Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ceramic Coating?
Ceramic coating is a semi permanent coating that replaces wax on the vehicle. Paint and clear coat are porous, wax fills in the pores slightly but stays liquid and can easily wash away or out gas under high heat. Sealants do not last long either. Ceramic coatings fill in the paint pores and bond with the molecules and crystalize to form a hard coating that will not wash away or out gas under high heat. Ceramic coatings provide maximum gloss to your vehicle ,easy cleaning and hydrophobic properties, they are some what chemical resistant, light scratch resistant when washed correctly, UV/heat resistant and last years at a time. Ceramic coatings do not prevent scratches, rock damage or etching damage, it is a sacrificial layer of protection against things liked bird poop or tree sap, most likely it will etch the coating and can be fixed easily later, however this is not the case with every paint system or coating. They are by no means bullet proof but will perform better than wax.
What is Paint Correction?
Paint correction is the removal of swirl marks and surface scratches. Almost every vehicle rolls off the truck with swirl marks or sanding defects or other scratches even brand new and if they are washed a bunch by the dealer before they are sold, they scratch up the finish quite a bit with improper wash technique.
What is Paint Protection Film (Clear bra, PPF, clear protection film)?
PPF is a clear film that we wrap around any given panel to help prevent rock chip and scratch damage. This is the best paint protection money can buy and we recommend it only on new car applications. Paint protection film is not bulletproof but it will resist most light rock chip and road rash damage, if something is big enough to dent or crack a panel then it will likely go through the film. PPF helps to preserve the original paint and original value on the vehicle, taking damage or repainting causes a loss in vehicle value also generally never looks the same. Every so often as you take damage you can remove the film and replace with a new piece for cheaper than painting and vehicle value loss. It is not recommended to fully wrap a vehicle under $100k in value, common coverage is the front end on most daily driver cars. DO not put PPF on repaints as 90% of the time non OEM paint will peel up during future film removal and replacement.
​
​
What Ceramic Coating brands does Wicked Auto Films and Detailing carry?
We are a NEXGEN Ceramic Coating dealer and Suntek Paint protection film and window installer.
What brands of Clear Bra do you carry?
We Install Suntek Reaction and Suntek ultra premium paint protection films.
What is a Clay Bar?
Clay bar treatment removes contamination (rough feeling) on your paint, this will give paint smoothness and enhance gloss minorly, it does not remove water spots, scratches or bird poop stains. It can also lightly scratch and mar up the paint and we generally recommend polishing afterwards.
I have a deep scratch, will it buff out?
If you can hook your fingernail on the scratch or see black underneath or metal, it cannot be fixed by a polisher or just with touch up paint. You would need to have a sectional paint repair or full paint repair service done. Detailers can remove light surface scratches that are not fingernail deep. Using touch up paint will never look factory no matter how much you pay someone to do it.
Are Ceramic Coating warranties real?
No. It is impossible to tell if coating failure was due to the installer or a product gone bad. Generally coatings only fail due to neglect which is not covered by any warranty. In the event of a failure companies generally will not provide more than a bottle of product and do not cover the paint prep labor. Wicked Auto Films and Detailing backs work up as long as it is apparent that it has been cared for correctly.
What are swirl marks and why do you say I have them when I can't see them now?
Swirl marks are the spiderweb looking scratches you see on your finish when you follow the beam out of the light of the sun outside or use a flash light or LED lamp to look at your paint. These are caused by improper wash technique and the reason you can't see them in your garage or in the dark or sometimes even outside is because usually most people don't know how to look at their paint properly to see them. Swirl marks come from pushing dirt and dust around the clear coat using dusters, dry wiping, washing with poor quality towels, wash mitts, quick detailers when the surface is too dirty, touching the paint with your shirt or finger, and so many other things. Swirl marks are inevitably going to happen no matter what but you can reduce them with proper wash technique after purchasing paint correction for your vehicle. Wicked Auto Films and Detailing will provide you with proper instruction.
I have hard water spots that do not go away after washing, can you fix them?
Yes we can however hard water damage is very bad for car paint, water spots when heated up will etch as deep as the metal and it requires heat treatment and many hours of correction to remove generally. When water spots are compounded out the first time by machine, they appear gone but after heating up the paint or adding a coating with a strong solvent, they often come back. This is a wash, rinse, repeat process, we do this procedure of compound, IR cure and then compound again until the spots stop coming back, this can take 3 or 4 times or 10 times or more. For water spot removal we charge additional by the hour. It is unfortunate but a harsh reality in california.