OH BOY, I heard this post while I was in the shower. Since I focus on consumer education in regard to car care, and I have hosted over 100 detailing clinics in the Chicago Land area, the one point I try to bring home is DON'T LET A DEALER TOUCH YOUR FINISH. Here are a few reasons.
I always take a poll in my class, and I have heard people being charged anywhere from $400-$1200 for a paint seal system. On top of that outragious price, they seldom if ever prep the car properly. Rail dust, which is the #1 contaminant with new cars, when the dealers apply the sealant, they seal the rail dust INTO the finish. I get many cars in my shop with customers saying it looks like rust spots, but when I see it, its usually rail dust. (rail dust is the metal fibers that float into the air and land on your car, created by the steel wheels against the steel tracks when your car is shipped from the factory.
Everyone is claiming to have a system that will last forever. I have a bottle of Teflon paint sealant that someone gave me from a dealer, and teflon is useless in car products, but great on your frying pan. The basic ingrediant in a paint sealant is amino fucntional silicones, plus other chemicals or polymers. The marketing tool dealers use is that a paint seal must be professionaly applied. WRONG. I have sold my sealant to many people on this forum, and I gave them simple instructions on how to apply. It goes on like any wax, you just let it sit for 10 min, remove and your done. its not rocket science. I get meny calls from people that ask me to paint seal their new car and I do that service for $125, which saves them hundreds of dollars. Then I show them how to continue the process if they want. Vist my web site for more tips and ask any question you like, Gary
www.perfectautofinish.com