Micro gashes/pigtails with PC on black paint.

[74 thing]

It probably happens on all the paint but is more evident on black paint. My process is usually to finish down with FPII and a white LC pad or yellow Meguiars pad and the paint looks pretty good under most conditions, but I can still see little marks what I would describe as pigtails looking at the paint at certain angles. Any ideas on how to get rid of these-should I go to a softer pad, or maybe even a rotary with a softer pad? I do not want to hide this micro marring with a glaze. Thanks.

[Setec Astronomy]

You shouldn`t be getting that. Either your pads are dirty, the paint is dirty, or you`re allowing your polish to dry/clog the pad.

[imported_Picus]

Like Setec suggested make sure you`re using a clean dry pad, make sure the paint is clean, then try FPII on a less abrasive pad. I`ve had good luck with LC grey and it`s equivilants.

[GeneralEclectic]

I`ve seen those on dozens of cars. I call them `chicken scratches`. They`re caused by running a RO too fast and/or too out of balance. I`ve seen them for years and never figured out where they came from until I bought a PC7424. The first time I tried it, there they were. Had to use the rotary with a heavy cleaner to take them out. I produced them easily with a Sonus white pad and Meg`s swirl remover. The surface was clean and the pad was brand new, so the `dirt` explanation doesn`t hold water. I think it was the backing plate biting in through the thickness of the pad. I`m not at all pleased with the balance of the Sonus pads on the PC7424 with the default 6" counterbalance. Once I decreased the speed setting to `3` the scratching stopped. So did the speed of getting the job done.

[74 thing]

I will try different speeds and pressures and I recently got a propel green and a propel blue pad which I believe are softer then the white LC and yellow Meguiars I have been using.

[EBPcivicsi]

Is it a repaint? Are you sure the marks were not there before you started polishing?