Advice Regarding Full Xpel Ultimate

[MajorBulldog]

Hello experts! This is my first post after recently becoming a 2016 X5 Lux Line owner (…actually double owner, we got his and hers, but that’s an interesting topic for another post). Please forgive all the newbie questions.

I got Jet Black, and it looks amazing when its clean. But that’s also the rub – it’s the most difficult color to keep clean. It’s also arguably the worst color when it comes to hiding clear coat imperfections (light scratches, swirls, etc) as it seems to actually highlight, rather than hide them. With the battle to keep it clean (and my OCD compelling me to do so), I’ve made an appointment with a local Xpel Ultimate installer to have the entire X5 wrapped (well, all painted surfaces anyway).

Aside from the cost, are there any drawbacks to doing this? For those who have done this, has it limited you in any way?

I know it means no touchless high-pressure washes as some of the jets could actually peel the wrap (…and from reading other threads, those washes aren’t a great idea anyway due to the harsh chemicals). Ideally, I’d like to be able to spray off car and then wipe it down every 3-5 days with full washes maybe once a month. I live in a condo downtown, and there’s no facilities here to wash your car like one would typically do in a driveway of a house. That’s why I’m looking for a way to keep it looking nice without adding scratches each time. Will Xpel really allow me to do this? I'm concerned that the ceramic coatings will still get scratched.

Will Xpel dramatically change the appearance of Jet Black? From what I've read, the answer appears to be no, but it could alter the gloss level.

The installing quoted $4200 for a full wrap, plus $100-$200 for prep (polishing, etc). Sound reasonable to you folks?

Are there any products you recommend I use on top of the Xpel once its installed? I’ve read that some waxes can cause yellowing of the film, so I definitely want to avoid there.

Thanks in advance!

[TBLM235X]

Originally Posted by MajorBulldog

Hello experts! This is my first post after recently becoming a 2016 X5 Lux Line owner (…actually double owner, we got his and hers, but that’s an interesting topic for another post). Please forgive all the newbie questions.

I got Jet Black, and it looks amazing when its clean. But that’s also the rub – it’s the most difficult color to keep clean. It’s also arguably the worst color when it comes to hiding clear coat imperfections (light scratches, swirls, etc) as it seems to actually highlight, rather than hide them. With the battle to keep it clean (and my OCD compelling me to do so), I’ve made an appointment with a local Xpel Ultimate installer to have the entire X5 wrapped (well, all painted surfaces anyway).

Aside from the cost, are there any drawbacks to doing this? For those who have done this, has it limited you in any way?

I know it means no touchless high-pressure washes as some of the jets could actually peel the wrap (…and from reading other threads, those washes aren’t a great idea anyway due to the harsh chemicals). Ideally, I’d like to be able to spray off car and then wipe it down every 3-5 days with full washes maybe once a month. I live in a condo downtown, and there’s no facilities here to wash your car like one would typically do in a driveway of a house. That’s why I’m looking for a way to keep it looking nice without adding scratches each time. Will Xpel really allow me to do this? I'm concerned that the ceramic coatings will still get scratched.

Will Xpel dramatically change the appearance of Jet Black? From what I've read, the answer appears to be no, but it could alter the gloss level.

The installing quoted $4200 for a full wrap, plus $100-$200 for prep (polishing, etc). Sound reasonable to you folks?

Are there any products you recommend I use on top of the Xpel once its installed? I’ve read that some waxes can cause yellowing of the film, so I definitely want to avoid there.

Thanks in advance!

I've had Xpel Ultimate film on my last 6 vehicles. I always used coatings for the last 3-4 years, always a version of Opti-Coat (consumer myself or the pro version by an authorized dealer). I've never seen Xpel Ultimate film yellow.

$4200 for a full wrap sounds inexpensive to me, I would have expected somewhere in the neighborhood of $6,000 and higher if in a big market. On the other hand, $100-$200 for the prep sounds cheap to me. In my experience, the really good detailers would charge significantly higher to do a complete paint prep that would include wash, decontaminate (clay bar or similar), compound if necessary and polish.

