Car is always dirty ....?

[JPP]

You can of course do-it-yourself, just like TMThree. Just like anyone can be a painter. It is not necessarily applying the coating (or paint), but the prep. If you care enough about your new investment to keep it clean, and you have invested a lot of $$ in your Tesla, and plan to keep it a while (not on lease), then do the math and also figure out what your time and $$ are worth. If you are applying a SiC quartz sealer, then you want to correct the paint to get out rubs, scratches & holograms (...yes, for sure you have them). Otherwise the defects are sealed in and will be forever visible. It all depends on how OCD you are. I don't like to waste money, but my time is valuable.....

For me, I used to do my own car care with great products from Griot's Garage (but did not do my own polishing). Or maybe you choose to go to a detailer. So you will need to clay bar & wax your car every 30-90 days. Even with wax the dirt does not glide off as well as a hydrophobic coating. And bird droppings will burn through your wax. And maybe every 6-12 months you see your detailer who uses an abrasive product and then waxes again. What does all of this cost per year? And how many times can you do this before your detailer cuts off all of the clear coat?

Yes, if you go see Joe and spend $2000 to have your paint corrected and cQuartz applied, then no need for future waxing, clay bar, detailing, polishing. The coating is much, much harder than clear coat or paint. It resists etching by bird poop, pollution, chemicals. Even wax does not stick to it. FWIW I go to a commercial car wash (guys using mitts doing a hand wash with air dry and towel dry) 1-2 times a week. Our cars look perfect (...no, really). So in the end my investment for me pays off in 3-4 years. And I have a nice clean car to drive with minimal maintenance.

Maybe look at some videos and learn up on the subject. Maybe give Joe a call to discuss. YMMV.

 

[TMThree]

Otherwise the defects are sealed in and will be forever visible.

Ceramic coating isn't forever. If you apply too much and don't wipe it off, it creates a high spot. You fix it with a polisher, same as paint correction.

 

[Glamisduner]

If the ceramic coating is less than $2-3K, then it would save a lot of time avoiding re-doing things. If it's more than that, the car isn't worth the expense. It depends on the cost of coating a Model 3 and the time involved to have it done.

That is - if it will prevent a good deal of the dirt problem. Never seen dirt accumulate so quickly, and it isn't dirty around here.

I paid about $100 to do it myself. It's not exactly difficult just time consuming. Applying the ceramic is the easy part.

My model 3 still has a dirty rear end.

Process:
Wash Car. (1 hour)
Iron-X, (1/2 hour)
Clay, (1 hour)
Quick Polish with Meguires (pick polishes by correction level needed) I did it when new so I used miror glaze. (2 hours)
Car-Pro eraser.( 1/2 hour)
Wipe on / off Ceramic. (2 hours per coat if you go slow).

The nice thing is that if you need to polish an area later (gets a scuff etc) you can do it and correct the area and re-apply yourself

In 3 years you can re-polish the car and not void the shops 10 year warranty, you will need to re-apply but it renews the paint on the whole car.

 

[jonquiljo]

The cheap mud flaps on Amazon or the like have helped my car stay cleaner. Definitely worth the $25 or so.

I like this idea in that I think that most of the dirt is being thrown onto the car from the wheels. But, the Amazon flaps all seem to have reviews that say that they are cheap and can hurt the car. Is there any model that is better than that? I don’t trust Amazon much these days for anything but a product that I know.

But this IS a great idea.

when it comes to ceramic coating, I like it too. I am not a DIY-er either. The problem is with how the detailers market this stuff. My paint is good enough - better than I can see at my age. And that’s all that matters. I won’t keep my Model 3 beyond a few years - at that - so longevity is not what I need.

What I need is a detailer who will use this stuff and not ding me with all the up-charges. A simple 2-coat application will be fine. But where to find someone like this? Yes, I can afford the marked up version, but don’t want the bother of leaving my car for a week or getting a finished product that will last 10 years.

If this were a $150K car - maybe. But it’s not. I just want a car that will stay looking good for a while - not forever. So the problem is to find a detailer to realize that this is a $55K car, not a Maserati. It’s to be enjoyed. Unfortunately all detailer ads I see have themselves in mind, not me.

Thanks - an interesting problem. I’ve got to find someone who can do this and not go all gangbusters on a car that doesn’t need that type of treatment.

 

[TMThree]

when it comes to ceramic coating, I like it too. I am not a DIY-er either.

