Effect of PPF on a White SUV (Scorpio-N) - Did it Yellow in 3 Years?

In this blog, we will look at the effects of getting PPF done on a White SUV (Scorpio-N Z8L 4XPLOR) after 1 year, 2 years and 3 years of city usage and with normal wear and tear.

We will cover the PPF process, Choosing the right detailer, Checking the authenticity of the PPF Roll and the approx. cost involved.

We will also cover the quintessential question, did the PPF show signs of yellowing on a White car?

PPF Details:

Brand : STEK Shield Effect
Cost : Prices on PPF rolls are dynamic and depend on the area that needs to be covered (for ex, do you need the roof also to be covered with PPF?). STEK Shield Effect can cost anywhere between 1.4 - 1.7 Lakhs (with GST Bill & Warranty Card from STEK)
PPF Installation Time : Approx. 3 Days
Time of PPF Installation : Immediately after vehicle delivery
Characteristics of Shield Effect PPF (as per STEK): Ultra Gloss Finish, Super Hydrophobic, Self-Healing, Anti-Yellowing, Anti-Contamination
Specification Sheet for STEK Shield Effect: Picture towards the end

PPF Installation Process:

Choosing the right Detailer : This is the most important process. I physically visited multiple detailers before zeroing on a couple of choices. My parameters were:

Detailer must be authorized by STEK (confirmed by calling STEK)
Detailer must be ok to deal with online payment and not insist on cash payments
Detailer must have a covered workshop. It is a bit baffling why some car owners are ok to get PPF done on a roadside detailer or in the open.
Detailer workshop must have enough ventilation incase a fire breaks out. After all, my SUV was just 1 day old!
Detailer must get PPF done without ripping off door padding, bumper (this was one of my most important requirements)
Detailer must be ok to reveal the material used and prove its authenticity prior to installation
Detailer must be able to submit the details to claim STEK for warranty post installation
Detailer must not be too busy nor too available
Detailer must have done PPF on SUVs before (SUVs are larger and need more time)
Detailer must be wanting to have good word of mouth business from me post PPF installation.
Details must be OK me checking (actually spying) on them during the installation process

To Remove All Parts Before PPF or NOT?: A lot of Detailers want to remove Door Panels, Bumpers, Lights, Chrome before they do PPF. They are mostly right because removing these parts ensures the PPF is tucked really well inside. Typically, Detailers take help of mechanics from respective automotive service centers to help them remove the parts without breaking them. I did not want any of this headache and I also did not want to void my warranty in the first week of my delivery. I had given strict instructions to the Detailer and the PPF team to not remove any door panels, to not remove the Bumper, to not remove any Chrome, to not remove any lights. The Detailer did warn me against this, as it could mean that the PPF could grab some dirt overtime in some corners. But I insisted on this and the Detailer agreed to my wish (they have great team and the owner is really good!). After 3 years of PPF on my White SUV, I think I did the right thing. There is really no need to remove all parts on a new car before PPF installation.

Note: I did allow them to open the door handles. Removing the door handles on the Scorpio-N does not require opening of the door panels.

Placing the Order for PPF Roll: I placed the order to get STEK Shield Effect PPF roll with the Detailer with an advance payment and they mentioned the roll would be shipped from STEK warehouse via local courier in a day. And it did arrive as planned.
Checking the PPF Roll for authenticity: Every STEK roll comes inside a cardboard box and the PPF itself is wound around a plastic cylindrical tube. On the inner surface of this plastic tube, one can find a code and a hologram. This hologram can be scanned via the "Hidden Tag" App from your phone to ascertain the authenticity of the roll. See pictures at the end of this blog for how the code looks and the proof of authenticity from the "Hidden Tag" App.
Pre-Work: I did a few things to prevent any unwanted mishap with my car

