Could I be the one causing light scratches?????

P

p986s

New member
I am relatively new to detailing but have read and used the techniques discussed here. New car..no dealer detail..Klasse Twins..P21S...All light pressure front to back...2 bucket/2 lambswool mitts..Always MFs including applicators..Big Blue Waffle Weave laid on and removed........



Now I have used Pinnacle QD,applying with moist MF and removing with dry MF..light pressure.



Despite all of that, although my car looks great, very minor surface scratches are noticable (very dark metallic Blue).



Am I looking too closely or am I doing something wrong? Is it possible that the QD is causing the problem? Something tells me that I may be applying these scrathes due to the FOUR seperate but light applications of MF's or Washing mitts each time I wash the car.



Thanks for any comments you may have!
 
p986s - Nah, you're NOT looking too closely! Rather, you're to be commended for trying to get/keep your car as nice as you can. That's the good news. The bad news is that yes, YOU are (somehow) causing the marring that you see. Lemme see...I'll toss out some ideas, most of which will NOT be your problem, but I'll try to cover the bases. Take what might be useful to you and blow off the rest. Keep in mind that some cars just have paint that is a LOT softer (or harder) than others.



Washing: A likely suspect! Are you rinsing the car throroughly before you start washing? Is the car getting SO dirty between washes that there's just TOO much dirt to be removed without marring (so much that you have to "scrub" it off as opposed to "whisking" it off with minimal contact)? Are your mitts soft enough? (Test: after polishing away the marring, but before you wax, rewash a CLEAN, UNMARRED area using your usual mitt and soap. Blow the area dry with air. Inspect under magnification. It should still be unmarred). Are you rinsing your mitts after every 1/2 panel or so? Do your mitts trap dirt and NOT release it in the rinse bucket? Are you using a high-lubricity soap (I prefer Griot's). Is your water contaminated (I have multiple filters).



Drying: Is the car REALLY clean first? If you get any dirt on your drying materials, then something's wrong. I use waffle weave MF's followed by either another, softer WWMF (the gray ones), or a Charisma. Be careful about the serging on the MF's. Drying should take virtually NO pressure at all, and blotting is best.



FWIW, it IS possible to wash a car repeatedly (and I wash every panel at least twice) without inducing any marring. There are various methods, some almost unimaginably involved, that can be employed. Some of my cars don't need polished annually, let alone more often. It's because I've refined my wash/dry techniques (and I've quit QDing between washes).



Klassing/waxing: IF (maybe a BIG "if") your MF's are TOO SOFT TO MAR, then the application and removal of AIO, SG, and P21S should NOT be a problem. Even if you DON'T go front to back, if everything is clean, and everything is soft enough, it shouldn't matter (note that PC's don't go front-to-back and THEY don't cause marring).



QDing: Another very likely suspect! *I* have given up on QDing except on a spotlessly clean car, right after the wash. SOME people can do it without marring, but I'm not one of them, and I'm one VERY careful individual. No matter how I try, I USUALLY mar the finish, although sometimes it can't be seen without magnification. Once you get your car the way you want it try NOT QDing and see if it makes a difference.
 
Thanks for all the useful tips. Where I live, it rains EVERY day this time of year and a lot of dirt accumulates. I only have time to wash once per week so perhaps the amount of dirt is the problem. Another suspect could be the water. it really leaves spots if left to dry. Do you think I can apply P21S w/o re Klassing (2 months) or should I AIO/polish SG/wax again?



Thanks again for your time.
 
Is the ammount of marring increasing? Have you tried removing the swirls completely from at least one panel and seeing where in your process new ones are introduced? Someone here (i forget who) mentioned that they were getting micro marring in their Klasse SG layers and that they dissappeared when the panel was completely stripped. Could that be it?



If you don't use proper wash teqniques, it's easy to introduce swirls, but I'd agree with Accumulator that it's probably the QD process where new swirls are coming from. I only QD on a clean car to remove water spots, when buffing off certain products, or when I get a bird bomb.



Michael
 
if you wipe in back and forth directions, you can have a better chance of finding out if you're the cause of your marks



I personally stay away from QD'ing dusty cars, I myself would rather rinse my car down and drive off (quickly ;)) Bird bombs, I spray the heck out of it full stream with a spray bottle I keep in my trunk, then I'll QD after the stuff's all gone.



Michael nice passat pic :)
 
i know im causing the marks on my car and the GFs truck. I have done everythign poissible to not do it...but still cant seem to stop. But, then again, these arent show cars, and you can really only seem them, if the sun hits em just right





jon
 
Personally, I hate lambswool mitts and find them the cause of many problems.



I also NEVER use the two bucket method when running water is available. "IF" running water is available it is MUCH better to keep a flow going over the surface of the panel being washed and through the mitt. Contaminents have less of a chance at getting caught. Also, rinse the mitt after each panel and "before" you re-dip into the shampoo bucket.



Be sure you let the shampoo set a little on a dirty surface so it can "lift" the dirt and lubricate the panel. This will minimize the pressure you have to apply with the mitt.



I agree with many of the others comments, back and forth motions only, etc.



Be sure to "sheet" off the water droplets left on the car after washing. Take the nozzle of the hose, lower the pressure and just pour over the panels. The flow will leave very little water on the surface and less to actually dry so you will spend less time touching the car. That's important.



I'm not as worried about QD'ing as the others but am careful with it. BRAND is important. Some go on with a fair amount of resistance and take more pressure. That could be your issue. Others have a higher alcohol and solvent content so they go on easier. Maybe consider those.



Also look at the quality of the MF towels you use. Are they any good?
 
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