Trying to protect the exterior of your Tesla may seem like a daunting task. However, with just a few minutes put into looking at the exterior of your Tesla and using some TLC, you can make it look great again in no time!
Today’s blog post is going to cover how to clean and care for your Tesla so you can maintain its beauty. Most Tesla owners are familiar with the brand’s exterior as it is a seamless mix of gloss and matte finishes. It requires delicate handling, but once you know how to properly clean the exterior of your car, it is not difficult.
The first thing we will cover in this post are some of the issues you may have with your Tesla’s paint and how to avoid them. The second section will talk about regular maintenance and detailing so you can keep your car looking new for years to come.
Issue #1: Tesla Paint Scratches
Scratches are one of the biggest issues that people deal with when washing their car by hand. I’ve seen people use products like rubbing alcohol to get rid of the scuff marks. Although they’ll eventually go away, they will also reappear over time or if the car is not properly dried.
I will say that a good hand-drier and some microfiber towels are better than nothing when it comes to scratching your car. However, for most people, getting a scratch fixed by painting the whole thing is going to be the simplest solution.
There are two paint types that Tesla uses: VCM (Visible Chrome Metal) and PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition). VCM is used on the front half of your car while PVD is used on the rear half. The scratches on the two paint types will look different, so it is important to know which one you have. To figure this out, you can take a look at the pillars on either side of the car right after the B pillar.
If you look closely, you will see that both VCM and PVD paints have a shiny metal finish. On VCM paints, there is a very thin layer of plastic or film over top of the metal while there is no such layer on PVD paints. The VCM finish has a reflective metallic-like surface with specks that are almost iridescent in nature. On PVD paints the specks do not appear as metallic and tend to be silver instead of blue/green.
The general consensus on the Tesla Motors Club Forum is that the issue with paint scratches on both coatings are caused by washing without a high-quality wash mitt and using enough water pressure or adequate drying. Many owners have reported that using some form of an abrasive material (drying towel) might cause scratching, which is why I recommend microfiber cloths made for drying your car.
Some owners have reported success in removing surface scratches from their car when they polished their paint with a strong compound like Meguiar’s ScratchX . If you do not want your paint to be severely damaged, I recommend avoiding this type of a polish.
You could also take advantage of our Tesla detailing in Vancouver service for a professional-level of quality.
Issue #2: Paint Splotches
Most people have inadvertently left a dirty microfiber towel or cleaning cloth in the car after washing and are surprised to find random splotches of dirt on their Tesla.
The reason for this is that these scuff marks and swirl marks have been on your car for a long time and since they did not get properly washed off, they are just now appearing.
The only way to avoid this issue is by thoroughly rinsing your car before drying it off with a high-quality dryer.
Issue #3: Fading
This issue is unique to the PVD paint. Since the paint is not a single coating, it doesn’t always adhere properly to the layer underneath.
When this happens, it causes small gaps that can lead to metal oxidation, which then leads to the orange peel effect. This effect makes your car look as if it has been badly damaged.
Some owners have reported that their paint has started fading after washing their car because they did not use microfiber cleaning towels and/or did not dry off all of the water that was left on the car after washing it.
Issue #4: Oxidation on PVD Paint
Many owners who have not washed their Tesla in a while have noticed it looks more dull than when they first bought it. This is because oxidation has occurred on the PVD coating.
A unique characteristic of this particular paint is that when it oxidizes, it starts to look a little anemic and will begin to lose its shine. It’s important to note that the oxidation does not affect other parts of your car, just the rear half.
That’s why many owners have said the paint looks terrible because only this section is affected, but other parts of their car still look new.
Consider Getting a Ceramic Coating for Your Tesla
There are a number of benefits to getting a Tesla ceramic coating.
The ceramic coating will help your Tesla maintain that Showroom Shine, it offers long lasting protection, and it makes cleaning easy.
We definitely recommend taking advantage of a Tesla paint protection film, which also offers a number of benefits including self-healing, maintaining your car’s polished look, and it’s an affordable form of protection.
Bring Your Tesla into Tesla Vancouver Clear Bra
If you have any questions regarding how to protect the exterior of your Tesla or would like to bring it in for a service please don’t hesitate to contact us.