Ceramic Coating Myths, Lies, and Misconceptions

Do coatings really last a decade? How hard is a coating to install? Today I'm going to share my top ten list of coating myths, lies and misconceptions. You'll find out exactly what I think about UV protection and even learn my biggest pet peeve about coatings. Have a favorite misconception or think something might be a myth? Let's talk about it down in the comments!
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Wolfgang PROFI Ceramic - amzn.to/3NhWA9y
Carpro CQuartz UK 3.0 - amzn.to/48fDs4V
BLACKFIRE Ceramic Black - amzn.to/3aC3N1P
DP CR2 Ceramic Coating - amzn.to/479VOVh
Compare prior wax test results: dmitrysgarage.com/wax
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You don't have to purchase the specific items I'm linking to in order to help the channel at no added cost to you!
00:00 Introduction
00:21 Ceramic Products Are Hard To Install
01:00 Ceramic Coatings Are Diamond Hard
02:23 Coatings Stop Rock Chips, Swirls & Scratches
03:30 You Don't Have To Wash Your Car Anymore
03:53 You Must Boost Coatings Regularly
05:13 Support Dmitry's Garage
05:25 Coatings Must Last For Decades
05:58 Coatings Block UV Light
07:04 Coatings Are Required For A Show Car Finish
07:37 Ceramic Coatings Are A Great Investment
08:34 Coatings Make All Other Products Obsolete
#ceramiccoating #graphenecoating #detailing #autodetailing #cardetailing

[@mangajack]

To be honest, these products are created to scalp your pocket primarily....yes they do work at making things shinier for a period, but so does plain wax. You can not say that 1 ounce of ceramic coating is expensive to make, but they charge out as if it is liquid diamonds...it is not, it is just a mixture of chemicals that forms a nano barrier. If you like the extreme shine then empty your pockets to those profiting solely on your penchance for bling.

[@franceseyrich4870]

I just need to know if 3 ceramics coatings worth it. I liked your video.

[@brandonbriscoe4712]

I knew a guy that ceramic coated his car then would take it through the carwash tubes... AND then was surprised that it had swirls in it... amazing...!

[@PanTheOrganizer]

I enjoyed your video Dmitry! You covered a lot of great points I often remind my viewers of. Good job! 👍🏻

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks Pan, definitely appreciate you watching the video! Hopefully we can both continue to educate where we can :-)

[@deactb59]

Pan the Organizer, so true

[@bengalmonte1778]

Did Pan just get paid for his comment? Not a fan of Pan, unless it has eggs in it.

[@rustyshaklferd1897]

I’ve always relied on your opinion. I’ve used armor shield IV for 8ish years on many cars. I’m due to reapply . It’s been 3 years and still offers 70% performance. What are your top 3 graphene coatings ? Top 3 ceramic coatings? Which do you recommend and what are your top 3-5 coatings for graphene and ceramic?

[@bmwlane8834]

Ben....do you think he gives a crap what a loser thinks?

[@williamfrench9973]

Great video - thanks for taking the time and for sharing your insight

[@nickolaic978]

Thanks Dmitry! Always enjoy your videos and learn something everytime. Keep them coming!

[@DmitrysGarage]

Appreciate the kind words, I have a bunch more I want to put out soon :-), just busy holiday times with family and friends.

[@HoosierDaddyDetailing]

Excellent topics Dmitry.. thanks for putting this together.

[@DmitrysGarage]

My pleasure! Always great hearing from ya.

[@ShineAndPreserveDetailing]

Great video Dmitry! Glad to hear your thoughts again. I can’t wait for new videos in 2024

[@DmitrysGarage]

More to come and thank you :)

[@cgallahar]

I'm in complete support of videos like this and helping keep expectations in check for the coatings. Are they legitimate technologies? Absolutely. Does the marketing give irresponsible expectations? Absolutely.

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks Chris! Hope you don't mind I used part of our interview. I think the products today are incredible, I just get frustrated when people make crazy claims. Plus it causes customer confusion where a portion of the customers expect unrealistic things and another portion is so jaded they think every breakthrough in technology is a scam. Sorry I missed you at SEMA, hopefully we'll cross paths soon :-)!

[@josevargas1897]

Great video! Thank you for taking the time for this topic. The more I learn about coatings, I can of get to the same conclusions that you mentioned.

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks for watching!

[@abzdadon74]

I love the way you explain things, how you do your camera work. I watch all your b9 content aswell. You definetly outclass all the other youtubers with the way you portray your videos. Camera angles, explanation ect. Just come across your website and I can see its exactly how I imagined it to be. Very well structured. Your s4 build story is also amazing on the website. Keep doing your thing. If you was in the UK I would have most definitely come to your for any mechanical work. 💯

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thank you for the kind comments! I really appreciate your viewership.

[@mmgwave]

Hey, love your Vonixx series & love your videos always very informative. I’m patiently waiting for your review on Vonixx V-Paint pro!

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks! Im a big fan of all the Vonixx kit. I may be waiting for a new special something to test :-)

[@soapa4279]

No lies in this video, all great points

[@kangwang288]

I really enjoyed your video! Keep it up

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thank you!

