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Model 3 Scratches All Over And What Tesla's Tech Said
- Thread starter Saili
- Start date
Meh my black still looks good. I use optimum no rinse plus about 10 microfiber cloths.
I fold the cloths so there’s 8 squares and I wipe in one direction then move to a different section of the cloth. Flip it over and repeat. Once all 8 squares are used up I grab a new cloth. The dirty cloths never go back into the clean bucket. I also dry each section gently with a clean microfiber cloth.
As others have stated, you need to be very diligent and you can’t get lazy with black paint.
I fold the cloths so there’s 8 squares and I wipe in one direction then move to a different section of the cloth. Flip it over and repeat. Once all 8 squares are used up I grab a new cloth. The dirty cloths never go back into the clean bucket. I also dry each section gently with a clean microfiber cloth.
As others have stated, you need to be very diligent and you can’t get lazy with black paint.
Tesla paint is very soft due to California VOC emissions standards. If the cars were made on the east coast the paint would be very different.
GalacticHero
M3-AWD+
I bought my black M3 in November 2018 and the front surfaces are already pitting badly from the 25 mile commute to work. If I'd known about the softness of the black paint I would have went with one of the two coat paints. As it is, I have it scheduled for paint correction, film wrap on the front surfaces and ceramic coating.
GalacticHero
M3-AWD+
Think of ceramic coating as a very durable wax. It will fill in light surface irregularities and provide some protection from corrosion and the like. It will not stop paint chips or anything but the lightest scratching. [Arguably it doesn't even stop light scratching, but you end up scratching the coating rather than the clear coat.] My black M3 from 11/2018 is already showing a lot of pitting from my daily commute. I decided to have paint correction and then front surfaces wrapped and then ceramic on the total car.
Well, the OP hasn't come back. It would be nice to tell us where exactly those pics are on the car to get a better sense of wear. Looking at the first two pics, obviously, the rear license plate is showing, so those are where the rear trunk lid comes down to the rear bumper. The rear bumper is prone to scratching from putting things in and taking things out. The area right above is also prone to scratching from people grabbing the edge to pull down. The other pics, might also be around the rear trunk area, but I can't be certain. Also, the rear tends to attract dust, so any cleaning has to be done very carefully, otherwise you'll scratch it.
Maybe the OP has never owned a black car before, and didn't realize how careful you have to be, and just did his normal routine, not realizing that he's been scratching his cars all this time.
We paid extra to do the paint correction prior to applying the ceramic coating but I’m not convinced it was worth it. There were some minor swirl marks and light scratches but you could only see them if the light hit in just the right way. I think it would have been fine to just do the ceramic coating as long as you do it right after you buy the car.
Glamisduner
Active Member
I would not ceramic coat without at least polishing first. People have done it, but it's a process so no sense in skipping a step. I would certainly not skip it on a black car.
I iron-x while the car is lightly dirty/dusty it helps the stuff stuck, then wash, then clay. Or if there car is real dirty, wash it then ironx to remove the industrial fallout contaminate that even comes on new cars. Rinse it down again, or wash (i just used onr as quick detailer to remove the clay mess)
At this point you will likely have introduced some swirls so it's best to polish, then wash again. then use something like eraser to prep. Then apply your coating in the shade. I found cauartz uk 3.0 easy to work with. But read the directions and watch a video for the coating your going to use.
No ceramic isn't going to fix any paint issues. It's a very thin layer. Makes the car slick and shiny, and adds some protection against things like bird poo.
PPF will do a much better job protecting the paint than ceramic, but it tends to trap some dirt around the edges eventually.
I iron-x while the car is lightly dirty/dusty it helps the stuff stuck, then wash, then clay. Or if there car is real dirty, wash it then ironx to remove the industrial fallout contaminate that even comes on new cars. Rinse it down again, or wash (i just used onr as quick detailer to remove the clay mess)
At this point you will likely have introduced some swirls so it's best to polish, then wash again. then use something like eraser to prep. Then apply your coating in the shade. I found cauartz uk 3.0 easy to work with. But read the directions and watch a video for the coating your going to use.
No ceramic isn't going to fix any paint issues. It's a very thin layer. Makes the car slick and shiny, and adds some protection against things like bird poo.
PPF will do a much better job protecting the paint than ceramic, but it tends to trap some dirt around the edges eventually.
After just a few months of ownership the areas around the door handles on my black 3 became badly scratched.
If people need to wear microfiber gloves to open your car door without leaving damage, the issue is the paint, not what you’re doing.
If people need to wear microfiber gloves to open your car door without leaving damage, the issue is the paint, not what you’re doing.
M109Rider
Active Member
I’m not sure the paint is soft. Someone assuming it is; doesn’t mean it is. ...
No paint will protect against stones hitting it.
Especially since there is no grill, the front has a larger area for chips to show up.
My car is pearl white, about the same age as yours, and I have stone chips. No real way around that. My white BMW had tons too. I don’t see any evidence of “Soft Paint”.
I owned a BMW, white, and my passenger side where rings, keys, and bracelets were contestant hitting it, is all messed up too.
My driver side wasn’t.
Maybe it’s user related. It’s also black. They show everything.
If you hit the paint with nails, or objects in the same place daily, especially on black paint, it will show on any car ...
Some clarification, I was wrong in my initial post. It does seem that the soft paint story could come from someone wanting to do PPF.
This however is interesting.
Paint and Coatings | TeslaTap
About 400 give or take. My detailing guy charged me that for full treatment. Clay bar correction, full detailing inside and out, and 2 applications of Jet Seal. Car looks like the day I picked it up. I plan to repeat every 4 months or so.
M109Rider
Active Member
Agreed. Which also usually means the paint is not soft or scratched. It’s the clear coat affected only.
M109Rider
Active Member
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