• APPEARANCE PROTECTION
• FINANCIAL SERVICES
• APPEARANCE / RECONDITIONING
• CLAIMS
• WARRANTY ADMINISTRATION

• I purchased the paint protection, can I wax my vehicle?

  ECP's Environmental Paint protection has been scientifically tested to provide continuous protection for years to come. It virtually eliminates the need for monthly tiresome waxing. Further, many over the counter waxes contain harmful abrasives and chemical cleaners, which can ruin your vehicle’s appearance. We recommend the use of your ECP Care kit to safely clean your vehicle and remove harmful road tar, car wash films, insects, bird droppings and tree sap.

• Wherelse are ECP products used?

  Look around you, ECP and Its Affiliates manufacturer a wide range of products used in the manufacturer, assembly and protection of items around you. From the furniture, cabinets and appliances in your home to the cars and trucks on the road, and throughout the entire US Military. ECP and its affiliates products are on FIGHTER JETS, Air Craft Carriers, Ships, Boats, Tanks, Truck, Planes, Helicopters, M16's rocket launchers, even the SPACE SHUTTLE, you name it.

• What does ECP’s products do to my vehicle to protect it?

  ECP provides a professionally applied multi-step system to protect a vehicle for years to come.

Tire and Wheel

• If I hit a pothole and ruin my tire, am I covered?

  Absolutely, Just call the 800# on the front of your contract to receive instructions and authorization for repairs. You are also covered if your tire is punctured by a nail, glass or any other road debris. You are NOT covered if you hit a curb.

Etch

• I live in a nice neighborhood - cars just aren’t stolen here, so why would a dealer try to sell me this product?

  A car is stolen every 20 seconds across the U.S. They are stolen from mall parking lots, restaurants, movie theaters…even church parking lots! Your salesperson knows that it is not where you live that matters, it’s where you go on a daily basis that determines your need for this valuable product.

Key Replacement

• We have a 17-year old son who occasionally uses our car. We would prefer he have his own set of keys for our car. Can I use this policy to get a spare set of keys?

  No, this policy is designed to provide replacement keys if your original set is lost, stolen or destroyed. When this happens, you must bring your remaining set of keys into the dealership, and all sets will be replaced and re-programmed with a new code.

Roadside Assistance

• I currently pay a lot of money for coverage from AAA. Do I need this product too?

  Actually, with this Roadside Assistance plan, you can cancel AAA. It is a much better value, great coverage and a savings for your family.

Dent

• I park in a city lot every day and frequently get dents and dings. Do I have to wait until I get two or three to get them fixed?

  No, that is the beauty of having unlimited repairs! Just call the number on your contract and we will arrange to have a tech meet you at the dealership or your place of business to have your dents professionally removed.

• Can I just show up at the dealership to have my dents removed?

  No, you must call and make arrangements for a technician to meet you. Technicians are independent business owners and travel to different locations every day. Call ahead of time to schedule an appointment at your convenience.

• If I get a ding from another vehicle and some of my paint comes off, how will that be repaired?

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• What is the best way to restore shine to a dulled exterior painted surface? Three factors can cause lack of gloss or shine:
  • Oxidation
  • Scratches
  • No protection

  Oxidation occurs when the sun’s ultraviolet rays deplete the paint's natural oils and resins. Scratches prevent light from reflecting uniformly from the painted surface, which limits gloss. In order to restore gloss, oxidation and scratches must be removed.

  Once the surface is free of oxidation and scratches (see "Question How to safely remove oxidation and scratches from exterior painted surfaces?") and any swirl marks caused during buffing are removed (see Question "How do I remove swirl marks on painted exterior surfaces?"), a Wax and/or Surface Protector should be applied to protect the surface against further oxidation, and to improve the shine.

• How to safely remove oxidation and scratches from exterior painted surfaces?

  To remove medium to heavy scratches and oxidation, you must correct the surface with a high speed polisher, cutting pad and buffing compound (For a complete listing of ECP Compounds and Pads, See the Compound / Pads section of the Products page of this website).

  If only light scratches and oxidation are present, buffing with a mildly abrasive polish and polishing pad is recommended (See "Question How do I remove swirl marks on painted exterior surfaces?" for more information on polishing or swirl removal).

