imported_Ivan Rajic
New member
Greg Nichols said:
Greg,
From what I've seen there's a sticker by the hood latch, on the hood, that says something about it. Exactly what it says completely escapes me now, sorry.
Self healing paint
- Thread starter mini1
- Start date
Greg,
From what I've seen there's a sticker by the hood latch, on the hood, that says something about it. Exactly what it says completely escapes me now, sorry.
Greg Nichols
New member
I know (most) the Ceramic Clears have a sticker............. I would hope the self healing would too.
Cheers,
GREG
Cheers,
GREG
MirrorDetailing
New member
I have corrected a few GTRs as well and work at a shop that is on the national level with working on GTR's (aftermarket performance) and every one I have seen has the Nissan "Hard Clear" badge under the hood on the driver side of the firewall. Now granted correcting them is a different thing...they may not have Self Healing paint but the hard clear is tricky. Found it works better polishing panels in short burst...as they do not respond well to heat. Might just be my theory but I have done full correction with SIP & M205 on them. Using a Dewalt at 1000rpms.
Is there anyone that has had experience with the latest Lexus Self Restoring Clear Coat what was 1st announced for the Lexus LS in 2009
and is now on n all colors of the models RC, RC F, NX, IS, GS and LS. I have a RC-F ordered an want to have a plan of how to detail it.
This thread had not be updated for a long time and I would like to know what experts have discovered over the years since its now 2015.
How thick is this Lexus coating?
Does it have to be processed cold since it heals with heat > 80deg?
What does one do when paint correction is required?
Are there any products or processes that should be avoided? User manual says Do not use wax that contains abrasives.
I see posts on the Club Lexus RC-F forum from a few people have decided they want
extra protection vs just self restoring of the Lexus coating. These people have used CQuartz Finest, or CP9H, 22PLE, and Opticoat over it
and also added clear bra films like XPEL and 3M on the front and then added coatings over everything then wax.
2 people put CQuartz on before XPEL which XPEL recommends against.
I can seem to find anyone at Lexus what will give me advice for my new RC-F so I have hoping
experts here have some experience that can be passed on to owners and detailers of
Lexus cars with the Lexus coating.
The old 2009 info at this link:
http://toyotadriverseat.com/products/lexus/dr-nano-new-lexus-ls-clear-coat-can-actually-heal-itself.htm
and shows an image and implies that the coat can recover 5um deep scratches. It shows max pressure values of 30MPa. 5u is pretty small.
Bye the way:
6.9-27 MPa is 1000 to 4000 psi Water spray pressure used by pressure washers.
This RC-F user manual does not give much help:
■ Self-restoring coat
The vehicle body has a self-restoring coating that is resistant to small surface scratches
caused in a car wash etc.
● The coating lasts for 5 to 8 years from when the vehicle is delivered from the plant.
● The restoration time differs depending on the depth of the scratch and outside temperature.
The restoration time may become shorter when the coating is warmed by applying
warm water.
● Deep scratches caused by keys, coins, etc. cannot be restored.
● Do not use wax that contains abrasives.
This last line in the Lexus user guide worries me. Your comments would be helpful.
I have tried asking the following places and did not get answers to the questions above. This included the the dealership, Lexus Customer Sat at corporate, and assigned Lexus reps on Lexus Support forum in Club Lexus. Not any help on the above questions.
1. My dealership offered to put Zaktek on it at each service for $349. They did not even know about
the restoring coat being on the RC-F and had no recommendation once I discovered it and asked again. I decided no not have their Zaktek (a polymer based) application but want a local pro detailer to help me and he would like some advice as well.
2. I emailed Lexus Customer Sat replied, "In regards to your concern, we do advise that your contact your nearest Lexus dealership forx recommendations to self restoring the clear coat on an RC-F. x We here at Lexus Headquarters do not recommend the use of products for your vehicle. We would always recommend asking a Lexus technician at the Lexus dealership."
3. Posting as asking Lexus reps on Club Lexus forum: did not know know much about the coating and could not answer the questions above that people were asking for help on.
and is now on n all colors of the models RC, RC F, NX, IS, GS and LS. I have a RC-F ordered an want to have a plan of how to detail it.
This thread had not be updated for a long time and I would like to know what experts have discovered over the years since its now 2015.
How thick is this Lexus coating?
Does it have to be processed cold since it heals with heat > 80deg?
What does one do when paint correction is required?
Are there any products or processes that should be avoided? User manual says Do not use wax that contains abrasives.
