window cleaning tank Is completely portable and seperate to all of this. It plugs into a garden hose.
elddum
Member
Not sure if it still works with current screens… but years ago on my brand new 2003 Mini Cooper S I used Rain-X from the start and it was magic at keeping stains off and having the water just bead away. I didn’t have to use the wipers in light rain as the beading water just blew off!
It required a reapplication every 6 months or so, depending on conditions. It kept working perfectly until I sold it 8 years later.
I think to work, you need to do this from new before you get any build up and the tiny surface indents you get over time from dust,sand, bugs hitting it at speed.
Not sure if with more modern glass tech this might not be so good anymore? Any thoughts out there?
I like Rain-X too. Used it back in my uni days (over 20 years ago). I read there are more modern products that get more than a few months out of them but am yet to commit to applying any. Gtechniq G1 Clearvision is probably top of my hit list atm.
When I got my graphene coating, they were meant to have applied a glass product on the windscreen. I didn’t ask which one though. It doesn’t seem to bead like Rain-X but then again I haven’t really driven at speed through rain.
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