Car is always dirty ....?

[jonquiljo]

I took delivery of my Model 3 on 12/4. As you can tell, I live in the San Francisco Bay area, where rain is common - along with associated dirt.

I’ve had many cars over the years, but none have gotten so easily dirty (mud/dirt splashes) as my red Model 3. I even had a midnight blue Porsche 911 for years - that never got as dirty as my red Model 3. I’d swear there are dirt attractants in the Tesla red paint!

Will a paint sealer such as “Ceramic Pro” help with this? There is a place about 15 minutes away that is certified in this. PPF is not really a direction I’d like to go in. A car is a car beyond a point, but I don’t understand why my new Tesla seems to be a dirt magnet. I’m willing to live with the elements, but have never seen a car that always looked like a dirty dishrag.

Or are there less time consuming treatments? Personally, I’d just want to pay and have the car treated - if the treatment works. I will wash my car myself, though it seems like every time we have wet weather, the car gets more dirt on it. I am not interested in spending too much time washing my car - or even washing it by myself.

Any advice on this? Simple, effective options that can be done for me are the easiest. TIA

 

[KG2V]

I don't know what will help. but I agree, if I don't wash the Model 3 (Blue) 2-3 times a week, it is filthy, particularly the back of the car (rear wheels and back)

 

[joebruin77]

Sounds like a ceramic coating would best for you. Make sure the installer does a thorough paint polishing/correction if needed prior to the application of the ceramic coating. Some ceramic coatings last several years.

 

[jebinc]

I put four coats of CarPro cQuartz ceramic coating on my Midnight Silver Metallic 3 over a two day period, and spray it with BeadMaker after every two or three baths. Seems to make a difference, re dirt collection.

 

[KG2V]

Oh, mine cleans up fast, but still collects dirt. Man, with the road salt on the roads, the back of the car is grey within 100 miles,so a bath is needed

 

[jonquiljo]

We don't have salt here, but we definitely have a lot of dirt and mud. I'm glad I am not alone.

Could the paint on a new Tesla be "lacking" so that dirt sticks to it? I have never seen such a dirt collector and I have had at least 20 cars over the years. It just makes me wonder since they rush the cars out to delivery so quickly. I've been pretty lax about car dirt in the past, but the Tesla really seems to collect it. It reminds me of a car from the 60's or 70's before car paints had good sealing properties.

Does a ceramic coating take a while to have applied? I would never do it myself, but the sites of the shops that tend to do it often never post costs or time to prep vehicle. I guess it would be worth it to avoid rain and mud. I definitely cannot easily wash it as the water here is horribly calcium rich - ruins showers and all surfaces quickly.

 

[SD_Engnr]

I don't know what will help. but I agree, if I don't wash the Model 3 (Blue) 2-3 times a week, it is filthy, particularly the back of the car (rear wheels and back)

Is this dirt/dust black when you wipe it off? If so, check your alignment, as that could be your tires all over your bumper.

 

[axhoaxho]

Yes, somehow my car likes to attract a thin layer of dirt/dust on the paint.

For a quick-and-easy clean up between full car washes, I like to use this Waterless Car Wash kit. It does a pretty good job.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X04JRMU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[morningstar]

My car is filthy too! It does seem to be much worse in the winter than it was in the summer though. My previous car was gray so I don't think I noticed how dirty it got, but this car is black and it shows. I just wonder how I got mud splattered up on the sideview mirrors! I don't remember going through that much mud!

I use the wash wax all as my car wash, but that alone is not enough in the winter. It needs a real bath. I'm afraid to take the Tesla fragile paint job to a car wash though! I'll have to see if I can find a brushless one.

 

[jonquiljo]

My car is filthy too! It does seem to be much worse in the winter than it was in the summer though. My previous car was gray so I don't think I noticed how dirty it got, but this car is black and it shows. I just wonder how I got mud splattered up on the sideview mirrors! I don't remember going through that much mud!