[@richardseem7948]

Awesome video and content brother

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks my friend, always awesome to hear from you!

[@still-DJ]

Everything you stated was true. I am in favor of topping coatings only due to the harsh weather conditions in Arizona. I would like more info on the UV protection factors. When it comes to UV protection on tires I do see a noticeable difference, especially when it comes to sidewall life in the heat. That's why I use the Renew Protect tire coating product line with UV protection. It does keep my RV and truck tires from sun rotting. I only recoat once a year. Great video.

[@t.alexdawson118]

I recently purchased a 2023 Infiniti QX80 and I will be keeping this vehicle for at least 6-8yrs, so I was looking to get PPF done on the front and ceramic coating the rest of the vehicle. But, after a little research, I am really contemplating just doing PPF on the entire front end to protect against rock chips.

[@macallanvintage]

The 1st thing about coatings I tell my customers: “Its just an ultra high-end version of a car wax that remains on the paintwork for a much longer time. How fantastic it is depends on country, climate, car usage culture and how often its washed. If its insufficiently washed, you’re back in square one”.

[@bengalmonte1778]

OK, so great video and information! Pretty much how I feel also, this is how I teach my clients when getting a ceramic coating. I personally don't upsell coatings, I leave it to the client to choose.

[@oliverthorne1653]

I am not a pro detailer by no means but I've been taking care of my cars and some others ever since I was a teenager. I've learned a lot and I'm a senior citizen now. People have suggested that I do this for a living in my time and I've had detailers compliment my work. I just enjoy mine and sometimes others. I think this video is very informative . I don't get into as much of the science but I understand a lot of it. I found interesting when you said who keeps the car 10 years. You are going to generally do regular maintenance and whether you use basic straight off Walmart shelf or pro line sealant it's going to look good. Coatings does not prevent rock chips and things of that nature. Every little bit helps. A PPF is your biggest deterrent for this. Sorry I'm so long winded but you nailed it very easy to understand.👏😎

[@Inpreesme]

This is what I say whenever it comes to a product or item that isn’t a must have. The pricing of the product is often driven by the saying “Are you selling the product or are you buying the product” ? Dealer Installers opinions don’t weigh as heavily in my opinion because well they’re trying to sell the stuff, an installer that is a trying to sell you the product I feel will be more truthful as to the quality of the product and reasons for purchasing the product. Thank you this is very helpful I’m taking delivery on the 2024 Corvette in a few months and this is a big part of the thought process on what I’m gonna do with it right off the truck

[@whitetrash3468]

110% right i wash car for a living and we love Adams

[@ericwright1075]

This is a really good video. Right on.🇨🇦👍👍

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thank you! Appreciate the kind comments.

[@7yrsbadluck]

Great video! Around me, some shops definitely sell coatings as a get it and forget. Coating will last X years and it will protect from scratches, bugs, rain, etc. but, as you mentioned, of course the coating will look like it will last if you’re sucked into a maintenance where it’s topped every 6-12 months. At that point, why not just go with a sealant and save hundreds. My wife and I got new cars 6 months apart last year. Hers was coated and ppf. Shop installed a 4 year ceramic pro. After winter, the hydrophobics are gone. It’s “clogged” or “masked”. So I have to deal with that this spring. My car, I just used a sealant every 2-3 months as needed. Side by side, you couldn’t really tell or feel which car was ceramic coated. I wash both cars on a weekly/bi-weekly basis at home, even during the winter. If I had to do it again, I would just stick with PPF and a good sealant.

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks! Yea it's silly some of these shops do that. You can try a decon to see if the coating will come back to life, there may be a chance. Both types of products work well, just depends on the preference, there are PPF friendly products so I could see going that route.

[@jamiehernandez4378]

I completely agree collision specialist for 30 years I use different products for different situations.

[@GacGacGacGac]

LOL 10 years " no one keeps their car that long" ... That is so wrong. I do appreciate the info in the vid. I was looking into a ceramic coating on my new pick up. The new pick up is replacing my last one which I've had for 30 years. I think I'll just wax it.

[@lewisreinhold6398]

That was terrific! I agree with it all

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks!

[@boskosdoghouse]

I love the fact you talked about options...many sealants are still a great option.

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks! I totally agree that there are a ton of great options like sealants.

[@sheepstardetail]

Excellent video. I’ve said multiple times that the myth around product durability and chemical resistance as so fundamentally flawed. I’ve shown real world durability versus chemical resistance and how vast the different results are, but many popular detailing KZbinrs still use chemical resistance as a guide for real world durability. Curious to hear your thoughts on it, as you do one of the more normal versions of chemical resistance testing with just using a basic wash. I find your method far more plausible if still not exact (Mother Nature is the hardest on LSPs) compared to others. I just can bring myself to conduct so many washes for a video. Again, great video!

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks for the kind comments. I do think most chem resistance tests are a bit unrealistic as they dont represent what most products experience. The reason I like my largely abrasion based testing (with simple shampoo for lube), is that it is consistent and represents a simple wash. True environmental tests can be really cool, but nature varies for everyone by region and day to day. Thanks for watching!

