When tech advances fail... (Paint Protection Best Practices)
05-14-15, 05:23 AM
#1
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
When tech advances fail... (Paint Protection Best Practices)
So, when I was looking at an Infiniti G37 IPL a couple of years back, the salesman tried to pitch to my wife and I that the paint on the car was great because it was "self healing". Essentially, if you have clear coat cuts, if the paint gets hot, the paint will heal.
This is done because the clear coat is never truly dry, so it can move for a given amount of time.
This effect lasts for 3-5 years, depending on how much sun it sees. I had discussed with the salesmen that this would cause a HUGE issue if a bird was to crap on the car, or if you hit some bugs and then park in the sun all day (because the clear coat would essentially mend with the contamination). He agreed, and that was a huge turnoff on the car. So I didn't get it because I didn't want to deal with paint issues such as that. I'm a perfectionist who gets told he has one of the best looking 5th gens in the area, or have people lean out of their cars to take pictures. I'm not chasing around after clear coat that can't work properly....
Welp, first day taking the NX to work, and it is 90F here in good ole PA, and what happens during my 12 hour work shift? A Canadian goose (i'm pretty sure, thanks Canada), drops 2 HUGE ones on my roof. I take the car home, wash the roof, and see that the bird crap has burned the clear coat on the roof. I only had Ultimate Polish on hand and while it was able to remove the discoloration, I couldn't remove the burn marks on the clear. Needless to say, my first day with the car was ruined.
Was able to get ahold of some Meguiars Ultimate Compound, and after working MUCH harder on the paint than I wished to, I was able to save the paint and remove the burn marks in the clear. Probably removed a .25 mm off the car, but what other choice do you have? Sigh...
Then, while reading my manual last night (because I figured I should look at it eventually...right?) I noticed an entire section on paint, and guess what.....it has the same "self healing" crap that the Infiniti did. Which now explains PERFECTLY why the bird crap had mended and burned the clear coat.
If the car would have had a normally sealed clear coat, thing would have never happened. This is where an "advancement" in tech (paint), has severely failed. I would take a clear coat cut over ruined clear coat any day.
really disappointed that Toyota decided to use this method of paint. Now, on hot days, you will have to watch over your car, and make sure you catch anything on it immediately.
I hope this raises awareness to any of you that didn't know
This is done because the clear coat is never truly dry, so it can move for a given amount of time.
This effect lasts for 3-5 years, depending on how much sun it sees. I had discussed with the salesmen that this would cause a HUGE issue if a bird was to crap on the car, or if you hit some bugs and then park in the sun all day (because the clear coat would essentially mend with the contamination). He agreed, and that was a huge turnoff on the car. So I didn't get it because I didn't want to deal with paint issues such as that. I'm a perfectionist who gets told he has one of the best looking 5th gens in the area, or have people lean out of their cars to take pictures. I'm not chasing around after clear coat that can't work properly....
Welp, first day taking the NX to work, and it is 90F here in good ole PA, and what happens during my 12 hour work shift? A Canadian goose (i'm pretty sure, thanks Canada), drops 2 HUGE ones on my roof. I take the car home, wash the roof, and see that the bird crap has burned the clear coat on the roof. I only had Ultimate Polish on hand and while it was able to remove the discoloration, I couldn't remove the burn marks on the clear. Needless to say, my first day with the car was ruined.
Was able to get ahold of some Meguiars Ultimate Compound, and after working MUCH harder on the paint than I wished to, I was able to save the paint and remove the burn marks in the clear. Probably removed a .25 mm off the car, but what other choice do you have? Sigh...
Then, while reading my manual last night (because I figured I should look at it eventually...right?) I noticed an entire section on paint, and guess what.....it has the same "self healing" crap that the Infiniti did. Which now explains PERFECTLY why the bird crap had mended and burned the clear coat.
If the car would have had a normally sealed clear coat, thing would have never happened. This is where an "advancement" in tech (paint), has severely failed. I would take a clear coat cut over ruined clear coat any day.
really disappointed that Toyota decided to use this method of paint. Now, on hot days, you will have to watch over your car, and make sure you catch anything on it immediately.
