Teflon coatings for car/automobile

This is the 3rd or 4th time this question has been asked, Rajkumar, but, sorry, I'm not personally familiar with Teflon coating a car. The only place the inquiries have come from (so far here in 2002) is India, so I have no experience in it. Sorry!

Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Ed. update several years later -- Readers: Enjoy this discussion, but you won't find brands compared. Over time it became a race to the bottom with shills bashing other brands while posing as satisfied customers of their own brand -- the IP address of the 'satisfied customer' being the same as the website of the product being praised :-)
We had to go back and purge all the brand names and sourcing suggestions. For brand-to-brand comparisons look to AAA, Consumer Reports, BBBs, or friends & neighbors. Sorry.

! I would like to point out that Teflon coatings are done in cars (at least that's what dealers claim) in India. I checked out the Dupont site and found 2 links who offer such services in North America:

Kindly Advise.

Regards,

! Dear Ted,

Like other people I was looking for authenticity for the people who claim to Teflon coat car paints. From your remark, there are only two possibilities
1) Either you are ill-informed or
2) Teflon coating thing is a big joke.

Well honestly I am not an expert in the field, but I came across this page car-butler.com/Teflon coating.html ⇩ thought it might enlighten you and other readers.

Do let me know if you find anything more on it because I just bought a new car and was wondering if the cost is worth it.

Ed. note: That link is broken. Never visit links that have broken: hackers often buy them to get links to their malware from reputable pages this way.

Nu Finish Polish

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

Lane's Paint Sealant

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

Hi, Drumil. I've already acknowledged being uninformed on this subject :-)

But I do know from career-long specialization in metal finishing that the paint system on most new cars is the very best finish that money can buy; and I personally hadn't heard of Teflon topcoats until these postings.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

A. Hi,

Seems there is a lot of ill informed people on this topic. I have just ordered a new BMW 525IA Touring 2003 model, and it's paint will be Teflon (8% PTFE) coated in Norway. This to ensure a stronger coating and of course make it easier to keep clean. Car makers only use water based paints today (environmental regulations), and thus is less resistant to impacts/wear than before.

For car owners who never travel outside inner cities, or in countries where there is no rain/snow or bad weather this should not pose a problem, as there is hardly any sand, gravel, salt or other debris in the roads/freeways. But when you use your car everywhere, high speed driving and sand in your "face" will damage the paint, hence a Teflon coating is an improvement. It will make repaint a pain, but that is a cost the insurance company will have to deal with.

Perhaps this is unknown to other car makers, but BMW does so in Norway, as well as well equipped service providers. I get it for free, but otherwise it will cost USD 500.- It will need to be checked/updated once a year. It has a 12 month guarantee too!

This is a rather new approach, and the Norwegian BMW dealer just recently invested quite a bit of money for the equipment. The second BMW dealer has chosen to use a partner for this (due to the high investment costs).

Regards,

Morten Ross
- Norway

  Thanks, Morten. But let us know when you can quote an independent study!

Car dealers here in the USA have forever been famous for ripping the customer off for window etching, undercoating, detailing the vinyl work, top coating of the paint, and extras of every kind -- and the instruction we get from independent consumer testing organizations like AAA and Consumer Reports is: "never agree to any dealer-applied extra".

Teflon coating might eventually prove to be an exception, but I wouldn't base it on a claim that cars are water-base painted, when in fact they have an electrophoretic prime coat plus a heat/radiation cured clear coat sandwiching any color coat whether water-based, solvent-based, or powder coated.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

A. Hi, No Teflon coating is not a joke. I specialize in Teflon coating vehicles. yes it does work and yes it is an expensive process but the end result is well worth it. It protects the vehicle from tree sap, acid rain salt spray.

Andy

anderson ward
- united kingdom

A. To those with the eternal question: "To Teflon Coat or Not?"

To give a slight insight to my knowledge on the subject, I have owned and operated an auto detailing company for the past 15 years. Needing to be competitive in the industry (and wanting to keep my personal vehicles in immaculate condition) I have stayed on top of many different products, procedures, and processes pertaining to the upkeep of ones automobiles.

Now understand that the companies claiming protection from the "TEFLON COATING" (usually applied by the dealers) is a tactic to increase their own bottom line. Understand that the dealer is there to make Money...and as much as possible whenever the opportunity arises. Not that I have a challenge with profit.