You just wash the car, dry it, then apply the ceramic coat with a small applicator pad. It wipes on as a clear liquid, you let it sit for a few seconds then wipe it off. If you can take a shower, you can apply ceramic coat.

This video shows how easy it is (skip to 4:30 minutes in):

 

[JasontheBeaver]

I like this idea in that I think that most of the dirt is being thrown onto the car from the wheels. But, the Amazon flaps all seem to have reviews that say that they are cheap and can hurt the car. Is there any model that is better than that? I don’t trust Amazon much these days for anything but a product that I know.

But this IS a great idea.

when it comes to ceramic coating, I like it too. I am not a DIY-er either. The problem is with how the detailers market this stuff. My paint is good enough - better than I can see at my age. And that’s all that matters. I won’t keep my Model 3 beyond a few years - at that - so longevity is not what I need.

What I need is a detailer who will use this stuff and not ding me with all the up-charges. A simple 2-coat application will be fine. But where to find someone like this? Yes, I can afford the marked up version, but don’t want the bother of leaving my car for a week or getting a finished product that will last 10 years.

If this were a $150K car - maybe. But it’s not. I just want a car that will stay looking good for a while - not forever. So the problem is to find a detailer to realize that this is a $55K car, not a Maserati. It’s to be enjoyed. Unfortunately all detailer ads I see have themselves in mind, not me.

Thanks - an interesting problem. I’ve got to find someone who can do this and not go all gangbusters on a car that doesn’t need that type of treatment.

Mud flaps will absolutely help (not completely solve) your problem, so keep researching those until you find a brand you like.

But I strongly recommend ceramic coating by a reputable detailer. Joe Torbati at OCDetailing in Fremont is a great choice. He's very experienced, especially with Teslas (works on more Teslas than anyone else in the country, even me!) and most importantly, won't upsell you on things you don't need. Just tell him your concerns and get it Opti-coated.
Once you have an Opti-coated car, you'll never go back to waxing. It will still get dirty of course, just not as quickly, plus the washes become SO much easier.

 

[jonquiljo]

Mud flaps will absolutely help (not completely solve) your problem, so keep researching those until you find a brand you like.

But I strongly recommend ceramic coating by a reputable detailer. Joe Torbati at OCDetailing in Fremont is a great choice. He's very experienced, especially with Teslas (works on more Teslas than anyone else in the country, even me!) and most importantly, won't upsell you on things you don't need. Just tell him your concerns and get it Opti-coated.
Once you have an Opti-coated car, you'll never go back to waxing. It will still get dirty of course, just not as quickly, plus the washes become SO much easier.

Thanks. As long as I don’t have to leave my car there for weeks. I really wish there was someone reputable up here in Marin who could do this, and would do it well. Fremont is about 65 miles from here - through a lot of traffic. But I am all thumbs when doing these things myself. Perhaps if I had done it before. But first time on a new car? I’m an accident waiting to happen with that stuff.

 

[JasontheBeaver]

Thanks. As long as I don’t have to leave my car there for weeks. I really wish there was someone reputable up here in Marin who could do this, and would do it well. Fremont is about 65 miles from here - through a lot of traffic. But I am all thumbs when doing these things myself. Perhaps if I had done it before. But first time on a new car? I’m an accident waiting to happen with that stuff.

Ah Marin, you want Pristine Auto Detail in Santa Rosa, I believe that's closer to you?

You're smart to no try to apply ceramic coating yourself. I earn VERY good money fixing people's mistakes on their cars because they watched a few YouTube videos and decided to jump in the deep end right off the bat. Of course it can be done (but only with cheaper over-the-counter products) at home by the experienced DIYer, but you sound like you want it done right the first time, and with the best products. Smart!

 

[JPP]

Mud flaps will absolutely help (not completely solve) your problem, so keep researching those until you find a brand you like.

But I strongly recommend ceramic coating by a reputable detailer. Joe Torbati at OCDetailing in Fremont is a great choice. He's very experienced, especially with Teslas (works on more Teslas than anyone else in the country, even me!) and most importantly, won't upsell you on things you don't need. Just tell him your concerns and get it Opti-coated.
Once you have an Opti-coated car, you'll never go back to waxing. It will still get dirty of course, just not as quickly, plus the washes become SO much easier.

Joe does get booked up far ahead--but once he begins it usually is a 2 day job.

 

[jonquiljo]

Ah Marin, you want Pristine Auto Detail in Santa Rosa, I believe that's closer to you?