If you have one of the quality coatings (CQuartz, Opti-Coat Pro, etc.) over the car, including the Xpel, it will be much easier to wash and keep clean. However, you will still incur marring, scratches, etc. with improper washing techniques, even on the Xpel film. It's self-healing but that doesn't prevent poor washing techniques from marring the finish. Think of it as another layer of clear coat.

I've had poor, good and excellent Xpel installs on my vehicles, it really is an art and I would be sure the installer has significant experience and is an authorized installer. I use a pressure washer and always wash my vehicles myself and the film does not peel off. In my experience, it's a two edged sword with "wrapping" the seams of the film, the more extensive the wrapping, the more chance of peeling if caught by high pressure wash.

I would love to have my entire vehicle wrapped in Xpel and then coated but it would be way too cost prohibitive for me. I usually go for full hood, front bumper, front fenders, rockers, lights, mirrors and behind the wheels.

[MajorBulldog]

Originally Posted by TBLM235X

$4200 for a full wrap sounds inexpensive to me, I would have expected somewhere in the neighborhood of $6,000 and higher if in a big market. On the other hand, $100-$200 for the prep sounds cheap to me. In my experience, the really good detailers would charge significantly higher to do a complete paint prep that would include wash, decontaminate (clay bar or similar), compound if necessary and polish.

Thanks TBLM235X. There are two installers in my area. This one quoted $4200 and the other said $5000-$6000. I'd say the more expensive installer has the nicer shop, but likely has the highest rent. When I visited the less expense guy, the shop was definitely busy (one new Corvette and two BMW cars inside being wrapped). For full front only, one quoted $1700 and the other $1800.

Originally Posted by TBLM235X

If you have one of the quality coatings (CQuartz, Opti-Coat Pro, etc.) over the car, including the Xpel, it will be much easier to wash and keep clean. However, you will still incur marring, scratches, etc. with improper washing techniques, even on the Xpel film. It's self-healing but that doesn't prevent poor washing techniques from marring the finish. Think of it as another layer of clear coat.

I'm thinking of adding some sort of coating over the Xpel. Side bar: I had an Audi Q5 briefly, and it had some sort of PPF on the front. The front was extremely easy to clear - it had super slick rubbery feel to it and nothing seemed to stick to it.

Originally Posted by TBLM235X

I've had poor, good and excellent Xpel installs on my vehicles, it really is an art and I would be sure the installer has significant experience and is an authorized installer.

Both appear to have lots of experience, and have gotten great reviews. I need to ask about their warranty on labor. I know the film carries its own warranty.

One installer mentioned to NOT use natural carnauba as this could discolor the film over time. He suggested a synthetic spray wax (though I can't remember the name at the moment).

[MajorBulldog]

I was reminded by another thread...

I should mention that the dealer applied Glasscoat to the car on the day of delivery. This shouldn't affect the Xpel application, but it could make it more difficult for the detailer to remove the light scratches before the Xpel application.

I've read about several people applying coatings before Xpel (though Xpel recommends against a few), but I've not read of any issues regarding this. I'm hoping the Glasscoat won't be a problem!

I'm still searching for a good synthetic wax to apply on top of the Xpel after the required drying/curing time has passed.

[Broadsword]

Originally Posted by MajorBulldog

I was reminded by another thread...

I should mention that the dealer applied Glasscoat to the car on the day of delivery. This shouldn't affect the Xpel application, but it could make it more difficult for the detailer to remove the light scratches before the Xpel application.

I've read about several people applying coatings before Xpel (though Xpel recommends against a few), but I've not read of any issues regarding this. I'm hoping the Glasscoat won't be a problem!

I'm still searching for a good synthetic wax to apply on top of the Xpel after the required drying/curing time has passed.

The Glasscoat will not be a problem for the Xpel install. Glasscoat is easily removed via polishing. I had my previous E70 and Infiniti G37S both Opti-coated prior to having Xpel installed on the front bumper, 1/4 hood, 1/4 fenders, and side mirrors. On my BSM F30 and SGM F15 were are just going to have coatings applied. I like being able to see the depth and gloss of the paint. Obviously not an issue for you but on the partial hood and fenders, I didn't like the line pollen and dust would create at the end of the film.

