Molar 1

If this question was asked before I am sorry I couid not find the answer in the forums.

I had a black nissan before and I would wax it at least every 2-3 months. After waxing it looked really good (shiney,smooth and NO scratches!) the next time before I would wax I noticed more swirl marks.Every time I wax more scratches seem to be appearing, multiplying. Is it from the previous waxing?is it from removing the wax or polishing. I guess the wax only hides the swirl marks but does not get rid of it? So the more you wax the more scratches you get? correct me if I am wrong.Now I am afraid to wax my new Lex which is also black.

OutlawTita

iTrader: (1)

It is probably the washing/drying that is inducing the swirl marks. Black shows them like no other color. They can be removed by polishing but if you only cover them up they will always come back. The trick is learning to prevent them in the first place. I would recommend going to www.autopia.org if you are serious about maintaining the paint on your baby.

meZoom!

Wait, in the second sentence you said there's NO scratches, then you said there's "more swirl marks" and "more scratches." at what point did your scratches appear?

Anyway, what material (pad material) are you using to apply your wax and remove it? And are you using paste or liquid polymer wax? At this point it sounds like you would definitely need to polish the car before waxing it.

Wax is used as a sealant, in general....although these days, there are "polishing waxes" and other marketable things out there for lazy people. It's not supposed to be the wax's job to hide imperfections. The scratches and swirl marks you see are the markings in the top clear coat of your paint. A good polish product and technique will almost eliminate (to the eye at least) most of the marks. Other than that, someone will have to sand them off for you.

Molar 1

Thanks Outlaw for recommending autopia.org, its a very informative site.

Molar 1

Wax: Turtle Wax (paste)
Pad: from Pep boys (generic)

After reading posts from autopia.org it looks like I 'll have to change my wax and get better pads.I might even get a PC 7424.Yah I will polish before I wax.

Pheonix

You're using a bad techniquie, and most likely you're using something to apply, and buff the wax off that is marring the paint.


You can't polish & wax a car too much, but you can do it incorrectly.


Ya, that's not good LoL!

I'm glad you're on Autopia. Grab some microfiber towels, if you get a PC, grab a few MF bonnets to buff with. Buffing, and polishing is where the PC will save you ungodly amounts of time & effort.

On Black, I like Vanilla Moose + Carnauba Moose from Clearkote leave the deepest, wettest finish you'll find on Black.

http://www.clearkote.com/specials.htm
The guy is hella nice. He came up with everything by himself pretty much. He traveled the southwest selling the stuff out of his truck LoL! Anyways... Email him & ask him to substitute Carnauba Moose, for this Moose wax.
He did that for me, then forgot he did it, and by the time I could get in touch with him to tell me I was gonna just ship him the Moose wax back, he had already shipped me a bottle of Carnauba Moose for free & told me to keep the Moose Wax LoL!


Anywho Vanilla Moose + Carnauba Moose is the best you'll find on black. Unless you go with Vanilla Moose + PS21/S100. Might as well go with CM, it's easier to apply.

jfelbab

Swirls and scratches most frequently come from improper technique, whether it be polishing, waxing or more likely, washing.

When you wash your car use a two bucket method. One bucket for soap the other for rinse water. Put grit guards in the bottom of each bucket to catch any crud so you don't go rubbing it against the paint. Use a car wash that has lots of lubricity. Meguiar's Gold Class or NXT Car Wash are good OTC products. Use a new or "clean" sheepskin wash mitt and avoid hard rubbing to dislodge dirt. Wash a panel at a time and then rinse the mitt. load it up with soap and continue on. Rinse the car with the hose nozzle off to sheet off the remaining suds and water. Dry your car gently using waffle weave micro-fiber towels. Again use gentle pressure or you could be introducing swirls.

When you say that the swirls disappear after waxing you are probably just filling them with the wax you are using and when the wax begins to wear off or get washed off the swirls reappear. To get rid of them will require a product that can polish the swirls out of the paint. The polishing process is the most important to removing the swirls and scratches and giving you a deep wet looking shine. The wax or sealant you use will only seal in the look you achieved through polishing. Using a wax with fillers is not a bad idea but what it hides wont last long. I usually polish my car once or twice a year using Meguiar's #80 Speed Glaze. I take great care to avoid introducing swirls so a regular cleaning and waxing is all that is needed to keep the swirls away. Aslo be sure to use new, or clean foam or microfiber applicators.

Mike Philips, of Meguiar's has a sig that says "Find something you like and use it often." This is really excellent advice. If you are going to use a product often you need to find one that is very easy to use. A wax must apply and remove easily otherwise you just won't use it frequently enough. For me, the product I like is NXT Tech Wax. I apply this every quarter and follow up after every other wash with NXT Tech Booster Spray Wax. These are fast and easy to use. It takes me about 25 minutes to do a suv with the spray booster. The benefit is that my vehicles always look like they were just detailed. Also since a fresh coat of wax is being applied, the surface is always slippery and hence doesn't give dirt much of a grip to hang on to so the car stays cleaner and washes up easier with less chance for swirling.

Here is another good automotive forum: http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums

jonw440

It sounds like you need to remove the "spider webbing" or scratches before you wax. Remember polishing makes the paint look glossy and wet. Wax only protects it(and yes adds some gloss and shine)

Here is an article i did on polishing paint.
How to polish paint

Molar 1

THANKS to all of you, I am now ready to start waxing my car.Yeah I was doing it the wrong way, had the wrong technique and not to mention the wrong stuff! Seems like prep/polishing is the key and then wax to seal!

JSK

Definitely get better pads and make sure it is clean before every use. After I realize the kind of work needed to maintain a black car, I would never get one again. It looks great when it is clean, but the problem is it's so darn difficult to do so.