Ceramic coating is a great way to protect your car’s finish.
It will protect your car a lot longer than waxes or sealants. Your car will look better when you wash it. Ceramic coating can eliminate swirl marks.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths and misunderstandings about how it works.
In this article, we will debunk and correct 10 myths about ceramic coating, so you will know what to expect when you have Bob Moses put a ceramic coating on your car.
Ceramic Coating Myth #1: Ceramic Coating Protects Your Car Against Flying Rock Chips
Nothing can ruin your day like having a rock fly into your windshield.
One of the biggest misunderstandings about ceramic coating is that it can protect glass and pain from flying rocks.
It’s true that 9-H ceramic coatings cure to a quartz-like coating all over your car. But they are better suited for stopping damage from scratches than for preventing damage from flying rocks.
For protection from gravel, rocks, and other flying objects, the coating on your car needs to be pliable.
Only a pliable coating like paint protection films and other flexible polymer coatings can protect your car from flying rock chips.
Ceramic Coating Myth #2. Ceramic Coatings Are Self-Healing
Nano ceramic coatings can protect the surface of your car from scratches. They block destructive UV light. They can protect your car from chemical contaminants that splash up from the road.
But they are not self-healing when they are damaged.
This means that a door ding, or leaving highly acidic bird droppings on your car, or a key scratch leaves marks in ceramic coating that you need to get a repair shop to take care of for you.
Ceramic coatings are strong, but they are not alive. They are not self-healing.
Ceramic Coatings Myth #3. Chemicals Don’t Harm Ceramic Coatings
Strong chemicals in bug and tar removers, degreasers, and alcohol prep solutions won’t ruin a ceramic coating right away, but they will damage the coating if you leave them on too long.
Probably the only way you could get a ceramic coating to bubble up and peel off immediately is to pour battery acid on it. (We do not recommend this.)
But even leaving car wash shampoo on a ceramic coating too long can weaken a ceramic coating, causing it to lose its ability to keep water from beading on it, and making it look hazy when it dries.
When you need to remove bug and tar remover, degreaser, or alcohol from a ceramic coating, start with an application of ceramic coating maintenance shampoo.
After you have used it as directed, rinse it off, and give your car another method with the two-bucket method, using a plush chenille wash mitt.
Then hand-dry your car with a microfiber towel.
Even ceramic coatings develop tiny pores as the cure. That’s why it is so important to use a ceramic coating shampoo after every car wash, along with a high-end wash mitt.
It is the only way to get rid of chemicals out of the pores of your ceramic coating when you wash your car.
Ceramic Coating Myth #4. Ceramic Coatings Make Your Car Fireproof
The same people who came up with the Tide Pod challenge were also encouraging people who had cars with ceramic coatings to douse them with Zippo lighter fluid and set them on fire.
Neither of these challenges ended well. Ceramic coating does not make your car fire-proof.
Ceramic coatings do a pretty good job of resisting heat of up to 440° F. However, even a cigarette butt burns at 451° F.
There are high-temperature ceramic coating products that can stand up to flames, but the ceramic coat on your car is a nano-coat that won’t handle the heat.
Ceramic Coating Myth #5. Ceramic Coatings Hide Blemishes
The truth about ceramic coatings is that they are completely transparent. They don’t hide blemishes. Adding ceramic coating over a dent or a scratch makes it more visible, not less.
But you can hide minor blemishes with vinyl. Deep scratches require a trip to the body shop.
Ceramic Coating Myth #6. Ceramic Coatings Prevent Hard Water Spots
Ceramic coatings repel water, but they do not stop the formation of hard water spots when you wash your car in the sun.
However, they do make the removal of water spots a lot easier.
Whether hard water spots are due to soap, salt, grease, or grime, or some combination of all four, ceramic coating makes them easier to remove, especially on glass and plastic surfaces, such as headlights.
Ceramic Coating Myth #7. Ceramic-Coated Cars Don’t Need Car Shampoo
Every car with a ceramic coating needs to be washed about every other week with a pH-balanced car shampoo designed to protect silicon (SiO2) coatings.
If you are washing your car by hand, you need to work with two buckets, one for applying the shampoo, and the other for applying the rinse water.
Otherwise, you are contaminating your shampoo with the grease, grime, bird poop, and tree sap you are trying to wash off your car.
For stubborn dirt, use a ceramic coating prep shampoo first.
Ceramic Coating Myth #8. Ceramic Coatings Last Forever
Ceramic coatings last about as long as their warranty.
Bob Moses can provide you with a ceramic coating that may last you two to five years if you come in for a silicone booster treatment, but every ceramic coating eventually needs to be replaced.
Ceramic Coating Myth #9. Ceramic Coatings Are Hard to Apply
It’s easy to apply ceramic coatings. You don’t need any power tools. There’s no rubbing and scrubbing. Just wipe the coating on your car and let it dry.
However, preparing your car for your ceramic coating can be a lot of work.
If you aren’t careful, do it yourself ceramic coating can lock dirt, grime, and debris in place and make them even more visible.
Ceramic Coating Myth #10. New Cars Don’t Need Prep Work
You need a perfectly clean car before you add a ceramic coating. No new car comes ready for ceramic coating. It is always best to leave the prep work to the pros.
Let Bob Moses create an epic shine for your epic ride!