[@cindykeselowski899]

Dmitry, interesting video but still anxiously awaiting your review of Cerakote ceramic paint sealant?!

[@DmitrysGarage]

Hey Cindy! It's definitely coming :), you and about 5 others ask me for that one a lot. I'm totally done with the existing batch of filmed vids, so the next batch I film will 100% have it :)

[@cindykeselowski899]

Still waiting ​@@DmitrysGarage

[@MelissafromBelgium]

It's very interesting to hear what you've said. Our new car is coming. We can get a glass coating. But after that, with which product do I wash my car? I don't want any wax our so in it.

[@sackalzement]

Thanks for the informative video. I'm currently looking into coatings for a new car. I was highly recommended borophene by a detailer who's been in the business for decades. It's fairly new and not a lot of info is out there. Any thoughts on borophene? Thanks!

[@elevatedshine]

No lies detected. All true statements

[@freddrune8315]

Great video.

[@macallanvintage]

Detailing since 2003. First in my country to use Matrix Micro Coatings (USA) back in 2006 when coatings started to appear. On my own cars washed 3 times weekly (due to tropical rainy dusty climate), they are only treated with spray-type GRIOTS 3-in-1 (green liquid) once every month. Absolutely no staining, cars always look great and saves me lots of money. Most fantastic part is, such un-coated surfaces remain perfectly polishable and if i do need to use a machine to remove any residual marks from tree sap etc, Im not damaging/degrading a layer of real coating. I just polish, IPA and then. respray my Griots and allow 24hr curing. Cheap, practical, sensible.

[@user-ri3bf4or5y]

Great video Dmitry. It talks in real world terms. I'm one who keeps applying a topper in effort to prolong my coating. I'm 66 and it's quite a bit of work to perform all the necessary steps prior to applying a coating so I want to keep it in good shape for as long as I can. Keep up the good work you do for the detailing world.

[@Teleman01]

Lighting is everything with the ceramic coating. Along with prep. But you do have to see what you're doing and if you missed any spots as far as leveling. And that can be hard if you don't have good lighting.

[@404notfound.....]

1st from Canada 🇨🇦

[@matthewbarker8864]

Found your video trying to educate myself on coatings. Wondering if you'd care to venture a guess on whether a coating is a good choice for me. I am buying a new Pilot Trailsport in the sky blue pearl color. Not really an enthusiest car but a sharp looking rig. It will be our family hauler but only see ~8k miles/yr. Hopefully keep it ~10 yrs. Live in new england. We want to have a garage built soon but at the moment it will be in the driveway (nothing above). I absolutely do appreciate a good looking car and would love to have the kind of shine that makes one wonder how it looks so good, but heres the rub: I do not have the time or interest to keep applying products of any sort to a vehicle at this point in my life. A few hand washes per year is about all it will get in warm months, and some touchless car washes to remove salt as needed in the cold ones. So i'm looking for a lazy mans way of making washing easier and generally keeping it looking above average over the years. Reality is by the time we plan to sell it, it will be worth so little i have no expectation ill get the $1500-$2k back that i'm being quoted for coatings, but i could see myself extracting that sort of value out of its appearance... If its actually going to make a meaningful difference for my situation. If washing is as easy as some report it to be i could see myself upping the frequency if the results are rewarding... But this car will not see a clay bar from my hand anyway- been there and done that as a much younger person with more time on my hands. Zero patience or time for such things now. Does it sound like coating is a good choice for me or would i be better off keeping the $$ in my pocket and using it for a professional wash+ wax after the mud dries up each spring instead?

[@DmitrysGarage]

The issue I see is that touch-less washes typically use very alkaline detergents to remove contaminants during the wash. This will impact the life span of most coatings depending on how harsh the detergent is. So I would personally look towards a nice spray product you can apply easily. Wolfgang Uber SiO2 is nice, just watch for high spots on wipe off. Turtle Wax Seal N Shine is really good too if you want something super easy to use. Renegade Graphene Spray was quite nice as well in a recent test. Otherwise you could go for a coating, but I wouldn't spend thousands on it. I would do a 1 step paint correction and a commercial coating like Adams or similar, or a dealer only coating if you can get a reasonable price on it. There are detailers around here that offer packages like this in the sub $1000 range, some as low as $500. This won't be a full multi-stage correction obviously, but you also won't be spending a ton of money on something you can't reasonably maintain.

[@matthewbarker8864]

Thanks for your time!

[@ravinwonderland]

Hi Dmitry! big fan here, would you recommend that I apply sealant every month or two religiously over getting a ceramic coating?

[@DmitrysGarage]

I think it depends on how you wash the car, your goals, and if you are able to diy or not vs the cost of a pro install. I like coatings on daily driven cars, they really save a ton of time spent reapplying sealants. However, im able to do it myself so cost is minimal (i already own the gear) and i hand wash my cars. On the other hand if you tunnel wash (touch or touchless) you will wreck a coating more rapidly and the touch wash will swirl the paint quickly so all that polishing work is down the drain especially if you paid for it. You can also polish and use sealants. Sealants are great for people who dont have time to hand wash or to pay for hand washes, also they’re cheaper and great if you love applying them.