You're smart to no try to apply ceramic coating yourself. I earn VERY good money fixing people's mistakes on their cars because they watched a few YouTube videos and decided to jump in the deep end right off the bat. Of course it can be done (but only with cheaper over-the-counter products) at home by the experienced DIYer, but you sound like you want it done right the first time, and with the best products. Smart!

Yes, Marin - I guess there’s not many people living here- so there aren’t many places to get things done. Santa Rosa works - as long as you go there at the right times.

The mud flaps seem to all be of the same manufacture. Amazon is notorious for that. So there really is no choice. Perhaps I can scour the Internet.

I’ve learned through the years that if you don’t know what you are doing, try it first on something unimportant, not a new car. Even my electrical (which I’ve still neglected to do) will be done by an electrician. It’s about a 3 ft (through the wall) connection, but I’m not about to drill through walls if I looked it up on the Internet (or You Tube). I can be very stupid at times. At least I know that.

Joe does get booked up far ahead--but once he begins it usually is a 2 day job.

Thanks. Well, that makes it more palatable. 2 days is not bad at all. I’ll keep that in mind.

 

[mswlogo]

How much would a good detailer cost to do a Model X size car?

Andy recommendations for a detailer in New England?

So many demo's show water repelling after first applying. Well I could put wax and have it repel just as well.

But are there demo's of a dirty car after 10,000 miles wear and how easy dirt hoses off?
I'd be concerned the effect would wear off over 3-6 months and you'd be back where you started.

I am a believer now in polishing windshield and putting a hydrophobic coating (I use Griot's sealer) so that has opened my eyes to seeing what could help the paint.

 

[mswlogo]

Yes, Marin - I guess there’s not many people living here- so there aren’t many places to get things done. Santa Rosa works - as long as you go there at the right times.

The mud flaps seem to all be of the same manufacture. Amazon is notorious for that. So there really is no choice. Perhaps I can scour the Internet.

I’ve learned through the years that if you don’t know what you are doing, try it first on something unimportant, not a new car. Even my electrical (which I’ve still neglected to do) will be done by an electrician. It’s about a 3 ft (through the wall) connection, but I’m not about to drill through walls if I looked it up on the Internet (or You Tube). I can be very stupid at times. At least I know that.

Thanks. Well, that makes it more palatable. 2 days is not bad at all. I’ll keep that in mind.

The flaps all do appear to be from the same source.

But the new very modest Tesla flaps might be worth getting your hands on.

There is also a new flap (possibly from the same source) that goes deeper and might be more hold better.

The original Chinese rigid flap is quite decent. But it could use a few tweaks to hold better so it does not move.
Some folks put PPF some used alternative ways to attach.
I like the simple design and it didn't go to far other than a single whole in from pair on the plastic wheel well.
The supplied screws will rust though.

If I were to do it again I'd try to get a hold of the Tesla ones. By being short they possibly avoid a few issues.

 

[JasontheBeaver]

Are these the mud flaps you're looking at? I don't have personal experience with them but just curious.

 

[JasontheBeaver]

How much would a good detailer cost to do a Model X size car?

Andy recommendations for a detailer in New England?

So many demo's show water repelling after first applying. Well I could put wax and have it repel just as well.

But are there demo's of a dirty car after 10,000 miles wear and how easy dirt hoses off?
I'd be concerned the effect would wear off over 3-6 months and you'd be back where you started.

I am a believer now in polishing windshield and putting a hydrophobic coating (I use Griot's sealer) so that has opened my eyes to seeing what could help the paint.

Great questions!
If I get some time I'll shoot a quick video of my truck tomorrow. It was Opti-coated about 7 years ago. It's filthy from a recent trip over some mountain passes so it should be a good demo if I can get some time.
Quality ceramic coatings do not wear off after a few months. The good ones last at least 7 years.

If you like your Griot's windshield coating, next time try Glassparency and you'll never go back. This stuff lasts 3 years and only requires a simple 5-minute quarterly (free) maintenance. Also makes scraping frost/ice off your glass MUCH easier!

 

[jonquiljo]

The flaps all do appear to be from the same source.

But the new very modest Tesla flaps might be worth getting your hands on.

There is also a new flap (possibly from the same source) that goes deeper and might be more hold better.

The original Chinese rigid flap is quite decent. But it could use a few tweaks to hold better so it does not move.
Some folks put PPF some used alternative ways to attach.
I like the simple design and it didn't go to far other than a single whole in from pair on the plastic wheel well.
The supplied screws will rust though.

