Hello from Romania ,Europe

K

Katiescar

New member
Hi all! I have recently purchased a 2001 Yujon - black - and am having some problems with it, I read your previous postings (took me hours) and you all seem to be extremely knowledgeable. Looking for your advice:



purchased the truck that was sitting on the lot for a few months when we went to pick it up they had waxed it (live and learn - I didn't assume they would wash it.). It looked like a bad wax job - some smears. Didn't complain because we were going to take it to a prof. detail place to get it protected for winter.



Anyway - detail place talked up a polymer sealant and we bought it. They said they buffed with foam pad after washing, then applied sealant, and buffed. Looked great even in bright sun when picked it up. After it rained, looked bad in sun, still some streaking. They said dealer used too abraisive of a compound when they waxed it and they did the best they could with it. Offered to buff and reapply sealant.



Talked with dealer - they swear they do not wax dark colored vehicles, only wipe them.





Gave us some stuff to wipe on - Kent New Car Finish - ingredients: water, petroleum Naptha, Silica, Morpholine, DImethypolusiloxane, alum. silicate. What is this stuff? They said it would help remove wax and then we should glaze and wax.





Opinions. Car looks fantastic in shade, moderate light, no "big swirlies" and no smears. Feels very smooth and beads (for what that's worth)



Thanks guys,



Katie
 
First off, welcome to the forum.



Now back to the topic. Can you post a pic of the problem? It could be any number of things. Since your car is black, you will soon learn that everything shows and most things will scratch it.



If the dealer did not wax your car, then the problem probably lies in the wash process. Black cars must be handled with extreme care while washing, or you will get swirl marks quickly. Also, towels are a major concern with a black car. You must use top quality towels that wont scratch or marr the surface, or your car is going to look bad quickly. Dealers are well known for screwing up the finish on cars when they wash them.



Since your car was new, the dealer should not have used an abrasive compound on your car. It should not have been needed. If they put swirl marks on the car with an abrasive compound, then the car will need to be buffed down with a finer abrasive to remove them. Also, the streaking in the polymer sealant would not be caused by the dealer using an abrasive compound before. I suspect that sealant was not applied properly if you have streaking. Sealants must be applied to a cool car away from the sun, this is especially important with black. Also, if they marks reappeared after it rained, it makes me wonder if they applied any sealant at all. Sealants will last long that 1 rainstorm. If they did apply the sealant and it failed after raining, then they did not apply it properly, something was on the surface that did not allow the sealant to bond properly to the paint. If the dealer applied a wax to your car, the wax must be stripped before any sealant is applied. Maybe your detailer did not do this? That would cause the sealant to fail when it rained.



So the car will need to be polished down with a series of abrasive compounds to remove all the swirls.
 
Having a hard time getting picture today - its raining off and on. Did wash this morning - regular car wash not Dawn. Hen dry and in the sun there are some swirls but it is the "smears" I am more concerned with. They do not "move" when you rub them so am I to assume this is something serious?



I do not believe the detailer did anything but wash and buff before applying sealant - which was Perma-Bond Plus btw. Are you familiar with that product?



My husband and I have two small children we are looking for something that would be relatively easy to use on such a large vehicle.
 
I am not familar with Perma-Bond plus. But, if the sealant is smeared, then it was not applied properly. I could tell you some things to see if they remove the smears, but it will likely strip the sealant.



If you don't want to do it yourself, then take it back to the detailer and make them redo it. Smears in the sealant are an application problem.
 
Welcome Katiescar!!!!



Maybe the smears are not smears but fine scratches or swirls or the like. Take some pics and post that would be a great help.



As for black it shows all mistakes and I bet the detailer did a few as well as the dealer.



The best detailer would be you and your hubby since it is your car.



As for ease of use I would say any of the polymer types talked about on this board are pretty easy to use: Blackfire, Zaino, Klasse etc. Wax can be easy to but does not last as long.



My avalanche is as large as your Yukon if not larger. I have less painted area but I spend maybe 1 hour applying and removing my selant of choice.



There is a pic in the member pics section of a black Suburban. Check it out and ask that owner what he did since his will be very similar to yours.



Again please posts some pics so we can see this smear.



Have fun!
 
I have a pretty good guess as to how those smears got there. Black cars must be 100% cool and out of the sun before you apply any sealant to them. The surface of the metal can't even feel the slightest bit warm, or you will get smears.



My guess, the surface was warm or hot and they did not allow it enough time to cool down, and they applied the sealant to a hot or warm car. When you do that, you are asking for streak and smear city.
 
everytime I go out for a quick pic the sun goes in!!!Will get photo up and then maybe you all can suggest ways to remove/hide them.
 
generic one step synthetic polish similar to finish first or liquid glass or all the bulk products out there that are very similar. Its a silicone polymer, hi solvent, and abrasive....



Should clean up the finish, and protect it with a nice shine. I would not use it more than 4-5 times a year MAX. If you are an enthusiast.....skip it and follow forum advice............



I would think the smears are hazing from the abrasives they used, or something wrong with the sealant they used. We need more information to determine the cause though. The pics will help.



oh and for what it is worth, zaino can be applied on a black car in the sun with no streaking or smearing............
 
I would seriously considerstripping the sealant and using one of the polymers everyone touts on this forum. They are all good, and they are all easy to use. We have an SUV, too, and while it it is nowhere near as big as your Yukon, a good sealant only has to be applied two or three times per year.



The polymers are very, very easy to use- you just wipe on and buff off. You can do a big car like yours in an hour- and remember, you only have to do it two or three times per year, so on a per week basis, your time investment is minimal. You will get much better results by doing it yourself than you would get at the dealer. And most dealers are so much trouble that you might be glad to just do it yourself.



By the way, the Yukon is great! I never understood the whole SUV thing (even though I own one) until I drove from Chicago to Los Angeles this summer). Every other vehicle was a Suburban or Yukon. Those highway cruisers were simply an awesome sight to behold! Now I have to hold myself back every time I pass the Chevrolet dealership...those things are just calling out to me!
 
Welcome to TID Marius. You have come to the BEST detailing forum around anywhere, so stay active on the forum, and you will get a lot of great information from some of the worlds greatest detailers.:clap:
 
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