I had proactively wiped off all puja marks from the car (kukum, haldi etc). The Detailer will remove these, but its best if you wipe them off proactively to avoid it getting deep into the white paint.
I had covered the Sunroof buttons (near the OVRM) with paper tape so that no one would try to open/close the sunroof.
I had covered the 4x4 knob with a temporary cover so that no one would engage 4WD accidently.
I was checking my Adrenox App to ensure they are not misusing my vehicle or keeping it switched on for a long time. Nothing of this nature happened.
I had given repeated instructions to the Detailer and the PPF team to NOT open any door panel, NOT open the bumpers, NOT rip off any chrome.
Removed all items from the Car. Detailers are working on multiple cars at the same time and are very likely to loose of mix up your items with some other cars. I had a comic situation when I had left my car cover in the car and the PPF team had kept it aside in their workshop. I went back a day after the PPF installation to collect the car cover and put it on my brand new "PPF'ed" SUV. To my horror, the next day, a small mouse jumped out of the car cover while I was removing it and I guess it had got into the car cover at the workshop during the rains :-)

PPF Installation: I left the car with them for 2 nights and did frequent visits to check on the progress. The Detailer had tasked the work to PPF installation team who did a good job overall. See PPF installation pictures below. I visited the workshop about once a day to check on the progress and remained around till I was satisfied. I was also checking if they are using the exact same roll that they had shown me as other vehicles were getting their PPF done in the same workshop (and using other PPF brands simultaneously).

Bonus: The Detailer even made a professional video during my PPF installation and put it on their wesbite. This was their first PPF on a white Scorpio-N.

3 Years of PPF on a White SUV: So, has the PPF Yellowed after 3 years?

Well, yes and no. For the most part, no.
As per Spec sheet of STEK Shield Effect, it has anti-yellowing properties which I believe are helping. However, this needs to be taken with a pinch of salt as weather conditions, dust and other parameters are not the same everywhere.
You can see the before and after pics for yourself below taken at the same spot and the same day separated by 1 year and 3 years. There is no major yellowing that I am concerned about. In fact, without the PPF, the actual white paint would have yellowed even more.
You can say there is a small tinge of yellowing when looked closely, but nothing that makes me worried.
The minor yellow tinge is most visible when the car is dirty and it gets accentuated by the glossy texture of the PPF. To the naked eye, its not easy to detect this tinge when the car is clean.
Since the original paint on a White car will yellow anyways, let the PPF get the yellow tinge instead of the paint.
PPF will save you a lot of time waxing your white car and avoid the risk ripping off the clear coat every now and then due to repeated buffing and waxing.
In these 3 years, I have maintained the car well and washed it regularly. However, I have not gone to extreme lengths and there have been periods where I have driven a dirty white car.

Has PPF helped to avoid scratches and does it self-heal?: Hell Yes! Here are a few things I have noticed with PPF:

Super easy to clear the car. I have cleaned my entire SUV with half a packet of Baby wipes multiple times. Dust/Grime does not stick on the surface and can be cleaned very easily. Even cleaning with water is very easy.
Glossy shine: PPF gives a visible glossy look and it gets better with time as the PPF self heals from scratches and wipe marks.
I have not had any major incident to prove the effectiveness of PPF and I don't want to have such an incident either.
Overall increase in confidence levels when driving the vehicle and general peace of mind.
I have not seen the PPF come off at any place either.

"Don't Do This Mistake!" with PPF: After PPF installation, I had put Door Edge Protectors for all the doors. This WAS A MISTAKE. The door edge protectors cause the PPF to deform along the edge of the doors and this cannot be corrected later. For now, I have continued to keep the door edge protectors installed to hide the PPF deformity at the edge. This has not caused any other issues, but it was unwanted trouble I bought onto myself.

STEK Specification Sheet for Shield Effect PPF:

PPF Roll Authenticity Check (with "Hidden Tag" App):

Notice the hologram and the code on the inner surface of the cylindrical plastic tube

PPF Installation Pictures:

Before and After (Pictures separated by one year) & Yellowing:

As mentioned earlier, there is a slight tinge of yellowing. Its not easy to detect the yellowing with the naked eye and its more pronounced when the car is dirty.

3 YEAR PPF COMPARISON