what are some more ways to prevent swirl marks?

A

andrew300

New member
im having the pleasure in owning my first black vehice and man does it get dirty and dusty fast. i am keeping most of the swirls out but want to know some more ways to keep them out. i allready use the 2 bucket technique and rinse mitt after every panel. i use austrailian sheep mitts (the really soft ones) from detailers paradise. i also rinse off as much dirt possible before i touch the car and when i do i always fill my wash mitt up with soapy water and pour it over the panel (not touching it), then i soak it again and lightly go over the panel very carefully. i then blot with a ww towel from pakshak. i go from top to down also. any other ways to prevent swirls? i wash my car every week with megs nxt wash so i would prefer time consuming washes that get the job done. any suggestions would be great. btw its a 05 jet black fully loaded bmw m3 :)
 
I would've thought swirl marks came more from improper polishing/buffing (with a machine) than from washing the car.



True if you don't wash the surface carefully you will get some marring and water spots.



I guess if you dried the car by moving the towel/MF in a circular motion you'd probaly get swirls.
 
Morbid is correct, in that "swirls" ar enot introduced into your paint from washing. Swirls are micro-buffing-scratches.



What you are seeing are "halo-scratches", commonly called "spider-webbing" or "marring". The best way to totally avoid them are......well you can't really:( Especially on your darker colors.



You would have to polish your car then place it in a airtight bubble to totaly avoid them. Even driving can cause them as dust and such is blown against the cars surface.



To reduce them you can take the steps you are already taking, try washing with a deep sea sponge also, use an electric leaf blower to remove the majority of water and then use a QD in conjunction with your drying process.



Lastly learn to live with them and then focus more on enjoying the marvelous driving machine you have in that M3:woot:



Anthony
 
I don't think you could eliminate surface marring completely (someone prove me wrongâ€Â¦please)

This is my attempt at minimizing them-



I use a foam spry gun (thanks to BillD for info) use a pH balanced pre- wash treatment (Stage One Prewash) spray two â€â€œ three panels and rise off with low pressure water (this will avoid spray drying and causing water spots) once the vehicle has been pre-treated rinse the entire vehicle with low pressure water.

·Fill two 5-gallon buckets (Grit GuardTm) with warm, not hot water. One is for wash solution the other for rinsing the mitt to ensure that any abrasive dirt particles are not put into the wash solution.

·While the vehicle is still wet from the rinse load the sheepskin mitt with wash solution and apply to horizontal surfaces (roof, hood and trunk lid) and then thoroughly rise with hose.

·Use a separate mitt for the lower vertical surfaces as these collect more road film, pay special attention to rinsing this mitt, so ensure nothing is transferred to the other surfaces from a contaminated mitt.



Or you could try Accumulatorâ€â„¢s â€Ëœextreme washing methodâ€â„¢(I donâ€â„¢t have a link but a search on the name should find it)

JonM
 
Do you sheet the water off with a hose so there is not much water left on the surface then blow dry with a toro 200 mph leaf blower. This way you have less wiping the paint to get it dry. And use 100% cotton towel or a good microfibre.
 
Like all the others have said, you can't avoid them...just minimize the chance of them.



The Perfect Drying technique (dry with water) and Accumulator's Non-marring washing technique are both in the Hall of Fame Forum.



I agree with Anthony....enjoy the M3...it's a sweet ride. Too far out of my budget...doh !
 
The guys on the UK M3 forum think that carbon black is a magnet for swirls ...



My 98 Techno violet and dads 2003 ? blue seems to marr very easily sugesting that BMW paint in general is very soft.



Great choice of car :cool:



WD :xyxthumbs
 
Only marring I ever get is from touching the car when it's dirty, whether when washing or just in daily use.



Besides the foamgun, IMO it's important to wash frequently and to keep a fresh layer of very slick LSP on there so the dirt doesn't stick. Dry by blotting with MF towels.



Go slow and careful. There's a reason why it takes me over two hours for even a "very quick wash". And that's nothing compared to the time I spend washing the S8 or the Jag. Sometimes you can barely *touch* the car with the mitt before you have to wash (not just rinse) it out or get another one. One careless (don't mean for that to sound harsh) motion can rub some abrasive dirt into the paint. FWIW, I find *truly* "proper" washing to be a rather nerve-wracking experience at times.



Anything else I could contribute I've already posted a zillion times :D
 
Bill D- No less than four (if it looks clean when I start) and at least 6-8 if it's truly dirty. Probably six on average. But then I'll switch to a new one with no good reason for doing so, sorta a case of "there must be dirt stuck to this even if I can't see any".



Using a BHB for *really* dirty cars a) makes for fewer mitts, and b) makes for better dislodging of tenacious dirt. Great for those of us still dealing with winter as opposed to those of us living in Florida ;) These days I don't use the BHBs without blasting suds through them with the foamgun though.
 
Accumulator,



:o ;) Ah, good, I'm very substantially stocked. As you know, I've labeled mitts on the cuff I've designated for washing certain panels/sections :D
 
Do not be afraid to use more wash solution than you think is necessary. Same holds true for quick detailers, microfibers, wash mitts, etc.



Also, keep in mind the majority of "swirls" are not actually circular scratches. They are many (hundreds OR thousands) of scratches in random directions and when light is reflected off their edges, the scratches appear to be in a circular motion. This is one reason why a lot of us try to use single direction motion when washing, waxing, polishing, etc. If you introduce marring, there will be fewer chances for light to reflect off the edges of the scratches.



Accumulator,



LOL, I think it is great you have such a passion for keeping your cars as free of marring as possible but washing can become nerve wracking to you?! :eek:
 
I can relate: I have a similar nerve wrecking experience when I scrutinize my paint under natural and articficial ( halogen) lighting conditions. If I need to polish I'm in for anything but a quick session.
 
TW85 HHI said:
Accumulator,



LOL, I think it is great you have such a passion for keeping your cars as free of marring as possible but washing can become nerve wracking to you?! :eek:
Click to expand...



Well, don't take me too literally ;) but when the S8 is really dirty, and I know that underneath that dirt is the perfect finish I worked so hard to get, I'm *very* conscious of how I could mess it up. And the kind of major project I'll be in for if I do!
 
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