Little Worried...

[01svtL]

So I used my PC XP for the second time this weekend (first time on my ride - silver 06 4Runner).



It looks great at almost every angle, in every light. However, in direct light, when standing at about a 30 degree angle and looking down th eside of the vehicle, I can see very faint circular "dull" patterns, I'm guessing in the clear coat.



I used the cyan edge pad (which is supposed to have very light cutting abilities, not much more than polishing pads though) with meguiar's Swirl-X. I followed it with a white pad and Poorboys World Polish2 with Carnuba. The shine is AMAZING, but again, when you get at a certain angle, you can see what appears to be dull marks that are clearly from a buffer. What did I do wrong?? I was using it on speed 6, and I saturated the pad pretty well before the first application. I also didn't apply very much pressure. Do I need to get some other kind of polish and really work it in there with the white pad? This isn't burned paint is it? I'm assuming this is a little dullness caused by the cutting?

 

[Alexshimshimhae]

don't fret~! more than likely you just didnt get rid of the micro-marring from the cyan pad--and if you over prime your pad--it takes longer for your product to break down and actually properly correct-- make sure you're not overly saturating your pad...it takes a while to figure out pad/product combos that properly bridge abrasion gaps.

 

[Accumulator]

Or maybe there's some residual polish residue that you failed to buff off completely.



I can't help but wonder whether the Swirl-X (pretty mild stuff) and the Cyan pad (somewhat aggressive) are a good match, but then I've never tried either one. I'm just generally in favor of using a more aggressive product and a less aggressive pad if you're gonna mis-match things (and actually, that kind of "mis-match" usually works very well).

 

[01svtL]

Accumulator, if it is residue (doesnt appear to be) would an IPA wipe down be in order?



If it is micromarring, what product should i use to polish this out?

 

[Accumulator]

Accumulator, if it is residue (doesnt appear to be) would an IPA wipe down be in order?

Yeah, if IPA is all you have available (I prefer TOL's PrepWash).



OR, try some kind of paint cleaner (OTC you might try Meguiar's Deep Crystal Step #1 Cleaner).

If it is micromarring, what product should i use to polish this out?

Maybe the Swirl-X again, but on a more gentle pad. And don't use too much product



This is really just guesswork on my part, it's hard enough to figure such stuff out in person, let alone over the internet. But I really do think it's one of those two things.



OR, it *might* be uneven polishing results, where you did some portions OK and others not so well. But that's kinda a stretch..

 

[01svtL]

Is the correct way to keep working the product around into the paint until it starts to buff itself off, or should I be leaving a haze the way most people do while hand-waxing?

 

[gigondaz]

I suspect somone has rotary-buffed your car before.

In many cases, your PC will probably never genuinely remove 100% swirls caused by a rotary+wool. Swirl X has lots of swirl hiding capabilities...but not enough to hide the worst of swirls.



What you're seeing are either:



Micro-marring caused by Cyan pad (can happen, based on your clearcoat hardness)

Perhaps you can try:

1. Swirl X with Cyan (what you did)

2. Swirl X with White pad

3. and your PB polish+wax.



..or swirls caused by rotary+wool

Bin the Swirl X and try other stuff such as:

Megs 83 DACP

Megs 205

Menz 1ntensive Polish or 106FF

 

[01svtL]

which pad should i use with those Megs products?

I suspect somone has rotary-buffed your car before.

In many cases, your PC will probably never genuinely remove 100% swirls caused by a rotary+wool. Swirl X has lots of swirl hiding capabilities...but not enough to hide the worst of swirls.



What you're seeing are either:



Micro-marring caused by Cyan pad (can happen, based on your clearcoat hardness)

Perhaps you can try:

1. Swirl X with Cyan (what you did)

2. Swirl X with White pad

3. and your PB polish+wax.



..or swirls caused by rotary+wool

Bin the Swirl X and try other stuff such as:

Megs 83 DACP

Megs 205

Menz 1ntensive Polish or 106FF

 

[Dan]

I suspect somone has rotary-buffed your car before.

In many cases, your PC will probably never genuinely remove 100% swirls caused by a rotary+wool.

