This may be a GQ or an IMHO, mods feel free to move.
Basically, I’m looking for anyone who can vouch for the effectiveness/ineffectiveness of Cilajet, a brand of automotive paint protector, either through official cite or personal experience.
My GF bought a new Mazda last night, and as the dealers love to do, they pushed her to purchase the extended warranty and paint protection (used to be rust protection back in the day, but I guess the dealers finally wised up that cars today don’t rust out anymore). I coached the good girl well, she refused it all, and we walked out of the dealership with a good (not great, dang) deal.
Anyway, the product the dealer was hawking was this Cilajet stuff, which I had never heard of before. When I got home last night, I googled what I could. Didn’t find much-- apparently Honda’s been using it, along with BMW, but I found very few testimonials out there one way or the other.
Now, I’m fully prepared to believe this is your usual dealer scam, and that the stuff is no better than getting the car waxed twice a year, but I admit that I’d love to find something that really worked to protect the paint better.
From a pure paint weathering point of view, even wax is probably overkill these days (though it still keeps things looking pretty and protects from small scratches). The factory paint and sealers have gotten so much better that even if this product does make some difference, it’s going to be a long way down the road (like decades) before it becomes noticeable. And if it’s a choice between a dealer-applied sealant and keeping a good coat of wax on it, the wax is going to be unquestionably better in the long run.
I am the former Nationa Training Director with cilajet I worked for them in the US Canada and foreign markets. I am no longer associated with them with the exception of a very complicated lawsuit that can be reviewed by going to www.lasuperiorcourt.org and entering the case number BC469243.
Somewhere along the path the formula changed and before you purchase cilajet I would read the lawsuit. If you decide to go ahead, I would suggest that you ask the dealer to verify that you are getting the original Boeing approved aircraft grade product by the original manufacturer.
This is Jaci Warren, President and owner of W Automotive LLC, dba cilajet.
I would like to clarify some erroneous information being posted about the company and our product.
Alan Wilkes was never an employee of the company. He is a disgruntled independent detailer who formerly represented cilajet, and occasionally handled claims and training for the company on a contract basis. The lawsuit Mr. Wilkes references is actually an action that was filed by cilajet against Mr. Wilkes and others (he is a DEFENDANT in this case), over a distribution agreement and confidentiality provisions.
We stand behind our cilajet brand products, which carry the latest Boeing Specification Approval (Feb. 2012). Our cilajet customer warranty contracts and product are insured through world-class insurance carriers.
If you have any questions, you are always welcome to call our office or visit our website at www.cilajet.com.
Thank you!
These “paint protector” products are to cars what one-a-day vitamins are to humans. If you take care of your car/body, you don’t need paint protectors/one-a-day. Same with fuel and crankcase additives.
A total waste of money. Plain and simple. Nothing is better for a car’s finish than having it professionally clayed, and waxed with a high quality wax, probably once a year. If that’s too much a bother or too expensive, wax it with one of the new waxes that easily lasts 6 months to a year.
Think of it this way. If this stuff was really half of what they claimed it was, most the high end car manufacturers would apply it from the factory.
I have been in the car business as a dealer for over 40 years. There are many different sealants over the years. For years and years, it was polymer which was a more concentrated version of what you can buy at auto stores. The reason why those companies do not sell a long lasting product is because they want people to buy over and over again. The companies that market to dealerships, such as Cilajet provide products that bear a limited warrantee and that is what you are paying for. As in Tommy Boy, you can take anything and slap a warranty on it.
The newest product on the market is nano-technology and is a ceramic product that coats the vehicle with a ceramic coating. The difference with Ceramic is that it also protects any part of the vehicle including windows, facia and wheels. There is normally another product for wheels because the heat breaks down most products and make it more of a short term solution.
The number one benefit for getting your vehicle done at a dealership is that the stuff really works. A Ceramic Product will last a long time which will make your trade in worth more money.
The warranty also covers in many cases damage from things such as bird droppings, acid rain, bugs, paint over spray and other things that can damage your paint on your vehicle.
I have used Cilajet and it is the only product that does have Boeing and Airbus Certifications. The Plan manufacturers main use of the product is to cut down on air resistance which saves them fuel. the secondary benefit is keeping their planes clean on the outside.
Normally the package includes interior treatment to rugs and cloth seats and leather or vinyl and they provide protection for years. Since most cloth seats are cloth, the product coats the individual strands which keep the friction from causing wear and tear on the edges where you get in an out.
So the price that you are paying is for the product, the warranty and the professional installation. It basically is an investment in your depreciating asset (vehicle) and will provide protection so that you get more money at trade in. In many cases, some dealerships give you a coupon to use when you come back to trade.
Do you have any solid evidence that shows a correlation between this protection and trade in value?
I’ll make the claim that there is no difference in trade in value, but will happily change my mind when presented with reasonable non-biased empirical data.