How to Prepare Your Car for Ceramic Coating

You've scheduled your ceramic coating appointment. What happens between now and drop-off determines how well your coating performs for years to come.

Proper preparation is 80% of a successful coating job.

Why Prep Matters So Much

What Happens Without Proper Prep

If coating is applied over contaminated or damaged paint:

• Contamination gets sealed under the coating
• Scratches become permanent (coating follows contours)
• Bonding is compromised
• Hydrophobic performance suffers
• Coating may fail prematurely

The Goal of Prep

Before coating touches your paint, the surface must be:

• Clean — no contamination bonded to surface
• Corrected — swirls and scratches removed
• Smooth — consistent surface for coating adhesion
• Bare — no old wax, sealant, or coatings

What You Should Do Before Your Appointment

1-2 Weeks Before

Empty your trunk completely

• Remove everything — spare tire is fine
• Coating shop needs full access
• Prevents moving your items

Document existing damage

• Take photos of any chips, scratches, dents
• Note anything you want addressed
• Prevents confusion about what's "new"

Stop using spray waxes/detailers

• These leave residue that must be removed
• Let the shop do final wash

1-2 Days Before

Give it a basic wash

• Remove heavy dirt and grime
• Don't need to make it perfect
• Shop will do proper prep anyway

Remove personal items

• Phone mounts, dash cams (if in the way)
• Garage remotes
• Anything that could fall or be in the way

Full tank of gas

• You won't be driving for a bit during cure
• Convenient to pick up with full tank

Day of Appointment

Arrive on time

• Shop schedules coating with cure time in mind
• Late arrival may push schedule

Discuss expectations

• Point out any areas of concern
• Confirm what's included
• Understand timeline

Provide contact info

• For pickup notification
• In case questions arise during prep

What the Shop Should Do

Step 1: Thorough Wash

Professional pre-coating wash includes:

• Two-bucket method or foam cannon
• Wheel and tire cleaning — separate from body
• Door jambs and seals — often-missed areas
• Under hood edges — if visible when hood is open
• Bug and tar removal — chemical treatment as needed

Step 2: Decontamination

Removing bonded contamination:

Clay bar or clay mitt treatment

• Removes industrial fallout
• Removes brake dust particles
• Creates smooth surface
• You can feel the difference

Iron remover (fallout treatment)

• Chemical that dissolves iron particles
• Turns purple when reacting with iron
• Essential for near-perfect surfaces
• Often skipped by cheap shops

Tar and adhesive removal

• Road tar spots
• Old sticker residue
• Tree sap if present

Step 3: Paint Correction

This is the most important prep step:

What paint correction does

• Removes swirl marks from improper washing
• Eliminates light scratches
• Evens out orange peel (optional, intensive)
• Creates uniform reflective surface
• Brings paint to "better than showroom"

Correction levels

Fair warning: Paint correction takes 4-12+ hours depending on vehicle condition. This is where the real work happens.

Step 4: Panel Wipe/IPA Wipe

After polishing:

• Removes polishing oils — these prevent coating bonding
• Ensures bare paint — nothing between paint and coating
• Critical step — never skip this

Step 5: Coating Application

Once prep is complete:

• Proper application technique
• Even coverage
• Multiple layers (if included)
• High spots removed
• Cure time initiated

Red Flags: What Bad Shops Skip

Warning Signs

❌ "We'll have it done in a few hours"

• Proper prep takes 1-2 days for most vehicles
• Fast turnaround = shortcuts

❌ "We don't need to clay bar new cars"

• All cars have contamination, even new ones
• Shipping, rail dust, dealer lot exposure

❌ "Paint correction is optional"

• It's only "optional" if your paint is already perfect
• Most cars need at least 1-stage

❌ "We can coat over your wax"

• Coating won't bond properly
• Everything must be stripped

❌ No before/after documentation

• Professional shops document work
• Protects you and them

Questions to Ask

✅ What does your prep process include? ✅ How long will this take? ✅ Is paint correction included or extra? ✅ What products do you use for decon? ✅ Can I see before/after photos of similar work?

Cost Breakdown: Where Money Goes

Typical Coating Package Price: $1,200

Prep is typically 60-70% of the job cost. The coating itself is almost secondary.

New Cars: Still Need Prep?

Common Misconception

"My car is brand new, just coat it!"

Reality

New cars often have:

• Rail dust from train transport
• Dealer "protection" products (often low-quality)
• Installer damage from accessories
• Lot wash swirls from quick dealer details
• Buffer holograms from PDI (pre-delivery inspection)

Even new cars need decontamination and usually light correction.

New Car Prep Includes

• Removal of dealer products
• Decontamination process
• Minor paint correction (typically 1-stage)
• Full panel wipe
• Coating application

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Get Your Coating Done Right

We include thorough prep with every coating package:

📞 Contact us — ask about our prep process

📍 Visit our shop — see our correction bay in person

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Related Articles

• Paint Correction vs Ceramic Coating: Which First?
• Ceramic Coating Cost Bay Area 2025
• Ceramic Coating for New Cars

Related Services

• Ceramic Coating Services
• Paint Correction
• Detailing Services