FAQs
Why is detailing important?
Let’s face it, we all know that when a brand new car is driven off the lot it loses 10%-12% of its value. Regularly scheduled detailing is essential to reduce that loss of value over the years of daily driving. When this does not happen, the risk of damage to the clearcoat, wheels, leather, and fabric surfaces greatly increases., which will lower resale value and appraisal prices. Ceramic coatings will protect your investment and ensure the vehicles paint stays in pristine condition or years to come.
What’s the difference between detailing and an automatic wash?
Automatic car washes, a.k.a paint scratching machines, are terrible for vehicle clearcoat. The bristles used are far too stiff, and often don’t get cleaned, which means they’re slapping abrasives (dirt, sand, pebbles, etc) onto your vehicles paint. The soaps used are often very acidic which will also damage vehicles paint, plastic trim, and chrome surfaces and cause oxidation or haziness. When detailing a vehicle, many factors come into play to ensure the vehicle does not have any unnecessary damage (scratches, swirls, or marring) from improper washing. Many steps are taken by our technicians to ensure your vehicles paint will stay scratch free and clean.
Will my vehicle need paint correction/enhancement before application of a ceramic coating?
Truthfully, that is completely up to the customer. System X ceramic coatings are designed to bond to clean and bare clearcoat. If your vehicle is less than 3 months old, no enhancement or correction should be needed. If older than that, an enhancement is recommended by the installer, but not necessary. Vehicles that are 2+ years old will typically need at minimum a single stage correction, but again is up to the customer to decide.
How can I prove to an appraiser that my vehicle is ceramic coated?
All System X ceramic coatings have a warranty that comes with it. This warranty is attached to the vin and will be listed on the Carfax report for your vehicle. See the Warranty page for more information.
Why should I get a ceramic coating on my daily driver?
Daily driver vehicles definitely do see more use, and in turn more damage, than say a “weekend car”. Having a ceramic coating applied to a daily driver is going to reduce that level of damage over time. Ceramic coatings have a 9H hardness, so they will reduce the chances of scratches and swirls you may get from driving, and any oxidation from the vehicle being outside in the suns harmful UV rays for extended periods of time.
My vehicle stays in the garage most of the time, do I still need a ceramic coating?
While a ceramic coating is a great option for daily drivers, it is definitely not out of question for a garage kept “weekend car”. If a vehicle stays indoors most of the time and rarely gets driven, you should be able to expect more life out of a ceramic coating, protecting your investment for even longer than expected.
What are self-cleaning/hydrophobic properties?
Often times we are told that ceramic coatings are “self-cleaning’ or that they have a high level of hydrophobic properties, but what does this mean? Hydrophobic means that the surface will repel or deflect water. When these properties are applied to automotive paint or glass, it means that water, mud, dirt, bird droppings, and acid rain will not sit on your vehicles surface and cause damage. This does not mean that your vehicle cleans itself and never needs to be washed again, but more so that it will stay cleaner for much longer, and make the washing process much easier when the time comes. Visit the Ceramic Coatings page to see how these hydrophobic properties work.