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Your car could be in danger - be aware and be selective when it comes to car care |
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Everyone is in such a hurry these days - both the client and the seller. From a business owner perspective we can say the biggest mistake most clients make is not asking questions or wanting to learn about the services or products offered. It's unfortunate but everyday we get at least one phone call from a someone who has had a bad auto detailing experience at another shop because they did not do their research prior to going there. As a Master Automotive Detailing Technician we can't stress enough just how important it is for you to be aware and be selective when it comes to car care. Your vehicle is a major investment that you have worked hard for - don't let poor quality car care depreciate the value of your asset. Take control of your buying decisions and stop giving your hard earned money to amateurs who in the long-run may be the cause of some costly repairs. If Master automobile detailing services are not in your budget call us before you make any car care decisions. We would be happy to refer you to another detail shop that we feel has earned its reputation as a professional. Consumer education is vital when it comes proper auto care. Customers should be given the facts and information - A well informed client can make intelligent decisions based on their knowledge and understanding. A consumer has the right to know about the products, procedures and services offered. Most people don't know the difference between a a car wash, professional detailer or amateur services. If you haven't done so already may we suggest you read the following to help better educate yourself about car care services: How to choose a professional detailer The Diamond Detailing Difference Protect your asset Car wash vs. detailing Cheaper isn't an option when it comes to car detailing When you call around for prices on car detailing remember that the price you are quoted is a reflection of the training, knowledge, experience, quality of chemicals, equipment, the amount of time dedicated to your vehicle, the procedures followed and customer commitment. Cheaper means you are not getting proper protection or care for your vehicle. As Master Detailers we are aware that some detail shops in Guelph who claim they are professionals totally disregard correct detailing procedures and knowingly use chemicals that harm your vehicle. It's not uncommon - it happens in Guelph and it happens in other cities. Quality car care is priceless anything less and you are throwing away your hard earned money. Avoid paying for amateur detailing that is nothing more than a glorified car wash this includes car washes that offer detailing. Some commercial drive thru car washes may market themselves as a detailing shop but do nothing more than run your car through the car wash, add spray wax and dress over dirt. It a complete waste of money and poor quality car care it isn't doing your vehicle any favors. Chemicals: The chemicals used will be low-grade or retail products. These products do not provide adequate protection or meet the special requirements of your car. Each car is different - what is good for a Cadillac is not good for a Mercedes. Products which state that they are good for all vehicles is simply a selling tool that benefits the company not the consumer. The end result it damage to your vehicle. You may not see it at first because it begins on a microscopic level over time the damage spreads and can cause serious destruction to the surfaces. Equipment: The equipment used to clean your car is as important as the chemicals. Retail or low grade equipment does not perform well and may end up doing more harm than good. Training, education & knowledge: A Master Detailer or true professional is trained to use the mildest method to effectively correct, restore or enhance the condition of your vehicle. This means the chemicals, procedure and equipment used will vary from car to car and depend on the situation at hand. If the most gentle technique does not work they will try another method. Sometimes this may take several steps but they will never use anything that will harm the surface including force, poorly maintained equipment / tools, or chemicals. An untrained amateur on the other hand all too often resorts to using harsh chemicals and equipment to cut down on time and save money. Environment: The environment of a detail shop is important. It should be well stocked with high-quality products, chemicals and well maintained equipment/tools. In addition it should look organized, clean and be free of contaminants such as oil spray or conventional rust proofing which can float through the air and damage the surface of your vehicle or be sucked into the engine. Bad detailing practices used by some shops calling themselves professionals We have put together a list of some bad practices which go on in some detail shops to help you understand some of the things that your car may be subjected to. These things are unacceptable and far from professional. If you have had any of the following things happen you may want to rethink your car care decisions. Carpet dye: All too often we see detail shops applying carpet dye to unclean carpets. The majority of people who apply carpet dye do not prep the area properly or apply the dye evenly. Carpets must be cleaned properly prior to any dye application. When left dirty the dye can not adhere to the fibers meaning that it will wear away in those dirty areas and will look patchy. Carpet dye is not permanent it is a temporary solution. Carpet dye will wear away in time and will need to be redone to even the color out again. The other problem we see is too much dye being used causing the carpet to completely harden up as if it were frozen. It may look great but it loses its plush texture when applied incorrectly. Carpet shampooing and upholstery cleaning: Some shops are pressure washing the interiors of the car. This