OldGoat5

I took my 981 Cayman to the dealer to have a spare key programmed as well as the safety inspection, and asked for No wash please. When I returned they had just washed it to my internal dismay (its wrapped in Suntek Ultimate), at first glance it looked undamaged. When I got to my garage I took another look at the head lamps- they lifted the ppf and the lens is delaminating. I knew full well at the beginning that once its applied it cannot be removed without delaminating the lights...I don't let anyone else but me wash it. I took it back and they said they would cover getting it re sealed by their detailer, but I don't think the SA was aware of the new uv coating on the 981/991/718s which not the same stuff on the 997 or earlier cars and to my research not easy to find.

Anyone know what the oem equivalent uv coating is or anyone that provides a restoration service for 981/991/718 head lamps specifically? Location and money is no factor, so long as it is less than the $1395 for a new pdls headlamp.


Learning point: Always have a huge sign on the car that says NO WASH. Thankfully only the back and tail lights have swirl marks now.

BryanCO

Maybe have the dealer swap the unit with one from one of their used 981's; have Suntek applied and let them worry about the repair to your unit.

danzibar

This happened to mine when they attempted to respray my bonnet. First time they've washed it (because you can't say no when they have to apply paint can they?) and I noticed it a week later.

Thankfully being an amateur detailer I could prove that it was a new defect - plus the fact I was angry they did a rush job on my paint which they were trying to make up for - and will attempt a repair.

I couldn't get them to switch the unit, as they won't admit fault.. but they will repair, weird!

Will let you know how mine goes because it's due back on the 12th next week. We can compare notes and check if they are both done correctly

MoeMistry

Silly question...why did they remove your headlight ppf when getting a wash? highly unusual task.

OldGoat5

Careless spraying of the hose at the edges caused it to lift.

Cool, I am going to try to get them to replace the head light, a repair is not going to be worth it unless they have the factory uv coat which I'm pretty sure nobody can buy.

Hoosier_Daddy

The job of washing the car goes to the lowest on the org chart -- combine that with more and more dealers using high pressure wands and poof!

OldGoat is dead on -- tape a sign in the car that they are not to wash the car and that the sign is not to be removed by anyone but the owner. I wised up after having a few dark colored cars in the past and dealing with the aftermath. My private shops have also been terrible with instances of wiping oil and debris off with paper towels and dirty rags.

terbiumactivated

One of the vents on my spyder failed. So at the dealer here comes the wrench to sit in my sport bucket to look at it with shop pants that look like he rolled on the oil change bay floor. I politely re-routed him. Went to the parts department, told them to give me a copy of the replacement instructions from the service manual and a new vent. One metal release, one electrical plug and return of warrantied part to the dealer later we were good to go without johnny oil pants ever getting near her. This is also why the brake fluid changes and oil changes are never done at a shop, screw that nobody is going to be careful enough.

okie981

Never ever let dealer wash car.

To "save" the headlight, in the hands of someone who repairs fogged up plastic headlamps, it seems this could be attempted:

Peel off the PPF
Sand/buff off the coating completely
Polish the lens to original clarity
Cover the lens with a clear protection film that has UV protection built in

I've heard there are clear protection films that have UV protection. Paint protection film like Xpel and Suntek do not have UV protection in order to prevent paint on covered parts of the car from sun-fading at a different rate than uncovered parts.

Should look pretty much like new when done, and I'm thinking someone out there would take this on for 1/3 of $1,250 it costs for a new headlight assembly.