I hope this raises awareness to any of you that didn't know
Last edited by corradoMR2; 05-14-15 at 04:47 PM. Reason: Title update better reflecting issue and best practices
05-14-15, 06:42 AM
#4
Do all colors have this self-healing clear coat?
I've had bird crap on my car for a day or two before it's been washed off. I gave my car a thorough wash this past weekend and didn't notice any damage in the spots where the crap was. I do park in a garage at work and when I get home it's usually dark or I park under trees which cuts down on the sun.
I've had bird crap on my car for a day or two before it's been washed off. I gave my car a thorough wash this past weekend and didn't notice any damage in the spots where the crap was. I do park in a garage at work and when I get home it's usually dark or I park under trees which cuts down on the sun.
05-14-15, 06:46 AM
#5
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Do all colors have this self-healing clear coat?
I've had bird crap on my car for a day or two before it's been washed off. I gave my car a thorough wash this past weekend and didn't notice any damage in the spots where the crap was. I do park in a garage at work and when I get home it's usually dark or I park under trees which cuts down on the sun.
I've had bird crap on my car for a day or two before it's been washed off. I gave my car a thorough wash this past weekend and didn't notice any damage in the spots where the crap was. I do park in a garage at work and when I get home it's usually dark or I park under trees which cuts down on the sun.
The reason this happened was because of the temperature and direct sunlight. If you're in a garage at work, you are in the shade, which prevented the clear coat from absorbing the contamination.
Last edited by Swacer; 05-14-15 at 06:49 AM.
05-14-15, 08:10 AM
#6
does this mean that if you are at a shopping center parking lot and someone parks next to you but is careless when opening their door and taps your door that you are less likely to have a scratch? or if a shopping cart bumps into your door it also will less likely lead to a scratch? Of course if the bump is hard enough it may create a small dent.
05-14-15, 08:38 AM
#7
I think it'll still scratch just like a "regular" clear coat, but when it's out in the sun, the scratch will minimize, depending on how deep it is. Don't know what happens to dirt on the car when it's hot.
Trending Topics
05-14-15, 08:44 AM
#8
I did a quick search and found this info:
http://toyotadriverseat.com/products...eal-itself.htm
http://chemicalguysforum.com/showthr...ing-Clear-Coat
http://drivers.lexus.com/lexusdriver...estoring-Paint
http://toyotadriverseat.com/products...eal-itself.htm
http://chemicalguysforum.com/showthr...ing-Clear-Coat
http://drivers.lexus.com/lexusdriver...estoring-Paint
05-14-15, 09:33 AM
#9
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hmmmmm...I had a 2008 Infiniti with the self-healing paint and absolutely appreciated it because it WORKED! It never 'healed' bird poop into the paint...and I was bombed a few times at work in the hot sun...and it never healed dirt into the paint in the few scratches I got. I found that it worked perfectly...as intended. I had etching from bird poop that I cleaned off, and the healing removed the etching completely in the one spot it happened. I did not expect that. I went to use some paint cleaner on the spot the next day, and it was gone.
05-14-15, 10:16 AM
#10
Hey guys... I was notified of this thread by another CL member who thought I should weigh in on the subject. For those who don't visit the Club Lexus Detailing Sub-Forum very often, you probably don't know me as that is really the only place I post these days. I am a professional detailer from Central Illinois who specializes in advanced exterior detailing - specifically paint correction and paint protection.
I highly recommend posting these types of questions in the detailing forum in the future
Paint Technology
As the OP already mentioned, several manufacturers have attempted to improve paint technology over the years... some of the more common systems are the Mercedes cermiclear paints that are quite hard (relatively speaking). I believe other german manufacturers have adopted this off and on as well. Also, the Nissan/Infiniti scratch shield "stuff" which I have seen no signs of actually preventing or reducing swirls, scratches, marring, etching, etc. Even before the NX, Lexus had marketed self healing paint on their flagship LS sedan as early as 2009 I believe (someone check me on that... it's been a while since I have checked my facts). I'll bet you wouldn't find a single owner of a black LS that claims the self healing paint offers any benefits.