I see posts on the Club Lexus RC-F forum from a few people have decided they want
extra protection vs just self restoring of the Lexus coating. These people have used CQuartz Finest, or CP9H, 22PLE, and Opticoat over it
and also added clear bra films like XPEL and 3M on the front and then added coatings over everything then wax.
2 people put CQuartz on before XPEL which XPEL recommends against.
I can seem to find anyone at Lexus what will give me advice for my new RC-F so I have hoping
experts here have some experience that can be passed on to owners and detailers of
Lexus cars with the Lexus coating.
The old 2009 info at this link:
http://toyotadriverseat.com/products/lexus/dr-nano-new-lexus-ls-clear-coat-can-actually-heal-itself.htm
and shows an image and implies that the coat can recover 5um deep scratches. It shows max pressure values of 30MPa. 5u is pretty small.
Bye the way:
6.9-27 MPa is 1000 to 4000 psi Water spray pressure used by pressure washers.
This RC-F user manual does not give much help:
■ Self-restoring coat
The vehicle body has a self-restoring coating that is resistant to small surface scratches
caused in a car wash etc.
● The coating lasts for 5 to 8 years from when the vehicle is delivered from the plant.
● The restoration time differs depending on the depth of the scratch and outside temperature.
The restoration time may become shorter when the coating is warmed by applying
warm water.
● Deep scratches caused by keys, coins, etc. cannot be restored.
● Do not use wax that contains abrasives.
This last line in the Lexus user guide worries me. Your comments would be helpful.
I have tried asking the following places and did not get answers to the questions above. This included the the dealership, Lexus Customer Sat at corporate, and assigned Lexus reps on Lexus Support forum in Club Lexus. Not any help on the above questions.
1. My dealership offered to put Zaktek on it at each service for $349. They did not even know about
the restoring coat being on the RC-F and had no recommendation once I discovered it and asked again. I decided no not have their Zaktek (a polymer based) application but want a local pro detailer to help me and he would like some advice as well.
2. I emailed Lexus Customer Sat replied, "In regards to your concern, we do advise that your contact your nearest Lexus dealership forx recommendations to self restoring the clear coat on an RC-F. x We here at Lexus Headquarters do not recommend the use of products for your vehicle. We would always recommend asking a Lexus technician at the Lexus dealership."
3. Posting as asking Lexus reps on Club Lexus forum: did not know know much about the coating and could not answer the questions above that people were asking for help on.
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rlmccarty2000
Active member
Good luck getting any help from Japanese automakers. I have been trying for a year to get Nissan to respond to my question about the correct oil to run in a 370z. My dealer says any 5w-30 is ok, the manual recommends Nissan Ester Oil, but the dealer says this is only a recommendation. I just want to know what is right for my car. Seems like an easy question. Paint questions probably make their heads explode.
Wow! Talk about resurrecting an old (but, relevant) thread about self-healing clear coats.
Wasn't there a class-action lawsuit by Infinity owners about this paint, in that, it did not do its self-healing as advertised?? (maybe it was settled out of court without discussing the compensation, hence, it never made it to the media). I do not think any car manufacturer offers such paint on today's vehicles (this being the 2014-2015-2016 model year(s).)
Which leads to another slippery-slope question: should a coating of any type be applied to self-healing paint, regardless of its age? My first intuition would be NO, simple because coatings are not as elastic/pliable as the self-healing clear coat beneath it, where a wax (a thinly applied coat) of carnauba may be more elastic and semi-permeable (AKA, breathable) on this clear-coat. Or I am guessing without have any scientific evidence or empirical experience to justify my theoretical hypothesis (AKA, BS'er)
As far as the above poster's question concerning his 370Z and what oil to use, my suggestion is to try the Nissan Ester Oil and see what difference it makes. The enlarging of this "VQ" series engine's displacement has caused it to produce some "unusual" harmonics unforeseen by Nissan engineers. The ester oil developed by Nissan was suppose to address some of those issues (AKA noise and vibration). I will not say anything about the economic feasibility (or should I say correctly, sensibility)of $13.00 per quart to find out.
Wasn't there a class-action lawsuit by Infinity owners about this paint, in that, it did not do its self-healing as advertised?? (maybe it was settled out of court without discussing the compensation, hence, it never made it to the media). I do not think any car manufacturer offers such paint on today's vehicles (this being the 2014-2015-2016 model year(s).)