means the cars are being soaked. This is this a dangerous practice when used as a regular cleaning procedure. It can cause many problems such as water infiltrating electrical wiring and can cause fires. The second problem this creates is that a pressure washer can actually impact the dirt further down in the fibers. In a case where there is salt deposits this causes the salt to get trapped in the padding below and it will begin to eat away at the metal floor. The third problem is that if the water is not completely extracted and the carpets dried it will cause mold and mildew making it an unhealthy environment. Lastly a pressure washer can harm, weaken and remove the fibers. In extreme cases pressure washing may need to be performed but these are done on spots and not used as a cleaning method throughout the car. Should a detailer find it necessary to do this they do so with extreme care. If the carpets or seats are not thoroughly dry by the time the clients picks up the vehicle the detailer will give one of the following instructions:
If you've picked up your car from a shop and the seats or carpets are still soaking wet and you've be given no instruction or warning about it this is a good sign that proper care has not been taken. Proper cleaning techniques for carpets and upholstery should include both hand shampooing / extraction by a professional grade extractor (not a shop vac) and steam cleaning. Clear Coating Engines: Some shops choose to clear coat the engines with clear spray paint. It's not an unacceptable practice if it is performed correctly. In order to do this the car must be masked off and no other cars car be present in the shop (if they are they too need to be masked). Failure to properly mask the car will result in overspray landing on the painted surfaces of the car, the tires, chrome and windows. Overspray creates an unsightly texture that is rough to the tough and often visible to the eye. On tires and chrome it can turn color making it highly visible and can discolor the surface. On windshields it can decrease windshield visibility. Engines today are encased with a lot of plastic and do not require permanent protection from corrosion therefore it is a procedure that you can do without. It is not worth the problems associated with it when done poorly including mechanical problems. Overspray removal is costly! Convertible roof cleaning - Here is another horrifying thing we've seen over and over. Improper cleaning of cloth and vinyl convertible roofs will result in cracking, yellowing, discoloration, and weakening of the material. Dressing gas petal, brake petal, steering wheel and gear shift - Insurance companies frown upon detail shops who apply greasy or oily dressings to gas petals, brake petals, steering wheels and gear shifts. This is a dangerous practice that could result in personal injury. A greasy petal or steering wheel reduces the ability to be in control the mechanism at all times. Your foot could easily slip off the petal or you could lose grip of the wheel or shifter. Diamond Detailing abides by strict industry standards. We never use greasy dressings or leave slippery residue on petals, steering wheels or gear shifters. Dressing the Engine: The decision by some shops to use tire dressing which is solvent based to dress the engine is a poor one. It is flammable and can cause fires. Dressings used on engines should be water based - enough said. Fabric, paint, vinyl, leather and rust protection applications: When purchasing fabric, paint, vinyl, leather and rust protection packages we urge you to be selective on the type of protection that is offered, find out who will apply them, the procedures for the application and the warranty offered. Whether you are buying the protection package from a car dealership or a detail shop read the fine print, do your research and ask questions. There are only a few manufacturers that make these protection products and we have used each of them. In our professional opinion Platinum Protection is the only brand that we recommend. There are several reasons for this:
Let's set the brand aside for a moment and talk about other problems that consumers must watch for when buying protection packages. The first thing consumers need to be aware of is that car dealerships who offer these packages when you buy a car from them do so at a premium price. The second is who is applying the protection. Many car dealerships perform this service in-house while the remaining send them to a detail shop. Either way there are some negative factors to consider. If the protection is not being applied as per the manufacturers directions it will not perform as it should: Paint protection: When paint protection is applied the car must go through a 4 step procedure to decontaminate the paint. Failure to do so means the contaminants will remain sealed into the surface. This is a huge problem and we see too much of it. Industrial fallout, brake dust, rail dust and other debris can cause corrosion leaving them in the paint defeats the purpose of paint protection and could in fact add to problems. Paint protection needs to be applied evenly to give complete protection. Many people apply it by hand this doesn't provide a uniform distribution and can therefore leave unprotected areas. The second largest problem we see is that the paint protection is not being applied to all the painted surfaces. It is only being applied to the hood, trunk and sometimes the sides. It seems that shops are not applying taking it right down to the bottom of the vehicle. This leaves the car unprotected from the moldings down leaving the car to be attacked by tar, road paint, brake dust, salt, snow or other materials that could etch, stain or cause corrosion. Buyer Beware : There is a local shop who is putting Turtle Wax on vehicles and selling it as paint protection. This is not paint protection! It's up to you to do your research! Fabric Protection: The biggest problem with fabric protection is that the carpet and upholstery are not being cleaned at all or cleaned poorly prior to the