^Sticker on Nissan GT-R indicating "scratch resistant clear"... which fwiw does nothing
What I am getting at is that these are, in my professional opinion, simply marketing tools. Sure, this technology may perform well in specific laboratory testing, however from my personal experience I have seen no indication that it offers much, if any, real world benefit.
Environmental Contaminates
Now, with that being said, let's return to the issue at hand... bird droppings.
Bird droppings and bug guts are two of the most harmful environmental contaminates that your vehicle will see on a regular basis (a third being hard water). Both bird bombs and bug guts are acidic substances and will actually eat into your paint. This damage can occur very quickly depending on many factors, and if left unattended, a simple bird bomb can cause permanent damage (ie needs repainting).
One important thing to point out before we continue is that this damage can happen to ANY type of automotive paint. Not just this "self healing" stuff. So, I would not place the blame on the NX paint at all.
^You can see the outline of a bird bomb etching, and the damage where someone clearly tried to scrub it off
^This shows a severe bird bomb etching that was left for way too long. This etching has penetrated the clear coat as well as the base coat and has exposed the primer layer (notice the cracking appearance). This defect is therefore too severe to remove with paint correction and requires sanding and repainting.
Protecting Your Vehicle
Regardless of what vehicle you drive, it is incredibly important to maintain a healthy layer of protection on your paint. Most all modern vehicles are clear coated. This clear coat does NOT mean your car is protected. The clear coat protects the base coat and provides a glossier finish, however once the clear coat is damaged beyond a certain point, the only way to repair the damaged areas is to repaint them completely. It is much easier and cheaper to properly protect your clear coat than it is to have to deal with repairs and repainting.
There are 3 basic categories of paint protection on the market these days: waxes, sealants, and coatings. I will go into some detail on these below, but I encourage you to please ask me if you have any further questions. All of these products serve the same general purpose - protect your paint - however they are all unique in their properties.
Each product creates a sacrificial barrier on top of your paint to help protect it. This barrier layer means that harmful contaminates such as bug splatter must first eat through the layer of protection before it can start to damage your paint.
Waxes - These are products typically based on natural ingredients such as carnauba wax. Wax provides a very thin, short lived barrier on the surface. A true natural wax will provide protection for an average of 6-8 weeks, and should be applied very regularly to maintain adequate protection. Duration varies greatly depending on your environment, and if you are someone who does not enjoy regularly detailing their vehicle, I would suggest using another type of paint protection.
Examples: Menzerna Color Lock, Chemical Guys Pete's 53, Pinnacle Souveran
Sealants - These products are an evolution of the natural wax. A polymer sealant is a liquid product that is based on synthetic polymers rather than natural waxes. These products work just the same as waxes do in that they provide a thin barrier on top of your paint, however a polymer sealant is considerably more durable with most of them lasting between 4-6 months instead of weeks. Most of these products are very easy to apply either by hand or machine, and are recommended for added durability compared to waxes. Some people claim a wax provides a "warmer glow", so if you wish, you can top a sealant with a wax.
Examples: Blackfire Wet Diamond, Menzerna Power Lock
Coatings - Ceramic Paint Coatings are the latest evolution in paint protection. These coatings provide a layer of protection that is hundreds of times thicker than the average layer of wax. This barrier is also incredibly chemical resistant, and harder than most clear coats when fully cured. These products last for years, not weeks or months, when properly applied and maintained. There is no doubt that a paint coating provides the absolute best protection. There are some downfalls to a coating, too... they are rather expensive, they require a tremendous amount of prep work, and they are not as easy to apply as traditional waxes or sealants. For this reason, it is often recommended to consult a professional detailer to have a paint coating installed unless you're well versed in the cleaning, decontamination, and paint correction processes required before installing a paint coating.
