i’m a new installer of PPF and we use the 3M line. i’ll tell you what it’s not something i picked up over night or even the first week. i’m on my 6th week now of installing PPF and now i feel completely comfortable tackling full bumper kits hoods fenders and much more. i stride each and every car to do a better and better install. i can firmly say this would have never left the shop glad some shops have high standards and keep their employees/installers at the same standard
It's not always easy to maintain a high standard but finding installers that are dedicated to producing quality work makes the biggest difference! It's always best to install panels properly rather than attempt to fix or replace them later!
Just talked to you last week about doing my new MX5. Now see you on UA-cam!!! Wow! Have not gotten the car yet, but will any day and my first stop is at your place for PPF and window tinting. It is now Oct. 22, and I know this is an old post, but glad to view it.
Ha! Small world. Our mission since the beginning has been to educate consumers since so little is known about PPF and so many shops vary in level of quality. Wait until you see the next video we have some on a 2018 911 GT3. We look forward to working on you MX5!
I just had our 2022 Cadillac done at an Expel certified dealer last week. We have some of those same issues. Can I go to any Expel certified dealer to have this redone under the warranty instead of going back to the same bad installer?
I just had Suntek PPF put on by an installer. A ceramic company immediately coated the car afterwards. I noticed right away that the edges around the round sensors are jagged and seem to be collecting dirt. There is a distorted area on the headlights that looks like ripple lines. The area around the hood emblem logo has an edge lifting. It just isn't what I was expecting after paying $2400. I'm not sure where to go from here. If I have the PPF removed, I'll have to have the ceramic redone as well.
Just had PPF installed on our brand new 4runner at the dealership. Got it home and noticed lots of air bubbles under the film on the hood! The dealership said that was nomal and as it cures, it would heal itself. Is this true or do we need to take it back for them to fix?
If they look like water (should be same color as the paint just a bit darker, then yes, it will dry out. If it’s clear or silver looking, that is air and it will not dry out and needs to be addressed.
Hello sir. Im forced to replace my ppf from my piano black b pillars, but i see there are some blade marks near the edges :( will the New ppf somehow mask/hide the blade marks when i put it over the cuts? Will it make them less visible?
Hi, amazing video! I learnt a lot of stuff I had no idea about before so thanks! I did just get my car PPF'd and the bonnet has a lift line at the top left all the way down to the bottom of the ppf. I asked them about it when I saw it. They said there was dirt under the ppf so they lifted it to clear it out and reapplied it. He said he sprayed alcohol and wiped the glue residue so it should come out after 2-3 weeks. This doesnt really make sense to me but I'm no expert. Could you let me know if this is right, and that it will go away after 2-3 weeks? If not is there anyway that this is fixable or do I need to ask for it to be redone? I read on an article that steaming the PPF fixes the line. Again im no expert so have no idea if thats correct or not. Thanks in advance I know this is a lengthy question!
This is what would happen if you lift to get dirt out. However, there are techniques to prevent the lift lines, they just require more skill. If we are working on a vehicle, and this occurs and we can’t get an install without a heavy lift line on a panel like a hood (the most prominent panel of the car) we would replace it.
We recommend not covering the sensors for a few reasons. 1. It will collect dirt and eventually cause the film to fail. 2. It could create a liability issue should you have an accident of some kind and the sensors are at fault. It's best to avoid both but having it go around the sensors.
As a PPF/Tint installer myself, if it's genuinely just 1 tiny little spec I'd say No. Especially if it's an entire panel that would have to be redone. If there's tons of little pieces of Dirt/Hairs/Etc under the film all over the place then I would say yea take it back. Sometimes depending on the Job/Where you're doing it, it can be nearly impossible to get a 100% flawless panel especially on bigger pieces like full hoods, fenders etc. Regardless of how good you are or how well you prep the surface & clean it, all it takes is 1 little piece of dust/hair in the air, or some dirt in the gaps between panels you couldn't get to. Most of the time you can flush contaminants out but occasionally trying to get a tiny little piece can make it look worse. There's also a difference between going to a retail shop to get your car wrapped & getting it done at the dealership. Dealerships want to get it done as cheap as possible so they can turn around and mark it up as much as they can so you're not always going to be getting the highest quality work.