application. If dirt is left behind the fabric protection does not bind properly with the fibers - it binds to the dirt. When it binds to dirt it does not provide protection and when you have your car vacuumed or shampooed your fabric protection goes with it. Another typical problem we see is that the fabric protection is being applied only to the mat and not the rest of the carpet the other way around. We have had a lot of clients who have purchased their protection at the dealership when they purchased the car come in with permanent stains or stains that are very difficult to remove because they didn't receive the all over protection they paid for. Vinyl / Leather Protection: The main problem we see here is poor quality product not performing as promised and poor application. Again many times the leather & vinyl protection is not being applied to all the leather and vinyl components of the car. It is being applied to seats, door panels and steering wheels leaving the rest unprotected. Rust Protection Modules: People who buy catholic protection systems should be aware that these systems have limitations and work best when the vehicle is submersed in water. New technology has introduced superior rust protection systems. These double anode systems combine both an Impressed Current and Sacrificial Anode. Using a small amount of current from your vehicle's battery the rust module causes negatively charged "free electrons" to be drawn to the Sacrificial Anodes by means of Impressed Current. In simple terms, this remarkable technology causes corrosion to occur on the Anodes instead of elsewhere on your vehicle. However even with the best technology there can be problems. If the installation is not done correctly the rust module will not work properly. The biggest problem of all is warranty. Read the fine print. Most people think think the warranty looks fabulous until they have a claim. Too many of these companies are playing roulette. They are selling the warranties for protection that will fail. The mentality of it all is that the owner of the vehicle will sell the car before damage occurs. When it does many of the companies are not standing behind the customer. This is why we prefer Platinum Protection it is a no non-sense warranty and the company stands behind the performance of the product. If damage does occur for any reason they will fix or replace it. It is always better to purchase vehicle protection packages from professional detailers who are competent to do the job. It costs less and the job will be performed right. Floor Mats: Some detail shops are placing newspaper on the floor as floor mats. Not only does this look unprofessional it performs horribly and can cause damage. If the carpets are wet or damp the ink in the newspaper will bleed into the carpet causing stains that could be permanent. If you have visited an amateur shop like this who has used newspaper instead of professional floor mats you may want to reconsider your detailing choices. Headliner cleaning: Headliners must be cleaned carefully to avoid damage. The majority of damage we have seen is due to over wetting the headliner. When this happens the headliner will stretch causing it to sag and it may become discolored. Interior Cleaning: The interior of a car is composed of many different materials and surfaces. Each make and model may require different chemicals. The 2nd worse practice we have heard to date is that of spraying engine degreaser inside the car on vinyl, leather and plastic as a cleaning agent. The problem here is that this chemical is not designed for these surfaces. It is too harsh and will deteriorate surface finishes and can strip away color. In addition it dries out the vinyl and can cause discoloration or cracking. Another goody but definitely a no no is cleaning leather seats with solvent. If you've ever had solvent on your hands you quickly learned just how drying it could be when your skin turned white or your hands felt tight. Your skin is alive now imagine what that would do to a skin that isn't alive and producing natural oils. Now get ready for the worst! Wheel acid on leather seats is a definite no no. Not only does it completely dry them out and ruin the texture it strips off the color. A local shop has used this practice on at least 2 separate occasions. How do we know - because the clients came to us to fix them. That's scary! If it happened once we wouldn't bother mentioning it and we could assume it was a mishap of grabbing the wrong bottle but 2x causes us some concern as to what is going on out there. Rims Cleaning: It is a common practice among detail shops to use wheel acid to clean the brake dust, rust and road grime from the rims. We prefer to use safer and milder methods to clean rims but have used acid in the past when it was absolutely necessary. Acid is corrosive and it can etch the surface. It can only be applied to certain types of rims otherwise it will destroy them. Acid this corrosive must be used with extreme care and can never be left on to dry, applied in the sun or placed on pitted rims. Wheel acid will also discolor the tires if it is sprayed on them. But it comes as no surprise when we see vehicles that have been subject to abuse and misuse of wheel acid. The reason for the damage is lack of knowledge, care, failure to follow manufacturers directions, poor technique and cutting corners. This type of damage is very costly and in most cases it means replacement. Seat belt strap cleaning - The strap of seat belt should never be cleaned. Insurance companies advise against it because it can deteriorate the fibers and therefore weaken the strap. If a seat belt failed in the case of an emergency because it was cleaned the detail shop could be liable. Diamond Detailing abides by strict industry standards by refusing to clean seat belt straps regardless of their appearance as we do not want to be the cause of any injury. Swirl marks in paint: Swirl marks are a huge problem in the automotive detailing industry that is not limited to amateurs. A lot of good detailers who are