  If the scratches and oxidation are sufficient, the compound used should be aggressive enough to correct the imperfections present but appropriate for the vehicle’s paint system (Single stage or basecoat/clearcoat). To identify your vehicle’s paint system, run a piece of sand paper (2000) grit in an inconspicuous spot on a door panel. If color comes off in the paper, you’re working with a single stage system. If not, you have a basecoat/clearcoat system.

  The thickness of the exterior paint layer of single stage systems is 3 - 4 mils (1 mil = 1/1000 of an inch), while the thickness of the clearcoat layer is 1 - 1.5 mils. Therefore, you can use a much more aggressive product on a Single stage finish than on a basecoat/clearcoat finish.

  When compounding, the buffer should be run at no higher than 1000 - 1400 rpm, and either a wool or foam cutting pad may be used. Wool cutting pads tend to be more aggressive than foam pads - increasing the amount of cut - and often leave more swirl marks.

  If a paint thickness gauge is available, measure the total thickness of the surface you plan to correct. Then measure the thickness periodically as you buff, ensuring that you don’t remove more than .25 mils of paint (especially from a clearcoat layer).

  Select your compound accordingly, and buff the vehicle’s painted surfaces per the following guidelines:

  • Ensure painted surface is clean and cool
  • Apply a moderate amount of product to surface, and don’t allow the product to dry on surface
  • Don’t mix buffing products
  • Moisten pad before buffing (especially foam pads)
  • Buff slowly in shoulder width area, moving buffer side-to-side, length-wise with panel
  • Spur pad regularly with pad spur (either a wool or foam pad spur)
  • Keep pad flat on surface, applying light even pressure
  • Bring buffer off painted surface before stopping
  • Wipe off residue with clean, soft cloth

• How do I remove swirl marks on painted exterior surfaces?

  Swirl marks are light, circular scratches (micro scratches) in the painted surface often caused by buffing with a compound. As the compound cuts away the oxidized paint layer and reduces the depth of deep scratches by abrading away their "ridges", light scratches usually remain, especially on glamour colors.

  Swirl marks can be safely and effectively removed with a high speed polisher, polishing pad and a polish or swirl remover.

  A polish contains mild abrasives and resins (usually silicone) that can be applied with a polisher or by hand. The abrasives remove swirl marks by abrading away their "ridges" in a manner similar to compounding, but with much less paint being removed.

  The polish’s resins fill any indentation in the paint too deep to be abraded out, and bond to the surface. By removing the "ridges" and filling any remaining indentations, the painted surface is leveled, which restores its gloss. The newly level surface reflects light in a uniform manner causing the eye to perceive a deep, rich shine.

  In addition to providing "fill", the resins deflect the sun’s ultraviolet rays (minimizing further oxidation) and magnify the gloss created by the newly level surface.

  The durability of the bond between the resin and the painted surface will vary depending on the number and type of resins used. Silicone is the most common resin, and certain chemically-bonding silicones can last up to six months. Glycerin and mineral oil are also used, but aren’t nearly as durable.

  When polishing, buff at 1750 - 2400 rpm (the resins provide added lubrication which allow for higher buffer speeds), and utilize a lambswool, blended wool or foam polishing pad. Also, follow the buffing guidelines listed in Question "How to safely remove oxidation and scratches from exterior painted surfaces?".

• How often should I wax my vehicle?

  Waxing frequency depends on the type of wax and surface protectors you use as well as personal preference. The climate which you live in and how you maintain your vehicle, will all determine how often you will need to wax.

  Like polishes, waxes and surface protectors contain resins which bond to the painted surface forming a protective layer against sunlight and the elements. The strength of the bond will vary depending on the number and type of resins present and the preparation of the painted surface.

  Chemically-bonding silicones can last up to six months, while physically- bonding silicones, mineral oil, glycerin and natural or synthetic waxes last one to four months. It is critical to ensure that the paint is free of dirt, tar, grease, and other surface contaminants before applying your final finish product. Neither wax nor surface protectors will adhere to a dirty surface.

  Climate affects the durability of waxes and paint sealants, as well. Harsh weather conditions such as rain, wind, snow (and the accompanying road salts) will break the bond between the resin and the painted surface much more quickly than will dry, mild conditions. Constant exposure to bright sunlight will also accelerate wax and sealant deterioration.

