Help! Swirling One Wash after SMR w/PC???

[abe lincoln]

I just finished a full detail on my parents 97` Toyota RAV-4. It looked great after I washed with Dawn and used #9 with a PC and yellow pad, and then #26 over the top to seal off the finish. I just did this maybe two weekends ago and I washed it for the first time last night (it was a little dirty I must admit). As soon as I pull in the garage with lighting I see perfect swirl marks, i mean they are all circular and pretty noticeable in the light, but the finish still looks reflective out of direct sunlight. ARGH! I worked 6 hours on this car and it has even MORE swirl marks than before? I`m using some Meguiar`s wash additive, a faux-sheepskin mitt (it`s really pretty soft, and I don`t wash in a circular motion so that really rules it out), a CWB to sheet off water, and a PakShak absorber to dry the remaining areas. The only thing I can think of is that the PC is causing this. Even on my Stealth the same thing happened, it looks great (this was with SMR/#26 once again) until I first wash it. I use the two bucket method even! Could my pad be building up paint and thereby scratching the paint? Do I need to buy another pad and change out pads every 5 seconds? Can anyone help me? :sosad

[tguil]

I had the same problem and discovered it was the WATER. I live in the country and have a very deep (320 feet) well. The unfiltered water from my outside hydrants allowed almost microscopic sand particles to be in the water. This did a real number on the black finish of my truck and Harley.



Tom

[Preachers Sheets]

Did you detail the car in the same light you are viewing the swirls in?



Did you wash your car after the polishing? It seems to me that alot of polishes contain some sort of fillers.



Washing, drying and quick detailing can lead to swirls very easily.



Welcome to never ending battle.

[imported_Infamous]

When you put a car under florescent lighting you see everything. I have a black car to and when its under lights like that, I can see everything. As long as when its in the sun it looks good thats what counts. Also #9 isnt very abrasive polish. I know people say that the year of the car doesnt matter on how much defects are in the paint. This is very true but for an average person taking care of the car then the year matters. Which in your case would be 6-7 year old paint unless the car was repainted. If you really want just get a more abrasive polish like DACP or something . I spent 4 hours JUST polishing my friends 4 door 96 camry (original paint job) for a car show and it still has some marks. I used DACP and CMA`s yellow pad. Add more coats of whatever protectant you use and it usually helps hide other defects,

[imported_Jinx1309]

Could it be that the #9 had just filled the swirls? Then after the wash you removed the fillers.....

[abe lincoln]

Here`s the thing: there were NO swirls to begin with. (tested under harsh lighting). That`s why I used SMR instead of DACP. I used DACP on the stealth, and then SMR and then #26, and it`s still swirled after the first wash. As far as the RAV goes, I could see the swirls just sitting under the regular dome light on the opener (in the center of the garage). This wasn`t high-intensity lighting... #9 did remove some of the haze that was on the RAV (which BTW has been repainted 2 years ago due to hail, and the front end just repainted 4 months ago due to more hail), but in place of this haze I get a bunch of swirl marks. I live in a small rural town, so it is possible that the water we have is unfiltered and is causing this. I may do a test and clean the cars at a self-wash type place (surely they filter theirs) or see if I can get my hands on an add-on filter for the water tap outside.

[Accumulator]

blkstealth - This must be pretty frustrating. Yes, filter your water. I have two inline 5-micron filters and a separate conditioner/softener on the garage line, as *I* have AWFUL water.



No, you shouldn`t have to clean your pads or change them out more than once or twice even when really polishing your car.



Perhaps the diminishing abrasives in the DACP aren`t right for you. Get something else that`s more aggressive than the #9, like 3M PI-III MG. Carefully do a small area by hand, using a MF for both application and removal. First the MG, then the #9. You should be able to get this small spot PERFECT. This small, perfect spot will give you a "control" for comparison purposes. Try inspecting it using a flashlight in an otherwise dark garage. If you can`t get it perfect, maybe you need better MF`s.



I`d use a polishing pad after the cutting one: cutting pad/PI-III MG, then polishing pad/ PI-III MG, then polishing pad/#9, then apply #26. Be careful when removing the polish residue, maybe THAT`S where the swirls are coming from.

[LOTA OT]

"a faux-sheepskin mitt " can seem really plush, but can easilly scratch. Think it`s more of a fact that it will hold in dirt more than a real sheepskin mitt, especially in the synthetic backing material. With a real sheepskin mitt, the leather backing does not trap dirt and the fibers release dirt easilly in the rinse water.



Try a real sheepskin mitt, they have a good one a Target for like $7.



Michael

[abe lincoln]

I`m using pak-shak mf towels, i think the consensus around here is that they are some of the best for buffing. I use the pc until the product just wipes away easily using the MF, and there`s not a whole lot of buildup on my mfs when buffing. I can get the surface to be completely swirl free with just #9 or even DACP using an extremely bright light in the garage, but the water must be screwing me up. Any good places to buy filters for water taps? I will also look into getting a `real` sheepskin mitt.

[Accumulator]

blkstealth- Glad to hear how you`re narrowing down the possibilities. The DIY big-box stores (like Lowe`s) often have the filters (ask for "whole house" filters and housings), BUT you might oughta consider biting the bullet and having a plumbing contractor do this job for you. Even at the $68/hour rates, it`s not that big of a job (at least compared to constantly swirling your vehicles) and they (presumably) won`t botch it up. It LOOKS simple, but I still had my plumber do it.



The at-the-faucet ones are NOT what you need. You oughta get something like I use, with the two 5-micron filters upstream from your spigot. Yes, get TWO of them, you`ll be surprised what gets past the first one. The 5-micron size will do an OK job of filtering without messing with your flow too much. The filters are held in plastic housings that aren`t too tough to work with when changing the filters. Get clear housings so you can see when you need to change filters. Consider how your water lines are run, look at the filters at the store, and see if you want to tackle it yourself.



BTW, are you cooking, bathing, and DRINKING this same water? Once we saw what was in OUR water :scared we sure did think our filters were worth the money! Once you see what gets trapped in the filters....

[abe lincoln]

Thanks accumulator, I will relay the information to my parents, it`s not really my call to spend that kinda money :) Besides, I`m going to college in Miami next week so I won`t be washing my car for awhile (leaving it at home for a while)