Which leads to another slippery-slope question: should a coating of any type be applied to self-healing paint, regardless of its age? My first intuition would be NO, simple because coatings are not as elastic/pliable as the self-healing clear coat beneath it, where a wax (a thinly applied coat) of carnauba may be more elastic and semi-permeable (AKA, breathable) on this clear-coat. Or I am guessing without have any scientific evidence or empirical experience to justify my theoretical hypothesis (AKA, BS'er)
As far as the above poster's question concerning his 370Z and what oil to use, my suggestion is to try the Nissan Ester Oil and see what difference it makes. The enlarging of this "VQ" series engine's displacement has caused it to produce some "unusual" harmonics unforeseen by Nissan engineers. The ester oil developed by Nissan was suppose to address some of those issues (AKA noise and vibration). I will not say anything about the economic feasibility (or should I say correctly, sensibility)of $13.00 per quart to find out.
rlmccarty2000
Active member
I'm running the Nissan Ester Oil, but my problem was with Nissan and a local dealer. I just wanted them to say this oil is good and why. First they put a synblend in the car after I asked for the Nissan Ester Oil, charged me for 6 quarts even though it only takes 5 and 1/8 and were upset when I asked about the other 7/8 of the bottle. I wrote Nissan of America 3 times to ask what oil would not void my warranty, nothing ever said. I did give myself one hell of an education on oil. Did you know the Nissan Ester Oil actually has diamonds in it? True according to the specs. Made by Motul, who puts Esters in their oils. Amsoil also contains esters. You would think a manufacturer would just say use a good 5w-30 synthetic and your warranty is ok. What a pain.
Lonnie, Thanks for your thoughts.
The RC/RC-F user manual does imply that all RC/RC-F models have the self-healing paint.
It says just what I quoted in my 1st post on this subject.
"Self-restoring coat:
The vehicle body has a self-restoring coating that is resistant to small surface scratches
caused in a car wash etc."
On Club Lexus there was a comment from a Lexus Care rep that made it sound like some colors got more coating or got no coatings. That Lexus Care Per person said "only used on certain colors like the Obsidian or Nebula Grey as they are more prone to show scratches." On 3/30/2015 I ask him directly vs a personal message, is my color (Infared) is coated and how thick is it.
Also Lexus Customer Sat said on 4 01 2015 that they have asked Japan to answer the question and it might take some time to get a response.
I also contacted CarPro-US.com Hi Rick, I am somewhat familiar with this coating. I would advise that for as long as it is self healing and doing as claimed I would use anything more than a product like CarPro Reload (a sealer not a coating). It is not a particularly easy surface to polish and in fact I expect Lexus would advise against any abrasive polish whatsoever but you would be best to consult them as results seem to be mixed.
The recommendations by Lexus do not imply an issue with using a coating like ours or a sealant. Either should be fine BUT I would first determine if the paint is working properly and self healing. If it is in new shape and is indeed acting as it should and as is advertised then I personally wouldn’t coat it. The coating on top could then be marred and that marring visible. I would in this case use something like Reload which is a water based sealant. If the self healing coat is not acting as advertised and is swirled or not in great condition then I would have an experienced detailer do a small test spot somewhere to see that they can indeed polish it to correct it and then coat it
The RC/RC-F user manual does imply that all RC/RC-F models have the self-healing paint.
It says just what I quoted in my 1st post on this subject.
"Self-restoring coat:
The vehicle body has a self-restoring coating that is resistant to small surface scratches
caused in a car wash etc."
On Club Lexus there was a comment from a Lexus Care rep that made it sound like some colors got more coating or got no coatings. That Lexus Care Per person said "only used on certain colors like the Obsidian or Nebula Grey as they are more prone to show scratches." On 3/30/2015 I ask him directly vs a personal message, is my color (Infared) is coated and how thick is it.
Also Lexus Customer Sat said on 4 01 2015 that they have asked Japan to answer the question and it might take some time to get a response.
I also contacted CarPro-US.com Hi Rick, I am somewhat familiar with this coating. I would advise that for as long as it is self healing and doing as claimed I would use anything more than a product like CarPro Reload (a sealer not a coating). It is not a particularly easy surface to polish and in fact I expect Lexus would advise against any abrasive polish whatsoever but you would be best to consult them as results seem to be mixed.
The recommendations by Lexus do not imply an issue with using a coating like ours or a sealant. Either should be fine BUT I would first determine if the paint is working properly and self healing. If it is in new shape and is indeed acting as it should and as is advertised then I personally wouldn’t coat it. The coating on top could then be marred and that marring visible. I would in this case use something like Reload which is a water based sealant. If the self healing coat is not acting as advertised and is swirled or not in great condition then I would have an experienced detailer do a small test spot somewhere to see that they can indeed polish it to correct it and then coat it
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