The Benefits of a Paint Coating by Zach McGovern
Examples: CQuartz Finest (professional installation only), Opti Coat (professional installation only), 22ple VX3, Optimum Gloss Coat
Dealing with Repairable Clear Coat Damage
Staying on topic with bird bombs.... The best practice is to remove these types of contaminates immediately! I keep a container with premium microfiber towels and waterless wash/quick detailer in my trunk at all times to remove bird droppings or large bug splatter immediately. I understand this is not always practical (like when the car is particularly dirty and you don't want to touch the car until it has been washed), so sometimes they must wait until I return home and can wash the car.
In some instances, even waiting only a few hours can be long enough to allow for some minor etching to occur. Once the contamination has etched into the paint, the only way to remove it is with a polishing or paint correction process as the OP mentioned. If etching is severe, wet sanding may even be needed (proceed with caution! only sand if you have a paint thickness gauge on hand)
Thankfully you can do a tremendous amount of improvement with proper paint correction processes, however proper maintenance will ensure you do not have to go through this EVER.
Modern paint is extremely thin, and to be redundant, once your clear coat fails, you must repaint. So you want to avoid this risk completely.
Alright... I can continue writing about this type of stuff for hours, so I will cut myself off here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. You can also find many of my detailing articles on the Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog.
-Zach McGovern
I highly recommend posting these types of questions in the detailing forum in the future
Paint Technology
As the OP already mentioned, several manufacturers have attempted to improve paint technology over the years... some of the more common systems are the Mercedes cermiclear paints that are quite hard (relatively speaking). I believe other german manufacturers have adopted this off and on as well. Also, the Nissan/Infiniti scratch shield "stuff" which I have seen no signs of actually preventing or reducing swirls, scratches, marring, etching, etc. Even before the NX, Lexus had marketed self healing paint on their flagship LS sedan as early as 2009 I believe (someone check me on that... it's been a while since I have checked my facts). I'll bet you wouldn't find a single owner of a black LS that claims the self healing paint offers any benefits.
^Sticker on Nissan GT-R indicating "scratch resistant clear"... which fwiw does nothing
What I am getting at is that these are, in my professional opinion, simply marketing tools. Sure, this technology may perform well in specific laboratory testing, however from my personal experience I have seen no indication that it offers much, if any, real world benefit.
Environmental Contaminates
Now, with that being said, let's return to the issue at hand... bird droppings.
Bird droppings and bug guts are two of the most harmful environmental contaminates that your vehicle will see on a regular basis (a third being hard water). Both bird bombs and bug guts are acidic substances and will actually eat into your paint. This damage can occur very quickly depending on many factors, and if left unattended, a simple bird bomb can cause permanent damage (ie needs repainting).
One important thing to point out before we continue is that this damage can happen to ANY type of automotive paint. Not just this "self healing" stuff. So, I would not place the blame on the NX paint at all.
^You can see the outline of a bird bomb etching, and the damage where someone clearly tried to scrub it off
^This shows a severe bird bomb etching that was left for way too long. This etching has penetrated the clear coat as well as the base coat and has exposed the primer layer (notice the cracking appearance). This defect is therefore too severe to remove with paint correction and requires sanding and repainting.
Protecting Your Vehicle
Regardless of what vehicle you drive, it is incredibly important to maintain a healthy layer of protection on your paint. Most all modern vehicles are clear coated. This clear coat does NOT mean your car is protected. The clear coat protects the base coat and provides a glossier finish, however once the clear coat is damaged beyond a certain point, the only way to repair the damaged areas is to repaint them completely. It is much easier and cheaper to properly protect your clear coat than it is to have to deal with repairs and repainting.
There are 3 basic categories of paint protection on the market these days: waxes, sealants, and coatings. I will go into some detail on these below, but I encourage you to please ask me if you have any further questions. All of these products serve the same general purpose - protect your paint - however they are all unique in their properties.
Each product creates a sacrificial barrier on top of your paint to help protect it. This barrier layer means that harmful contaminates such as bug splatter must first eat through the layer of protection before it can start to damage your paint.
