Dealer Sealer. Snake oil?

I just got the '06 Legacy on July 3. I'm in love with it. At the time of purchase, after the deal is done, the chick comes over and tries to sell you the undercoating, extended warranty, special paint sealer, and whatever. My dad ran the GM plant in Baltimore for years, and always taught me those dealer "add ons" are just profit centers for the dealer. So I always decline them, which is what I did this time too. However, having searched and read this forum for weeks now while learning about my new car, and reading about Subaru paint quality issues, and sealers being better than wax, I just wonder if there is really anything worthwhile in that paint protectant offering from the dealer. Logic tells me no, and that it's either snake oil or something I can get cheap and do myself. But the Subaru paint issues I have read about make me second guess this one a little. Thoughts?

Unless the sealant is ceramic-metallic or something, it's not going to help much with the issues most have i.e. chipping easily.

your car comes with underbody coating..... at them trying to sell you more. sealant - it's a substitute for wax....don't pay $500 for it....buy some yourself and do it for $30. Griot's Garage 1-800-345-5789 - Car Care for the Perfectionist

First of all, it doesn't matter if you use a sealant or a wax on your paint. Legacy paint is still too thin and will scratch if you look at it too hard. Waxes and sealants are like sunscreen for your car. If you dive into a pool of razor blades it won't really matter if you have SPF 500 or SPF 4 on your skin. Nothing the dealer can sell you will prevent scratches and swirls.

 

Second of all, most dealerships that offer the sealant treatment charge waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much. Mercedes and Lexus dealerships both used to sell Klasse treatments for $500 bucks. This is the exact same product you can buy a bottle of for like $20 something bucks.

 

My suggestion is to definitely use a sealant, but buy it yourself and apply it yourself. Dealerships know nothing about paint care. I've had to repair far too many botched polishing jobs from dealership detailer hacks to ever trust another one. It is better that they never ever touch your paint.

OC,

I've been reading a lot of your posts in the past couple weeks since I bought the car, and learning quite a bit. I've had the car for just 3 weeks, and so far only used Eagle 1 Wax as U Dry. I use it once a week after each wash and I really like it because it's easy to use and I don't have to worry about getting a bunch of white wax all over my trim. This is my first experience with a spray on wax, but I'm pretty impressed so far.

If I was to continue to use this once a week or so, is that pretty good? Or do I still need one of the products you reccomend, like maybe NXT? And if so, would using the NXT spray (frequently) be as good as applying the liquid wax less frequently?

 

Thanks,

Ed

Spray waxes are meant for quick shines when you don't have time to do a real wax job. Most spray waxes have durability that can't even be measured by weeks because they are so weaksauce. You really do need to get a coat of real protection on your car if you want to protect it from UV damage, oxidation, and everything else that happens to the car. If it is clayed and protected properly then you'll find that bird bombs, road tar, bugs, tree sap, and even waterspots don't cause you very much trouble.

 

The amount of actual wax in a spray product is so low that I am surprised they can actually call it a wax. My suggestion is to get a quality paste wax and get at least one good coat of that on your car once a month if you want to keep your car protected and looking good. Spray waxes and 'wax as you dry' products are fine for keeping the wax job looking fresh, but those shouldn't be your only form of protection on the paint.

Consider clear protection from a company like...

 

XPEL Technologies Corp.: Clear Bra Paint Protection and Headlamp Protection - 3M Scotchgard Paint Protection Film and Pre-cut Window Tint Patterns

 

or

 

http://www.stongard.com

 

Stone chips and scratches seem to be the number one complaint of Subaru crappy paint. This is the only type of protection that helps especially if you do a lot of highway driving.

Yes, but it only helps on the bumper and front edge of your hood. The bumper paint has flex agents added to it that actually help in resisting swirls to begin with. The hood is another story, but if you want a 'clear' film on your hood then that is up to you. When the rest of your paint swirls from drying it with a bath towel and the film on the front doesn't, then it is going to not be so invisible anymore.

I use to live in CA i never heard of autobutler until i moved out here to az. I use to was my car 1 a month when i lived in CA. when i moved out here last sept i bought 3 new cars. all of them had AutoButler. I dont have to wax my car anymore. When u wash it the water just beads off like i had waxed it. the weather out here is pretty harsh on the cars exterrior so i didnt mind paying for it(even tho i didnt). and if you touch the paint it feels smooth.

I had it done because of all the tree sap up here. I dealed for a price reduction so it cost me $300.00. The exterior and interior was done by Cal-Tex using a product called Resistall. No more waxing for me.

You can do it yourself with a good paint sealent and power buffer.

100 percent pure snake oil. Spend the money on a turbonator.