Black 4Runner - paint correction problems with XMT!

TRunne4

New member
Detailing my 4 Runner right now and seem to be developing more scratches!! Using XMT3 first and I'm putting in more swirls. Any advice here? Thanks
 

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Sorry to ask this, but is pad and towels clean? If so then then you need to either switch to lighter pad/polish combo and use less pressure. It looks kinda like DA compound haze but hard to tell from the pic.
 
The pads and towels are new and clean. I actually washed the car twice before the polishing stage. I'm using a UDM and starting out polishing on speed 1 and then taking it to speed 5.

This is my first time polishing and after watching hours of detailing "how to's", I thought I'd be getting better results...
 
The pads and towels are new and clean. I actually washed the car twice before the polishing stage. I'm using a UDM and starting out polishing on speed 1 and then taking it to speed 5.

This is my first time polishing and after watching hours of detailing "how to's", I thought I'd be getting better results...

It takes a little practice. You need to get the right arm speed, pressure, amount of polish, pad, etc.. Do a test spot on your hood. Dont go any farther until you see the results you want.
 
Well my results are getting a little better on the flat hood. But the side which is pictured, is not getting better even after I went over it again. Because it's uneven, do I need to try a slower speed or is there a different technique?
 
When using a D/A I alway put a piece of tape on the backing plate so I can make sure it's still spinning. You need just enough pressure to keep it rotating(usually pretty slow). But I still think your going to aggressive. I always start with least aggression and see what I come up with VS starting out heavy.
 
When using a D/A I alway put a piece of tape on the backing plate so I can make sure it's still spinning. You need just enough pressure to keep it rotating(usually pretty slow). But I still think your going to aggressive. I always start with least aggression and see what I come up with VS starting out heavy.

A cool trick I got from Mike Phillips is very similar to this. Use sharpie marker on the backing plate and make a thick line on it and then you have a permanent way to check if your plate is spinning :)
 
Going a lot better! Will post pics in next few days. Good tips - thank you. I realized that I wasn't working the polish long enough but once I got the hang of it, things turned around nicely...
 
Going a lot better! Will post pics in next few days. Good tips - thank you. I realized that I wasn't working the polish long enough but once I got the hang of it, things turned around nicely...

Great to hear. XMT3 uses diminishing abrasives so the quality of the finish will improve as your work it into/against the paint.
 
It's funny cause XMT #3 was one of the first polishes I used many years ago. I liked the orange scent it had and the way it would do wonders on GM paint with a LC orange pad. I did many a 1 step back in the day, but, you did have to work it down and keep your pads clean and replaced if needed. Then I went through the Menzerna phase, the Megs, the flavors of the month etc...but I still can't say anything bad about XMT3.
Now? M101-105-D300
 
Here are a few pics...
Still have a lot of markings on the hood but I guess I'll have to use something stronger for those.

My process was:
Clay
XMT3
XMT1
Meguiar's Deep Crystal Carnauba Wax

Not sure if I'd use Megs again. It was difficult to apply and the paint doesn't have the slickness that other waxes seem to give. If you toss a towel onto the hood, it's supposed to slide off but with this product, my towel hardly moves at all. Are all waxes like this?
 

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