I have had several clients purchase new vehicles over the years, and have had the "TEFLON COATING" applied to their vehicle, thinking that the process would in fact not only maintain the beauty of their automobile, but would decrease the cost of upkeep over the life of the car. With personal, long term accounts of a "TEFLON COATED" automobile, I feel I can make an educated assessment of the procedure, and if it does indeed hold up better than a vehicle without.

Again, remember that I have a soft spot for that beautiful word "Profit" and feel that in this Great Nation we call America, that life would no longer exist without it (profit). That being said, if I could "TEFLON COAT" a car, AND it did what they (Dealers and Teflon Coating Companies) claim it does, I would find a company, or start one myself that actually performed the procedure to have the process done to all of the hundreds of cars I have direct ties to (not to mention my own collection of automobiles). I would charge the $300, $400, or even $500 that it cost to have this procedure done, make all of my maintenance profit in one day, maintain the "TEFLON COAT" ANNUALLY (which most companies will tell you is needed, and which cost another $500) to where I would never worry about the paint for the rest of the year (with the exceptional regular washing) and be a happy camper with much more "PROFIT"

In conclusion I feel the best and most effective way to maintain the beauty and over durability of you car is to wash it regularly (weekly). Wax it frequently (monthly). Most reputable companies in the automotive protection (wax) business make several good products.

Hope this helps. And Good Luck with whatever you decide to do.

Robert Rutherford
detailing - Camarillo, California
2004

A. I live in the north of CANADA WHERE A LOT OF SALT IS USED ON THE ROADS AND ALSO A LOT OF ROAD REPAIR SO MY NEW GMC CAR HAS BEEN GIVEN THE GMC Sym-Tech PAINT PROTECTION WITH TEFLON JAN FEB MARCH 2004 AND LOOKING GOOD

LET YOU KNOW IN 2009 HOW GOOD IT IS!

A. In my past research, I know several things about Teflon. One, as a product particle, it hates every other particle around it and is constantly in motion (so to speak) trying to get away. Why do you think it takes unimaginable heat and pressure to get it onto your frying pan? In a car coating, it is nearly worthless and the big firms are just cashing in on the name Teflon. Having Teflon in your coating makes it much easier to apply (the ball-bearing effect), but it won't stay on your car without baking it on at incredible heat, at temperatures that would easily melt your vehicle to a slag heap.

The real thing is almost here folks.

A. I would just like to add my experience with Teflon coatings here. First of all, I am not too sure about the kind of coatings that are provided by car makers abroad. As mentioned by someone above about the precoated Teflon on his BMW, I am sure that would be of a higher quality as is being done here in India. I have got this done on two of my cars and a bike as well and I would say that the quality of coating that we get here in India is surely not worth the price. Once you get the coating done, you still wouldn't find any difference between the look of a freshly Teflon coated or a freshly washed, waxed car.

If you have that much money to spend on something that's just the equivalent of waxing, go ahead and do it. However I personally prefer waxing my car rather than Teflon because these coatings don't last the look more than a few weeks despite the year long warranty.

? Hi Jason. I don't quite understand, Jason: You felt the article in Professional Carwashing was biased? -- or am I misunderstanding?

Regards,

I just ponied up $500 to my Ford dealer to have Teflon put on my 2004 Escape. I thought that, having a black car, I should do something to help maintain it's longevity.

Let me tell you I personally don't think Teflon is worth the money. After washing and drying the car I notice little sand-like grains on my car. This is probably from the area I live in. Lot's of sand and dust from development. Either way, I thought that having Teflon would prevent things like this.

I believe waxing the car only twice in the one year since I've had it would have given me better results. Is it a cash grab for dealers? Yup. If it were so good, you wouldn't need yearly "maintenance". (I think the only way that a Teflon coating on your car would be effective is if it was baked on the paint at the auto plant.) Don't be lazy like me. "Maintain" your car yourself. Wax it regularly. After all, you realize you're just paying $500 for wax with a fancy name, don't you? That being said. I would like to know if I could wax a car that has had Teflon applied to it? Please let me know? Thanks

A. RE: TEFLON paint coating I have a new 35 foot motor home with a gel coat surface. I had it Teflon coated last April by the dealer for $750. The warranty requires a yearly re-do (and re-pay, of course). I talked to one of the guys who applies the Teflon, and he offered to do it for me "on the side" for $150. Are the dealers making money? Do the math.

