Autoglyme lifeshine paint protection

Betts-4

Active Member
Jul 11, 2019
620
206
So there has been a lot of discussion on ceramic coating, autoglyme lifeshine and similar.

Lots of opinions and thoughts


I wondered as I’m considering a good deal for dealership autoglyme compared to a company quoting 3 times as much.

Has anyone had good experiences with dealer autoglyme and recommends,any photos.

And

Has anyone had bad experiences and why and photos ?

Thanks
 

ZK_FR150

Active Member
Apr 16, 2016
221
32
Coatings should be applied after a full decontamination like iron and tar remover then a full wash clay bar and machine polish to get rid of any swirls, once the paint is totally clean of most defects then the coating.
I doubt a dealers gonna do this before applying the product and even then it's not gonna be done by a pro detailer.
Unless they're doing it for less the £100 I wouldn't even bother with it.

Also not sure of the durability of the product and you will probably have to use the products they give you for the maintenance washes on a regular basis to keep it looking decent.

I'd save the money and take it to a proper detail guy who will use better products.
 

Nora2004

Active Member
Oct 15, 2017
176
80
The product itself isn't to bad I suppose, however is the application and prep work that is the concern! I've never known a dealer that has been happy investing the 12+ hours needed to get it right, they either do no prep or very poor rushed prep work, sometimes inflicting more damage to what was already there!
 

bgb

Active Member
Jan 22, 2019
600
316
Stay clear of dealer applied stuff. Just my view! Find a reputable local detailer instead :yes:
 
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Betts-4

Active Member
Jul 11, 2019
620
206
What I don’t understand is why they offer it.

Surely you have to be approved and it’s also guaranteed so if there is an issue you would complain.

Its also a shame as I have had it on my GTI and was brill none of these issue but now I feel that was luck :(

I need to shop around but the mark up becomes silly and this is what the reviews reflect

£50 for product and £600 labour lol
 

robby71

Full Member
Sep 3, 2005
653
91
Yorkshire, UK
you can buy the kits on ebay for around £10 = dealers buy the kits in bulk and pay the valeters around £15 to apply it, they don't correct the paint first so any defects are sealed in.
I worked at a dealers many years ago where the sold diamond brite - not bad if applied properly, the valeters would wipe on stage 1, put stage 2 on top then buff it straight off instead of leaving it to bond/ cure so it was a waste of time.
Valeters have many cars to do in a day so can't spend a few hours on 1 coating/ correction so they don't do the edges of panels either
Better off paying more and using a pro detailers if you want it doing properly - it's ok but still doesn't stop scratches / dents / swirls / chips / etc - i use Poorboys EX-P sealant, takes a couple of hours but i know it's done properly :)
 

SRGTD

Active Member
May 26, 2014
2,387
1,278
What I don’t understand is why they offer it.

Surely you have to be approved and it’s also guaranteed so if there is an issue you would complain.
l

The dealer offers it because there’s a huge profit margin in it for them when you consider the price they charge the customer and what they pay for the Lifeshine products.

There are lots of get-out clauses in the Lifeshine guarantee, so the guarantee might not be worth much - some of the clauses in the guarantee that give Autoglym reasons not to honour it;
  • Bird poo and tree sap has to be removed with Autoglym shampoo or comparable product within 48 hours, or the guarantee is invalidated.
  • Neglect or lack of reasonable care and use of cleaning procedures contrary to standards recommended at www.autoglym.com invalidates the guarantee. So if you use the £5 hand wash operations, or even let the dealer give your car a complementary service wash when it’s back at the dealership for servicing, repairs or warranty work, your probably invalidating your Lifeshine guarantee.
  • Scratching, swirl marks and hazing caused by (but not limited to) handheld wash brushes, automated car washes or contaminated chamois and sponges are excluded. Scratching and swirl marks will almost certainly happen if you regularly use the £5 hand wash places or let the dealer wash your car.
If I was considering having some form of paintwork protection applied to a new car, I’d do it myself. If I wasn’t able to do it myself, then I wouldn’t be letting a car dealership do it for the reasons quoted by other posters in this discussion thread. I’d go to a professional detailer as they have the skills and knowledge to do it properly. Yes, it will probably cost more than £300 the Seat dealer would charge to do a rush job to apply Lifeshine, but with the professional detailer you’d paying for (probably) 1.5 days or longer of professional’s time and expertise, and I think the result would speak for itself.
 
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Betts-4

Active Member
Jul 11, 2019
620
206
Is it even worth doing,I have bought some good cleaning products,water filter and plan to wash regularly.

All I really want is to give some extra protection from spills inside and scratches
 

SRGTD

Active Member
May 26, 2014
2,387
1,278
Is it even worth doing,I have bought some good cleaning products,water filter and plan to wash regularly.

All I really want is to give some extra protection from spills inside and scratches

Lifeshine or other forms of paint protection won’t protect against scratches. You could apply a product like G techniq I1 Smart Fabric (cost around £15) to your seats to protect against spills.
 