Pulling/stretching film while it's tacked down. To avoid them, I personally use as much slip solution as possible and try to only apply the tack on the edges or when it's necessary
Two things. 1. Ask them, send this video and share a few others and see how they respond. 2. If they refuse to fix or refund, as the consumer, you have the power if you paid with card - you can dispute. If cash, you may be quite stuck. Unfortunately, many people getting PPF shop around for price without realizing this is an art. It’s not a commodity, you don’t get the same thing everywhere and it’s quite a bit of money, so this is an area where you don’t go cheap.
I got a very good suntek install and modesta over the top. Paint was prepped to perfection, had about 8 to 10 bubbles, 6 to 8 short edge lift scenarios/edge bunch, and one half moon crease at front of hood. All addressed as 2 week punch out appointment. One thing i forgot to ask - what are the V shape 1/4"cuts for at certain junctures? Does this help the film make a curve when its trying to bunch too much?
Hi Ryan, We encourage our customers to come back for a 2 week check up. Main reason is, the film adhesive takes about 2 weeks to fully cure. We find that during this cure time, the film "shrinks" every so slightly and this shrinking can cause areas to pull back, shift, or pinch and water bubbles at times turn to air bubbles. We also say, this is a human process. After staring at the same car for days on end, you start to fatigue and may miss a few small things. This check up is a fresh view and a chance to address any issues like these. For the V shaped, u shaped, or seamed areas - those are reliefs usually required for the film to stay on any specific panel. The film has limits to its stretch and at times a relief is simply necessary for longevity of the film. Hope that was helpful!
Good video.Quick question. I have 2018 grey metallic M3. If i do a partial PPF cover which covers the whole bumper and half of the hood, will the lines or cut off point from the PPF on the hood show?
Hey G Money. Good question, we get this quite a bit. We don’t recommend doing partial panels. Long term it defeats the purpose of what you’re trying to accomplish which is preserve the panel you are trying to protect. We find when this partial coverage is removed years later you end up with a half nice panel and a half not so nice panel and in some cases, a hard line develops where the clear that is not protected has experienced some degradation. I recommend doing the full hood and skipping the partial coverage.
@@authenticdetails Excellent point. I heard mixed reviews about how PPF ruins the OEM paint in the long run or especially, once you remove it where there could be a possibility of removing or strip the oem paint during the process. Another scenario is the sun will beat down on the PPF and will make it look dull overtime. . Have you experience this in your shop? I was thinking of just getting the lower bumper just to try it out? Im kinda weary how it will affect the oem paint since i never had PPF done before. . Also, do you have a listing of your prices for your PPf package whether just the bumper, partial or full?
@@bj10jgo Most of the time we see film that looks terrible due to the film itself (some just don’t hold up well) or poor care of the film, since many don’t realize you need to care for it just like you would your paint. I’ve also seen it lift paint off cars, but this is usually due to improper prep of the paint when installed (repaints, some car brands, cheap paint used or a repaint that was done and PPF installed before curing), improper removal technique, or an installer that used adhesive promoters in excess. Last, check out our website, our PPF page has pricing to give you a rough idea.
After four years the dealer installed PPF looks pitted everywhere and on every piece. It was like it happened overnight. What causes that and is there an easy fix.
Usually dealers will install low grade film to cars to save money. Many of these cheaper films develop pits in them pretty quickly as the top coat fails. If you’re getting these pits, I’d recommend replacing or removing it soon. If it’s a top quality film (XPEL, Suntek, Llumar would be the quality brands if it’s fours years old), it might be a warranty item and you can get it replaced through the manufacturer as those films were 5 or 10 year rated products.
To clean the film with ceramic on it, you’ll want a good ceramic focused soap designed to clean the ceramic. Check out Car Pro Reset. From there, you’ll want to use a wipe on ceramic spray sealant like XPEL Ceramic Boost.
Have what I would consider a poorly done car in Houston, that was done in SunTek reaction film, the front bumper piece overhangs on a sensor and alignment on one of the headlights is off resulting in too much paint exposure. I could go on further with some other issues. I don't see the shop listed on the SunTek website as a certified installer so I may be out of luck. They did tell me to come back in 2 weeks to resolve any remaining bubbles, cut any edges not laying down, and we are going to have to do something about my carbon fiber spoiler, so regret letting them remove it to put PPF down. Horrible job at trying to install it back. (really worried about pulling the PPF off considering all the stories I hear about Tesla paint, that was the reason I did the entire car, to protect the paint but it only made it worse)
I have a new BMW and had the ppf put on it..noticed a few bubbles...installer said that is normal with BMWs because the paint sometimes has tiny pits in it
How do I approach the installer for refund if my ppf is almost as bad as this one? Not as severe though but I’m definitely not happy and will be removing it.