[@rustyshaklferd1897]

I’ve used armor shield IV for 8ish years on many cars. I’m due to reapply . It’s been 3 years and still offers 70% performance. What are your top 3 graphene coatings ? Top 3 ceramic coatings? Which do you recommend and what are your top 3-5 coatings for graphene and ceramic?

[@DmitrysGarage]

I've not played with the Armor Shield IV, but the IX I wasn't a fan of. I have my list of coatings I've tested with the new test here: dmitrysgarage.com/wax On that page there's also a link to the old tests. In the description I also listed some of the favorites :).

[@larrysing]

The only minor pick I have is about toppers. Toppers are the “sacrificial layer” that help to keep your coating performing longer on the car. If you use toppers, your coating will last longer. For cost, of course never using toppers is better. Just put a $75 coating on your car every year LOL.

[@DmitrysGarage]

I agree that toppers absolutely can protect the coating and I don't have anything against them in principle if you like the practice, enjoy the looks, etc... I just don't like that a company can claim X years on a product, but then the caveat is that it only "works" if you layer something else over it. Furthermore, I think it takes away from the purported claims of what coatings are supposed to do. If I'm happy with the look and feel of the sealant, and toppers are almost all silica or polymer/silica blend sealants these days, then an even better argument may be to not use a coating at all. Just apply the topper every X washes same way you would any other silica spray. All that being said, I do have experience with multi-year coatings that work fine without ever using a topper. I have nearly a year on my Corvette now, the Adam's Graphene Advanced still beads as good as it did brand new, I don't see it disappearing in the next two months as the year wraps. I have had the older Adam's graphene on the Audi since I got it, part of it had to be redone due to someone rear-ending me, but the front half of the car still has original coating for several years now. My truck had the same spray graphene coating almost the entire time I had it (had cquk on it for a few months at the start), never wore off and that's one of the cheap/easy ones.

[@larrysing]

@@DmitrysGarage I agree that they should not per se caveat their longevity claims with toppers. But- many products rely on aftercare for longevity. Any nice wood product. Your car’s engine needs new oil. Your roof needs new shingles. Anything that needs maintenance to work longer is similar to a coating that needs a topper for maintenance, is it not? Isn’t a car manufacturer saying you’ll get 75,000 miles out of an engine if you change your oil similar? Or if you clean & moisten your leather seats & let them maintain moisture, that they’ll stay new longer? I don’t think it’s a terrible crime to say “maintain our coating & it will last longer.” Many other products are that way. Love your channel, keep testing & giving us good info, thanks sir!

[@DmitrysGarage]

I think if this is made very clear up front then it's largely ok. We all know cars need new oil, and heck even new coatings/waxes. We just don't think of buying an oil and then reading the fine print that it needs some additive so it really works for 6,000 or 10,000 miles. We expect if it says long life oil that it's a long life oil. Oil is a wear component. If the coating says it lasts 3 years it should last 3 years without need for boosters being sneaked into a TOS, fine print, or just straight up told to a customer who complains after the fact. If a company is being clear about their expectations I think that's fine, I may think the product isn't very good. I'd sure consider an oil pretty bad if it needed additives to work for an industry acceptable length of time.

[@tier1detailing]

there's no point in getting a ceramic coating if you're going to constantly apply sealant (I refuse to use the marketing buzzword "topper")

[@larrysing]

@@tier1detailingIt’s a personal choice & philosophy. Neither is wrong.

[@btbd2785]

From what I have read and spoken to both Renegade Products and Owners Pride, they both have self-healing coatings that actually do work. OP has their OP X that is heat activated self-healing and.both apparently, very resistant to marring, scratches, scuffing . One company and I can't remember who they were; apparently, they said that their coating is so strong and will go head to head with PPF!!

[@DmitrysGarage]

That would definitely be the holy grail of coatings. Ill look at those to see what they’re claiming in a bit, but those would be pretty extreme claims to attempt to go head to head with ppf. Ppf is massively thicker than ceramic coatings. While ive seen coatings be able to handle some very light marring ive never seen it do what ppf can do due to the very thin layer involved. Definitely curious to check those out. Keep in mind in that ppf clip i showed im using a steel brush and cutting deep. Im not making light superficial surface swirls.

[@btbd2785]

@DmitrysGarage yeah I agree! regarding the.dyatrment about comparing a coating vs PPF

[@micd9256]

I’d be skeptical of a company like Owners Pride. Self-healing is a fallacy when it comes to ceramic coatings. Just imagine if your coating properties changed every time the vehicle surface heated under the sun. That constant change of state required for a solid to heal would destroy the bond over a short period of time. Not to mention the constant expansion/contraction that would take place. PPF works because it’s a thick flexible plastic and scratches are more like depressions in the surface that the PPF responds to by returning to its original non-depressed state. Coatings are too thin and too hard to exhibit that behavior and still maintain their bond.

[@speedyvedo99]

Hey Dimitry, do you have any interest in finding a fix to the drone on these aftermarket exhaust B9 S4s? Would like to see your process

[@DmitrysGarage]

To be honest it's probably a bit outside the scope of what I do. I think it would take me a lot of trial and error I'm not up for. I wish Corsa would consider making us an exhaust, I've never not loved their stuff.

