[bobs111]

We are taking delivery of our new 2024 X5 50e which has BMW Individual Indianapolis Red.

I inquired at a couple local shops about quotes for Ceramic or PPF.

Based on some other post, I was thinking I could apply Adam's Graphene Products myself, but want to consider the professional detailers.

I was told by one of the professional detailers that on a new car, ceramic will not do anything, in fact "Only use ceramic on an older car to refresh the paint."

Is it risky for me to apply ceramic myself?
Will ceramic provide good protection of the Florida Sun and love bugs?
Car was assembled and painted two weeks ago Friday (1/12/24) , do I need to wait?

Thank you for sharing your expertise, as I am questioning the motives of the detailer that installs both ceramic and PPF only recommending PPF.
Thank you

[Z K]

What the heck kind of BS is the dealer telling you? Ceramic coating on paint is a protective layer on your car.

If they are talking about the detailing side of polishing and correction, then applying ceramic coating - then that might make sense. But the actual coating itself is just for protection. There's a lot of easy to apply ceramic coating you can DIY or you can find a professional to do it and have a longer lasting coating.

As for actual protection, ceramic protects against the sun, and environmental damage like bird poop. It will not protect against rock chips, any kind of scratches or any insects (hard shells) hitting the car. Think of like when people used to "wax" buff on and off a car and how shiny and slick it was. Ceramic coating does that but lasts years rather than weeks.

[chris719]

I would DIY ceramic. It's just like a long lasting wax though, it's not like PPF. PPF is actual protection. Adam's Advanced Graphene is a good and proven coating along with those from Gyeon and CarPro.

[evanseric21]

I would never ask whoever told you that advise again lol. That is completely false and a quick search on YouTube will provide you with all the proof you need. That goes for either DIY or professional ceramic coatings. The goal is to protect the paint and after it looks better than it did from the factory.

[espressoo]

It’s important that you understand what purpose PPF serves and the benefits of ceramic coating. You can have PPF installed and apply ceramic coating on top of it however you cannot apply ceramic coating then get PPF. DIY ceramic coating isn’t hard but you need very good lighting and understand how to properly apply it to avoid high spots. A lot can go wrong with ceramic coating if proper steps aren’t taken and just taking some time to understand how to apply it correctly.

[shiftdnb]

That was not a professional detailer. The only thing you don't put ceramic coating on is brand new fresh paint after a repair. The paint has to gas out for about 90 days.

Hmmmm, makes me wonder if they had it repainted due to damage during transport and they resprayed it.

[mmm50i]

I have never heard of that. Avoid that detailer at all cost.

In order to “refresh” old paint, to remove swirls and scratches, paint correction must be done. Then wax, ceramic coating, or any other sealant can be used to protect the clear coat. The fact that a new vehicle’s clear coat is unprotected from factory, ceramic coating is the most popular choice due to its longevity and other qualities.

I ceramic coated my X5 when I first purchased it. It’s been almost 2.5 years and water still beads off of the paint surface.

[spazzz]

It is not risky to do a coating. Read about it and watch some videos.
I would probably wait for a couple weeks even though they bake it at the factory.

What's the worst thing that could happen? >>> High spots

Picking the product will probably drive you nuts trying to decide.
Coatings will help get rid of those bugs easier but will not be bullet proof against acidic bug guts. So remove promptly.

There is the initial investment.
You will need a paint prep spray and some low nap microfibers. I use about 30 on a double coating, maybe more.
After you decide on the coating brand grab some of their shampoo, detailer/booster spray and whatever else I am missing....towels

Lighting is important as is going over your work area with a fresh microfiber to catch the wet/high spots.
A final pass once the car is completed, maybe with some fluffy 500GSM TRC Eagle Edgeless, is a feel good moment.
I throw my coating towels in a bucket of water to soak with shots of Zep purple degreaser and a dash of Ajax immediately after I switch to a fresh towel. They are fine after laundering and no hint of crustiness.

[shimmy23]

"professional detailer" LMAO! i'd run from that place immediately.

Lots of good info already posted above. Time to wait after a paint job depends on the type of paint and the curing process that the painter/shop used. If painted from the factory, it should be fine to coat immediately. If painted from a shop outside of the manufacturing process then i would wait 2-4 weeks to apply any coating.

AND if you still aren't clear on it
PPF = paint protection film. Think of it as a clear film (sticker) that covers your paint... like a screen protector on an iphone.
Ceramic coating = paint coating that has more durability than a sealant or wax. it does not offer paint chip or scratch protection.