@@maciejmichalecki4316 So I would call XPEL directly and tell them what happened. Then they will ensure you are taken care of. If there is an XPEL Corporate Store in your city, drive your car there and show them. The dealer network is huge and you can get it done properly for free.
While we agree, that’s it’s not paint perfection, as perfection is unachievable, we disagree that it works as intended. Todays films were never designed to reduce the aesthetics on your vehicle when installed. This is the lowest standard of installation we’ve come across and our hope is you are not an installer that believes this is acceptable. This install falls well below the standard of any film manufacturer on the market today and is completely unacceptable. Worse, once removed, due to the installation techniques and low skill level on this vehicle, all of the paint had deep cuts in it and eventually had to be repainted. So, we respectfully disagree to your comment and mindset for PPF and would never deliver anything close to this work to any of our clients. We hope if you are an installer - neither would you.
Man, I am glad I am so hard on myself. This makes me feel better about my installs. Hopefully the installer learns from this experience. Great info.
Good example to show customers and you got the point across without wasting time. Well done
Good video bro my BMW is at the shop should get it tuesday will check for these thank you...🙏🏼
Very glad we could help pass along good info!
i’m a new installer of PPF and we use the 3M line. i’ll tell you what it’s not something i picked up over night or even the first week. i’m on my 6th week now of installing PPF and now i feel completely comfortable tackling full bumper kits hoods fenders and much more. i stride each and every car to do a better and better install. i can firmly say this would have never left the shop glad some shops have high standards and keep their employees/installers at the same standard
It's not always easy to maintain a high standard but finding installers that are dedicated to producing quality work makes the biggest difference! It's always best to install panels properly rather than attempt to fix or replace them later!
@@authenticdetails totally agree
Just talked to you last week about doing my new MX5. Now see you on UA-cam!!! Wow! Have not gotten the car yet, but will any day and my first stop is at your place for PPF and window tinting. It is now Oct. 22, and I know this is an old post, but glad to view it.
Ha! Small world. Our mission since the beginning has been to educate consumers since so little is known about PPF and so many shops vary in level of quality. Wait until you see the next video we have some on a 2018 911 GT3. We look forward to working on you MX5!
I just had our 2022 Cadillac done at an Expel certified dealer last week. We have some of those same issues. Can I go to any Expel certified dealer to have this redone under the warranty instead of going back to the same bad installer?
I just had Suntek PPF put on by an installer. A ceramic company immediately coated the car afterwards. I noticed right away that the edges around the round sensors are jagged and seem to be collecting dirt. There is a distorted area on the headlights that looks like ripple lines. The area around the hood emblem logo has an edge lifting. It just isn't what I was expecting after paying $2400. I'm not sure where to go from here. If I have the PPF removed, I'll have to have the ceramic redone as well.
Much of that can easily be fixed. Always give the installer a chance to fix it! It’s when they won’t that you have a problem.
I'll need to get mine redone... only 2 years old... but my edges are just coming off with no matter what I do..
Just had PPF installed on our brand new 4runner at the dealership. Got it home and noticed lots of air bubbles under the film on the hood! The dealership said that was nomal and as it cures, it would heal itself. Is this true or do we need to take it back for them to fix?
If they look like water (should be same color as the paint just a bit darker, then yes, it will dry out.
If it’s clear or silver looking, that is air and it will not dry out and needs to be addressed.
Hello sir. Im forced to replace my ppf from my piano black b pillars, but i see there are some blade marks near the edges :( will the New ppf somehow mask/hide the blade marks when i put it over the cuts? Will it make them less visible?
yes there is a 80% probability of that happening unless the cuts are very thick or deep into the paint
Hi, amazing video! I learnt a lot of stuff I had no idea about before so thanks! I did just get my car PPF'd and the bonnet has a lift line at the top left all the way down to the bottom of the ppf. I asked them about it when I saw it.
They said there was dirt under the ppf so they lifted it to clear it out and reapplied it. He said he sprayed alcohol and wiped the glue residue so it should come out after 2-3 weeks. This doesnt really make sense to me but I'm no expert. Could you let me know if this is right, and that it will go away after 2-3 weeks?
