Any hints to tell when XMT #2 has broken down

Z

zzzzdoc

New member
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Having a tough time determining when XMT #2 has broken down. I doesn't seem to give the kind of transparency I'm used to seeing when other polishes break down. It does occassionally start to dust. This is using a Flex.



Any hints? I seem to have to stop, wait for it to dry, then buff it off.
 
I know!!! But I want to hear about this other car first....



Honestly, I don't have much experience with XMT, but if you want to try Menzerna, I can give you a couple small samples next time I'm in Largo...



How cool is the Flex?
 
Flex is pretty cool. I'm just about done with the XMT. Just doesn't work well for me. Switched to 1Z PP and it's been a breeze.



Wait your turn on the car. Right now it's rarer than a Murcielago or Gallardo in this country.



Anyone with experience with the XMT #2 or #1??
 


I have used XMT 1, 2 and 3. 1 is very fine, 2 and 3 are not very abrasive. I want to try XMT #4 to remove some light surface scratches since #3 won't phase them at all. I'm talking very light scratches that I can barely see, unless I look at the right angle with the right light.



What kind of temps did you work the product with? I had zero problems working this stuff. Easy on, easy off. Was your foam pad saturated? This stuff is advertised to break down into smaller abrasives, creating a finer polish, thus leaving a perfectly smooth, swirl/haze free finish. If your pad is saturated, you can work this stuff longer to plane/smooth out the surface. You need moisture/lubricant to work with abrasives, although #1 and #2 are pretty fine in my opinion.



If your paint is in like new condition, you don't need to work it for a long time, therefore, you don't need a lot of product. The less product you use, the quicker it will break down into finer particles and will be ready for removal sooner.



You mentioned you saw dust. If you see dust, I think it's time for removal. Maybe this stuff doesn't completly dry due to lubricating properties or something. After you make the first pass with a terry/microfiber cloth, you'll be left with a small amount of residual product that will be removed with a second pass with a fresh terry/microfiber cloth. You could also hit it with a fresh, clean terry/microfiber cloth bonnet with a PC. Now you will be ready for the next stage; glaze, seal, and or wax.







 
Used it at 78 degress (I know that because my garage is air-conditioned.)



The pad was initially sprayed with their pad lubricant, and afterwards became totally saturated in time. I was using a white LC pad.



I found that after working it for about 5 minutes, it still didn't appear to have broken down. I tried a few things after that. Wiping it off with MF cloth (worried that I would scratch the surface), letting it dry (was pretty hard to remove without spraying water on it). Towards the end I worked it a few times until it dusted (seemed much more likely to do that on higher speeds (like 4 on the Flex instead of 3.)



I wasn't using huge amounts of product, but possibly was using a LITTLE too much at times.



It also left a haze a few times, that I tried correcting by doing another pass with the XMT #1. Didn't remove it to my satisfaction. Eventually, I just did a quick pass with 1Z PP which was a total piece of cake compared to the XMT and took away the haze.



So what am I doing wrong here? The car is new, but was badly swirled plus a few scratches from the dealership (thanks, guys.) Color is a metallic black, so difficult to hide blemishes.
 
I'm new to detailing with the PC7424 and the XMT products are the first I've used, so I'm no expert on the subject, but...



I just did 2 of my cars using XMT #3, followed by XMT #1, followed by XMT Carnauba Glaze, followed by Pinnacle Liquid Souveran, and got very good results. I did not use XMT #2, but assume it would be similar in use to #3 and #1.



I used the XMT pad conditioner also. Just spritzed the pad before putting the polish on.



For #3 and #1 I used a quarter sized blob in the middle of the pad. I manually spread that on the car then set the PC to 3 to spread it over a 2X2 or slightly larger area. Then ramped the PC up to setting 5 to work it. I probably worked each section for more than 5 minutes, but didn't time it. It eventually hazed into a light powdery film that buffed off nicely with an MF towel. There were a few panels where it didn't seem to break down as quickly and seemed a little smeary when I started to wipe it off. I worked it some more and then it buffed off ok.



My cars were pretty neglected going in. Lots of swirls, scratches, oxidation and just kind of a film on the surface. As such, I couldn't even do half the car before the pad was pretty well caked.



The #3 took out all but the worst scratches for me.



I was working in 80+ degree weather at all times.



I'd say the times when it wasn't breaking down/wiping off nicely were a combo of when my pad was caked and I had the polish on too thick. When I switched to a clean pad, it worked better.



I was using an orange pad with the #3 and a white pad with the #1.



I'm planning on getting some #4 also to see if I can get some of the remaining scratches out with that.