Betts-4

Active Member
Jul 11, 2019
620
206
Lifeshine or other forms of paint protection won’t protect against scratches. You could apply a product like G techniq I1 Smart Fabric (cost around £15) to your seats to protect against spills.
Yer I have bought dodo juice for the inside, I agree if it needs doing doing it right and it should be done after a detail to seal a good finish just so many places and unsure who is a rip off and who is worth it but surely in essence it’s all a rip off.
Paying a good company £750 is basically just for a detail that won’t really last

I’m thinking back to just washing myself and that’s that
 

robby71

Full Member
Sep 3, 2005
653
91
Yorkshire, UK
Buy a tin of Scotchguard off ebay for less than £10 to protect the fabric seats and carpets, give the car a regular wash with a microfibre or lambswool mitt to help avoid swirls, apply a couple of coats of wax to the paint and alloys. Doing this yourself will help keep on top of any chips which can be touched in and you'll know the job is done properly.
A great forum for detailing advice is https://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/index.php
 

LR231998

Alor Blue 290 Cupra
Jan 21, 2019
485
188
Useless protection get it fully detailed and coated by a professional detailer who has pride in their work and don’t waste the stupid amounts they charge for a £20 product.
 

ZK_FR150

Active Member
Apr 16, 2016
221
32
Yer I have bought dodo juice for the inside, I agree if it needs doing doing it right and it should be done after a detail to seal a good finish just so many places and unsure who is a rip off and who is worth it but surely in essence it’s all a rip off.
Paying a good company £750 is basically just for a detail that won’t really last

I’m thinking back to just washing myself and that’s that
Have a look at the detailingworld forum that was linked here, great resource for detailing and you will be able to see which products work best.

A lot of pro detailers post on there too so you will be able to check out their work, maybe even some that work in your area so you can ring around for a quote.

When done properly your car can look mint and dirt and water will just sheet off.
A proper ceramic coating can last quite a few months and some claim to last up to a year.

You can get some pretty decent results if you want to have a go by yourself.
Good shampoo, wash with 2 bucket method.
Iron X and tardis to get the iron particles and tar out.
Give it a going over with a clay bar.
Then if you have a DA polisher you can take any swirls out.
If not apply a decent wax or glaze with fillers as this will mask any light swirls or try a spray on coating like sonax polymer net shield should give you good protection for a few months.
 
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LR231998

Alor Blue 290 Cupra
Jan 21, 2019
485
188
All you need these days for amazing beading and protection which lasts 3 months is a spray on spray off sealant such as carbon collective give hybrid. Amazing stuff takes seconds to apply
 

SRGTD

Active Member
May 26, 2014
2,387
1,278
All you need these days for amazing beading and protection which lasts 3 months is a spray on spray off sealant such as carbon collective give hybrid. Amazing stuff takes seconds to apply
Modern spray on sealants are good, and you don’t have to spend a fortune on products that give a good few months protection.

Although not spray on sealants, I’m currently using either Collinite 845 Insulator Wax or Soft99 Fusso Dark Coat 12 Months Wax.

Collinite 845 is the liquid version of Collinite 476s so being a liquid it’s really easy to apply. I find it gives a good six months protection and can be bought for around £19. Soft99 Fusso Dark Coat 12 Months Wax is actually a sealant, in spite of its name. It’s extremely hydrophobic and it’s claimed to give up to 12 months protection. I’ve not managed to get 12 months protection from it - living in a hard water area doesn’t help - I’ve found it does give a good 6 months protection though. Again, can be bought for around £19.
 

st300

Active Member
Apr 5, 2019
39
18
I've been using the Turtle Wax sealant. Got it for less than £5 when on sale at eurocarparts.
Been very happy with it and still beading 2+ months later.

 

MatTheMerciless

Active Member
Feb 16, 2019
84
54
For what it’s worth I had this done at the dealer. I only paid £100 and got a bag full of cleaning supplies that’s worth £50-100 at retail anyway.
I wasn’t that impressed. One of the seats picked up some wired marks through normal use and the beading wasn’t what I was expecting.

I’ve used a few of the latest hybrid ceramic coatings like the one from meguiars, but I actually think the autoglym aqua wax is better. It lasts ages and is easier to apply.
 

Tony Tonic

Active Member
Jan 30, 2019
144
24
Buy a tin of Scotchguard off ebay for less than £10 to protect the fabric seats and carpets, give the car a regular wash with a microfibre or lambswool mitt to help avoid swirls, apply a couple of coats of wax to the paint and alloys. Doing this yourself will help keep on top of any chips which can be touched in and you'll know the job is done properly.
A great forum for detailing advice is https://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/index.php
Which Scotchguard product specifically?
 

phate101101

Active Member
Oct 6, 2015
33
18
I got this for free from the Seat dealer and was initially very impressed, water beading was great etc but I wouldn't be paying lots of money for it. it should be free with any new cupra IMO, along with the cleaning pack.. it's in their interest to have lots of shiny cupra's on the road anyway..

I guess each dealer is different but mine did specifically wait until their detailer had free time and did let it cure for at least 24 hours (though that could have been BS :)) )
 
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