If not is there anyway that this is fixable or do I need to ask for it to be redone? I read on an article that steaming the PPF fixes the line. Again im no expert so have no idea if thats correct or not.
Thanks in advance I know this is a lengthy question!
This is what would happen if you lift to get dirt out. However, there are techniques to prevent the lift lines, they just require more skill. If we are working on a vehicle, and this occurs and we can’t get an install without a heavy lift line on a panel like a hood (the most prominent panel of the car) we would replace it.
Thank you 😊 great presentation 👍
Great lesson thanks🌺
I just done mine and I have a question is ok to be over the parking sensors or they should cat around it. Thanks
We recommend not covering the sensors for a few reasons. 1. It will collect dirt and eventually cause the film to fail. 2. It could create a liability issue should you have an accident of some kind and the sensors are at fault. It's best to avoid both but having it go around the sensors.
Why this hassle marks and stretch marks comes ??
PPF installed today. When I brought it home noticed I’ve got one white speck under my PPF in a visible area. Is it worth fighting over?
As a PPF/Tint installer myself, if it's genuinely just 1 tiny little spec I'd say No. Especially if it's an entire panel that would have to be redone. If there's tons of little pieces of Dirt/Hairs/Etc under the film all over the place then I would say yea take it back. Sometimes depending on the Job/Where you're doing it, it can be nearly impossible to get a 100% flawless panel especially on bigger pieces like full hoods, fenders etc. Regardless of how good you are or how well you prep the surface & clean it, all it takes is 1 little piece of dust/hair in the air, or some dirt in the gaps between panels you couldn't get to. Most of the time you can flush contaminants out but occasionally trying to get a tiny little piece can make it look worse. There's also a difference between going to a retail shop to get your car wrapped & getting it done at the dealership. Dealerships want to get it done as cheap as possible so they can turn around and mark it up as much as they can so you're not always going to be getting the highest quality work.
Karen alert….
what causes adhesive marks and how do u avoid them?>
Pulling/stretching film while it's tacked down. To avoid them, I personally use as much slip solution as possible and try to only apply the tack on the edges or when it's necessary
What do you do if you go to a private installer and receive work like this? How can you get your money back?
Two things. 1. Ask them, send this video and share a few others and see how they respond. 2. If they refuse to fix or refund, as the consumer, you have the power if you paid with card - you can dispute. If cash, you may be quite stuck.
Unfortunately, many people getting PPF shop around for price without realizing this is an art. It’s not a commodity, you don’t get the same thing everywhere and it’s quite a bit of money, so this is an area where you don’t go cheap.
I got a very good suntek install and modesta over the top. Paint was prepped to perfection, had about 8 to 10 bubbles, 6 to 8 short edge lift scenarios/edge bunch, and one half moon crease at front of hood. All addressed as 2 week punch out appointment.
One thing i forgot to ask - what are the V shape 1/4"cuts for at certain junctures? Does this help the film make a curve when its trying to bunch too much?
Hi Ryan,
We encourage our customers to come back for a 2 week check up. Main reason is, the film adhesive takes about 2 weeks to fully cure. We find that during this cure time, the film "shrinks" every so slightly and this shrinking can cause areas to pull back, shift, or pinch and water bubbles at times turn to air bubbles. We also say, this is a human process. After staring at the same car for days on end, you start to fatigue and may miss a few small things. This check up is a fresh view and a chance to address any issues like these.
For the V shaped, u shaped, or seamed areas - those are reliefs usually required for the film to stay on any specific panel. The film has limits to its stretch and at times a relief is simply necessary for longevity of the film.
Hope that was helpful!
Good video.Quick question. I have 2018 grey metallic M3. If i do a partial PPF cover which covers the whole bumper and half of the hood, will the lines or cut off point from the PPF on the hood show?
Hey G Money. Good question, we get this quite a bit. We don’t recommend doing partial panels. Long term it defeats the purpose of what you’re trying to accomplish which is preserve the panel you are trying to protect. We find when this partial coverage is removed years later you end up with a half nice panel and a half not so nice panel and in some cases, a hard line develops where the clear that is not protected has experienced some degradation.
I recommend doing the full hood and skipping the partial coverage.
