Clayed my car and have SERIOUS problem!

DefBringer said:
on one particular spot of my hood, the claying produced a horrible, hazy effect that has somehow tarnished the paint. It isn't a scratch, and multiple claying over this spot did nothing to fix it.



What is this haze? Did I somehow scuff up the clearcoat? How can I fix it?
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After reading the replies it sounds like the use of clay can sometimes cause this type of surface problem.



Could this problem be a result of contamination in the clay?



Where do all of the particles of surface contamination, that the clay is removing, go to as they are still held within the clay? Do they ever re-appear and rub against the surface?



Isn't the clay constantly being contaminated as it is applied and then re-applied?



Just some interesting questions...
 
Done *CORRECTLY*, claying should not cause damage to automotive paint. The fact that someone DID apparently cause marring (or other problems) by claying should NOT be used as a reason to denigrate claying in general terms. There have been maybe a dozen people on this board who have apparently damaged their paint while claying, a VERY small percentage of the Autopians who clay their vehicles.



The red "overspray" clay is a different animal entirely, but as simon97jetta said, the marring from THAT stuff isn't all that bad either and should polish out just like minor swirl marks.



Clay DOES get contaminated, that's because it picks up the contaminants that are on/in the paint. And those contaminants CAN damage paint if they are rubbed against it. Some people fold it over to "lock in" the contaminants, others pitch it and get a new piece (best method, IMO). Clay is a renewable resource, paint is not. I would NEVER hesitate to "go through a lot of" clay.



Without clay (or "ABC", I use both), how can you get ferrous contaminants out of your paint? Polishes do NOT do this, at least not completely. Anyone who has been stuck with permanent "rust blooms" from "rail dust" knows that it pays to remove that stuff before it starts to oxidize.



It seems to ME that Pinnacle's clay is more often associated with "clay marring problems" than some other brands. Just an observation...not a slam at the stuff.



And yes, AIO is a GREAT cleaner for removing clay residue, not that there should really BE any residue to remove anyhow!



DefBringer- Heh heh, none of the above are of any real help to you, though, huh? Sorry you have the problem, but I wouldn't be to hard on yourself about it.



To *ME*, like Cujo31, the problem looks more like something that the clay UNCOVERED and/or made more obvious than something that the clay itself DID. Either way, if it does NOT come out with something like DACP, then yeah, you have a real paint problem, maybe one that needs a paint gun to fix. But you won't know until you polish (or even compound) the area.



Hey, if it gives you the incentive to get a PC, go for it! Yes, a PC is VERY safe and easy to use, even on black.
 
Update -



I'm not sure what exactly has happened but I went to go wash my car yesterday and I cannot see the spots any longer. I even AIO'd the area to make sure I stripped everything off and I see nothing in that area now.



It's very weird.



I have no problems using clay and I think it's an amazing tool. Despite my heart stopping when I saw the scruffs, I will not hesitate to use clay again. The difference it makes (even on a new car...my car was manufactured in May) is appreciable.
 
Well, I'm glad it MAGICALLY disappeared for you. :)

Yeah, after using clay for the first time and seeing what it removed, I can't believe I've never used it before.
 
DefBringer - I too am glad to hear that your problem disappeared and that you're glad you clayed.



Heh heh, I'd STILL get the PC, though ;)
 
DefBringer said:
Update -



I'm not sure what exactly has happened but I went to go wash my car yesterday and I cannot see the spots any longer. I even AIO'd the area to make sure I stripped everything off and I see nothing in that area now.
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DefBringer:



Hey, I'm glad to hear it! This sort of reminds me of what happened to my wife's black car once when some heavily deposited water-spots magically 'disappeared'.



How did my Water spots disappear??



The only thing I did was to follow Edwin's advice (blkZ28Conv)....and that was to thank a higher power than Autopia! :D
 
Accumulator said:
DefBringer - I too am glad to hear that your problem disappeared and that you're glad you clayed.



Heh heh, I'd STILL get the PC, though ;)
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Oh, I'm definitely getting the PC. I'm going to thoroughly wash the car again tonight. I don't believe that those marks could have just disappeared. I was getting ready to try some Goo Gone on it, maybe that scared the marks into disappearing on their own. :D
 
FWIW I got the Pinnacle kit from CMA and had no problems with marring at all. I used the Clay lube that came with it.



Clay can be dangerous though...I put a scratch in my paint using it. I was turning/kneading the clay as often as I could (probably 5+ times per panel...maybe more), had washed the car thouroughly...but there was just a little bit of something that was still on there...nooooooo good. That's not the clays fault though.



Also FWIW, I am a clay convert after years of being an "Overspray clay rubs me the wrong way" guy. However, claying often is ridiculous and unnecessary. Frequent polishing and waxing does more or less the same job as clay (when I clayed my car after 5 years of owning it with no claying it still did not pick up THAT much). Clay takes it to the next level, but the risk of scratches or marring like the above makes it a once or maybe twice a year thing. I don't think you're going to get any benefit from doing it more often than that.
 
endus said:
FWIW I got the Pinnacle kit from CMA and had no problems with marring at all. I used the Clay lube that came with it.



