Grit after first clay, clay again?

[pjtodd]

I recently purchased an 06 tahoe and started on this detailing journey. Today was the big day. I did the two bucket method wash with ONR. Then I moved on to claying using the Meguiars clay kit.



I noticed the most buildup on the hood, rear/liftgate, and roof near the windshield. The sides of the tahoe seemed fine because the clay really did not grab much there. I used a fast side to side motion and periodically kneaded the clay. I used plenty of the included quick detailer while claying - the bottle is almost empty.



I then performed the sandwich bag test on the surfaces and to my surprise the paint feels gritty! Some spots seem clear, some have light buildup, and some more concentrated. The hood, an area where much was removed and I really focused on, is still gritty. I feel grit on the sides but while i was working the sides the clay looked clean.



Wanting a before and after test, I did the sandwich bag test on the roof of the tahoe on a section i did not clay. That area felt like there was a layer of dirt on top of the paint!



Would claying it again get the remainder of the grit on the hood, sides, back, etc or is this the best I can expect given the condition of the unclayed section of the roof?

[AeroCleanse]

I would clay again.

[Street5927]

Claying again may remove the remainder (without actually looking at the paint and making an educated angle of approach), but you may have to switch to a more aggressive clay to remove what is still on the paint.

[Dan]

Keep claying until the clay bar comes up clean on that section. For really dirty vehicles I like to prewash with TW ICE Liquid clay, it reduces claying time significantly.

[pjtodd]

I picked the worst sections of the areas i already clayed and clayed them again with extra focus. Time spent on each section was around 2min. The clay was gliding easily and it seemed nothing was coming off a few of the targeted sections because the clay remained white. Other areas the clay picked up more and was dirty. After this second clay on the targeted areas, they still was gritty using the sandwich bag. At this rate, maybe 5 or 6 more passes :)

[sparklescarwash]

could be in the paint such as been repainted

[Legacy]

I picked the worst sections of the areas i already clayed and clayed them again with extra focus. Time spent on each section was around 2min. The clay was gliding easily and it seemed nothing was coming off a few of the targeted sections because the clay remained white. Other areas the clay picked up more and was dirty. After this second clay on the targeted areas, they still was gritty using the sandwich bag. At this rate, maybe 5 or 6 more passes :) Try a more aggressive clay as suggested. You may need to decon your paint.

[Dan]

How big are your sections? I usually spend 10+ minutes on a panel (hood/roof count as two) of a neglected vehicle.

[pjtodd]

How big are your sections? I usually spend 10+ minutes on a panel (hood/roof count as two) of a neglected vehicle.



The sections for the 2nd pass were around 6"x12".

[Junebug]

Just my opinion but Megs clay is not that good, get blue Clay Magic or even Mothers if you can`t get Clay Magic.