  When washing a freshly-waxed surface, be sure to use a pH neutral car soap instead of a highly alkaline dish soap or household cleaner. The alkalis will strip the resins from the painted surface, lessening gloss and exposing the surface to the elements.

• How can I quickly remove surface contaminants without buffing?

  Paint overspray, bugs, tree sap and other light surface contaminants can be quickly and easily removed with our Correct it Clay system.

• What is a clay bar, and how is it used?

  The is a blend of synthetic rubbers containing mild abrasives that removes light surface contaminants such as rail dust, hard water marks, paint overspray, bugs and tree sap from painted, glass and chrome surfaces. See: Correct it Clay system.

• What is the best way to repair acid rain damage?

  Acid rain is etching in the painted surface caused by acid contained within moisture that accumulates on vehicle's horizontal surfaces. As the water evaporates and is baked into the surface with sunlight, the nitric and sulfuric acid remain and create the damage.

  When repairing acid rain damage, it is important to select a compound formulated to correct this type of etching. See: Compounds

  It is also critical to neutralize the acid on the vehicle’s surface before correcting the damage. This is done by using a high ph car wash soap or Neutraseal on the area, and allowing it to dwell for one minute. If the acid isn’t neutralized, the etching will recur.

  To remove acid rain damage, we recommend the following procedure:

  • Remove all grease, tar & wax from the area.
  • Neutralize the acid on the area.
  • Buff a 2' x 2' area with a high speed polisher, Compound and a Cutting pad. Keep the pad flat on the surface and buff until product is dry, applying light even pressure. Clean pad regularly with pad spur.
  • Apply polish with a high speed polisher and a polishing pad to remove any swirl marks.
  • Apply a wax or surface protector to provide protection to the restored surface.
  • If buffing doesn’t completely remove acid rain damage and less than .25 mils of paint was removed during buffing, wet sanding is an option

• How do I file a claim?

  You can file a claim either on-line by selecting the exterior or interior claim forms, by email ecpclaims@ecpinc.net, by phone 800.323.3521 or by fax 800.409.5195

  Click below to file a claim online:

  • Exterior Claim (use this form for environmental paint and/or surface rust claims)
  • Interior Claim (use this form for all claims relating to inside the vehicle)
• What information will I need to file a claim?

  For exterior claims, you will need to complete the required claim form, provide a copy of your warranty, motor vehicle registration form, photos of the damage and an itemized estimate of repair from either your local dealership or bodyshop of your choice.

  For interior claims, you will need to complete the interior claim form, provide a copy of your warranty, and motor vehicle registration form. An additional interior explanation form will need to be completed and can be obtained from any member of the claims department.

• How long will it take for my claim to be processed?

  Our award-winning claims department will process your claim within 24-hours of receiving all of the information required.

• How long after a repair do I wait to have the products reapplied?

  Corrosion protection can be applied immediately, however the paint must be allowed to cure for at least 30 days prior to any environmental paint and surface rust protection being reapplied.

• Is the warranty cancelable?

  No, because once the products have been applied, they cannot be removed or returned.

• If information on my warranty is incorrect, what do I need to do to have it corrected?

  Contact our Warranty Administrator at 800.323.3521 and provide the correct information and it will be changed within our system. You may be asked to fax a copy of your warranty along with additional information depending upon the change.

• Is the warranty transferable if I trade in the vehicle?

  Yes. The warranty you had originally purchased on your vehicle must remain with that vehicle however can be transferred to the new owner for a nominal fee. Please note that the new owner will require the original warranties issued at the time of application in order to complete the transfer.

• Can I transfer a warranty on a vehicle that I purchased that already has the products applied?

  Yes. If you have recently purchased a vehicle that already has our products applied, you may transfer the warranties into your name for a nominal fee. Please note that the original warranties from the previous owner must be submitted to our office, along with a bill of sale showing proof of the new ownership along with the transfer fee’s. You can forward this information to the PO box listed on the warranties.

• What is the multi-transfer discount?

  A discount of $10.00 will be deducted from the total if multiple warranties are being transferred.

• What information do I need to transfer a warranty?

  The original warranty, a check made to ECP Inc. for the transfer fee, and the new owners name, address and phone number.

• Am I required to have the vehicle inspected annually?

  Only lifetime warranties require an inspection. This is during the 30-36th month after the original application. Refer to your warranty for the specific requirements necessary to keep it valid.

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