[@machogy15]

At no point did you come across as angry :) I have very little experience with ceramic coatings or PPF. I do care about washing my car and am careful when I do but I'm also not really setup to do a proper paint correction or ceramic myself and not willing to spend the kind of money it would cost me to have it done professionally. Personally I'd rather put that money into performance mods. I have heard a lot of these myths though so I appreciate you going through those.

[@DmitrysGarage]

Glad to hear I didn’t get too angry/ranty haha. I think it is very reasonable to decide not to go with a coating if that is not a job you wanna do yourself and you don’t get enough enjoyment out of the result. If I had a thousand bucks and could either save it towards mods or pay someone to correct and coat my car, Id probably save it towards mods too.

[@herewegoagain7403]

What’s the best way to block uv then, ppf?

[@ArthurMSoto]

Do you believe window tint blocks uv 🤔 curious what you think since I’ve saw you do a bit of testing in this area

[@DmitrysGarage]

I suspect it likely can due to the thickness and need to resist yellowing/fading

[@Stolencamaro]

💯 truth. Good wax will always look better to me. For a few days.. 😂

[@cebasmb8250]

Hahahha 😅 im glad i come across this this video and most people i tell them is a BIG BS... why put coating on a car then go and put sealant makes no sense i even say this to pan the organizer and they keep saying to boost the coating i wish i can cuss out loud their might be a lot of people they can foul and have those people flowing them alone to buy everything they used..... i just hate it that they them self doesn't even know what they're talking about i coat my truck with a one year coating and going above 8 months now still looking good. Because i do maintain it good and never yet add a sealant to it. But these so call themselves detailer tell people to apply sealant after every 2 to 3 wash BS to much to say lol i love this video keep them coming

[@DmitrysGarage]

Glad you enjoyed the video! I think that there are a lot of products out there today and the marketing is all over the place. There is nothing wrong with just using a good sealant or a short term coating. There are also some good high durability and longevity coatings out there that will last for multiple years without any sealants. However, there is just so much marketing and so much confusion that without testing it can be hard to tell what actually works well or not.

[@eyeswideopen777]

Sure makes real world sense!

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks!

[@heavyd777]

According to Scotty Kilmer, the idea of the waterless car wash came from Asia where people living in Condominium buildings didn't have access to a car wash or their are water restrictions. They needed to wash their cars without water.

[@hamzakhalil9880]

Hey Dmitry, I just bought a brand new black car and I'm looking to apply ceramic coating on my car. PPF is out of my budget but I wanna know if Ceramic Coating is a good option? The other option is using a black wax. What do you recommend?

[@DmitrysGarage]

I think it depends on what you want from the product, how you plan to wash your car, and who's doing the installation. If this is a daily driven car people typically like coatings since they offer good looks and long term durability, but I generally recommend them for people who plan to or already hand wash their vehicles.

[@hamzakhalil9880]

@@DmitrysGarage What do you mean by hand washing the vehicle?

[@DmitrysGarage]

@@hamzakhalil9880 Washing it by hand and not an automatic/machine wash.

[@hamzakhalil9880]

Yes I wash my vehicle myself using a pressure washer. I’m gonna go with Ceramic Coating then. I had one more question though. How often should someone apply a Ceramic booster spray on a ceramic coated car? Is it safe to apply it after every wash?

[@douglashouck6556]

Not sure about your comment on UV protection from ceramic coatings as there was little evidence given one way or the other. Not sure gow much it matters as the topcoat provides UV protection itself. More important on use over plastics. Good discussion.

[@DmitrysGarage]

The clear coat does provide the vast majority of the UV protection. What I was referring to is past testing I've done in other videos where I used equipment to show that damaging UV light is not being blocked by coatings and waxes. I did however demonstrate that clear coat absolutely does block damaging UV light.

[@CarRepairsMadeSimple]

I think it’s annoying how retailers tell you that your car MUST be washed, chemically and physically decontaminated with an iron remover and clay bar, and lastly polished just to apply ceramic coating. Sure the coating might last a little longer doing it this way, but you can still get the same protection without all that unnecessary prep work. That wouldn’t make these companies and detailers as much money, so of course they’ll say you need to do all these things. But in reality, you’re doing more damage to your paint by removing your clear coat which is the only thing protecting your car from UV rays. If you ask anybody in the paint industry, not to be confused with the detailing industry, they’ll tell you to never polish your car unless it absolutely needs it, and for the same reasons I just mentioned. But hey, if you dont plan on owning a car more than 10 years old and looks are the #1 priority, then by all means go for it. What I’ll do twice a year is wash my car with a wax-free car soap and use a spray on ceramic coating afterwards, which takes 10 minutes and gives my car tons of protection and looks great. Something like Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Coating cost only $15 and gives amazing performance for the price.

