My dealer asked if I wanted the paint treatment. Cost is around $800. My wife got it (less expensive, though) on her '12 Hyundai Azera and it is amazingly effective. I know nothing about the BMW product. Has anyone used it? If so, is it worth the cost? How effective is it? I'm inclined to use the traditional detailing (with claybar prep and then a quality polish).

Thoughts?

 

What is it exactly? Paint treatment add on is new to me. Have typically only heard of the wheel and tire insurance

 

What specific "paint protection" are they offering?

If you take care of your car and wash and detail it frequently, use some of that $800 to buy yourself quality detailing gear to take care of the car.

If cars in your area are prone to rock chips like here in Alaska, maybe spend that money on a clear bra and headlight film.

 

The quality of paint protection/sealer varies. My wife's is extraordinary. It is FAR superior to any polish/wax. After 2 years her paint was still as smooth as glass. Bird droppings and contaminants like sap are easily removed. So it does a superior job with protecting the paint. If I knew that BMW used the same system, IMO it would be worth maybe $500.00 like she paid for hers. $800.00 is a bit steep.

 

Paint treatment? I call BS! Put a good coat of paint sealant on and it's basically the same. Or go to a good detailers who knows heat they are doing and pay maybe $400 to get a proper job done. The dealer paint treatment is pure dealer scam and big profit.

 

I had this done to my second car, and never had to wax it. In addition, I somehow had a level of rock chip protection close to that of a clear bra. Unfortunately, the company contracted and it seems there are only a few centers left.


http://www.mingautofinish.com/ming.php


Does anyone know if there are companies in the MIA/FLL area that offer this service?

 

As far as I'm concerned paint treatment and fabric treatment are nothing more than snake oil.

 

Dealers started adding a "paint treatment" in the mid 80's that was included in the price of the car. It was called a clear coat, and is still in use today. DO NOT waste your money on an $800 wax job.

 

I'm not going to get it, but I believe there ARE treatments that are superior and DO work. My wife has a 2012 Hyundai Azera that was treated (along with the interior) at a cost of around $500. The paint after the treatment was as smooth as glass as if there was silicone on the paint. That was back in May of 2012. Today, her paint is still smooth as glass with that silicone feel where your finger glide over the surface with little friction. Sap and bird droppings, etc. do not stick to the paint. It is totally unnecessary for me to clay bar/wax her car. That is just under TWO years of daily driving (19K miles).

Funny thing is that her previous Hyundai Azera (2009) was treated at a different Hyundai dealer. About the same price but it absolutely did not work. The treatments on the two cars are night and day different.

 

I agree with this as well

The only time I would pay $800 is if it were for a clear bra that covered a good portion of the car.

 

Back in the '70s, there was Polyglycoat that claimed (IIRC) that it even penetrated the paint to give extra protection. I think it was later deemed to be not much better than a regular wax job. There were 2-step products for owners' use from people like Turtle Wax, but I think they also have disappeared.

 

There is a product called opticoat that many detailers are using. This maybe what the dealers are charging $800 for. I'll stick to paint sealant for $20.

 

I found this info through Google. Not sure how up to date it is. But if it is describing the product my dealer would use, it's a definite PASS for me. I will do my regular twice a year detailing with clay bar & premium wax/sealer.

BMW Seal & Protect is the only fully approved BMW paint and interior carpet / cloth upholstery protection system. It provides an outstanding long-lasting shield against the environment and safeguards your investment by preserving the high quality finish of your car's surfaces.

Utilising high-performance sealants, your purchase involves a Dealership-applied BMW Hard Wax to the exterior paintwork. As a result, exterior surface resilience and water repellence is increased by over 300%*. And the long-standing protection that BMW Seal & Protect provides simultaneously has a regenerating effect on the paintwork, for a lasting shine.



The same scientific detail is also applied inside your car, with an impregnating agent for carpets and cloth upholstery to ensure that treated materials do not soak through when exposed to moisture.

Once the vehicle has had the benefit of the BMW Seal & Protect application, the treatment will be covered by a 2-year BMW Approved Warranty.

 

Mine has something called "Perma Plate" on it, but I didn't pay for it (at least not directly). They threw it in as part of a package they gave me that includes 5 years of no charge paintless dent removal and leather warranty coverage.

 

You can get your paint detailed for $100, orbital buffer and all. $500-800 sounds like snake oil to me, extended warranty material lol. Tire insurance for all!