UBMGS

I'm relatively new to Lexus. My household acquired an RX about a year ago, and I recently picked up an LX470 and a GS350. My cars get far more meticulous care over my trucks....and as such upon acquiring my GS, I immediately started doing research on the current products, sealants, and etc. Because I'm lazier now...I contemplated paying a shop for paint correction, sealant and 3M film in the most common areas known to chip.

But...then I read a small blurb on the Lexus site that said:

"SCRATCH-RESISTANT PAINT

To help protect and preserve your vehicle's glass-like finish, Lexus engineers reworked the paint's behavior at the molecular level until they achieved a high-density surface coating that was extremely elastic—capable of deforming on impact, then springing back to its original gloss. In addition to its unique elastic qualities, the coating resists the effects of sunlight and acid rain, and requires no special treatment or maintenance on the driver's part."

Looking deeper into it...I searched the web and found out that about a decade ago they made a deal with a Netherlands based company named AzkoNobel to create "Sikkens Autoclear LV", a scratch resistant and self healing clearcoat. I looked in my owners manual as well and found these items of note:

■ Self-restoring coat*
The vehicle body has a self-restoring coating that is resistant to small surface scratches
caused in a car wash etc.

● The coating lasts for 5 to 8 years from when the vehicle is delivered from the plant.
● The restoration time differs depending on the depth of the scratch and outside tem- perature. The restoration time may become shorter when the coating is warmed by applying warm water.
● Deep scratches caused by keys, coins, etc. cannot be restored.
● Do not use wax that contain abrasives.
*: CFRP parts (GS F) do not have a self-restoring coat.


Application of coatings to the vehicle body

• Do not apply any kind of coating to the vehicle body as doing so may damage the paint or reduce its durability.

So my question for the general Club Lexus populace is...do I really not need to do anything to my paint outside of washing it? It says not to use abrasive waxes, but then says to not apply any coatings...which to me includes sealants whether spray and wipe or buffer applied. So should I just wash the car at Lexus and apply some F11 at home and call it a day? I've heard several opinions on clay barring as well...yes..no..maybe so but be careful...

What's the consensus here?

UDel

There is no such thing as scratch resistant paint, it is a gimmick, self healing clear doesn't work either.

I would put a good sealant on your finish.

SW17LS

I have it on my car, its just paint. Do with it what you would any other paint.

UBMGS

So then by your statement Sikkens Autoclear LV (Lexus's "factory" coating product) and Feynlab's (aftermarket coating product) are both gimmicks? Do you have any data to support that or is that an opinion? I would find it hard to believe that Lexus and Feynlab would outright lie about their finishes.

UBMGS

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I've read that some detailers basically treat it the same as they would a "soft clearcoat". I just don't want to spend the money on sealant if it already has sealant from the factory that lasts the same amount of time. It'd be better to just invest in 3M PPF I would think.

SW17LS

It does not act as a sealant at all, nor is it meant to. You need to do PPF and some sort of sealant or coating.

Mine has a ceramic coating I installed.

I have noticed no difference in scratch resistance between Lexus cars I have had with this "self healing paint" and cars that did not have it.

UDel

If it says it is "scratch resistant" or "self heals" then yes it is not true and a gimmick. I detail cars as a hobby and on the side and pay attention to the community, there is no such thing as a scratch resistant clear or coating, detailers will also tell you it doesn't work in the real world. Can a ceramic coat help cut down on scratches, yes, I have a ceramic coat on my car, it still gets scratches and swirls with simple washing which really show up on a black finish but generally not as bad with just a common sealant on it.

I would never suggest it but if you drop a cloth rag on the ground/concrete where it will surely pick up sand particles and use it on your car I guarantee you will quickly find out it is a gimmick and your finish will be covered in scratches and swirls, they aren't going to heal themselves either.

UBMGS

Interesting. I wonder if we’re getting too caught up on the terminology.

Basically...this is an additional coating that is applied at the factory that has the ability to reform when exposed to heat. So it’s essentially a semi-wet clear coat. I think the “scratch resistance” comes in the sense that micro scratches and swirls can be diminished with application of heat because the coating will re-flatten so to speak.

I don’t think it’s saying that it won’t scratch, just that the smallest stuff can be diminished. Which to my knowledge...is no different than paying a detailer 1k for the same thing...a sealant that provides a protective barrier on top of the paint...that still scratches...and doesn’t reform upon heat application (with exception to Feynlab’s stufff).

What’s your opinion on ceramic or polymer coating that’s applied at a detailer vs something like Zaino or F11?

SW17LS

They cant even be compared. F11 isnt a very good product in general, Zaino is but its nothing like modern ceramic coatings.

swfla

iTrader: (1)

In the boating industry in FL salt water we had a saying about stainless steel hardware, "I didn't say it won't rust, I just said it'll stain less". For decades, manufacturers have made all kinds of claims for all kinds of products. The attorneys keep them out of trouble with the wording of their claims. At the least, a ceramic coating will protect the clear coat well. I've got PPF on the front of my car and was amazed at how a golfball size dent came out with paintless dent repair and overnight the PPF shrunk right back into shape. Now that's amazing.

UDel

It is better in theory then reality. Not sure what exactly the technology is with the coating but pretty much everything expands and contracts under high heat and cold including coatings, flex agents in coatings help with preventing cracking from this especially on rubber/plastic parts, used to be extra flex agent was added to bumper paint but I think recently they are just adding it to mostly all automotive paints now so extra does not have to be added to bumpers, I asked a paint shop about that and that is basically what they told me. Bumpers still get swirls and scratches. It is just not very likely the expanding and contracting will actually flatten out or get rid of swirls and scratches in the real world but in same isolated environment and situation they probably were able to notice something for the "self healing" paint. I know several people with "self healing" paint/coating that still have scratches and swirls that did not go away.

The best resistance to swirls/scratches is to make the finish harder. Ceramic clear coating like used on many modern Mercedes cars is pretty good at cutting down scratches and swirls and is a pain to polish, you need more aggressive pads and polishes to get decent cut, I noticed this when polishing a Mercedes.

Ceramic coatings help too, they are not scratch or swirl free but help a little by making a soft clear surface a little more resistant to light scratching/swirls as the ceramic surface is harder. Ceramic coatings last much longer and provide more swirl/scratch/chemical protection then sealants like Zaino. Zaino is a very good product, pretty pricey for what you get but the products are solid, they can be a little sensitive to a unclean surface before application and they are more of a 2 step process so will be more pricey then a single coating. You don't need a detail shop to apply a ceramic coating, you can buy several good ones for around $60 or $80 and apply them yourself, plenty of videos how to do it.