Overall, very happy with the results, but will be interested in seeing how other products compare since this is my first outing.
 
weekendwarrior said:
Just curious, how do the Pinnacle XMT series polishes compare to the Pinnacle ASR and Pinnacle AFP?
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Somebody else will have to comment on that. As I said, this is my first outing and the XMT stuff just happened to be the first stuff I tried with my PC.
 


zzzzdoc said:
Used it at 78 degress
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That is definately warm enough







zzzzdoc said:
The pad was initially sprayed with their pad lubricant, and afterwards became totally saturated in time. I was using a white LC pad.
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I think here is where the problem lies. Your pad was "Totally Saturated". This stuff will not dry/haze with a saturated pad.







zzzzdoc said:
I found that after working it for about 5 minutes, it still didn't appear to have broken down.
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Like I said, with a saturated pad, it's not going to break down. With a saturated pad, you would need to spend way more than 5 minutes with the PC







zzzzdoc said:
I tried a few things after that. Wiping it off with MF cloth (worried that I would scratch the surface), letting it dry (was pretty hard to remove without spraying water on it).
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Let me get this straight, you spayed it with water, and then proceeded to attempt to wipe (remove) it off with a microfiber towel? The water reactivated the residual leftover chemicles which is why it did not come off. I think, had you not sprayed it with water, it would have come right off. It sounds like you were afraid of scratching the paint by wiping off the "dry" residuals with a "clean" microfiber cloth. That's how this stuff works, it's supposed to be dry upon removal (to a degree) I'm not saying you should let it sit for an hour and let it harden on your paint. You know what I mean.



At this point, I would have hit it with a fresh cloth and it would have come off. Or you could have used a fresh clean bonnet with a PC, and it would have come off instantly.







zzzzdoc said:
Towards the end I worked it a few times until it dusted
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I will assume you used a non-saturated pad, or fresh cloth bonnet? This stuff will not scratch your paint by wiping off the dry residuals with a clean microfiber cloth.







zzzzdoc said:
possibly was using a LITTLE too much at times.
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I'm quoting you on this statement. Too much product.







zzzzdoc said:
It also left a haze a few times, that I tried correcting by doing another pass with the XMT #1. Didn't remove it to my satisfaction.
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All I can say is Wow!!! This product worked very well for me





zzzzdoc said:
Eventually, I just did a quick pass with 1Z PP which was a total piece of cake compared to the XMT and took away the haze.
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Pinnacle XMT is a PURE polish. It does not contain any filler's. 1Z PP is a finishing glaze that has fillers which is why the haze disappeared. It's not a fair comparison between the two product's because they are different.







zzzzdoc said:
So what am I doing wrong here? The car is new, but was badly swirled plus a few scratches from the dealership (thanks, guys.) Color is a metallic black, so difficult to hide blemishes.
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It's hard to give solid advice over the forum without actually seeing the car in person and doing hands-on.





Tony



 
No apology necessary, Tony. Thanks for the comments. Very much appreciated.



I'll try it today and see if it's more user friendly with new pads.



Since the 1Z has fillers, will the haze re-develop in time once the fillers wear off. Should I use some IPA on it to see if the haze is still there?



BTW, are you sure that 1Z Paint Polish has fillers? I could see their less aggressive polishes like the Wax softpolish or even perhaps metal polish having them, but PP is fairly aggressive in their line.



I could also use a clean bonnet on a PC, but I tell you, the stuff was pretty tenacious. It really didn't come off easily. Certainly not in comparison to the 1Z PP.
 


zzzzdoc said:
BTW, are you sure that 1Z Paint Polish has fillers?
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I can't find anything solid that would prove it has fillers, but the fact that it easily removed the haze on your car, I am assuming it has fillers.



"1Z einszett Paint Polish restores the color and shine to any paint finish in preparation for a coat of wax".



"It produces exceptional depth of gloss. Will bring the dullest finishes back to life with a lack of effort that will surprise you. Results will last for months. For enhanced protection to maintain the polished finish, follow-up with Glanz Wax.500 ml".







 


zzzzdoc said:
It also left a haze a few times, that I tried correcting by doing another pass with the XMT #1.
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I used #3 with a yellow pad, and I didn't get any hazing. I want to try #4 to remove what #3 would not remove.







 
So my best bet for permanently removing the haze would be to go over the area with progressively finer polishes until its gone?
 
I bought the XMT line about a year and a half ago, #4 wasn't released yet and I hadn't discovered I could use a rotary either. I traded away the Glaze, #1 and #2, I still have a dab of #3 - the best combo for me was an Orange LC pad and the PC - I could work the crap out of it and finish down LSP ready - IF - IF all the problem was oxidation and very light scratches. Since then, I discovered you can get better and faster results much cheaper by using Meg's, Optimum (although it's a little gummy for my taste) or - ta da - HiTemp products - do a price comparison and grab a hankie to wipe your eyes.
 
Oh my a Flex machine, Alan's clicker is awesome! hope to see you soon and the new toy too! Also bring empty sample bottle's too for products and your Flex too, i want to see it.! See you soon.................Angelo.................:usa
 
zoomzoom mazda5 said:
Oh my a Flex machine, Alan's clicker is awesome! hope to see you soon and the new toy too! Also bring empty sample bottle's too for products and your Flex too, i want to see it.! See you soon.................Angelo.................:usa
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Yup. That was the game plan, Angelo. :)
 
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