First time PC user - needs help

[99TAM6]

After reading about all the great results obtained with a PC, I went out and purchased a PC, MIP and MFP along with the DAS pad kit. After spending countless hours this weekend on my wife's black 05 Nissan Murano - i need some help. I should first mention that the condition of the paint sucks, my only conclusion is that the vehicle spent the winter on the lot somewhere and the dealer used the equivalent of a garden rake to brush off the snow (endless scratches and swirls). Anyway my first attempt was the green DAS pad with MIP, applied at 3.5 and then increased speed to 4.5 which basically got me no where. I then moved up to the DAS orange with the MIP followed by the DAS blue pad with MFP using the same speeds as before and was able to get some of the scratches out and bring the finish to a nice shine, that was until i got the halogen work light out...and realized I still have loads of scratches and swirls.



Where do i go from here, was thinking about trying Meg #80 with the DAS orange?

Also I noticed that when using my MF to wipe off remaining polish some was stuck on and I could only remove by wetting a MF and following with another dry MF, what am i doing wrong here?

 

[Accumulator]

99TAM6- Welcome to Autopia!



I dunno how much I can help, as I don't use Menzerna polishes that much (just FP sometimes, and never had a problem). It sounds like the marring you want to remove might be a bit much for the IP/green combo. I dunno if you oughta work it more or live with it, black can be tough.



The #80 is user-friendly and does a bit of hiding, which can be good on imperfect black vehicles. But it's also pretty mild so it won't cut very aggressively.

 

[kikim]

I had the same problem on some cars... it is necessary times to put more pressure on the pad and to polish longer.

 

[s2skimon]

I had the same problem on some cars... it is necessary times to put more pressure on the pad and to polish longer.

I agree. With bad swirls I've often have to go over a spot many times. I've literally spent hours on one side of badly swirled hoods, have almost used my entire SSR line with these neglected paint owners.. Its those days i wish for something more.



As well, it could be not enough passes and not time on a spot.



Regardless, the pc dual action polishers are not the be all end all for swirl removal. I learned that the hard way and continue to do so. I guess this is also my reasoning for leaving the PC route and going for the rotary next season.



I believe proper swirl removal in my world nowadays, is done with a rotary and something like optimum or ssr series. Then applying a pre polish and lsp with the porter cable.

 

[99TAM6]

Thanks for the replys. I will try adding some more pressure on the PC tonight and see what happens. I have access to a rotary but I have to admit I dont have the guts to go that route yet. Thanks again for the info

 

[Nitwit]

Where do i go from here, was thinking about trying Meg #80 with the DAS orange?

Also I noticed that when using my MF to wipe off remaining polish some was stuck on and I could only remove by wetting a MF and following with another dry MF, what am i doing wrong here?

Although I'm not familiar with the DAS pads, MIP is significantly more abrasive than #80. If you were unable to remove your defects with your MIP/pad combination, then #80 will probably not solve your problem. What #80 will do is help minimize the appearance and hide what remaining defects you have left.



The #83, or MIP, combination works well on my Acura, but the paint/clear is exceedingly soft. If what I remember from my previous Nissans (240SXs mostly) holds true, then you might need to put more work/more passes into it.



I would recommend the DAS equivalent of a light cutting pad (if you haven't tried that already) together with your MIP. Do a small section and check the results under light. If your defects have been significantly reduced, all you would probably need is another pass or two. If the defects are largely untouched, your defects probably warrant more aggressive action (pads with stronger cut, more pressure, or a more aggressive compound).



Did you make sure that your surface was cool before applying the polish? If not, polish residues can be quite tough to get off. If your surface WAS cool under application, then it sounds like you haven't worked the polish enough and/or you used too much product. Polish residue with MIP should be quite easy to remove. Priming your pad lightly with QD, and the occasional mist when the polish dries to quickly, helps a lot.