[Mason Hatcher]

Originally Posted by Z K

What the heck kind of BS is the dealer telling you? Ceramic coating on paint is a protective layer on your car.

The dealer didn't tell him that. A detailer did.

[bobs111]

Originally Posted by Mason Hatcher

The dealer didn't tell him that. A detailer did.

Local Orlando shop.

[G30M]

Originally Posted by bobs111

I was told by one of the professional detailers that on a new car, ceramic will not do anything, in fact "Only use ceramic on an older car to refresh the paint."

Is it risky for me to apply ceramic myself?
Will ceramic provide good protection of the Florida Sun and love bugs?
Car was assembled and painted two weeks ago Friday (1/12/24) , do I need to wait?

Thank you for sharing your expertise, as I am questioning the motives of the detailer that installs both ceramic and PPF only recommending PPF.
Thank you

the paint needs to be perfectly cleaned to apply the ceramic coating, takes a while to do that even on new cars, probably takes even longer on cars that have deposits on the paint. not sure what happens with paint defects like stone chips, maybe need to fill those up before the ceramic goes on?

what he's saying is "i can't be bothered prepping your car to apply the ceramic"

take it to a 3rd party with recommendation

[louielouie]

Ceramic coating can be DIY. The most important part is the prep and that will ultimately play a part in the longevity of the coating. Also being careful to properly wipe off excess or you'll see weird spots later (purely aesthetic).

There's a lot of consumer friendly ones out there. Graphene is a bit of a gimmick and there's some health concerns regarding it but there's still plenty of options. Gtechniq, CarPro, Gyeon etc all offer pretty solid selections at this point.

[shiftdnb]

You want to foam the car with a stripping soap. This will remove any waxes or sealents the dealer may have put on the car when they detailed it for delivery. Personally I will ask that they do not remove the protective covering on the car from transport (if you get delivery) and I will do the work at the shop I work at. This way you know the vehicle hasn't been damaged in transport and it's less likely you get some quick crap detail job that ends up looking okay but in direct sunlight has more holograms than a case of Upper Deck baseball cards.

After this first foam, spray the car with an iron remover and finish a wash. Next is clay and another wash and rinse. Depending on the condition of the paint you'll do a paint correction. We've actually had cars come in that needed complete wetsanding work (Jeep). These days if you are turned off by orange peel you'll definitely need to wetsand, as pretty much every manufacturer now has orange peel in their finished work.

After paint correction, you'll clean the car again, blow out all cracks and crevices and then it will be wiped down with an alcohol solution prior to application of ceramic coating.

Some ceramic coatings are a straight wipe on and wipe off process but some are more involved. i.e. Modesta must be wiped off in a certain time and cured with a heat lamp after. Whereas most will be a simple wipe on and wipe off process and you can do a whole hood as opposed to doing half and half to make dry time. Do not use the same towel as you wipe off, you'll want to use folds to keep the surface of the towel fresh.

Like others have said high spots are going to be your biggest errors when it comes to Ceramic Coatings. What you want to look for as your going over your work as the ceramic is drying is go over it with a very bright light and whatever looks like gas or oil sheen in water on your paint wipe off. High spots when they dry will look like haziness or cloudy paint. Once it's dry it's too late, high spots should be buffed out and ceramic reapplied to the panel.

Ceramic will not keep your paint from scratching or paint chips. It will protect from things like micro scratches that happen just washing the car. For me the benefits of a Ceramic Coating is it's a long term solution to replace waxing your vehicle every other week. You'll still spend a bunch of time cleaning it and you should avoid automatic washes with brushes. I will go through a touchless wash when it gets dirty and hand wash every other week generally. Ceramic Coatings must be routinely cleaned if you want it to maintain it's hydrophobic properties and glossiness. Most have yearly maintenance trips to keep your warranty and we'll use brand cleaners to rejuvenate the coating. Like Modesta has Smoke that is recommended to be applied every 6 months.

If you want protection from rock chips, that is Paint Protection Film (PPF). It's a cross between a vinyl wrap and phone protection. Application is not easy and I recommend going to a shop and asking to see some of their work up close before making a decision. PPF nowadays is starting in colors and patterns. I have XPEL Stealth on mine which will turn any paint into a satin/matte finish. It's also good to use on frosted factory paint to avoid scratches as the paint can not be corrected with buffing.