I use the wash wax all as my car wash, but that alone is not enough in the winter. It needs a real bath. I'm afraid to take the Tesla fragile paint job to a car wash though! I'll have to see if I can find a brushless one.

Yes, a lot of splatter. Also lots of mud/dirt on the lower half of all side panels. It may be a consequence of the car design - so can't do much about that.

But does a "sloppy joe" paint job allow more dirt to be deposited on it? If so, perhaps ceramic coating is the way to go.

 

[JPP]

Consider aftermarket SiC polymer quartz coatings like OptiCoat Pro or cQuartz. These are hydrophobic and shed water and dirt. My go-to expert is Joe at OC Detailing (OCDetailing - Bay Area Paint Protection Film | Clear Bra | Ceramic Coating Installer - OCDetailing). He has the most experience in the SF Bay Area. Not close to you (Marin to Fremont) but well worth the drive. Nice guy, really is OCD and a perfectionist. Not the cheapest but well worth the $$.

 

[joebruin77]

Although a ceramic coating would really be ideal for your situation, there are other less expensive options. After washing your car and clay barring it (or paying someone to do it), you can apply a ceramic-infused spray sealant such as The Last Coat or Hyper Seal by Opticoat. These would need to be reapplied once every 5 to 6 months.

 

[jonquiljo]

Although a ceramic coating would really be ideal for your situation, there are other less expensive options. After washing your car and clay barring it (or paying someone to do it), you can apply a ceramic-infused spray sealant such as The Last Coat or Hyper Seal by Opticoat. These would need to be reapplied once every 5 to 6 months.

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.

 

[DrtyJrze]

Get a ceramic coat. Will probability cost $1-3k depending on which brand/level you go with. That will include paint correction as well. Should take about a week.

Car will still get dirty, but maintenance is a lot easier.

 

[FB49]

Yes, somehow my car likes to attract a thin layer of dirt/dust on the paint.

For a quick-and-easy clean up between full car washes, I like to use this Waterless Car Wash kit. It does a pretty good job.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X04JRMU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is what I use on my Pearl White Model 3 and it works great! However, the car DOES seem to get dirty again pretty quickly, though I still believe the Pearl White shows dirt less than any of the other available Tesla colors.

 

[joebruin77]

Check out this informative video on ceramic coatings:

 

[jonquiljo]

This is what I use on my Pearl White Model 3 and it works great! However, the car DOES seem to get dirty again pretty quickly, though I still believe the Pearl White shows dirt less than any of the other available Tesla colors.

Thanks. Seems popular. I think I'll try it.

Pearl white somehow does look cleaner than most colors. It defies logic, but is true!

Maybe I'll park the car outside when we get these major downpours. No calcium in that.

 

[jonquiljo]

Check out this informative video on ceramic coatings:

Thanks, that's pretty impressive stuff!! It may be worth the time and expense after all!

 

[HeatproofGenie]

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

 

[TMThree]

CarPro Cquartz 3.0 (ceramic coat) is like $55 on amazon and it lasts about 3 years. Apply it yourself. Don't bother with polishing your vehicle unless you see paint issues to correct. Even if you apply the ceramic coat and see issues after, the fix is to polish the area, which also removes the ceramic, so you can easily add correction after if you find a spot that requires it.

Spending $1000 on ceramic coat is a joke on people who don't know better and buy into the auto detailer's marketing. Especially the ones with the 10 year warranty that requires reapplication yearly (which isn't free). You're basically just reapplying ceramic coat yearly. lol.

BTW the rear trunk and bumper area will always get dirty after a while. It's a function of how the aerodynamics work, dirt will roll around in a vortex back there. With ceramic coat, it will wipe away cleanly, so it will help some but don't expect it to keep your car spotless. You'll still want to wash every 2-3 weeks depending on how much dirt it is exposed to.

PS: Ceramic coat your rims too. My hyper silver aftermarket rims are always spotless.