[MajorBulldog]

Just an update to this thread and another question.

It been a week since I had the Jet Black X5 fully wrapped. It did cost a bit more than originally quoted due to scratches made while at the dealership. The detailer spent 6 hours on the car, but did a fantastic job. Under the shop lights, the before and after (just the polishing/paint correction alone) was incredible.

I've read that some folks do not think Xpel is very glossy, but I think its extremely glossy. I really like what it does for a dark car. And I especially like the fleshy feel - its like the car has shinny skin now.

Now for the question...

Is it unrealistic to spend this much money and expect perfection with the film install? I'm happy with the majority of the install, but there are a few places that really bother me. The installer said the Xpel is tough to work with and is prone to creases or stretch marks. He said these are less noticeable on lighter colors, but on black, you'll see every imperfection. He actually recommends Suntek for darker cars (...and I wish he had shared that tidbit before the install, but he didn't).

Problem areas...

The top behind the moonroof is a mess. There's no template for this area (I guess many folks don't wrap this area), so the installer free-handed it. The cuts are not straight, and one corner looks like the knife slipped and they cut off a piece, then applied the piece separately. Most people would never see this, but *I* see it. IMO, this needs to be fixed/replaced.

There are several (maybe 10-15) small pumps about the size of a pin head in various places. At first, I thought these were tiny spots that hadn't dried yet, but now I believe they're contaminates (like lent, or maybe air) under the film. They look like small white dots. From 10 feet way, you can't see them, but from 5 feet away, you can.

The X5 front is complicated with many bends and angles. On the part that dips down from the headlights to underneath the grills, there appear to be very light creases in the film. The installer said Xpel stretch marks, but they look like creases to me. For those of you with Xpel on dark cars, has the front bumper problematic for installers? It makes me want to ask for the front to be redone.

I can post pictures as soon as the pollen allows me more than 30 seconds of cleanliness.

[Gh0st0]

I did xpel bikini only on front and opti'd the rest. The shop we used is very good and highly recommended. We didn't get the talk about dark colors showing more, if we had any issue with the install , we were told it would be redone at no charge. Our vehicle is black also, before we did it the shop walked us through all scenarios and when we picked up the car walked through and showed us the imperfections (air bubbles) under lighting that would disappear after being in the sun.

So short story, no you shouldnt be happy with anything else if you are unloading a lot of money.

[Payton3485]

I have an appointment in a couple of weeks after I take delivery (tomorrow) and get back from California. My installer who is highly recommended in the Atlanta area and is an authorized installer of both Xpel and Sun Tek said that he typically uses Xpel on light cars as it resists discoloring slightly better, and uses SunTek on dark cars as it is much more forgiving and leaves less distortion in the adhesive.

With that being said, if you are not 100% satisfied you should definitely have the installer make it right for you. However small or big the issue is, you will always know it's there. Good luck!

[Neuera09]

Originally Posted by MajorBulldog

Just an update to this thread and another question.

Problem areas...

The top behind the moonroof is a mess. There's no template for this area (I guess many folks don't wrap this area), so the installer free-handed it. The cuts are not straight, and one corner looks like the knife slipped and they cut off a piece, then applied the piece separately. Most people would never see this, but *I* see it. IMO, this needs to be fixed/replaced.

There are several (maybe 10-15) small pumps about the size of a pin head in various places. At first, I thought these were tiny spots that hadn't dried yet, but now I believe they're contaminates (like lent, or maybe air) under the film. They look like small white dots. From 10 feet way, you can't see them, but from 5 feet away, you can.

The X5 front is complicated with many bends and angles. On the part that dips down from the headlights to underneath the grills, there appear to be very light creases in the film. The installer said Xpel stretch marks, but they look like creases to me. For those of you with Xpel on dark cars, has the front bumper problematic for installers? It makes me want to ask for the front to be redone.

I can post pictures as soon as the pollen allows me more than 30 seconds of cleanliness.

Nothing wrong with near perfection! You paid good money for it. You should be 100% satisfied with the work product. Did they tell you there wasn't a template for it? If they did, show them this ..... Good luckbro.

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