Why don't car manufacturers apply ceramic coatings?

[PussCat]

It would surely be much cheaper to add an extra section to the paint shop - after the inspection of panels - and spray it on there. Perhaps it could replace the laquer coat.

I know little of these things, but I think high-end cars being supplied with longer-lasting**, less delicate, shinier paint jobs would attract customers and add value.

**Though I don't know how long the coat would last when added by this method.

Any thoughts?

[PhilB]

It's a bit of a debate whether to do the full ceramic coating thing or the usual wax etc.
It will always divide opinions and there was a recent thread on the XE forums about it.
Interesting vid from the CEO of Swissvax in there on the merits of ceramic coatings and yes, he is probably a bit biased but worth considering when making a decision especially considering the costs of a proper ceramic coating.
Of course it will be a personal choice and some are definitely in the "ceramic" camp and others in the "standard" waxing and polishing.

https://www.xeforums.co.uk/viewtopic.ph ... 07&p=74476

[chicb]

You cannot replace the lacquer with ceramic coating. Try looking at you tube videos on ceramic coating, to give yourself an idea of what they are. If you look at a section of paint/lacquer under a microscope, it is not flat. It is a series of hills & valleys. Ceramic coating & also wax fills the valleys & sits on the top of the hills so it is as flat as possible. This gives you the better finish. Considering the detailer who does my cars takes 3 days to do a car it would not be feasible for the manufacturer to do it as it is labour intensive with all the nooks & crannies to be done. Also the majority of people could not care less about ceramic coating ie sales reps who change their cars regularly, people who use car washes, people who use brushes to get the dirt off. The list is endless.

[PussCat]

Although it's labour intensive, it would be a lot less so if done at the same time as the paint job, so could attract a lot more added value to them, perhaps as an option, rather than to the after-market.

So if they don't do it, why not? Phil's post and the video,hints at one answer.

[Arne]

I think time is a factor as well.

The ceramic coating seals the paint. You can not apply it untill the paint is fully hardend, and that might take some weeks.

[NCE 61]

Applying a ceramic coating just after a car has been painted is also not such a good idea, paint needs time to dry properly, like wise if applying PPF it's best done at least two week after painting. A lot of high end cars not just Jaguars have quiet a lot of imperfections if you look closely and these need to be detailed out first before any PPF or ceramic coating is applied. Manufactures just don't have the time to do this.

[scoobydoo]

Just had mine ceramic coated with Gyeon Duraflex as I got fed up with waxing and polishing. The detailer did a fantastic job with the whole process taking 3 days. The car paintwork was in pretty good condition to start with but the detailer carried out a full correction prior to applying Gyeon MOHs. Curing under heat lamps takes a minimum of three hours before the high gloss flex coat can be applied. I also got the wheels, calipers, glass and leather plus interior fabrics done at the same time. Now I just use a few squirts of Gyeon Cure on a microfibre cloth as part of the drying off process after washing. The detailer is also fully certified on Xpel PPF and he had some off cuts so fitted some on the headlights for an extra £30. I’m hoping he gets some larger off cuts and I’ll be going back to get the front done!

Given how long the process takes to do it properly, I guess manufacturers couldn’t really offer the option as it would cause havoc in the factory. The aftermarket is the way to go once the paint has fully dried and a good detailer will spot areas which need correcting prior to applying the ceramic coating.

I have had two cars coated with Gyeon and I am very pleased with the results.

[Dan_Veluwe]

I ended up having a huge argument with the detailer who applied my 'ceramic coating' . The name implies its SUPER HARD and scratch proof,
which is pure non-sense as it turns out..

He detailed the car., buffing out imperfections and applying the liquid. The car looked brilliant just after. The colour shifted to a darker shade of blue, just enough to recover from my utter disappointment withe the 'life' version of "Ultra Blue" which on the configurator looks like "Velocity Blue", but in reality is much more faded blue..

After some washings [ by hand..] by the staff of the detailers, I discovered - I spotted some dirt they missed - that the car was covered in swirll marks. These had to come frome either the buffing or the 'handwashing' , as I never touched the car myself..

Result was a yes/no discussion with the result that the detailer stated 'ceramic coatings' wer no more then anti-fouling and NOT a scratch protector!

[Arne]

It all depends of what type of ceramic coating that is used. The good quality ones are a lot harder than the paint, and has a durability of 6+ years.

[Parfect]

It’s certainly an emotive subject. There are those that want to spend more time driving than detailing their car and others that think nothing of spending the day washing and waxing there pride and joy. I’m surprised ceramic coating hasn’t been added as an option during the configuration process by manufacturers.