azobairi

Hi all,
I signed the paperwork on my '05 6spd/NAV TL today (scheduled for Thursday pick-up).
$34.8K OTD ($1000 below MSRP) with some goodies tossed in (trunk tray, mats, moonroof visor, wheel locks)

I fell for the 'Paint Sealant' for $200 and was wondering if people here had a) heard about it, and b) had any experiences with it?

The way they explained it to me was that they wash the car and then apply this sealant by hand that adheres to the paint surface like a Teflon coating. It locks in the original car shine and does not require any waxing or buffing EVER!!! It prevents swirl marks and makes the car car-wash safe. Additionally, they claim that the paint will not be damaged by tree sap, bird droppings, acid rain etc.... (it comes with a 5 yr warranty)

I decided to go for it as I have the ABP color and really dont get much time to wash and wax my cars.

Any thoughts/feedback on this? Thanks in advance

dtakai

Dude, should have passed on the "sealant". Take the 2 bills and bye yourself a good car care kit. Nothing beats regular cleaning. Check out properautocare.com

JetJock

I'd never pay for "sealant" from a dealer. The product they use is no better than Zaino or any other polymer type sealant. For them to make a statement that you never have to wax your car is totally crazy. Yes, you probably could drive the car for years and never wax but the car will never look as good as one that is regularly washed and waxed or treated with Zaino. Personally several years ago I had an Audi and fell for the paint sealant from the dealer. The car was parked outside and never garaged. Several years later I had acid rain etching on the paint and when I complained about the damage, they pulled out the "warranty" and it had more loopholes in the language than a piece of swiss cheese. Needless to say, they did nothing. Paint sealant claims are overblown and trying to collect later for damage is impossible. If you want to keep a car looking good over the years, there is no substitute for regular cleaning and wax. It's just the facts. If you can back out of the "sealant" before you buy the car, get yourself a good wax, or purchase Zaino and you will have a much better looking car over the years.

EnJ

I actually think that was pretty smart of you to get the sealent. I passed on the sealent in June when I took delivery of my NBP and due to all the rain on the eastcoast this past summer I have acid rain damage (looks like water stains on the paint) all over my trunk, roof, and some on my hood. I washed my car 2-3 times a week and waxed 3 times since June and nothing will get them out. I brought my car back to the dealership last week and the service manager agreed my car looked like hell for being 3 months old. He set me up with a body shop that's going to remove the stains and put a sealent on it at no charge. Hopefully the sealent works for you (and me too) so that shit doesn't happen to your car.

Paladin

In the car business, what you bought is called "Aqua Magic". The "aqua" is the water they used to wash your car and the "magic" is that they got you to pay $200 for it.

1hottl

I personally would advise against any "sealant". I'd take the $200 and put it towards a clear bra before you drive it off the dealers lot or as soon as possible afterwards...

Just my $.02

1995hoo

I had the sealant on my 1997 Accord, which I bought used in 1999 with 21,000 miles on it when the person who had leased it turned it in. The car was black, BTW. About a month after I bought it, I got rear-ended when I was stopped at a light and a new trunk lid had to be put on. The new trunk lid did not have the sealant. As time went by I was able to tell the difference (and I did wash the car regularly....wax not so often because I have trouble finding the time). The trunk lid definitely looked duller. For a further comparison, my father had a 1991 Accord, also black, with no sealer, and his paint faded more as well. Because of this experience I got the paint sealer on my TL, which is NBP. I've only had it a month so I can't comment much about the effects, but the car has gotten a lot of favorable comments. (With a car that new you can't attribute it to the paint sealant.)

On the lighter colors the difference might not be so noticeable--for example, my brother's 1996 Civic is silver and has no sealer and looks fine--but any sort of gunk shows up really quickly on black paint and anything that helps to keep it cleaner is OK by me.

Treblig

I've always passed on the Sealant package and opted to wash and wax the car myself. Did the same with my newest purchase, an 05 TL.

caball88

you can buy sealant for much much cheaper than 200 bucks. i like sealant it does a an excellent job protecting the paint and lasts longer than just about any wax. it does not last forever despite what the dealer says. most good sealants will last 6-8 months. there is no miraculous bonding mechanism that will make the sealant adhere permanently to your paint. i am planning on detailing my car for the winter with klasse AIO and SG which should be good for the snow and stuff that will invade the car. i have used meguiars NXT system this past summer but it does not last long. the shine was great and was easy to apply. but in the winter months it's just too damn cold to be washing the car and detailing it.

Hawhyen51

Klasse AIO and SG Superior Car Care orZaino Will be well worth it!

JetJock

My 2002 TLS which was NBP also got acid rain damage on the hood and trunk. For some reason the roof was unaffected. The paint had sealant and still got damage. The only thing that will prevent damage especially on black cars is not allowing the car to sit in the sun after a rain storm. The sun combined with the lens effect of the water literally burns the paint and can't be repaired except by removing clear coat or paint. Black is a tough color to keep looking good.

spackletoe

Why not cash in on that 5 year warranty then? If your car had the sealant and got damaged from acid rain you should ave them paint it or somethin.

My car is getting sealed today!

-spack

johnstl

Was the $200 for exterior sealant only or was the interior also protected?
My 04TL SSM was PermaPlate'd both in and out and I am happy so far. I also rec'd a kit that has car wash, Permaplate exterior protector, interior cleaner and protector and wash mit. I keep may car garaged so Im sure this will help protect the paint. I also have a 5yr warranty.