Diamondbrite

Technical Area Cleaning & Detailing
2

 

 

I have been looking through the past posts about Diamondbrite, and now im confused, im getting a new true red sport tech, the sales guy said they would throw it in so I didn’t really think about it just said ok

now after looking on here at posts saying sometimes they can put it on over swirls, im wondering if it was the right choice, but its done now, even though I haven’t seen it yet so what are the options from here?

 

Is it best to just go with it, I believe you just have to “top it up from time to time” ?

are you supposed to polish over it or not? or could you if you wanted to ? I like polishing the car I was going to use AG super resin polish, is there any point,(as in would it make any difference or would it only ever be a shiny as the Diamondbrite)

if you just leave it and don’t top it up does it just disappear after time ?

Thanks

 

Zodiac

 

 

 

 

3

I think you would be correct in that last line of your post, it would just disappear after a short while.

I’m no detailing expert, I’ll leave that to those who are but my opinion is it’s just another add on to extract more money at the POS.

I had my car (not an MX-5)  treated with Autoglym products for a knockdown price when new, wished I’d not bothered really, it didn’t last long.

Now I’ve read about what the pro detailers do/use I think I would have opted for one of their services, just my opinion.

4

I had mine done from new in 2010, I think it’s brilliant. You get two bottles, one is a shampoo, the other the conserver.
I shampoo it about once a month depending on how far I’ve driven.
and conserve it straight after the 4th shampoo or thereabouts.

I always Conserve it before a long trip,e.g South of Spain and back, I find that the surface is so glossy that dust does not stick to it very easily.
Personally I’m very pleased with it.


Cheers
Gales

5

Thank you both , Gales that looks lovely, do you polish as well or just maybe dry and then buff it up ?

 

Zodiac

 

6

Yes it was already done on our pre-reg 2006 Mazda 6 which we kept til this year. We bought a new Mazda2 3 years ago and were so pleased with it we had it done on that too. Just clean the car as normal but ours were daily drivers so usually got just a wash and leather off and always came up with a good shine. I never found any scratches from the process and felt the fabric treatment must have done some good as marks came off with a damp cloth 

7

I use nothing else except the diamond bright shampoo and DB conserver.

  1. hose car down to get rid of loose mud, dust, etc.

2)Using a finger in a soft cloth, rub conserver onto any tar spots or particularly squishy flies etc

3)apply diluted shampoo as directed on bottle using sponge.

4)wash car down with clean rain water (from tank using watering cans) (our tap water is very limy)

5)Chamois all over to get rid of droplets.

Conserving-- Conserve as it says on bottle. wash down with rain water, Chamois as before.

Probably 30mins wash, cup of tea to let it dry, approx 30mins conserving.

I think it’s great and quick. No buffing.
If I purchased a new car I wouldn’t hesitate to use it again.

8

Just my opinion nine times out of ten it is not done correctly by dealerships and makes them a massive mark up. 

The sealant itself is not bad per se the technique for application by many is, however in honesty you are much better buying yourself some basic detailing gear a nice wax or sealant and learning to do it properly and the beading and sheeting should be much better.

Currently have Sonax extreme protect and shine hybrid on mine and definitely pees over most detailing giving coating looks without the application hassle (it is not the easiest to remove in some circumstances though). Summer mine wears wax.

9

Sorry to say, but my perception of Diamondbrite and those of that ilk is pretty terrible. I had it done to a Mazda 3 and spent a long time trying (unsuccessfully) to rectify the situation.

You are better off, in my most humble opinion, getting your car detailed and waxed with something along the lines of Collinite 476S (I am using this on my MX-5).

10

Had a Ciroen xantia done in Diamond bright as part of a deal a few years ago brilliant stuff washed with cold tap water ,bladed and leathered off was still good after several years when sold on

11

Hi Ninja59, that looks terrific, this is the reason I asked in the first place about whether or not you could or are supposed to wax over it, we didn’t really pay for it (directly), in the showroom we were discussing whether or not we should get the car and we must have been taking too long, and its the end of the month I guess so it was just sort of thrown in, I wasn’t really sure exactly what it was but thought that if it would have cost £300 had we requested it, it was probably worth having, id never heard of it before and obviously the salesman isn’t going to advise against it !

I quite like cleaning the car and would find it very rewarding to spend a day waxing and polishing if I was able to achieve a result any where near what yours looks like, given that the car is brand new im keen to get it right from the start and keep it looking good, its just difficult to get it straight as to exactly how best to do it, some sites say don’t ever use sponge use a mitt then others say don’t use a leather use a towel, I know its horses for courses and we all have different ways we like to do things but at this rate im going to have cupboards full of mitts sponges leathers and towels and loads of different waxes and creams , and I didn’t need any of them ! If nothing else my van will be shiny

 

And thanks all for the input

 

Zodiac

 

 

12

Hi, Jordan from Jordan F1 Detailing.

A lot of what has been said here is correct, if you diamondbrite or supaguard etc over an un-perfected body it is a waste of time. All they have done is effectively put a lid over the damage already in the clearcoat surface. It would need to be thoroughly washed and clay barred before paint correction process.

If a customer came to me, I would recommend a Full Correction, therefore we would compound back the diamondbrite etc, eliminating any swirls, scratches etc,

It would then require the polishing stages to eliminate the ‘micro marring’ left behind by the compounding process ( tiny swirl like marks ) giving the paintwork the clarity it should have.

Then the choice is very much up to the customer or with us as to how we finish ( wax wise ) depending on colour and length of time the customer wants to leave between detailing.

Generally your local detailer would advise a protection they apply to last approx 6-12 months before needing to be ‘topped up’

Hope this helps. 

Jordan.

