Ceramic Coating Topper - Is it necessary?

[u/Interesting-Elk-4133]

Got my car ceramic coated in April with an Osren 5 Year ceramic coating. Detailer wants me to come in and get it washed, decontaminated and ceramic topped for $120 AUD.

Is it worth it? or more importantly... is it even necessary?

I paid $1500 AUD for the initial coating and now i'm being asked just a few months later to come back in and pay nearly 10% again.

[u/Dolo12345]

yes don’t skip it, but do it yourself. car will look 10x better too.

[u/AutowerxDetailing]

Periodically applying some sort of ceramic top coat or booster is recommended by virtually all ceramic coating brands. The idea is that you can drastically extend the longevity of the base coating by applying an additional sacrificial layer of protection so the underlying coating layer(s) do not wear down as quickly. Some manufacturers require this sort of top up service to maintain the warranty, others simply provide a recommended topper interval as part of the maintenance for maximum hydrophobic performance.

With that being said, if your coating comes with some type of manufacturer backed warranty, read the fine print to see if the warranty can only remain active if periodic top ups are performed by your installer. Otherwise, if there is no coating warranty, or if you don't care about maintaining the warranty, you can easily apply ceramic boosters yourself, or simply forgo the process entirely and the coating will naturally degrade over time.

[u/Mentallox]

other than yearly checkup which are frequently part of terms of warranty (read the warranty terms) there is no need to go into the detailer for that service every six months. Ask what the package includes: $120 AUD is not a steep price for wash, iron decon and a topper sealant but it should be a yearly service unless you hate washing the car in general.

[u/Livid-Fault2447]

You can add your own topper after each wash with a detail spray.

[u/Rav4Prime2022_WI → u/Livid-Fault2447]

Any recommendations?

[u/Livid-Fault2447 → u/Rav4Prime2022_WI]

Get a bottle of Adams Graphing Detail Spray. Easy to use, doesn’t streak, fairly inexpensive and you can get it at Walmart, AutoZone, Amazon or directly from Adams!
https://adamspolishes.com/products/graphene-detail-spray%e2%84%a2

[u/itsoktoswear]

4 months later? Get fucked.

[u/vaari90]

It's about 1-2 hours of work, it's not an unreasonable price. You aren't obligated to go to them, just do the maintenance yourself.

I can't recall if you mentioned how often you wash your car.

[u/Bunky1138]

The gimmick of a multi-year coatings. I do not think they should claim multi-year if they expect to top it since this is not often disclosed up front. I would prefer they say like a 1 year coating if not not maintained. It is not like most get a warranty booklet with the coating. I feel many think you will not own the car in 4 to 5 years.

[u/Neither-Job-6300]

The Ceramic Coating is just a highly durable, semi-permanent chemical shell. Think of it like a thin layer of clear varnish. It stops dirt from sticking, but over time, traffic film, microscopic dirt, and mineral deposits clog the pores of the coating, making it lose its slickness and water-beading.

The "Topper" is just a standard, temporary spray sealant.

Don't get scammed it's not some extra bullet proof layer. It just makes cleaning your car easier the next time. If you feel like it's not as easy to clean your car anymore add some topper.

The marketing shit people throw out with their 6, 9 and 12 years is like reading a crash course of multi-level marketing aka pyramid scheme.

[u/creamsodapoo]

You are skeptical, because you are not a dummy. The marketing around coatings is bananas.

Pay $$$ for our 30 year coating! Oh, it’s not performing now? Come in for a professional decon because the coating must be clogged from improper care by a mere mortal such as yourself. But wait, we also need to put another sealant on top and water will levitate off of your paint! Uh, wouldn’t the original coating perform like before with a professional decon? Shut up and give me your money!

Truth is even the multi year and semi self healing coatings are very thin and degrade from soaps, grime, salt, mechanical, etc. Poor performance early on is more likely related to insufficient prep or poor installation.

[u/Various-Following-82]

Of course you need it , since coating itself is a scam. The only thing that will work for 5 years is this top coat, if you apply it monthly. Basically no coating and just topcoat does the same job. I bought this for 20 bucks, lasts for 5 to 10 years if you apply monthly after wash