Jaguar XJ problems today :(

[killerGLI]

Okay, so today I detailed a Jag XJ, older body style. After using my PC with megs ultimate compound (i know i should get m105 and m205) with a 5.5 inch LC Orange pad, I noticed that not only was the hood still really really swirled, but that there were a lot of holograms on the trunk of the car. I was wondering what I could do to prevent this and understand why this happened? This was my first real business detail and the owner seemed to be getting antsy so i started rushing but still took my time polishing to make sure the polish broke down (or I thought it did). I didnt notice the holograms until I did a quick wipe with 50/50 simple green wipe down to get the oils off (was that a bad choice?). How do i prevent this on his wife`s dark blue tahoe? luckily the xj was silver so you couldnt see them that well. HELP

[89gt-stanger]

Well it is because you used Ultimate Compound to remove swirls, duh! Im dont mean to be an ***, but Meguiars happens to have a consumer product called SwirlX. You should have reached for that first.



On the other hand, why are you polishing, or whatever you call it, other peoples cars cars if you don`t even have the right products for the car? If your in the DFW area, refer the customer to me if you can`t do the job properly.



"luckily it was silver so you couldn`t see them that well"..... wow. Just wow. Bad ethics here, real bad.



Get the right products.



Dylan

[mikenap]

Pretty obvious where this is headed. Questionable practices on other peoples cars + judgmental reply=

I give it til the end of the page before this thread gets locked.:lock:

[GoudyL]

Okay, so today I detailed a Jag XJ, older body style. After using my PC with megs ultimate compound (i know i should get m105 and m205) with a 5.5 inch LC Orange pad, I noticed that not only was the hood still really really swirled, but that there were a lot of holograms on the trunk of the car.



Is this surprising?



You are using an agressive compound, with an agressive pad. You managed to achieve the wonderful combination of both thinning the paint *and* leaving it swirled at the same time.




I was wondering what I could do to prevent this and understand why this happened? This was my first real business detail and the owner seemed to be getting antsy so i started rushing but still took my time polishing to make sure the polish broke down (or I thought it did).



Meg`s UC is one their SMAT polishes which does not break down, instead it keeps a constant high level of cut.



The first question is if the car needed polishing in the first place?



If it did need polishing, then the question is what are you trying to do? Polish out specific paint defects or relevel the paint.



If it`s specific defects, you can use the Meg`s UC by hand/machine. If its general releveling, then use a light cuting polish like Meg`s SwirlX, or something even finer like KIT Scratch Out.



In reality your best bet by far is Mother`s Pre-wax Cleaner, on a white pad. This gives you the right amount of cleaning action and polishing action for wax prep.




I didnt notice the holograms until I did a quick wipe with 50/50 simple green wipe down to get the oils off (was that a bad choice?). How do i prevent this on his wife`s dark blue tahoe? luckily the xj was silver so you couldnt see them that well. HELP



Don`t use Meg`s UC on an Orange pad. :werd:

[killerGLI]

I didnt mean to sound like an idiot to be honest. I have swirl X, but there were a lot of swirls before i started, and I just needed some help because I have used an aggressive compound before on both my moms yukon and my dad`s lexus and had great results. It was my first time using ultimate compound. Should I invest in m105 and m205 and what pads should with that? I am really trying my best and I have practiced on my car and the 3m rubbing compound did great, so should i continue with that instead of the ultimate compound? Sorry to offend any detailers out there with my bad ethics. I had run out of time and the owner was suggesting i needed to leave, soooo. Anyway sorry for being an idiot...:o

[Accumulator]

I didnt mean to sound like an idiot to be honest. I have swirl X, but there were a lot of swirls before i started, and I just needed some help because I have used an aggressive compound before on both my moms yukon and my dad`s lexus and had great results. It was my first time using ultimate compound...



Different paints respond differently. And IMO you did fne choosing the UC/orange on the Jag, just needed to do it *right* and then perform a follow-up or two. Also, some of those have "sticky" paint, that can be a real PIA with regard to polishing oils/etc. Those possibly caused the "holograms" (note that real holograms come from rotary work only).



And, working something like UC in an attempt to "break it down" can result in hologram-style micromarring when you buff it off, because the abrasives *don`t* break down they way they do with your 3M stuff. The Simple Green wipedown lacked lubricity and encapsulation so it probably aggravated that.




Should I invest in m105 and m205 and what pads should with that?



I really like those but there *is* a learning curve and it can involve micromarring and pseudo-holograms.



You mentioned a Yukon; I have one and I just used M105/M205 on it. Worked great BUT I had to use a SunGun and sunlight to make sure things were OK. That was via Flex/PC/Cylo too, not rotary.



4" pads if working by PC. Some do OK with 5.5" but not me.


I am really trying my best and I have practiced on my car and the 3m rubbing compound did great, so should i continue with that instead of the ultimate compound?



IME the 3M is more user-friendly but less effective compared to M105. Haven`t tried UC but I bet the same comparison would apply.



Get some M205 for the follow-up and learn it, well worth doing IMO.



BUT...these *NON*diminishing abrasive products have to be understood/mastered. They don`t break down, but the polishing oils/carrier agents dissipate so they can "dry out".



IF you really work at it, I bet you can figure it out on your mom`s Yukon and that Lexus (two different hardnesses of paint there). But, heh heh, it`s gonna be a big, long, tough job. Still, as you already know, you need to get a better handle on this stuff so there`s how *I* would go about it.



Oh, and *NEVER* rush. Never. IF the owner gets antys, deal with that and *then* deal with the car (properly). Schedule with a "buffer" time-wise so you don`t run short.



Do some other vehicles before you try his wife`s Tahoe. Seriously..you could find yourself in deep trouble with a dark blue GM vehicle. You`re simply not up to that at this point. Maybe you should offer a less serious job on it using mild stuff/AIOs/etc. Just don`t take serious abrasives to a dark blue GM until you know how it`s gonna turn out.

[kaotikdt]

IMO test yourself with other cars (preferably yours), check your times and NEVER rush yourself. I think you know the outcome now, I think most of us (i have toooons of things to learn as I dont call myself an expert or professional) have learned through experience. Take your time, don`t expect a job to be easy, ever! I always take that as my rule of thumb.



One time I had to clean this Cadillac that was just in horrible condition, my GF was w me the whole time and she was amazed of how long it took me to finish just the interior. Never underestimate a job, always go beyond your expected time. Is better to call the customer and tell him/her you are done that them calling you. also don`t compromise yourself with a job if not sure.



We are all here to learn, but make sure you fix those problems and dont make the same errors again. If the customer thinks shouldn`t take 4 hours and you know it will, then i will pass it. There is no point, people think that auto detailing is a regular wash that cost 10 bucks.