Will automatic car washes deteriorate car with ceramic coatings? Use liquid wax?

[MechanicMike]

My four year old Chevy has two applications of ceramic coating (applied after clay-barring). Will an automatic car wash ruin or wear away the ceramic? Should one pay for the liquid wax on a car which has these ceramic coatings?

 

[washnshine]

My four year old Chevy has two applications of ceramic coating (applied after clay-barring). Will an automatic car wash ruin or wear away the ceramic? Should one pay for the liquid wax on a car which has these ceramic coatings?

Everything wears away any type of coating.
This includes:
Washing by hand
Washing at a car wash
The sun, wind, rain, salt, snow, industrial and atmospheric pollutants, and just plain old time.

If you have any type of coating on your car - ceramic, wax, graphene- whatever, the best thing to do when you wash is to use a type of maintenance product to extend the coating. If you wash at a car wash - yes - get the ceramic, graphene, whatever they have. If you wash at home, use some type of spray sealant after you wash.

All coatings constantly degrade - all anyone can do to extend the life of the coating is to regularly use maintenance products to maximize and preserve the protection you have on your car.

 

[Greg Pack]

Yes, either in ph swings or friction involved automatic car washes will deteriorate ceramic coatings over time.

IMO ceramic coatings look great on "play" cars but are not the best solution for daily drivers. To maintain their protection warranty most coating manufacturers require you to avoid what they deem harmful wash processes. In other words they want you to hand wash the car. That isn't that practical for most busy people.

 

[Wash4Life]

Everything wears away any type of coating.

If you have any type of coating on your car - ceramic, wax, graphene- whatever, the best thing to do when you wash is to use a type of maintenance product to extend the coating. If you was at a car wash - yes - get the ceramic, graphene, whatever they have. If you wash at home, use some type of spray sealant after you wash.

Which is on par with Satanism if you ask me.

 

[washnshine]

Which is on par with Satanism if you ask me.

Most pro detailers that I know do recommend using some type of fortification to extend coatings. Of course there is probably quite a disparity in quality from pro to consumer grade, etc.