HOWEVER, I have to admit that, at this point, it is much easier to remove the bug deposits from the front than it ever was on the last RV I owned, which I waxed with one of the top line wax products. It is also easier to remove just about anything that has stuck anywhere to the surface. It wipes off with a little effort, but not a lot. It remains to be seen how long this ease of cleaning lasts. As the 4 months have passed since the coating I have noticed a slight increase in the effort to remove bug deposits, leaf stains, etc.

A. Hi

I had my new Ion3 2004 Teflon coated Feb 1/03 and it was raining and snowing also roads were salted I wash it once or twice a Month and it still "LOOKS GREAT"

A. Hello, to all

I have been in the detailing business for over 13 years, and I got some answers for everyone. First understand in providing the best service a company must have extensive understanding of products they use and or suggest. Over the past 13 years our vehicles have had almost every type of polish, wax, and of course sealants applied to them.

The answer is yes to sealants better than waxes but they are not a cure all. They have a limited life span just the same as all waxes, however they protect longer. Remember this, sealants are applied by hand just like a regular wax (normally a little harder to get off though).

How long will a wax or sealant last ? In brief dirt bonds to a car though positive and negative charges and to help in breaking down this bond we use soaps. OK Here it comes.... waxes and sealants also bond to car through + and - charges so when removing the dirt you also remove some of the wax or sealant. The sealants, even though washing will outlast a wax. Again my hood has been through hundreds of different protectant type of products (1/2 on this side and 1/2 of that side). For the best results wash your regularly and wax or apply a sealant about every 4 to 6 washes. Also use a soap that is made for car washing.

Nu Finish Polish

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

Lane's Paint Sealant

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

Kari is from Niagara Falls. Perhaps a poor parking choice accounts for the 4.5 years or "rain"?  :-)

A. Hi, Well I want to add my knowledge on Teflon coating to automobiles. Well it only a wax coat to vehicles to prevent them from light scars. But it's not that worthy as a scratch & hit makes the paint too loose instead of Teflon coating, more over touch up with the same color makes the vehicle as a patch due to Teflon coating. For small size personal cars it costs around Rs.3000/-(For my car Maruthi : Alto).

A. A. Hello All,

I am in the auto-paint refinishing business and I think its important to separate 2 things.

1. Teflon added to car paint, then painted onto the panel

2. Teflon being added to car wax/ polished, like Carnuba etc.

Dupont does, so its likely the case of No. 1, always is good to contact paint/ coatings manufacturers for more information.

The best thing to do would probably be to research the issue with a consumer testing organization like Consumer Reports or AAA because what can any reader do to validate or invalidate the dozens of divergent opinions you've already read on this page?  :-)

Good luck!

A. Du Pont is selling a Teflon wax product. It is a regular wax product but with Teflon in it. I got one bottle of it for about US$5. I used it over my 2000 Mazda Millenia during the weekend. The result was very impressive. All the light scratches on the side doors are gone. The car is shining like a new car. And the car has special smooth feel when you touch it. I don't know how long this will last, but I felt this product does work.

A. Based on my research through the internet, I got the conclusion as followed:

1. If teflon is used as an additive in a wax or a paint sealant, it will be useless because there is no way teflon can be bonded to the paint surface.

2. Teflon can be a good paint protection if it is applied through a polarized system. This polarized system requires Teflon paint sealant to be applied onto paint surface in 2 steps. The 1st step is to positively charge the paint surface using a certain chemical. According to the information on the internet, this step will also open the pores of the paint surface. The 2nd step is to apply the Teflon paint sealant onto the positively charge paint surface. Since Teflon has negative charge, Teflon paint sealant will create a strong bond with the paint surface that has been positively charged through the first step preparation.

However, please bear in mind that the polarized systems process only protects the paint surface. It doesn't remove any swirl / scratch mark or oxidation from the paint surface. Thus, the paint surface should be cleaned and well prepared first before applying this polarized Teflon paint protection. The window period to apply the second step is 2 hours after applying the first step. After applying the 2nd step, Teflon needs at least 48 hours cure time to ensure that the bonding process is completed.

I found many brands that sell polarized Teflon paint protection. It seems many brands using the same method and materials. They even give the same warranty and claiming it can last for 5 years without any necessity to renew the process. This fact makes me wonder whether those brands buy the material from the same source / manufacturer and then resell it using their own brand or they buy the formula then manufacture the product by themselves and sell it using their own brand.

