Still getting marring etc with strict wash routine

M

mc01ta

New member
I'm started to think my paint is super soft on my 07 black Pathfinder. I always use quality products when washing, polishing, waxing etc. My wash routine usually is:



- pre-spray

- 2 bucket

- DG 901

- grout spongs

-leaf blower

-qd/high quality microfiber/waffle weaves



About 3-4 months since last exterior polish 95-98% correction with multiple wipe downs I still get noticeable wash marring/etc.



I've tried a few different sponges but really do like the grout sponge best. I use light pressure and frequently change sponges. I'm starting to think this is just the way it is. Occasionly I do a DP 4-1 rinseless wash here an there carefully.



Is it really this normal to pick up noticeable marring so frequently? On this rate i'm gonna have to do a light polish 3 times a year. I've been detailing for over 10 years and this is my second black car. My first one was much more manageable to keep swirl free.



Any thoughts/advice/similiar experiences? Trying to figure out if there is something in my routine that causes this.
 
thanks for the reply Scott. I use the leaf blower and then usually use a qd and multiple microfiber towel to dry. The towels pass the CD test. I've noticed the paint is particuarly soft and always hard to finish perfectly when polishing. This is the only car i've ever had trouble polishing defect free and wash induced marring. Any other thoughts?
 
I have no experience with the Nissan Pathfinder paint, but on my old 2006 Mazda3, the paint gets marred when I wipe off the wax with a microfiber towel. This sort of thing happens on newer cars with eco-paint painted in a green plant.
 
the_invisible said:
the paint gets marred when I wipe off the wax with a microfiber towel. This sort of thing happens on newer cars with eco-paint painted in a green plant.
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Is it marring though, or some type of unusual hazing? I've had that on soft paints, and found the best solution was to usually wait 5 or 6hrs for the lsp to dry, then remove.
 
toyotaguy said:
live with it, or polish once a month...its a stupid soft black paint...you will drive yourself insane trying to keep it up!
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My thoughts on soft black - :bat



I will NEVER buy/paint another car a dark color, such as black or blue, EVER again.



It sucks because I came to that conclusion a long time ago, but I was forced to paint my 65 shelby cobra dark blue because no other colors flow with the looks of the car. Damn shelby :bat:bat:bat
 
if the paint bothers you that much, look into having the clear redone on the car to make it easier for you to keep up, i did notice after i painted my truck with dupont nason 496, the clear was very resistant to swirls and scratches. just a thought if it keeps bugging you, but eventually you will have to redo the clear at this rate if you polish 3 times a year.











cant agree with you efnfast, black and dark colors are undoubtably the best looking when they are perfect and clean. but the downside is you have to really be careful and keep them clean or else you will notice defects that much easier, its just the tradeoff... i wouldnt have my cars be a light color, to me, light colors seem to look dirty even when they are clean because you cant tell much of a difference. but thats just me
 
mc01ta said:
..I've tried a few different sponges but really do like the grout sponge best..
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If you really do have stupid-soft clear, then I myself would replace/repaint the vehicle. Sounds crazy, but I really would. Other than that...



Noting that grout sponges are very popular and apparently work fine for a lot of people here...[in other words, flamesuit on]...



If your wash regimen is marring your paint, I can't help but wonder why you like it so much :confused:



*I* can't wash marring-free with any sponge, so I don't wash that way.



Marring comes from pressing something harder than the paint *against* the paint and then moving that something under pressure. I can't avoid doing that with a sponge, and maybe you can't either.



I'm assuming you're rinsing/redunking the sponge frequently, not trying to do half a panel at a time or anything like that.



Is the marring made up of long scratches? If so, you can make things better by just changing how you move the wash medium.
 
Try a different wash media as suggested, I really like sheep skin for many reasons.



Use a product that fills. OCW is so easy and hides minor swirls.
 
Turbocress said:
if the paint bothers you that much, look into having the clear redone on the car to make it easier for you to keep up, i did notice after i painted my truck with dupont nason 496, the clear was very resistant to swirls and scratches. just a thought if it keeps bugging you, but eventually you will have to redo the clear at this rate if you polish 3 times a year.







cant agree with you efnfast, black and dark colors are undoubtably the best looking when they are perfect and clean. but the downside is you have to really be careful and keep them clean or else you will notice defects that much easier, its just the tradeoff... i wouldnt have my cars be a light color, to me, light colors seem to look dirty even when they are clean because you cant tell much of a difference. but thats just me
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I tend to think the opposite - silvers tend to look clean all the time to me :D



When they just re-clear the car, how is that done. I.e., do they wetsand and polish the original layer, then start re-spraying, or do they strip it down to the base, re-do the base color, then clear?
 
efnfast said:
I tend to think the opposite - silvers tend to look clean all the time to me :D



When they just re-clear the car, how is that done. I.e., do they wetsand and polish the original layer, then start re-spraying, or do they strip it down to the base, re-do the base color, then clear?
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I'm curious as well, I haven't heard of anyone just re-clearing a car. Sounds interesting though.
 