[@DmitrysGarage]

I agree that coatings are used by shops as a way to upsell polishing. They will point out things like not being able to warranty and that you wont get the same level of longevity and looks. I agree with you that you can get a lot of the performance of a coating on an imperfect substrate. Some reasons you might want to polish include maximizing looks, nothing gives as much gloss as polishing. This is why they will rightly point out your car (especially one with a few years of use) will not look as good. Furthermore the cost of a true coating is higher than something like the Turtle Wax you’re using, which I agree is a good easy to use product. With the cost and somewhat increased effort of applying something like Adams Advanced Ceramic (vs your Turtle Wax Spray) you may want to give your car a polish too so you can experience the looks we talked about and also knowing you have maximized durability/longevity/performance. You definitely dont want to polish excessively. Totally agree your clear coat is what saves the base from UV. Much depends on how much you cut. Light finishing polish is very fine grit, it only removes a very thin layer. So as an example I have lost count how many times I have polished my test hood. It must be over 100. It only got one heavy cut to knock down some of the junkyard scratches where possible. Since then it has been cut lightly. Same as I do with a car I buy, first polish is the most dangerous, after that you’re just massaging it to maintain the look. I also very rarely see autobody guys that deliver a good final polish. On that note, hand painted body parts have VERY thick clear coats, humans cant paint like robots. Also paint depth gauges are a good tool that pros should be using. Another good example is the video I did at SEMA with the Vonixx team, they showed sanding and polishing a panel to showcase their new polishing product. They ran that demo probably 8 times a day and on the last day I saw it there was still clear left. I even got a turn at messing it up and polishing it. The point is you have to also know what you’re doing. I respect autobody guys massively. I can’t paint like them for the life of me. That being said they are related, but different fields. It’s not really fair to take an autobody guy’s take on detailing as gospel just like it would be a mistake to take my advice on fixing a wrecked car as gospel.

[@CarRepairsMadeSimple]

@@DmitrysGarage you make an excellent point on how far polishing has come. I didn’t realize newer finishing polishes remove such a thin amount of clear coat. I agree if you’re using a high end coating that costs hundreds of dollars for just 1 bottle, it would only make sense to do a polish to maximize your investment and get the best looks to. Would using only a finishing polish be good enough for maximizing a ceramic coatings lifespan and protective abilities? And would you still recommend doing a polish on an old 20+ year old car with hundreds of thousands of miles on it? It seems whenever I watch a video of someone applying a ceramic coating, it’s always on a nearly new vehicle. And I guess I was also trying to point out if the paint already looks good to begin with, a polish shouldn’t be necessary. I suppose it all depends on each individuals goals and how much money they’re willing to spend, and I respect everyone’s decision! I just disagree with the misleading money grabbing advice people give. Thanks for responding and I’ll be sure to check out your SEMA video

[@DmitrysGarage]

The level of polishing needed would definitely depend on current paint condition and expectations. If you're just trying to give a smooth substrate then a decontamination and a light finishing polish will generally accomplish that and work well to just apply the coating. Many detailers even sell a quickie 1-step light polish + coating for hundreds not thousands of dollars. Past that it's more for optimizing looks, seeing how much you can polish out scratches, wet sanding as needed, etc... The big part of the skill here is knowing what you can and can't safely fix. I have polished older cars as well, typically they have thicker paint assuming it was multi-stage paint with clear coat, new car paint is getting thinner and thinner. For example I had some great results with the '96 240sx I had. bit.ly/dg240sx I think ceramic coatings are also more popular with newer cars, because older folks tend to be interested in classic/older cars and younger folks tend to be more interested in newer technologies like ceramics. You can certainly ceramic coat an older car's clear coat. Polishing overall is definitely a personal choice, you can skip it, spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars doing it. I think a good detailer should understand their customer's end goals or help guide the customer to figuring out what they want to do rather than insisting everyone has to get a thousand dollar paint correction first.

[@Mike-Rxtx]

I am getting a 5 year ceramic coating on my truck, however, i work in a dirty environment. there is no way possible for me to keep up with keeping the truck clean after 12-16 hour shifts, so I subscribe to car washes. Is this ok to do with the ceramic coating?

[@DmitrysGarage]

You mean like a tunnel wash or a touch-less tunnel wash? Touch-less is better than touch from a swirl perspective. Touch-less and some touch tunnels often use pretty alkaline detergents to break dirt loose. Those are likely your break down the coating over time. Is it better than not washing? Yes. If you can find a hand wash subscription thats better, but i know how much time that can kill in waiting around too. It is what it is with trucks sometimes.

[@Mike-Rxtx]

@@DmitrysGarage It is a tunnel wash and not touchless, unfortunately where I live it is all that's available. I guess my question is, with me using this method to clean the truck, is it worth doing PPF on the front grill and a ceramic coating on the rest? ( this was my intentions for all my highway driving) and then maybe in 5 years I can do the paint correction and recoat it again?

[@DmitrysGarage]

PPF on the front will help with rock chips, so that's not a bad idea if you want to avoid chips. You would typically ceramic coat the PPF as well. As far as doing future corrections this depends on your tolerance for swirls from the tunnel wash. Even hand washes impart swirls over time and I generally expect a car you want to maintain a very nice finish on to need correction every few years, especially if the paint is soft (like my vette's). The tunnel is likely to wreck any correction you do now rapidly. I would say if you're paying someone to do it, don't spend the money on a pricey multi-stage correction and just get a one step quickie polish.