[oldguy00]

Easy to do yourself!

My process was:
1. Good foam wash
2. Iron remover
3. Wash again
4. Clay bar
5. Wash and dry
6. Light paint correction and polish with an adams polisher
7. Wash and dry
8. Applied Gyeon Mohs ceramic coating (very easy, lots of youtube vids)

Sounds like a lot but its not, and pretty darn easy. The polisher is a one time expense and the Gyeon Mohs is ~ $100.

[B58-M340iX]

Originally Posted by oldguy00

Easy to do yourself!

My process was:
1. Good foam wash
2. Iron remover
3. Wash again
4. Clay bar
5. Wash and dry
6. Light paint correction and polish with an adams polisher
7. Wash and dry
8. Applied Gyeon Mohs ceramic coating (very easy, lots of youtube vids)

Sounds like a lot but its not, and pretty darn easy. The polisher is a one time expense and the Gyeon Mohs is ~ $100.

The only thing I'd recommend in there is an IPA wipedown after the polishing step. Wash/dry may get it, too, but that's what many recommend.

[oldguy00]

Originally Posted by B58-M340iX

The only thing I'd recommend in there is an IPA wipedown after the polishing step. Wash/dry may get it, too, but that's what many recommend.

What do you dilute it to? And then, just spray on and wipe off?

Thx!

[Z K]

Originally Posted by Mason Hatcher

The dealer didn't tell him that. A detailer did.

Misread that part. That's even worse.

The detailer either doesn't know what he's doing or blew him off saying he can't be bothered to work on his new car. Either way, do not go back to this person.

[Z K]

Originally Posted by B58-M340iX

The only thing I'd recommend in there is an IPA wipedown after the polishing step. Wash/dry may get it, too, but that's what many recommend.

I usually do the wash rather than IPA wipe. A car wash and dry will get rid of the polishing oils.

IPA wipe down is more of a substitute for a car wash after polishing rather than a necessary step. If you don't want to wash the car before applying protection, then you can do an IPA wipe.

IPA wipe rather than washing saves time for some detailers because they usually go panel by panel when polishing with multiple stages. They IPA wipe the panel after completing a polishing stage and move on to the next stage. For home users who just 1 pass polish the whole car, washing is faster than IPA wiping each panel.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by bobs111

We are taking delivery of our new 2024 X5 50e which has BMW Individual Indianapolis Red.

I inquired at a couple local shops about quotes for Ceramic or PPF.

Based on some other post, I was thinking I could apply Adam's Graphene Products myself, but want to consider the professional detailers.

I was told by one of the professional detailers that on a new car, ceramic will not do anything, in fact "Only use ceramic on an older car to refresh the paint."

Is it risky for me to apply ceramic myself?
Will ceramic provide good protection of the Florida Sun and love bugs?
Car was assembled and painted two weeks ago Friday (1/12/24) , do I need to wait?

Thank you for sharing your expertise, as I am questioning the motives of the detailer that installs both ceramic and PPF only recommending PPF.
Thank you

Individual Indianapolis Red is a beautiful color and frankly considering that you made this investment and paid a premium for an Individual color you should consider one of the better PPF brands that also has a built-in hydrophobic top-coat like Xpel's Ultimate Fusion or Ceramic Pro's Kavaca and really protect your new X5.

https://www.xpel.com/ultimate-fusion...rotection-film

https://ceramicpro.com/kavaca/paint-...ic-coated-ppf/

[bobs111]

[QUOTE=Westside Guy;30847374]Individual Indianapolis Red is a beautiful color and frankly considering that you made this investment and paid a premium for an Individual color you should consider one of the better PPF brands that also has a built-in hydrophobic top-coat like Xpel's Ultimate Fusion or Ceramic Pro's Kavaca and really protect your new X5.

https://www.xpel.com/ultimate-fusion...rotection-film

https://ceramicpro.com/kavaca/paint-...ic-coated-ppf/

Thank you for the advice. She wanted red and we didn’t like the stock red/purple available.

Originally, we ordered Ruby Red, but by the time the order was submitted, it was no longer an option.

Unfortunately I am suspicious of detailers recommendations and motives which is why this forum is very valuable to me.
Thank you

[kssod]

I have done several cars with Kamikaze ISM, after proper prep etc. Great stuff. I also have used Gyeon CanCoat, a very very easy to apply, 6month protectant. Check out Esoteric Car care for advice and videos.