Can anyone explain this to me? Has anyone tried this? How is the result?

Thanks,

Ed. note: Brand names were removed, Adi. This is a technical discussion board for technical issues, and we don't print claims & counterclaims that Brand X with secret ingredient A is better or worse than Brand Y with secret ingredient B. Brand praise in public forums is often from shills pretending to be satisfied customers and is worthless. If you want a brand comparison you need to get it from AAA, Consumer Reports, or some other organization that actually tests such claims. I personally will believe this "polarization" stuff to be nonsense until so tested. Good luck.

A. As a teenager, I detailed cars for a summer and we applied teflon. The trick was to apply with a buffer so it got stuck to the paint. Just wiping on and off wasn't enough. Even though it looked and felt great, it wouldn't last as long as advertised. My boss used to fry eggs on the hood with a flame underneath as a demo. I have to tell you that it works, but this was STRAIGHT teflon, not the products *With* Teflon. I've seen tired, faded, worn out paint come back shining like new!

Teflon coating and scotch guard interior are common gimics that car dealers use to get more money for the purchase of a car. They claim to have already applied said product to the vehicle and add their highly marked-up cost to the MSRP price.

I just looked at a car today and the dealer is asking for $1793 USD to cover the "Teflon Coating" on the car. I looked at the paint surface closely, and in the joints I could see wax residue. That's right, almost $2000 for wax!

The cost for a wax job should run $50 to $100.... if you don't argue about the excessive markup, you can see how much extra money they make.

Incidentally, the sales person told me that you don't have to pay for the coating if you don't want to. Otherwise they risk loosing a sale, and with our economy today, any sale for profit is a good sale.

A. Hi William,

I agree with you that Teflon is a gimmick used by car dealers if you have them apply the teflon onto your car for you. If you have a professional car detailer apply Teflon onto your car, it will be different. However, you have to assure that the teflon applied onto your car uses [removed by editor] method otherwise the Teflon would not be able to bond to your car paint surface. Check this web site to get some information [removed by editor]

Please bear in my that I have no affiliation or financial interest with that professional car detailer. I just got that information through my research on the internet and through a direct contact via phone with that professional car detailer.

So far, I am still convinced with his explanation but, I still need to see a real proof directly to satisfy my curiosity. Probably you want to try his product and let me know the result?

Thanks,

  I'll believe that you have no affiliation with the stuff you mentioned, Adi, but there's no realistic way anyone can know. And each supplier claims that only their secret process works and the other 999 secret processes are worthless. We are at the point where some actual findings from Consumer Reports, AAA, BBBs, or attorney generals' offices need to be posted or this protracted discussion is going nowhere but back and forth :-)

Again, this is a forum for technical discussion of metal finishing issues, not a place for posting claims and counterclaims from semi-anonymous pepple regarding whether secret formula 1 is better than secret formula 2.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

A. Ok guys, I think I can answer all these questions with the truth and with logic. Manufacturers started adding "TEFLON" to car polish because consumers are familiar with the "word". Nothing will stick to teflon, so it's virtually impossible to get it to stick to the finish, UNLESS you physically (mechanically) bond it to the paint the same way they "bond" it to a frying pad. They "scratch" the metal with 1000's of microfine scratches, and then force the pure "PTFE" or (TEFLON-Dupont's brand name) into the scratches under head and pressure. Can you do this to your car? Probably, but you probably don't want to scratch the finish to do it, and you don't *have* to, to have a slippery coating.

Someone said they could do it by using a high speed buffer -- problem with this is that if it was truly 100% teflon, the buffing wheel wouldn't cause friction to create the heat (remember its TEFLON-no friction).

+ or - charges? Electromagnetically bonding something to your paint finish would hold about as well as rubbing a balloon with wool, and sticking styrofoam to it. By the way, the product that someone claimed was being "manufactured and sold BY DUPONT", isn't a "DUPONT" product, it's an outside company, buying TEFLON from DUPONT, licensed to use the DUPONT logo ... its not actually made by DUPONT. Look at the company name on the rear of the products, it's not Dupont. That doesn't mean its not a good product, but its not necessary to fool people into buying good products with names like "TEFLON", it's just *easier* to do so.

! Concerning PTFE coated cars.
It seems to be an excellent product to protect a car.
Its very useful for many reasons and good resistant against most chemicals.

But when it melts, burns, its a deadly product!
During this stage a similar products as cyanide is freed.

Regards to the all of you.