professionals can leave swirl marks. The difference between a Professional and a Master detailer is that the Master detailer has the training , knowledge, equipment, chemicals and experience to effectively remove them - not hide them. Hiding swirl marks with silicone wax and fillers is a common practice among the novice buffer. This is a temporary measure that covers the problem. Given the length of time it takes for the wax to reveal what is underneath the detailer can then shift the blame to the car owner giving them the excuse that it is the result of poor car care. If the swirl marks are present the day after you pick the car up this may be the result of the detailer not being able to see the swirl marks at the time he delivered the car due to weather conditions or other circumstances and a reputable detailer will fix it properly. Tar / Sap Removal: We've just about seen it all when it comes to tar and sap removal. Tar and sap should never be approached in a forceful or harsh manner. It is stubborn but it requires the gentlest touch. In cases where the car does not have paint protection it may eat through the clear coat. This is why it pays to have paint protection. It helps to protect the painted finish from destruction. Do's and Don't of sap/tar/bug/road paint removal:
Improper techniques used for tar, sap, bug and road paint removal will damage the surrounding paint, leaving a multitude of scratches behind that are highly visible and can permanently damage the painted surface beyond repair. Trunk cleaning - As of lately we are seeing more and more water soaked trunks. This is a huge problem that can cause a car to become a sick car. Someone in the city is high pressure washing the trunks and using a shop vac to extract the water. The problem is they are not allowing the carpet in the trunk to dry nor are they sucking the water out that falls down by the spare tire. This results is a horrible odor caused from the mold and bacteria. We have opened up trunk compartments that are completely filled with black mold. The mold spores travel throughout the car including the air system. This means that the driver of the vehicle is breathing in spores. For a person who suffers from allergies, asthma or bronchial problems this is very dangerous. Decontaminating cars that have been subjected to mold is a lengthy process that is expensive. Upholstered door panel cleaning: We always feel so bad for clients when they have had a bad experience at another shop. Door panels are not cheap, it can be difficult to find replacements, repairs are costly and it greatly depreciates the value of the vehicle if left unfixed. The major cause of door panel damage is high pressure washing or use of too much water when cleaning. When the door panels become saturated they will sag or the material can pull away from the adhesive. It can also cause electrical problems with power switches and speakers. Window cleaning - Cleaning the windows on a car seems like an easy enough task but we have seen some atrocious things done to automotive glass such as staining and etching caused by the use of improper chemicals like wheel acid and multipurpose cleaner. Window Tint - Many shops who offer window tint do offer leading brands like Llumar and Madico but there are others who mislead customers by telling them they sell a product which is a sister company of these brands - this is not true. One example is a company in Guelph who is selling Diamond Window Films and telling clients it is a sister company of Llumar. It isn't a sister company of Llumar nor does Llumar manufacture under any other brand name. Don't be fooled or misled when it comes to window tint. If it doesn't say Llumar or Madico on the box - it isn't. A poor decision can be unsightly as it can turn purple, bubble and peel the result is costly. Prevent shoddy workmanship by choosing a tint centre with qualified window tint installers. Window Tint repairs: We have seen several clients now who've come in to have their window tint replaced. The original shop they had it installed at did shoddy workmanship and used poor quality window film but this is not why they wanted us to perform a new window film installation. These people had taken their cars back to the shop who installed the window film after seeing an unacceptable amount of dirt in it. The customers wanted the shop to repair it and were left with a nightmare. The shop took a razor blade and cut out the areas of the film where debris had gotten stuck and colored it in with a black marker. Some of these clients didn't even bother to put up a fight and the ones who did got no customer satisfaction. It is understandable that some dirt or dust may get trapped in the film. It is impossible to not have some. The only way to prevent this from happening is to perform a window tint in a sealed lab that is 100% free of airborne contaminants. This is impractical and couldn't be done in a cost effective manner so the window tinting industry has set a standard of allowable debris. The acceptable amount of debris is 10%. Given this measure it really is up to the window tint installer as to whether they feel the tint should be replaced when the amount of debris is within that measure. However if an object like a tiny piece of paper towel is trapped which is very noticeable a reputable installer will replace the tint. With this being said replacement for this type of problem is the only solution. It is unprofessional to cut out the piece being affected and color over it or stick another piece of tint in the hole. The same applies to bubbles in the tint. We hope you've found this list to be informative. Diamond Detailing firmly believes in educating the public about the dangers of placing a car in the hands of an untrained professional. We want clients to get the best car care for their money. Our intent is to educate clients and get them to investigate. It is up the consumer to do the research, expose these shops and to decide if you want to avoid shops using these practices! |
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