[@Dee--Jay]

I keep my car 10 years. I mean i did ultimately got another one so i have 2. Matter of fact, i bought it in 2011. a 09 impala SS. 2023, I still got it and it still look brand new. Inside and out

[@DmitrysGarage]

That's fair, some people do keep their cars. However, if you drive them you will have small swirls and scratches from washes and just life on the road. So ultimately if you want to maintain truly new looks you'll have to at least occasionally polish which will require a re-coat.

[@Dee--Jay]

@@DmitrysGarage That's true. My car has some small swirl marks. Especially when you look at it up close but from 5 ft away, you can't see them at all. I did polish it 3 years ago. I'm okay with it because the car still maintains its gloss. As long as it's not heavily swirled up then I'm good. It gets washed either every week or every other week. And thanks to your videos, it give me an idea on what kind of protection I want to put on it. I really don't like coatings because I get bored since it lasts so long And I like trying new products out but I do want something that last and they're 3 to 6 months range

[@DmitrysGarage]

Yea and that's kind of what I was getting at as far as polishing. I'm sure it still looks good after 3 years, but you probably will want to do it again before 10. That was one of my main points with the coatings that you likely won't want to keep it for that long even if you keep the car. I think coatings aren't necessarily for everyone and I totally understand getting bored. There are quite a few products that should last months. I'm very happy with stuff like Wolfgang Uber SiO2 Silica Spray or even something simple like Gyeon Q2 Wax.

[@kylesinclair203]

So a question for you…. I’m older, & have waxed more than my share of cars in the past. I have a ‘16 Dodge Challenger dark grey, that’s in pretty good shape. It had a dealer installed treatment that still beads when driven through the car wash. (I know, that’s bad, but I’m over the 4+ hours of work) …. So finally to my question…. If I don’t do all the polishing & clay bar work (ie prepping) & I put on a spray silicone (like Adam’s) will it look good, or horrible…… Signed, tired older lazy golfer… 😂

[@kylesinclair203]

And to clarify, I’m not looking for a show car kinda finish, just a nice look & protection for my car…. Thanks in advance

[@AndrewTa530]

Wayyyyyy better than Pan the shill!

[@RossiB172]

I sometimes wonder why on your everyday car would you care so much about the shine unless its somwthing special you keep inside

[@peterdejoseph5197]

I'm in a disagreement with a guy say his coating doesn't have to wash his RV for 5 to 7 years he was told. I told him bull crap they pulled his leg. He believes this.

[@DmitrysGarage]

Yea unfortunately those myths really cling on and some people still sell that way. It might look nicer a bit longer with the coating, but it wont remain clean.

[@alexvaliansky7707]

I kept my last vehicle for twenty-three and a half years. Unfortunately, it got totaled. Otherwise, I would still be driving it.

[@CyFi6]

Ceramic Products Are Hard To Install: I thought that professional installers use coatings that require more professional application including different cure times, UV light curing and temperature. I never thought that the DIY coatings were hard to install but I thought the professional ones were, the ones that work better and are not easily DIY. You Don't Have To Wash Your Car Anymore: I thought the myth was that your paint will be more durable and less likely to degrade over time due to lack of washing, not that the car wouldn't get dirty with a coating. From my understanding ceramic coatings protect the paint better which means unlike a traditional wax they don't have to be reapplied as frequently to get the same benefits over the long run. In turn neglecting your car due to not washing will be less harmful on it over time than if you didn't coat it. You Must Boost Coatings Regularly: I thought the myth was that boosters extend the life of the ceramic coating beyond the life claimed by the manufacturer. Makes the coating last even longer or makes it more likely to last the claimed time in harsh conditions. Hey Dmitri I really love your channel and appreciate this video! I wanted to provide some perspective from the average consumer end and see what you think. Are the myths I listed above actually myths or truths? I think these are the marketing claims impression on me I just don't know if they are true.

[@DmitrysGarage]

