Emergency PC/SMR - Need Help!

Dave N

Dave N

My PC goes to 7...
OK, not a real emergency, but definitely an "Autopia" emergency...



I ABC'd my truck, and am now using some Automotive International Machine Polish/Swirl Remover (SMR). I'm applying with my PC (speed 4, light pressure) and a white CMA pad.



My question: what should the PC'd surface look like after the SMR???



My PC'd surface looks hazy, but definitely has fewer swirl marks than the non-PC'd surface. The non-PC'd surface looks shiny. Is this normal for an SMR that does NOT contain fillers? I spoke with Ron at Autoint last week about their SMR, and he told me that it contains no fillers. It is similar to 3M SMR, and Autoint lists it as the last product to use before carnauba in their "body shop safe" line.



I should also mention that I just got a new 1000 watt dual hologen light tree, so everything shows up very well now. All me previous PC experiences have been done in sunlight.



PLEASE HELP QUICKLY!!! I want to get the truck SMR'd tonight and apply my 1st time Zaino (Z5 + ZFX) tomorrow! But I don't want to make a big mess of things.
 
Speed it up to 6 to help break down the abrasives.



Still hazy, try the finishing pad or a finer polish.



Hope this helps,

Jason
 
Thanks Jason, I knew I could count on you!



What should it look like when it's done, when it's done right? Will it look slick and shiny?



I'm a little hesitant to speed it up. The bottle says to use this product "wet", and Ron told me to use speed 3 or 4. I guess I'll play around a little.



Here's a pic to anyone who's interested:



http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~dneece/SMR1.jpg



You can see the haze/non-haze line directly to the left of the halogen light reflection. I put a dab of AIO on a portion of the panel (not the one in the pic), and it brought back the shine.
 
when it is done, the surface should look flawless and a bit glossy. but not to the point of Klasse'd or waxed.



There shouldn't be a haze.



Try a finer product such as Pinnacle PCL if you have it, or something like that, maybe two or three applications of Klasse AIO??



Jason
 
OK, I used the black CMA pad and speed=5 and it made a noticeable difference. It's still not "flawless and glossy", but it's better than before. I have some 3M SMR, AIO, and Blackfire polish, but I really don't want to use those because I'm going to Zaino the truck and I don't want any fillers getting in the way. I guess I'll just have to trust that the Z5 will bring out the gloss and do it's job of filling in the minor swirls.



BTW, I can still see swirl marks (or more accurately, micro marring), but this is with the halogen lighting and they aren't as bad as the pre-PC marring. I don't know if this means the Autoint SMR isn't aggressive enough, or is too aggressive?...
 
There is a point where I stop for the paint's sake. I try not to polish with 3M FI II with PC more than 5 applications in a year. I know the clear won't fail, but I try not to polish that much. Having perfect paint on a daily driver is not possible. I just have to live with a few swirls here and there.



Try a few applications of 3M SMR, then some of the Blackfire polish. Then dawn wash it.



Check your work and if happy, Zaino away.



I would dawn wash after any polishing to be sure Zaino has a fresh surface to bond too.



If the micro marring is very very very fine, I think the Z5 should handle it.



Happy Detailing,

Jason
 
AutoInt makes a product called "Pre Conditioner" that is intended to remove any very fine micro hazing before application of your wax. The Pre Conditioner is the final step in the AutoInt swirl removal process before the final wax/sealant goes on.



If it's very fine OEM One Step with the PC many also remove the concern.
 
Well, I guess that "how it is" is going to be good enough. The black pad and higher speed helped a lot, but it's still not perfect. I'm thinking that the Autoint SMR wasn't potent enough to get out the worst of the mars; it is intended to be used with a rotary, so maybe that was a factor. Maybe some of my problem is that 1000W halogen light -- it just shows too much!



SL, I do have some OEM One-Step, but again I'm hesitant to put anything on that is a sealant because of the Zaino. I could do a Dawn wash, but I'm dubious as to whether that really removes polymer sealants. I guess I could give it another ABC, but man that takes soooo long. Plus, I would have no way of knowing if the One-Step, AIO, BF polish, or whatever I used really worked on the micro-est marring untill I ABC'd.



Like I said, I put a little AIO on one spot and it made it look great, so I'm hoping that the Z5 tomorrow will do the same (and even more).



Thanks for the quick help.
 
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