I think that is nothing more than a myth. A PC with enough time, will get down to bare metal, so it will certainly remove any swirls or scratches.

 

[Accumulator]

I suspect somone has rotary-buffed your car before.

In many cases, your PC will probably never genuinely remove 100% swirls caused by a rotary+wool...

As long as they didn't really overheat the paint, I've always been able to do that kind of work via PC if I put in enough time with the right combos. Sure can take a long, long time though, and via PC I'd want to be using 4" pads. OK, with the XP I might *maybe* go with 5.5" ones, but I doubt it.



If 01svtL needs some serious correction, then I'd recommend something like Meguiar's Ultimate Compound or Optimum's Hyper (spray) Compound. I'd use the Cyan pad with either of those and then follow up with something milder on a more gentle pad.



Eh, conspicuous by it's absence above is the M83 DACP, but I just never liked that stuff personally, just one of my quirks.

Is the correct way to keep working the product around into the paint until it starts to buff itself off, or should I be leaving a haze the way most people do while hand-waxing?

Depends on the product. I'm not sure with Swirl-X, but with most such products you should work them until *almost* dry but not quite; buff off while still a little wet.



Generally, you don't let it dry to a haze the way you do with waxes. There are exceptions (e.g., 1Z PP/etc.) and some people do like to "work it until it's powder", but the rule of thumb with Meguiar's abrasive products is to buff off before it's completely dry.



Maybe you could find one of the tutorial videos that Mike Phillips made about doing this stuff with Meguiar's products. He covered pretty much every Q that you can think of.

 

[01svtL]

Yea I don't think the marks I am seeing were there before.



I guess I'll try one of those other polishes mentioned above and see what that does.



Accumulator - I did watch a couple of Mike's videos on Youtube and tried to match his movements. Like I posted in one of my other threads, I felt like it didn't take a whole lot of pressure to bog my XP down, so I don't think I was applying too much pressure. I have no idea what burned paint looks like, but to me, this just looks like dull (possibly micro-marring) circular spots. By this, I mean the circles are solid, not just a dull outline of a circle. It's almost like someone pressed the pad really hard on the paint, lifted up, and the product dried to a very light haze in the shape of the pad - that pattern over and over next to each other.



I would take a picture, but it is so faint and the angle and light have to be perfect to see it, so I don't think a camera would pick it up. I wouldn't worry about it so much, but I do want to start doing this on the side for a little extra cash once I get good at it. I have to GET good at it first though!

 

[Accumulator]

01svtL- Wonder what'd happen if you went at one of the spots with something like UC/M105 *by hand*, pretty aggressively.



Eh, sounds like, XP model or not, you need to use 4" pads with your PC, same as I do with the older model. OR buy a new polisher

 

[01svtL]

I dont know that 105 would be necessary. The truck wasnt bad in the first place, plus silver hides everything well. I just decided to use swirlX to take care of any swirls that MIGHT have been there. Maybe that was a bad move...



Ill pick up some 205 and try it this weekend. What do i need to do first since ive already applied the PB WP with carnuba? Do I need to wash w dish soap?

 

[Accumulator]

I dont know that 105 would be necessary. The truck wasnt bad in the first place, plus silver hides everything well. I just decided to use swirlX to take care of any swirls that MIGHT have been there. Maybe that was a bad move...



Ill pick up some 205 and try it this weekend. What do i need to do first since ive already applied the PB WP with carnuba? Do I need to wash w dish soap?

The M205 oughta cut through what's on there with no real problem. If you get the feeling that it's not happening, like the "wax is in the way", then try some IPA. OR yeah, just do a really potent wash, I'm just not in favor of substituting Dawn for regular shampoo because Dawn lacks lubricity.



M205 leaves a *LOT* of those Meguiar's Trade Secret Oils behind, and that might look similar to what you're dealing with now.



Again, I'd try one isolated area (where you can clearly see the problem) and work on that until you either solve the problem or realize that the approach isn't working.



Oh, and on the "do I need M105?", note that maybe you uncovered some serious holograms that were previously concealed. I have no idea if that's what happened, and I'd *kinda* doubt it, but again, you just can't diagnose this stuff over the internet.