I guess my recommendation would be to figure out if it is your washing or your drying that is causing the swirls. One way to figure this out is to polish out all the swirls for a good starting point. Then, when you wash your car, always wipe the sponge, mitt, whatever in the same direction (for example vertically) and when you dry, go the opposite direction (for example horizontally). After a wash or two, see which direction the swirls are going. If they are primarily vertically then you know it is your washing and you need to rethink your washing procedure such as a wool mitt rather than sponge, consider using a foam gun, a pressure washer or a foam cannon with the pressure washer, etc.. If the swirls are primarily horizontal then you know it is your drying and need to change things up there (blot dry with a towel rather than wipe dry or consider getting a CRSpotless system and don't dry after using your blower).



Keep in mind, for this test to work, you CANNOT touch the paint after you polish the existing swirls out with the exception of your washings, no QD wipedowns, no spray sealants/waxes, no claying etc.. If you do one of those, you then add another variable and don't know if they caused the swirls or the washing/drying.



That is my advice.
 
I appreciate all the feedback. I should have been more clear in my process since some of these suggestions I already do. I'm a very anal autopian!



I usually do 2-3 rinses with sponge per panel. I blot dry and use a blower first. This is just light marring that obviously gets worse over time. It is light but still enough for me to get frustrated. I used sheepskin mits previously and got tired of replacing them. I'm not big on microfiber mits as they always seem hard to release everything. I use soft pressure or hardly any. I presoak the vehicle.



I usually wash weekly and no qd between washing. Again I'm super careful/anal about my routine. I am one of those that loves black vehicles more than any other color, the look/finish can't be beat. I tried to convince myself to get another color since I've had this before but bought what I wanted. However this might be my last black car!



How many light polishes you think I can get away with before i run into problems? I've probably fully polished 4 times since bought new in 07'. The most aggressive I've ever gone was IP on white and usually clean up marring with FPII. Yes I said it FPII that is how soft this paint is! If I continue using lets say FPII, IP or even 205 as I just ordered how many polishes on a white pad/grey pad can I get away with before running into problems hypothetically?
 
mc01ta said:
I appreciate all the feedback. I should have been more clear in my process since some of these suggestions I already do. I'm a very anal autopian!



I usually do 2-3 rinses with sponge per panel. I blot dry and use a blower first. This is just light marring that obviously gets worse over time. It is light but still enough for me to get frustrated. I used sheepskin mits previously and got tired of replacing them. I'm not big on microfiber mits as they always seem hard to release everything. I use soft pressure or hardly any. I presoak the vehicle.



I usually wash weekly and no qd between washing. Again I'm super careful/anal about my routine. I am one of those that loves black vehicles more than any other color, the look/finish can't be beat. I tried to convince myself to get another color since I've had this before but bought what I wanted. However this might be my last black car!



How many light polishes you think I can get away with before i run into problems? I've probably fully polished 4 times since bought new in 07'. The most aggressive I've ever gone was IP on white and usually clean up marring with FPII. Yes I said it FPII that is how soft this paint is! If I continue using lets say FPII, IP or even 205 as I just ordered how many polishes on a white pad/grey pad can I get away with before running into problems hypothetically?
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A ton. :)



I'd recommend using FPII as long as it's enough for you to do the correcting you need, as it's gonna remove the least amount of clear per application of just about anything available. Not to mention that it leaves about the best finish you can get.



Gentle polishing frequently with FPII isn't gonna hurt anything, but if you can get away from touching your paint (or at least touching it with something more gentle like a BHB) when you wash, you won't *need* to polish frequently.



IMO, you'll do less marring if you just switch over from a traditional wash to an ONR wash, especially if you're going to stick to using a sponge.
 
bert31 I think your recommendation is a great idea. I'll start keeping an eye on it after winter passes. I'm not doing a correction until end of winter. I also meant to state that I am carefully to wipe the sponge in vertical or horizontal directions with 1-2 passes and then refresh the sponge. I usally always have DG AW on the car so I typically only have to blow the car off with leaf blower and rarely have to use a towel. A CR spotless system is way out of my budget. Maybe I'll have to look into a pressure washer. Is there any cheap/cost effective recommendations? I might just have to bite the bullet and buy sheepskin mits again because I don't remember picking up marring if ever.
 
That is good to hear. I love FPII by the way, can't beat the finish and ease of use. How light can 205 be with lets say a white/grey pad compared to FPII? I'm excited about using it.



I never touch my car and rarely if ever qd it. I use DP 4-1 on light dust wash but use a typical wash otherwise.
 
SuperBee364 said:
A ton. :)



I'd recommend using FPII as long as it's enough for you to do the correcting you need, as it's gonna remove the least amount of clear per application of just about anything available. Not to mention that it leaves about the best finish you can get.
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What about 106 vs FPII. On the Menz. scale it's 2.5 vs 2, so it's more aggressive, but in real-world terms, how much more is that in terms of clear removal on a white pad?
 
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