13

Great advice Jordan
As usual

14

As Jordan said really. I’ve always been under the impression that these types of services from dealers are generally only as good as the valeter putting them on. Let’s face it a valeter turning cars around at the minimum wage as quickly as possible isn’t going to doing the same prep and take as much care as a good valeter or detailer would.

When people ask me about these types of products I generally advise car pro cquartz. Unlike the life shine or diamondbrite type packs it actually puts an additional barrier between your car and the paint. Its a coating and if applied correctly should last a good 12-18 months even more if looked after appropriately.

I would never put one of these types of coatings on a car without full prep or even a light polish. You’d be surprised how many new cars (talking less than 6 miles) cars I detail which need work. Gloss can always be refined and improved even on new cars. After all if I rush it and put it on swirled, defected paint I know that it won’t last (bond properly) and that it won’t look as good as it can. When you have a reputation to withhold I’d rather do it properly and thoroughly knowing that customer may go and show his/ her mates. If the costing fails then I, as a detailer, have failed.

Truth be told, I’m not slating all valeters here but some do leave a lot to be desired. If they actually had to apply something that would last years to come they’d probably fail. Ceramic, glass and nano coatings are not always straight forward and take some practice at applying. Some need climate and humidity controlled environments, others are an absolutely pig to remove and some need sufficient curing time out of the elements.

Cquartz is a perfect example. If left too long to cure/ flash and not removed it will leave high spots which will appear like greasy marks and will only be removed by polishing. I also like gtechniq products but their ceramic coatings need temperature controlled environments etc.

I guess diamond brite and life shine make the dealer a lot of money…,

15

As someone who used to work in the trade around 10 years ago I can confirm that Diamondbrite nicknamed Diamondshite, is just something salesman use as an up-sell. Usually if you sold DB you got a standard £50-100 bonus depending on dealership and how much they charged. The interior protection works the same as scotch guard and if you have kids in the car (unlikely in your 5) and have fabric seats then it’s worth doing.

The stuff on the exterior, a couple of years of washing and not re-applying the systems they provide with the car then chances are it’ll do the same as it would perhaps a little slower and dull down.

Suggest buying a decent home valet pack from autoglym or other and give it the love it deserves once a month!

My car has been superguarded by the previous owner, I don’t think it looks any different to a similar aged mx5… but then it has metallic paint so perhaps it wouldn’t.

My view, keep the £300 in your pocket and use it on fuel to enjoy your new car!

 

16

Or get a detailer in to do it for less.

 

17

Diamondbrite can be bought on ebay for less than £10, salesmen sell it for around £300 and earn a good commission. It’s a good money maker for everyone in the showroom, and the man who applies it. Then they can supply you with shampoo and conserver making more money while you own the car.

It might be a great system to keep your car looking great. But the makers go to a lot of trouble to get you at the point of sale of a new car and keep you as a customer for the life of the car. It’s not a marketing ploy I trust, and I have to question it’s worth.

18

 

Well I would never go for this again, as I said I didn’t actually pay for it directly, as far as we were concerned the deal was done, then this was tagged on for free although it was made clear that it would have cost £300 had we requested it,however when we collected the car after about an hours discussion and the sales guys looking everywhere and asking everyone they came to the conclusion that it hadn’t actually been done!

While we were waiting and they were trying to find out what had happened, I was looking round the car and when the sun came out I noticed it was covered in swirls where someone had leathered it off for us.

The guy came out and said they would arrange for the treatment to be applied later, I told him there was no way I was going to accept the diamondbrite applied over the paint in that state and that I wanted to take the car and get it detailed and waxed and they could pay for it and forget the diamondbrite, They said that they couldn’t do that but what they would do was take the car to the body shop, have the whole car and all the swirls and marks polished out and then have the diamondbrite applied in the body shop, well after reading all the comments and advice in this thread it seemed to me that the prep is usually the let down for this stuff so I thought what they were proposing was going to be the best solution and agreed!

We dropped the car back to them Monday and it took until Friday for them to do the work, they also changed the drivers door scuff plate as that was scratched, when we went to get it on Friday I must say the difference was remarkable the paint looked so much brighter all good!! Until I said so where is the shampoo and conserver, in the boot?

What shampoo and conserver was the reply," you know the stuff you have to put on when you wash the car" I said,

never heard of that before, just wash it like normal its guaranteed for life so any marks or scratches just get in touch with diamondbrite and they will sort you out he told me, oh ok so, do I get a certificate or something to prove its been done? no he said if you have a problem just go on their web site and tell them !!!

So now Im not really sure what exactly has been done, I have emailed jewelultra, the diamondbrite manufacturer for their take on the situation I have also bought some polish and some wax to do it the proper way  so im back where I started but at least I have learned a lesson or two, im also going to email the managing director of the garage where we bought the car, the first and last I will buy from there!

What a stressful week!

Again thank you all for your input.

 

Regards

Zodiac

 

 

 

19

I bought a new car two years ago (not a Mazda) and had the Autoglym treatment done on that, exterior/interior. Lifeshine they call it, but it didn’t shine long, about 3 months before it seemed to dull and lose it’s colour. Always used their products anyway to wash polish wax and do the interior. It comes up well when I’ve redone it and brings the colour back, but I don’t know what they mean by Lifeshine.

Anyway took some tips from the chap who did my Mk3 so will try a few other products on it. Like you say above I think a good detailer paid to do it properly would be the way to go, not convinced with the dealer treatment offerings.

20

I hate to put a downer on things ‘zodiac’…however if your Mazda dealer has sent the car to a ‘body shop’ to be polished, I bet you would find ‘buffing lines’ when the sun comes out, as for some reason you would think they would be trained correctly to use a rotary polisher/buffer, however they tend to lean the pad on its edge (massive no no)…