If I were to do it again I'd try to get a hold of the Tesla ones. By being short they possibly avoid a few issues.

I looked at my Model 3 and realized that a lot of the dirt and mud on the side of the car is coming from the front wheels. The design of the door panels on the Model 3 seems to "catch" the dirt perfectly. Actually I can see how possibly muddy water at higher speeds will be thrown up onto the sides of the car from the front wheels. I'm not sure about the rear wheels.

So the idea of a mud flap is very good. The only things I have read (at Amazon) is that the Chinese ones possibly could screw up the paint where they are attached. On the other hand, living in the Bay Area, we don't have salt and even sand. So this may be worth the try.

I did read that Tesla is giving free mud flaps to some Canadians because their salt and sand have deeply worn their paint in the lower side panels in one year. Looking at the pictures, I can see why Tesla is worried enough to give free mud flap kits. This would reinforce my thought that the mud/water spray I see is likely due to the design of the car, and especially the lack of mud flaps. I saw large mud/dirt spots on the sides of my car at 50 miles. Since I don't drive on dirt roads, I can only assume that this is puddle water spraying on the side of the car.

The Tesla flaps do seem to be a better option in that Tesla wouldn't sell of install them if they caused other problems. No snow here , etc. that would cause problems - and I don't really travel by car.

Which are the Tesla flaps and where can you think of getting them? It is strange that Tesla doesn't have them at their store. Then again, they are not into retail. Thanks!

 

[mswlogo]

I looked at my Model 3 and realized that a lot of the dirt and mud on the side of the car is coming from the front wheels. The design of the door panels on the Model 3 seems to "catch" the dirt perfectly. Actually I can see how possibly muddy water at higher speeds will be thrown up onto the sides of the car from the front wheels. I'm not sure about the rear wheels.

So the idea of a mud flap is very good. The only things I have read (at Amazon) is that the Chinese ones possibly could screw up the paint where they are attached. On the other hand, living in the Bay Area, we don't have salt and even sand. So this may be worth the try.

I did read that Tesla is giving free mud flaps to some Canadians because their salt and sand have deeply worn their paint in the lower side panels in one year. Looking at the pictures, I can see why Tesla is worried enough to give free mud flap kits. This would reinforce my thought that the mud/water spray I see is likely due to the design of the car, and especially the lack of mud flaps. I saw large mud/dirt spots on the sides of my car at 50 miles. Since I don't drive on dirt roads, I can only assume that this is puddle water spraying on the side of the car.

The Tesla flaps do seem to be a better option in that Tesla wouldn't sell of install them if they caused other problems. No snow here , etc. that would cause problems - and I don't really travel by car.

Which are the Tesla flaps and where can you think of getting them? It is strange that Tesla doesn't have them at their store. Then again, they are not into retail. Thanks!

The new Tesla Mudflaps look promising but don't assume they know how to design things that don't harm the car.

 

[jonquiljo]

Are these the mud flaps you're looking at? I don't have personal experience with them but just curious.

These are the ones at Amazon, yes. All of that Amazon sells appears to be the same.

Now looking at the car from the ground up ... I see most of the dirt at the bottom of the car extending to the ridge crossing both doors. I would expect this given the design of the car and the lack of mud flaps. I also see dirt and dirty water spots from the bottom ridge to the top ridge just beneath the door handles. This I guess is just the way water would spray from the front wheels to the sides of the car at higher speeds. Kind of like a vortex of muddy water that accumulates.

I will assume that this is due to the aerodynamics of the car and the fact that the wheels do not seem to be deep inside the wheel wells. A mud flap should have been installed on the front when it was built - frankly. Looking at the mud flaps themselves (above), they extend out from the wheel well as well as below the frame. Whoever designed these know exactly what they were trying to prevent. How well they do that is anyone's guess.

Tesla seems to be worried about (Canadian) heavy salt and sand eroding the paint at the lower part of the car right behind the wheels (or right behind the lower part of the flap as it is installed). But Tesla doesn't care about dirty cars, they want to prevent premature damage from salt/sand

The new Tesla Mudflaps look promising but don't assume they know how to design things that don't harm the car.

Your video shows and extreme mud situation - not good in itself. What I am talking about is likely just cosmetic, but the same cause. You can imagine muddy water spraying all around that car, especially on the sides as I have outlined.