@@authenticdetails Excellent point. I heard mixed reviews about how PPF ruins the OEM paint in the long run or especially, once you remove it where there could be a possibility of removing or strip the oem paint during the process. Another scenario is the sun will beat down on the PPF and will make it look dull overtime. . Have you experience this in your shop? I was thinking of just getting the lower bumper just to try it out? Im kinda weary how it will affect the oem paint since i never had PPF done before. . Also, do you have a listing of your prices for your PPf package whether just the bumper, partial or full?
@@bj10jgo Most of the time we see film that looks terrible due to the film itself (some just don’t hold up well) or poor care of the film, since many don’t realize you need to care for it just like you would your paint. I’ve also seen it lift paint off cars, but this is usually due to improper prep of the paint when installed (repaints, some car brands, cheap paint used or a repaint that was done and PPF installed before curing), improper removal technique, or an installer that used adhesive promoters in excess. Last, check out our website, our PPF page has pricing to give you a rough idea.
After four years the dealer installed PPF looks pitted everywhere and on every piece. It was like it happened overnight. What causes that and is there an easy fix.
Usually dealers will install low grade film to cars to save money. Many of these cheaper films develop pits in them pretty quickly as the top coat fails. If you’re getting these pits, I’d recommend replacing or removing it soon. If it’s a top quality film (XPEL, Suntek, Llumar would be the quality brands if it’s fours years old), it might be a warranty item and you can get it replaced through the manufacturer as those films were 5 or 10 year rated products.
Hi what is a good spray wax to clean a ppf film with ceramic on top? Thanks..
To clean the film with ceramic on it, you’ll want a good ceramic focused soap designed to clean the ceramic. Check out Car Pro Reset. From there, you’ll want to use a wipe on ceramic spray sealant like XPEL Ceramic Boost.
@@authenticdetails thank you.. Blessings....🙏🏼💪🏼
Have what I would consider a poorly done car in Houston, that was done in SunTek reaction film, the front bumper piece overhangs on a sensor and alignment on one of the headlights is off resulting in too much paint exposure. I could go on further with some other issues. I don't see the shop listed on the SunTek website as a certified installer so I may be out of luck. They did tell me to come back in 2 weeks to resolve any remaining bubbles, cut any edges not laying down, and we are going to have to do something about my carbon fiber spoiler, so regret letting them remove it to put PPF down. Horrible job at trying to install it back. (really worried about pulling the PPF off considering all the stories I hear about Tesla paint, that was the reason I did the entire car, to protect the paint but it only made it worse)
I have a new BMW and had the ppf put on it..noticed a few bubbles...installer said that is normal with BMWs because the paint sometimes has tiny pits in it
How do I approach the installer for refund if my ppf is almost as bad as this one? Not as severe though but I’m definitely not happy and will be removing it.
Hello! This is a tricky one to handle. I have some suggestions for you based on the installer. What brand of film was installed?
@@authenticdetails xpel ultimate plus was installed
@@maciejmichalecki4316 - are they an XPEL certified shop?
@@authenticdetails correct, a xpel certified installer
@@maciejmichalecki4316 So I would call XPEL directly and tell them what happened. Then they will ensure you are taken care of. If there is an XPEL Corporate Store in your city, drive your car there and show them. The dealer network is huge and you can get it done properly for free.
"It's paint protection, not paint perfection"... So, works as intended?
While we agree, that’s it’s not paint perfection, as perfection is unachievable, we disagree that it works as intended. Todays films were never designed to reduce the aesthetics on your vehicle when installed. This is the lowest standard of installation we’ve come across and our hope is you are not an installer that believes this is acceptable. This install falls well below the standard of any film manufacturer on the market today and is completely unacceptable. Worse, once removed, due to the installation techniques and low skill level on this vehicle, all of the paint had deep cuts in it and eventually had to be repainted. So, we respectfully disagree to your comment and mindset for PPF and would never deliver anything close to this work to any of our clients. We hope if you are an installer - neither would you.
Probably put the hairs in deliberately to draw attention away from all the other stuff ups 😂
my god that looks atrocious.
I’m willing to bet the owner of the car did that themselves.
Unfortunately, no. He paid a local shop for this work.
Pretty sure my amateur self could have done a way better job than this wtf 🤦♂️
Garbage, a proper PPF job requires removing bumpers, lights and fully edge wrapping. don't be ghetto