I am sure most of us would have been offered \ advised to go for Teflon coating to protect the paint of our car. 

Before one gets in to detail of what exactly is Teflon and what they offer, consider this - Automobile detailing is not yet big in India like it is in other countries, but if you ask about Teflon coating in any of the well-known international forums, most of the people will draw a blank, but in India, even the aamadmi knows about it. Ever wondered why it is immensely popular only in India?

Let us get the facts clear before we move on with what happens when you get Teflon coating done.

Teflon is the brand name of DuPont for their PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) which is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene
(Link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytetrafluoroethylene)

The most well-known use for this compound in our life is the non-stick utensils we use for cooking. Water cannot wet this compound. When people offer 'Teflon' most people fall for it thinking that they will get a protective coat over the car paint which will not be wet by water.

The true 'Teflon' coating can ONLY be done by DuPont since they are the patent holder for their trademark.

If you look at the official DuPont website, you can clearly see that the Teflon coating is done by baking after spraying the compound on the surface. Have you ever seen your car being baked during the so called Teflon coating process?
(Links: http://www2.dupont.com/Teflon_Indust...ngs/index.html and http://www2.dupont.com/Teflon_Indust.../coatings.html)

So, what exactly is the 'Teflon' coating done by the showroom guys and other road side 'detailers' or garages or polishing professionals?

The answer is - it is nothing but a polish job using a rubbing compound, followed by wax, and then finished by applying a sealant or glazein some cases. Teflon is one of the biggest marketing scams happening in India, and in India it is mushrooming because people are gullible and customer protection laws are almost non-existent. 

A recommendation at this point that whenever you get a Teflon coating done or are recommended to do a Teflon coating ask for the pack of coating that company provides. I am sure no one will have it.

 A general recommendation whatever kind of coating that you do to your vehicle…a lot of different kindof coatings are available in market today.. Please ask for the package of coating, read the details on the pack for the claims made by the company and then be sure of what you are paying for.

So guys beware of this scam and stay away from anything which says 'No Waxing for 5 years' etc.