Is Your Car At Risk Of Early Paint Failure?

Amazing improvements have been made in automotive paint finish technology in the past ten years. Unfortunately, some of the benefits of new paint finishes, which include ceramic paint technologies, have fueled a troubling trend at car dealerships. In particular, many customers are being told that their new vehicle's paint finish is maintenance-free and does not require waxing.

Although the improvements in coating technology provide a paint finish that is exceptionally durable, it still oxidizes and it's not impervious to environmental hazards, including acid rain, bird droppings, insect remains or hard water spots. Even the latest ceramic paint finishes can't withstand the effects of acidic or alkaline contamination. A coating of car wax provides a necessary layer of expendable protection.

While not all car dealers promote a care-free finish, many up-sell their customers into a life-time or 5-year paint treatment package. While these dealer applied upgrades are beneficial, a life-time paint treatment is marketing at its finest. The technology to create a multi-year paint treatment (also called a paint sealant) that protects under all environmental and exposure conditions does not exist.

What customers are actually buying from their car dealer is a "paint protection system" that requires regular maintenance. Customer who do not carefully read the fine print of the contract may not realize that they must bring their vehicle back to the dealership for periodic maintenance (re-application of the protection). If the maintenance schedule is not maintained, the dealer is under no obligation to fix paint finish damage cause by oxidation.

Another clever marketing trick is the claim by small boutique brands that European car paint systems, as an example, are require special waxes or will benefit from a wax made specifically for their paint. Based on my own research, and years of experience, I see very little difference. The hype about "special paint" simply isn't true.

The truth is that all modern, clear coat paint finishes require the same care. The notion that a car wax can be formulated to benefit a specific make, model and color of car, such as a Porsche 911 or a BMW Z3, is marketing guff at its finest. Beware of any business making such claims.

Here's the reality. More than eighty-five percent of all cars manufactured since 2005 use a multi-stage, have a clear coat finish that's provided by one of three automotive paint manufacturers. What that means is the color layer is protected by a layer of clear paint. The clear coat finish requires regular cleaning, polishing to remove swirl marks, water spots and fine scratches, and wax for protection. These paint finishes are not fussy about the car wax you use as long as it does not contain heavy abrasives.

In most climate conditions experts agree that waxing your vehicle three or four times a year is optimal. If you wax less frequently than every six months your paint finish will likely show early signs of damage from oxidation and environmental conditions. You can see clear coat failure on vehicle everywhere. They have white or cloudy patches, sometime covering an entire body panel. The solution to this problem is a complete repaint of the affected area.

There are literally hundreds of car wax products on the market. Very little has changed over the past ten with the exception of of clear polymer sealant. The wipe-on, walk away paint sealants, such as Optimum Polymer Technologies' Opti-Seal are a huge step forward in making car care easier.

For more useful information about car detailing supplies and car care tips, visit David Bynon's Guide To Detailing blog, a trusted source of professional and DIY car detailing information.