Waxes - These are products typically based on natural ingredients such as carnauba wax. Wax provides a very thin, short lived barrier on the surface. A true natural wax will provide protection for an average of 6-8 weeks, and should be applied very regularly to maintain adequate protection. Duration varies greatly depending on your environment, and if you are someone who does not enjoy regularly detailing their vehicle, I would suggest using another type of paint protection.
Examples: Menzerna Color Lock, Chemical Guys Pete's 53, Pinnacle Souveran
Sealants - These products are an evolution of the natural wax. A polymer sealant is a liquid product that is based on synthetic polymers rather than natural waxes. These products work just the same as waxes do in that they provide a thin barrier on top of your paint, however a polymer sealant is considerably more durable with most of them lasting between 4-6 months instead of weeks. Most of these products are very easy to apply either by hand or machine, and are recommended for added durability compared to waxes. Some people claim a wax provides a "warmer glow", so if you wish, you can top a sealant with a wax.
Examples: Blackfire Wet Diamond, Menzerna Power Lock
Coatings - Ceramic Paint Coatings are the latest evolution in paint protection. These coatings provide a layer of protection that is hundreds of times thicker than the average layer of wax. This barrier is also incredibly chemical resistant, and harder than most clear coats when fully cured. These products last for years, not weeks or months, when properly applied and maintained. There is no doubt that a paint coating provides the absolute best protection. There are some downfalls to a coating, too... they are rather expensive, they require a tremendous amount of prep work, and they are not as easy to apply as traditional waxes or sealants. For this reason, it is often recommended to consult a professional detailer to have a paint coating installed unless you're well versed in the cleaning, decontamination, and paint correction processes required before installing a paint coating.
The Benefits of a Paint Coating by Zach McGovern
Examples: CQuartz Finest (professional installation only), Opti Coat (professional installation only), 22ple VX3, Optimum Gloss Coat
Dealing with Repairable Clear Coat Damage
Staying on topic with bird bombs.... The best practice is to remove these types of contaminates immediately! I keep a container with premium microfiber towels and waterless wash/quick detailer in my trunk at all times to remove bird droppings or large bug splatter immediately. I understand this is not always practical (like when the car is particularly dirty and you don't want to touch the car until it has been washed), so sometimes they must wait until I return home and can wash the car.
In some instances, even waiting only a few hours can be long enough to allow for some minor etching to occur. Once the contamination has etched into the paint, the only way to remove it is with a polishing or paint correction process as the OP mentioned. If etching is severe, wet sanding may even be needed (proceed with caution! only sand if you have a paint thickness gauge on hand)
Thankfully you can do a tremendous amount of improvement with proper paint correction processes, however proper maintenance will ensure you do not have to go through this EVER.
Modern paint is extremely thin, and to be redundant, once your clear coat fails, you must repaint. So you want to avoid this risk completely.
Alright... I can continue writing about this type of stuff for hours, so I will cut myself off here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. You can also find many of my detailing articles on the Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog.
-Zach McGovern
05-14-15, 12:22 PM
#11
Hey guys... I was notified of this thread by another CL member who thought I should weigh in on the subject. For those who don't visit the Club Lexus Detailing Sub-Forum very often, you probably don't know me as that is really the only place I post these days. I am a professional detailer from Central Illinois who specializes in advanced exterior detailing - specifically paint correction and paint protection.
I highly recommend posting these types of questions in the detailing forum in the future
Paint Technology
As the OP already mentioned, several manufacturers have attempted to improve paint technology over the years... some of the more common systems are the Mercedes cermiclear paints that are quite hard (relatively speaking). I believe other german manufacturers have adopted this off and on as well. Also, the Nissan/Infiniti scratch shield "stuff" which I have seen no signs of actually preventing or reducing swirls, scratches, marring, etching, etc. Even before the NX, Lexus had marketed self healing paint on their flagship LS sedan as early as 2009 I believe (someone check me on that... it's been a while since I have checked my facts). I'll bet you wouldn't find a single owner of a black LS that claims the self healing paint offers any benefits.
^Sticker on Nissan GT-R indicating "scratch resistant clear"... which fwiw does nothing
What I am getting at is that these are, in my professional opinion, simply marketing tools. Sure, this technology may perform well in specific laboratory testing, however from my personal experience I have seen no indication that it offers much, if any, real world benefit.