Clay can be dangerous though...I put a scratch in my paint using it. I was turning/kneading the clay as often as I could (probably 5+ times per panel...maybe more), had washed the car thouroughly...but there was just a little bit of something that was still on there...nooooooo good. That's not the clays fault though.



Also FWIW, I am a clay convert after years of being an "Overspray clay rubs me the wrong way" guy. However, claying often is ridiculous and unnecessary. Frequent polishing and waxing does more or less the same job as clay (when I clayed my car after 5 years of owning it with no claying it still did not pick up THAT much). Clay takes it to the next level, but the risk of scratches or marring like the above makes it a once or maybe twice a year thing. I don't think you're going to get any benefit from doing it more often than that.
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endus,

Very interesting post.

Thanks for sharing that information.
 
Endus- Please DON'T take the following as a :nono :argue or anything like that. Just thought I'd post the other side of this coin.



endus said:
Clay can be dangerous though...I put a scratch in my paint using it. I was turning/kneading the clay as often as I could (probably 5+ times per panel...maybe more), had washed the car thouroughly...but there was just a little bit of something that was still on there...nooooooo good. That's not the clays fault though.
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The possibility of such scratches happening is why I finally switched to the "cut it up, pitch after a panel" method. I go through a lot more clay, but I don't mar the paint. As I'm always saying, clay is a renewable resource, paint is not.



However, claying often is ridiculous and unnecessary. Frequent polishing and waxing does more or less the same job as clay .... I don't think you're going to get any benefit from doing it more often than that.
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Heh heh, I'm DEFINITELY on the other side of the fence on this one. Could be simply a different situation: where I live they are always patching the roads, so we get a LOT of tar, etc. on the paint. Also, we have a major issue with tree sap and pollen. and then there are bugs in the summer. Hence, I spot-clay with almost every wash. It removes stuck on contaminants without requiring me to repolish/wax. Frequent polishing is an abrasive process, and I try not to abrade my paint any more than necessary (some of my cars that don't get marred have only been polished once; they have just as much paint as they did after their first detail). And for me, waxing withOUT claying can lead to sealing contaminants under the wax.



Heh heh, I sure am a proselytizer for clay, huh? :o I find it to be one of the best things I've ever tried. Just being able to remove stuff without having to re-apply my protection is a big part of it, but I can see that someone using a different regimen might not think that is a big deal. If you're applying Souveran/P21S every few weeks, for instance. When I was doing that, I just used bug and tar remover and rewaxed. End of pro-clay rant :o
 
I'm with Accumulator on this one. I'd rather clay 20 times than polish once, because it's so much gentler on the paint. Even in just over a year, I've often been amazed at how claying alone will bring the paint back to slickness and shininess, instead of polishing.



Also as Accumulator said, it's just not worth it to risk scratching while claying. I too cut the clay into small (half-dollar-size) 1/4" thick pieces. Use one side. Flip and use the other side. Then toss it. No risk of catching a particle and inflicting a scratch. Clay's cheap. Paint is not. :D And in my very-amateur experince, clay is easy and foolproof, but polishing is not.
 
Where can I buy AIO locally? Also I've tried removing it with some cleaner wax, alcohol, zaino, and 3M fine cut compound and it won't come off. Could I try a heavy mixture of dawn and water to get it off?
 
BlackWS602- I don't think you're gonna find AIO locally, sorry. Man, I'd sure be careful using that fine cut, lest you REALLY do some serious marring. I don't think the Dawn will do it.



Some people have had decent results using bug & tar remover, which should be available locally. Another idea is PrepSol, used to clean panels prior to paint/body work. It's available at auto paint/body supply places (check the yellowpages). Bodyshops use solvents like that to remove all kinds of stuff.



If it were MY ride, I'd try the PrepSol just because it's available locally. And/or order some AIO from somebody who offers next-day/2nd day delivery. Bite the bullet, pay the price and get it. This must be VERY frustrating for you, so I'd say to do what you have to do to get it behind you.



Sure hope the AIO fixes it...wonder if there are any Autopians in your area who could help you out?
 
well I've been hitting the same spot with some cleaner wax and it seems to be slowly starting to go away in that spot. I'll probably take my other car and run to the store and pick up some bug and tar remover.
 
BlackWS602- OK, that's good news. Shows that it's just clay residue on the surface of your paint. Just be careful as you try stuff so you don't add extra marring that you'll just have to polish out later.
 
Yea, just hoping to find something that would take it off faster/easier. Going over the car multiple times with a cleaner wax doesn't appeal to me today LOL
 
Ah, I give up on this. I don't feel as though I'm even making a dent in it. Going to be paying a paint/body guy 100$ to buff and glaze the car
 
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