Teflon Paint Sealants Revisited

tinytoo

It's been a while since there's been a discussion on teflon paint sealants. Do they really protect paint from oxidation for 5+ years?

I've purchased a new, red Subie Forrester XT and I'm wondering if I should teflon coat it. (The dealer is not involved in this.) I did it to my previous vehicle which is silver. It is only four years old, and to be honest, I can't tell if the paint benefited from the sealant or not. It's still shiny, but then again, it's not that old and I live in So. Cal.

Some folks have stated that red cars are particularly susceptible to color fade and that teflon will help prevent this. Is this just more snake oil for cars?

Any opinions on teflon vs. wax? Has anybody else teflon'd their vehicles?

Thanks.

swschrad

but a higher grade. any good wax job will protect the paint, particularly if it has UV protectors in it. teflon sealants range up to as good as a double coat of good wax.

bretfraz

According to DuPont, the makers of PTFE or "Teflon", it has to be applied to a surface at a temp of 600+ degrees.

Teflon in car wax is a marketing scam. Even DuPont stating in writing many years ago that Teflon does nothing to enhance car wax. What little Teflon gets on your car while waxing is gone after the first car wash or rainstorm.

If you want a durable protectant for your paint, look to the new formulations of polymer sealants. Traditional wax is becoming a thing of the past and will be history once the EPA mandates lower VOC's (waxes are very high in solvents to allow application to paint). If you want something you can buy in a local store, look for products like Liquid Glass, Meguiar's #20 polymer sealant, or Mothers Reflections. If you want a more boutique-type of product, look at Klasse, Blackfire, Platinum, Autoglym, or Zaino. All of these can be found online via a simple web search.

Hope this helps.

Mr_Shiftright

More Voodoo in a can or jar or tube.

You don't have to do ANYTHING with new paint on a mdoern car except keep the car clean. I wouldn't even wax it unless you like it to shine a bit more. Anything you put on a car and RUB is an abrasive.

 I haven't waxed my car in 3 years and it lives outdoors. Looks terrific. But I wash it a lot and keep off road tar, tree sap, insects, bird poop, etc.

gluan

I had used a well known teflon paint sealant in another discussion.

Like I said, the shine is about the same. The surface is incredibly smooth.

After driving long distance, the bugs washed off just with the rain!

I don't know about durability. But so far so good.

bretfraz

Especially a "well known" one? I've been here for 3+ years and am not aware of a well known Teflon paint sealant discussion. Do tell.

Mr_Shiftright

yeah, well if I may chime in here with data from the front lines, my bugs wash off easily too without teflon or wax or anything. Water is really great stuff.

In my opinion, waxes and sealants are good for one thing--GLAMOUR. They make a car look extra nice but they don't "protect" anything in any substantial or time-effective way.

Again, I am talking about modern paintwork and modern methods of car production.

sb445

Mr Shiftright, if a car looks extra nice after years of use, that suits me fine. The question is does it protect the appearance. I remember using paint sealant on my G20 ten years back. I remember the car looking in pristine condition when I sold it 3.5 years later. I did not opt for a selant for my I30t that I bought later but felt that the color looked faded with age. May be it is my imagination or perhaps the darker color of I30 has something to do with it. Is there any scientific evidence or discussion on this?

swschrad

if you consider "scientific evidence" as a properly randomized, correctly designed experiment with only one variable separating several fleets of vehicles with a large enough sample to be statistically significant (say, 447 cars per fleet for a four-nines level of significance)... run for long enough to be significant (say, three years)... with a separate study for each material difference in paint chemistry and application... then, no, there ain't one, and there ain't gonna be one.

anecdotal evidence ("It has took that itch away from me!" -- Mrs. J. B., Gutshot, AK) does not qualify, even if it comes from somebody you might think is a scientist type ("I can eat anything again!" -- Dr. I. P., Tech Area 51).

ateixeira

IMO 3.5 years is too short a period to measure. And beyond that, I don't see how any coating or protective film could manage to stay on the car.

-juice

swschrad

so they won't. it's fancy wax. put on like wax, and lasts like wax.

you could theoretically make Teflon beer, too, but likely the only results would be you get the runs faster with it

officeglen

Has anyone tried 5 Star Shine, LustreLab LXR or nu finish, they all claim to last years instead of a month.

raystar

When I purchased my 2003 4Runner Limited (Stratosphere Mica - Blue) back in May, I had the dealer apply a product called "Auto Armor Paint Protector". It is the iniital application in what they call "Auto Armor Environmental Maintenance System".

I have a bottle of Auto Armor Paint Protection Cleaner / Renewer which the dealer gave to me to apply every 6 months. The question I have is what is it, what does it do, and does this take place of waxing. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Raystar_Enterprises

bretfraz

Essentially this is a polymer paint sealant that takes the place of traditional car wax. It does the same basic job but is more durable and offers better protection. There are a number of products like this on the market, most being marketed to car enthusiasts instead of the general public.

The "renewer" product you have is probably identical to the product the dealer applied to your paint. The best polymer sealants out there last about 6 months, most less than that. You can probably apply it sooner than 6 months if you want more protection and a better shine.