New Car Paint Protection: What to Do in the First 30 Days

Before collection: book protection for pickup day

Paint protection film bonds best to paint with zero road history, and a ceramic coating bonds best to paint that has never been through a brush car wash. So the ideal booking has the car going from the dealership to the workshop, not to your driveway first. A week of commuting can bring tar spots, bug residue and the first stone chip, and each of those has to be corrected before film or coating goes on.

Book the date as soon as the dealer confirms delivery. Pack Essential and Pack 1 bookings typically run a couple of days, driven by decontamination and curing rather than the coating itself. Tint and film add time on top. We confirm the exact days when you book so you can plan around being without the car.

If the finance desk offers its own paint protection, ask which product it is and who applies it, then get the warranty terms in writing before you sign. A professional coating is mostly preparation: the coating step takes about an hour, the decontamination and polishing take the day.

Delivery day: check the paint before you drive away

A new car sold in Australia must be of acceptable quality, which the ACCC consumer guarantees guidance (2026) says includes an acceptable appearance and finish. Paint faults are easiest to raise before the car has any road history of its own.

Look at the car outdoors in daylight rather than under showroom lights. Walk each panel at an angle and look for swirl marks from a dealer wash, scuffs on the bumper corners and chips along the leading edge of the bonnet. Photograph anything you find and give the list to the dealer. When the car reaches us, we photograph any delivery defects before sealing anything over them, so there is a record either way.

The same ACCC page describes warranties as extra promises a business can choose to make on top of the automatic consumer guarantees. A protection product’s warranty covers the product. It does not take over the dealer’s obligations on the paint underneath.

Week one: cure times for film, coating and tint

Every product needs undisturbed time after fitting. Paint protection film needs seven days before its first wash. A ceramic coating needs 48 hours, and Gtechniq‘s own guidance for Crystal Serum Ultra is to let it cure for 12 hours before it gets wet at all (Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra FAQ, 2026). Park undercover in that first week if you can, and lift bird droppings or sap promptly with a soft wet microfibre instead of scrubbing.

Tinted windows stay up for two to three days so the adhesive cures against the glass. A light haze or tiny moisture pockets in the first week are normal and clear on their own. Leave the film alone rather than pressing at it.

The first wash and the routine that follows

The first wash sets the habit for the life of the protection. Do it by hand with a pH neutral car shampoo that has no wax or gloss additives, two buckets and a clean microfibre towel to dry. Touchless car washes are fine. Brush washes are not: the brushes carry grit from every car before yours and will mar coatings and film edges.

Protected paint adds a few rules of its own:

• Keep pressure washer tips a hand span away from film edges.
• Dry the panels instead of letting them air dry.
• Never use dishwashing liquid or degreaser, which strip coating toppers and dry out film edges.
• Rinse coated wheels with water and a soft mitt, and skip acid wheel cleaners entirely.

After the first month, a fortnightly wash keeps a ceramic coating doing its job rather than just sitting there. Our aftercare page has the full routine for film, coating and coated interiors.

Which new car package suits your first month

The new car protection package comes in five levels, each adding to the one before it:

• Pack Essential, from $1090: full decontamination, machine polish and Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light.
• Pack 1, from $1390: steps up to Crystal Serum Ultra and coats headlights, tail lights and trim.
• Pack 2, from $1690: adds leather protection, fabric protection and a ceramic wheel coating.
• Pack 3, from $1990: adds 3M Color Stable window tint.
• Pack 4, from $4090: adds PPF on the bonnet, front bumper and front fenders, with a film coating over it.

Pick by how long you will keep the car. Crystal Serum Light carries a five year Gtechniq guarantee and Crystal Serum Ultra carries nine, so the Ultra tier earns its extra $300 on a car you plan to own for years. Pack 4 is for keepers who do freeway kilometres, because gravel hits the front third of a car far more than anywhere else.

Pack 3 fits tint at the darkest legal shade by default. In Victoria, front side windows must let through at least 35 per cent of visible light, and windows behind the driver can go down to 20 per cent when the car has a mirror on each side (VicRoads window tinting information, 2026).

EVs are worth singling out. Their factory paint tends to be the softest on the market, so film on the front and a coating over the rest suits a new Tesla or BYD more than most cars.

Inside the cabin: damage that starts in month one

Gloss piano black consoles and screen surrounds scratch from fingernails and keys within months of delivery. Clear interior PPF protects those trim pieces without changing how they look or feel.

Pack 2 and above treat leather with Gtechniq L1 and fabric with Gtechniq I1, which is why they suit families. Coated seats still want a monthly wipe with a damp microfibre. Blot spills instead of rubbing them, and keep silicone dressings off the leather.

Day 30: the complimentary check

Every PPF and colour film job at Liquid R includes a complimentary inspection in the first month. It is the right moment to look at film edges after the first few washes and to ask about anything you noticed in daily driving.

From there, a yearly inspection keeps the Gtechniq guarantee valid, and most owners pair it with a maintenance detail. If the first month showed you where the car actually takes damage, that visit is also when to add coverage: headlight film starts at $180, and the wear and tear pack for door edges, door cups and sills starts at $380.

Questions owners ask

Should I ceramic coat a brand new car straight away?

Yes, as close to delivery as you can. New paint still needs decontamination and a machine polish first, because a coating locks in whatever finish sits under it, dealer wash swirls included.

How long after buying a new car should I get PPF?

Before its first freeway run if possible. Film bonds best to paint with no road history, and a full front is usually a one to two day booking.

How soon can I wash my car after paint protection?

Seven days after paint protection film and 48 hours after a ceramic coating. Make the first wash a hand wash with a pH neutral shampoo.

Can I take a new car with PPF through a car wash?

Touchless washes are fine. Brush washes mar coatings and film edges, so skip them for the life of the protection.

Is dealer paint protection the same as PPF or ceramic coating?

Not necessarily. Ask for the product name and who applies it, and get the warranty in writing. Film is a physical layer that stops stone chips. A coating adds gloss and easy washing but no impact protection.

Related Guides

• our news and guides
• paint protection film
• ceramic coating
• car detailing
• window tinting
• aftercare
• new car protection packages
• the paint protection overview
• all make and model guides
• the local area guides
• products and technology