Hey, thanks for the thoughtful reply. I think there are so many angles to these products due to the complexity, expectations, marketing, and individual use cases. The stuff you listed I think can be both myths and truths. Marketing is so strong in the detailing world that it's really tough to not have it affect you. Difficulty: Some ceramic products do have complicated curing times, are more tacky and difficult to flash/remove correctly, and those can be hard to use. Most indeed are dealer/installer only products and not sold to consumers over usual distribution channels. However, in general I do not find ceramics hard to use, including pro products I've gotten my hands on. The higher the solids concentration the more difficult the products can be to use, but again it's not the application itself that tends to be hard for the vast majority of products I've played with, it's the prep work. I suspect most of the super complicated pro coatings are not significantly better than the simpler products or even consumer DIY ones. Furthermore coatings were heavily marketed as a dealer/installer only technologies, because it was a terrific way to get the general public interested in paint correction. Hardcore enthusiasts have known about polishing paint for a long time, but paint correction as a coating "requirement" was a brand new way to sell the service to the average enthusiast. So there is an advantage in having lines of mystery dealer-only products that consumers can't get on amazon. Otherwise the customer is more likely to just buy the same bottle on amazon and go for it without any prep. Car Washing: You are correct in your understanding of how coatings work to improve car washing. They are very hydrophobic, they help make the wash easier, they do keep the paint a bit less dirty by being so hydrophobic over the same exposure compared to a normal wax. The fact that you don't have to keep re-waxing also helps too. There are a lot of different myths, but the one I focused on was specifically that the car just needs a rinse or that the rain will wash it. I hear this a lot from people that are just getting interested in nice cars. I've had multiple personal friends float this theory just over the last few months and I see it online constantly. It usually goes like this: "I got my new car coated at XYZ Detail Shop, so now I'm thinking I can just hose it off once a week and then drive really fast down the road to dry it right?" ... "What did XYZ tell you to do?" ... "Get it hand washed, but I thought..." ... "No sorry, you can't just rinse the car off with a hose and then drive to to dry it....." Boosting: As with washing above, boosting has various myths around it. In my case I was focused more on the lie/misconception angle than myth. Boosters absolutely will extend the life of your coating by acting as yet another layer that must wear off. You're literally just adding protection on top of protection. However, if your coating is supposed to last for 3 years and it won't last 6 months without being boosted, I call shenanigans. There are coatings that perform very well without any boosters/toppers and I expect a quality coating to do that. Installers or products that won't back their warranty without the use of a booster are in my opinion lying about the quality of their products. I also wonder why not just use a silica spray sealant full time then? If you're ok with taking the time to re-seal your car every few months (boosters are nearly all just silica/polymer sealants) why spend the money on the coating? You could have the car paint corrected then just use your favorite sealant. That's what people did for ages before coatings and many still do. As I mentioned in the difficulty section above, paint correction only became synonymous with coatings recently. One of the greatest purported benefits of coatings is the durability and lower overall maintenance compared to having to re-seal all the time. Love having these kind of discussions, and appreciate you watching the videos :).

[@CyFi6]

@@DmitrysGarage this really helps me and everything you said makes total sense. Maybe I'll start doing PPF>ceramic>booster>carnauba 😂 now to figure out what to protect the carnauba with! Marketing is so strong in detailing I think because it's so hard to prove the claims and easy to believe them.

[@DmitrysGarage]

Exactly. The marketing for detailing products is out of control. There are so many brands and products. Anyone can white label products and start a new brand tomorrow. So there is a lot of fluff, FUD, and sometimes straight up lies.

[@0togtr811]

It's seems that these detailing shops are turning to talking the customer out of ceramic coating and more to ppf, more money in ppf then coatings I guess.

[@DmitrysGarage]

I'm not surprised, because PPF is the latest craze and it has a potential to be highly lucrative for installers. The issue in detailing cars for a living is racking up high paying jobs so that your hours spent working are very profitable. The average customer used to want essentially a hand car wash. Some wanted a decon, paint correction, high end wax/sealant, etc... but those were the higher end customers/enthusiasts. Then coatings came along and became really hot where every owner of a sports/luxury car and fledgling car enthusiasts suddenly wanted high end detailing work done. Coatings became synonymous with paint correction and paint correction is big money. That's a lot of work you can bill for, you can spend hours, days or hell even a week cleaning up a car if the owner has the pockets for it. When you think about it, PPF is even better. You can do all the same prep work and then even more hours for the PPF install. The coating install itself was the fast part of the job, PPF isn't that fast. You now are pushing customers to spend as much as $2-5K or even more vs. $500-1000.

[@richardseem7948]

Imo nothing beats a blk vehicle with it freshly waxed.that depth and glow is unmatched

[@DmitrysGarage]

True! Until the first dust settles and the first finger smudges it theres nothing like deep wet piano black paint :-)

[@richardseem7948]

@@DmitrysGarage 😆😆😆😆

[@prostreetcamaro]

That's the head of adams? If that is the case, that means B&B blending actually owns adams. Somebody else interviewed this guy and he was representing B&B blending lol. I thought I heard B&B bought Adams or the other way around im not sure.

[@DmitrysGarage]

The two companies have been together for a while, they were both acquired by Recochem back in 2020. However, seems they were subsidiaries before that back when they were part of Rocks Capital Holdings (d/b/a Adam’s Polishes, B&B Blending).

[@ocshine.detailing]

*DIY DETAILING ENTERS CHAT*

[@julianmartinez6658]

I still like wax.

[@DmitrysGarage]

I like wax too :)

[@skip70]

Coatings don't protect against shopping carts!

[@1stfrompuertorico568]

First!!!!

[@johnk2961]

The 3 things I take away from this video. He briefly does show a treated and untreated car, and the "shine" is definitely brighter, and deeper. Your friends will really notice the vehicle and think you just drove it off the showroom floor. It makes them envy you in a good way. AND: CHICKS DIG REALLY SHINY THINGS! 🤩😍💘 💍 which equals >👫> 👰‍♂

[@JamieTheCleaner]

Let’s go 💪🧼

[@DmitrysGarage]

Always!

[@anthonyc.4246]

Go where? I don't understand.