And yes, Tesla is not to be trusted either. Any ideas to protect the paint where the flap rests against the car? All the flap designs have that same feature (possible problem).

I bet any car in just wet dirty rain will end up a lot cleaner with mud flaps. I can't vouch for salt/sand, but that is a really different problem. Someone might need PPF on the lower side panel area to assist with that one.

 

[mswlogo]

These are the ones at Amazon, yes. All of that Amazon sells appears to be the same.View attachment 493157

And yes, Tesla is not to be trusted either. Any ideas to protect the paint where the flap rests against the car? All the flap designs have that same feature (possible problem).

I bet any car in just wet dirty rain will end up a lot cleaner with mud flaps. I can't vouch for salt/sand, but that is a really different problem. Someone might need PPF on the lower side panel area to assist with that one.

Lot's of folks put PPF where the flap contacts the body. I've had similar type OEM flaps on many cars that DID collect some sand but never rusted or serious paint damage. What will rust things is when water doesn't drain. Keep the area well rinsed it should be ok, even if some sand does collect.

The Tesla flaps look intuitively better but only time will really tell.

Flaps don't completely solve the sides getting dirty. One day on a wet highway and your done, flaps or no flaps.

 

[jonquiljo]

Lot's of folks put PPF where the flap contacts the body. I've had similar type OEM flaps on many cars that DID collect some sand but never rusted or serious paint damage. What will rust things is when water doesn't drain. Keep the area well rinsed it should be ok, even if some sand does collect.

The Tesla flaps look intuitively better but only time will really tell.

Flaps don't completely solve the sides getting dirty. One day on a wet highway and your done, flaps or no flaps.

People put PPF? Where? It must be a slim piece - DIY. Just so that the flap doesn't wear down the paint from the vibration and abrasion. Even then, it may not be needed.

I still don't know where to get Tesla flaps? Any place in particular?

I did take 2 pictures of my car from the side that shows how the front wheel extends beyond the body a bit. I've got the camera right against the side of the car, so all of the front tire that you do see is able to fling water on side of car ...

Now my car has been cleaned off since it accumulated muddy water since the last rains. It might have been driven 20 minutes in a subsequent rain. So all you see on the car now is muddy water from a short rain. 50 miles in more rain will give you more dirt.

You can see that tire protruding out a lot from that wheel well. A LOT. That alone will give you a dirty car - no mud needed! That spray likely goes all over the side of the car. A mud flap will mitigate this (hopefully) to some extent. The car looks good, but the more I look I see that is not designed to stay clean.

I checked the rear wheel and it is much more recessed in the wheel well, so it does less flinging of dirty water. But the rear still gets pretty dirty. I wish I had taken pictures after 50 miles in a lot of Bay Area rain.

I can't believe I'm analyzing this so much, but it definitely seems to be a major source of the problem.

Now I have to find those Tesla mud flaps. Anyone know who sells them? Thanks.

 

[mswlogo]

People put PPF? Where? It must be a slim piece - DIY. Just so that the flap doesn't wear down the paint from the vibration and abrasion. Even then, it may not be needed.

I still don't know where to get Tesla flaps? Any place in particular?

I did take 2 pictures of my car from the side that shows how the front wheel extends beyond the body a bit. I've got the camera right against the side of the car, so all of the front tire that you do see is able to fling water on side of car ...
View attachment 493170
View attachment 493171
Now my car has been cleaned off since it accumulated muddy water since the last rains. It might have been driven 20 minutes in a subsequent rain. So all you see on the car now is muddy water from a short rain. 50 miles in more rain will give you more dirt.

You can see that tire protruding out a lot from that wheel well. A LOT. That alone will give you a dirty car - no mud needed! That spray likely goes all over the side of the car. A mud flap will mitigate this (hopefully) to some extent. The car looks good, but the more I look I see that is not designed to stay clean.

I checked the rear wheel and it is much more recessed in the wheel well, so it does less flinging of dirty water. But the rear still gets pretty dirty. I wish I had taken pictures after 50 miles in a lot of Bay Area rain.

I can't believe I'm analyzing this so much, but it definitely seems to be a major source of the problem.

Now I have to find those Tesla mud flaps. Anyone know who sells them? Thanks.

You put the PPF every where the flap will cover body paint plus a slight border.

Similar to this, but there are several mud flap threads to check out and I have seen threads with better workmanship. See post #32.

Thoughts about mud flaps (and their removal/re-install)