Environmental Contaminates
Now, with that being said, let's return to the issue at hand... bird droppings.
Bird droppings and bug guts are two of the most harmful environmental contaminates that your vehicle will see on a regular basis (a third being hard water). Both bird bombs and bug guts are acidic substances and will actually eat into your paint. This damage can occur very quickly depending on many factors, and if left unattended, a simple bird bomb can cause permanent damage (ie needs repainting).
One important thing to point out before we continue is that this damage can happen to ANY type of automotive paint. Not just this "self healing" stuff. So, I would not place the blame on the NX paint at all.
^You can see the outline of a bird bomb etching, and the damage where someone clearly tried to scrub it off
^This shows a severe bird bomb etching that was left for way too long. This etching has penetrated the clear coat as well as the base coat and has exposed the primer layer (notice the cracking appearance). This defect is therefore too severe to remove with paint correction and requires sanding and repainting.
Protecting Your Vehicle
Regardless of what vehicle you drive, it is incredibly important to maintain a healthy layer of protection on your paint. Most all modern vehicles are clear coated. This clear coat does NOT mean your car is protected. The clear coat protects the base coat and provides a glossier finish, however once the clear coat is damaged beyond a certain point, the only way to repair the damaged areas is to repaint them completely. It is much easier and cheaper to properly protect your clear coat than it is to have to deal with repairs and repainting.
There are 3 basic categories of paint protection on the market these days: waxes, sealants, and coatings. I will go into some detail on these below, but I encourage you to please ask me if you have any further questions. All of these products serve the same general purpose - protect your paint - however they are all unique in their properties.
Each product creates a sacrificial barrier on top of your paint to help protect it. This barrier layer means that harmful contaminates such as bug splatter must first eat through the layer of protection before it can start to damage your paint.
Waxes - These are products typically based on natural ingredients such as carnauba wax. Wax provides a very thin, short lived barrier on the surface. A true natural wax will provide protection for an average of 6-8 weeks, and should be applied very regularly to maintain adequate protection. Duration varies greatly depending on your environment, and if you are someone who does not enjoy regularly detailing their vehicle, I would suggest using another type of paint protection.
Examples: Menzerna Color Lock, Chemical Guys Pete's 53, Pinnacle Souveran
Sealants - These products are an evolution of the natural wax. A polymer sealant is a liquid product that is based on synthetic polymers rather than natural waxes. These products work just the same as waxes do in that they provide a thin barrier on top of your paint, however a polymer sealant is considerably more durable with most of them lasting between 4-6 months instead of weeks. Most of these products are very easy to apply either by hand or machine, and are recommended for added durability compared to waxes. Some people claim a wax provides a "warmer glow", so if you wish, you can top a sealant with a wax.
Examples: Blackfire Wet Diamond, Menzerna Power Lock
Coatings - Ceramic Paint Coatings are the latest evolution in paint protection. These coatings provide a layer of protection that is hundreds of times thicker than the average layer of wax. This barrier is also incredibly chemical resistant, and harder than most clear coats when fully cured. These products last for years, not weeks or months, when properly applied and maintained. There is no doubt that a paint coating provides the absolute best protection. There are some downfalls to a coating, too... they are rather expensive, they require a tremendous amount of prep work, and they are not as easy to apply as traditional waxes or sealants. For this reason, it is often recommended to consult a professional detailer to have a paint coating installed unless you're well versed in the cleaning, decontamination, and paint correction processes required before installing a paint coating.
The Benefits of a Paint Coating by Zach McGovern
Examples: CQuartz Finest (professional installation only), Opti Coat (professional installation only), 22ple VX3, Optimum Gloss Coat
Dealing with Repairable Clear Coat Damage
Staying on topic with bird bombs.... The best practice is to remove these types of contaminates immediately! I keep a container with premium microfiber towels and waterless wash/quick detailer in my trunk at all times to remove bird droppings or large bug splatter immediately. I understand this is not always practical (like when the car is particularly dirty and you don't want to touch the car until it has been washed), so sometimes they must wait until I return home and can wash the car.
In some instances, even waiting only a few hours can be long enough to allow for some minor etching to occur. Once the contamination has etched into the paint, the only way to remove it is with a polishing or paint correction process as the OP mentioned. If etching is severe, wet sanding may even be needed (proceed with caution! only sand if you have a paint thickness gauge on hand)
Thankfully you can do a tremendous amount of improvement with proper paint correction processes, however proper maintenance will ensure you do not have to go through this EVER.
Modern paint is extremely thin, and to be redundant, once your clear coat fails, you must repaint. So you want to avoid this risk completely.
Alright... I can continue writing about this type of stuff for hours, so I will cut myself off here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. You can also find many of my detailing articles on the Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog.
-Zach McGovern
I highly recommend posting these types of questions in the detailing forum in the future
Paint Technology
As the OP already mentioned, several manufacturers have attempted to improve paint technology over the years... some of the more common systems are the Mercedes cermiclear paints that are quite hard (relatively speaking). I believe other german manufacturers have adopted this off and on as well. Also, the Nissan/Infiniti scratch shield "stuff" which I have seen no signs of actually preventing or reducing swirls, scratches, marring, etching, etc. Even before the NX, Lexus had marketed self healing paint on their flagship LS sedan as early as 2009 I believe (someone check me on that... it's been a while since I have checked my facts). I'll bet you wouldn't find a single owner of a black LS that claims the self healing paint offers any benefits.
^Sticker on Nissan GT-R indicating "scratch resistant clear"... which fwiw does nothing
What I am getting at is that these are, in my professional opinion, simply marketing tools. Sure, this technology may perform well in specific laboratory testing, however from my personal experience I have seen no indication that it offers much, if any, real world benefit.
Environmental Contaminates
Now, with that being said, let's return to the issue at hand... bird droppings.
Bird droppings and bug guts are two of the most harmful environmental contaminates that your vehicle will see on a regular basis (a third being hard water). Both bird bombs and bug guts are acidic substances and will actually eat into your paint. This damage can occur very quickly depending on many factors, and if left unattended, a simple bird bomb can cause permanent damage (ie needs repainting).
One important thing to point out before we continue is that this damage can happen to ANY type of automotive paint. Not just this "self healing" stuff. So, I would not place the blame on the NX paint at all.
^You can see the outline of a bird bomb etching, and the damage where someone clearly tried to scrub it off
^This shows a severe bird bomb etching that was left for way too long. This etching has penetrated the clear coat as well as the base coat and has exposed the primer layer (notice the cracking appearance). This defect is therefore too severe to remove with paint correction and requires sanding and repainting.
Protecting Your Vehicle
Regardless of what vehicle you drive, it is incredibly important to maintain a healthy layer of protection on your paint. Most all modern vehicles are clear coated. This clear coat does NOT mean your car is protected. The clear coat protects the base coat and provides a glossier finish, however once the clear coat is damaged beyond a certain point, the only way to repair the damaged areas is to repaint them completely. It is much easier and cheaper to properly protect your clear coat than it is to have to deal with repairs and repainting.
There are 3 basic categories of paint protection on the market these days: waxes, sealants, and coatings. I will go into some detail on these below, but I encourage you to please ask me if you have any further questions. All of these products serve the same general purpose - protect your paint - however they are all unique in their properties.
Each product creates a sacrificial barrier on top of your paint to help protect it. This barrier layer means that harmful contaminates such as bug splatter must first eat through the layer of protection before it can start to damage your paint.
Waxes - These are products typically based on natural ingredients such as carnauba wax. Wax provides a very thin, short lived barrier on the surface. A true natural wax will provide protection for an average of 6-8 weeks, and should be applied very regularly to maintain adequate protection. Duration varies greatly depending on your environment, and if you are someone who does not enjoy regularly detailing their vehicle, I would suggest using another type of paint protection.
Examples: Menzerna Color Lock, Chemical Guys Pete's 53, Pinnacle Souveran
Sealants - These products are an evolution of the natural wax. A polymer sealant is a liquid product that is based on synthetic polymers rather than natural waxes. These products work just the same as waxes do in that they provide a thin barrier on top of your paint, however a polymer sealant is considerably more durable with most of them lasting between 4-6 months instead of weeks. Most of these products are very easy to apply either by hand or machine, and are recommended for added durability compared to waxes. Some people claim a wax provides a "warmer glow", so if you wish, you can top a sealant with a wax.
Examples: Blackfire Wet Diamond, Menzerna Power Lock
Coatings - Ceramic Paint Coatings are the latest evolution in paint protection. These coatings provide a layer of protection that is hundreds of times thicker than the average layer of wax. This barrier is also incredibly chemical resistant, and harder than most clear coats when fully cured. These products last for years, not weeks or months, when properly applied and maintained. There is no doubt that a paint coating provides the absolute best protection. There are some downfalls to a coating, too... they are rather expensive, they require a tremendous amount of prep work, and they are not as easy to apply as traditional waxes or sealants. For this reason, it is often recommended to consult a professional detailer to have a paint coating installed unless you're well versed in the cleaning, decontamination, and paint correction processes required before installing a paint coating.
The Benefits of a Paint Coating by Zach McGovern
Examples: CQuartz Finest (professional installation only), Opti Coat (professional installation only), 22ple VX3, Optimum Gloss Coat
Dealing with Repairable Clear Coat Damage
Staying on topic with bird bombs.... The best practice is to remove these types of contaminates immediately! I keep a container with premium microfiber towels and waterless wash/quick detailer in my trunk at all times to remove bird droppings or large bug splatter immediately. I understand this is not always practical (like when the car is particularly dirty and you don't want to touch the car until it has been washed), so sometimes they must wait until I return home and can wash the car.
In some instances, even waiting only a few hours can be long enough to allow for some minor etching to occur. Once the contamination has etched into the paint, the only way to remove it is with a polishing or paint correction process as the OP mentioned. If etching is severe, wet sanding may even be needed (proceed with caution! only sand if you have a paint thickness gauge on hand)
Thankfully you can do a tremendous amount of improvement with proper paint correction processes, however proper maintenance will ensure you do not have to go through this EVER.
Modern paint is extremely thin, and to be redundant, once your clear coat fails, you must repaint. So you want to avoid this risk completely.
Alright... I can continue writing about this type of stuff for hours, so I will cut myself off here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. You can also find many of my detailing articles on the Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog.
-Zach McGovern
05-14-15, 12:24 PM
#12
The only time to delay applying any type of paint protection is when the paint is fresh (repaired/repainted). Vehicles leaving the factory have been baked to cure the paint before sending them off to the end user.
05-14-15, 01:37 PM
#13
When it comes to coatings, are the professionally applied ones that much better than OptiCoat? I looked up a local detailing shop from the Cquartz website and they charge $1150 to install Cquartz Finest.
05-14-15, 01:44 PM
#14
Professional products like CQuartz Finest and Opti-Coat demand a premium due to higher product cost, better performance, included warranties, and exclusivity through authorized installers only.
The prep work required before installing these products is extremely in depth, hence the high price tag. Our CQuartz Finest packages start at around $1100 as well, and this covers the estimated 12-14 hours of prep work as well as all product costs associated with the service, therefore it truly isn't an outlandish price (consider 14 hours of labor at your dealership + parts).
If your budget doesn't allow for one of the premium coatings like Finest or OCP, most professionals will also offer a budget friendly coating option like CQuartz UK or Optimum Gloss Coat.
With that being said, if you're someone who already possesses the tools and knowledge to properly clean, decontaminate, polish or correct paint, prep the paint, and apply a coating... any of the consumer coatings will be great!
Any coating, regardless of professional or consumer based, will provide substantially better protection than a traditional sealant or wax.
There are many threads around CL where I have provided further details on CQuartz Finest, Opti-Coat, and other coatings... you can search around or PM me if you have any specific questions about a product.
-Zach
