Wax without adding swirls

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ArbitrageMan

New member
Hey all. I'm a total noob when it comes to car detailing. I have a black car though, and I'm super paranoid about swirl marks. I wash it with the two bucket method, microfiber towels etc.



I need to wax my car before the winter. Is there a possibility of adding swirl marks to the car by waxing it? If so, how do I avoid that?



I'm thinking about just washing it thoroughly, then using Optimum spray car wax on it. Is this acceptable?



I'm hoping to achieve protection for the paint, and maybe a little shine, although the car is very shiny on its own. It was waxed professionally one year ago. Thanks.
 
ArbitrageMan said:
..I need to wax my car before the winter. Is there a possibility of adding swirl marks to the car by waxing it? If so, how do I avoid that?
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Get all the dirt off first, that's the #1 thing. You should probably do more than just a wash (clay, paint cleaner, maybe even a light polishing).



Then make sure your applicators/towels are soft enough that they won't mar.



Work in a clean environment so no abrasive contamination gets on the car while you're waxing.



I'm thinking about just washing it thoroughly, then using Optimum spray car wax on it. Is this acceptable?
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As far as the risk of marring goes, you're still rubbing the paint.



I'd sure want something a lot more durable for winter.



.. It was waxed professionally one year ago..
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After all that time I'd expect it to need a complete redo, even if it's a garage-queen.



Oh, and Welcome to Autopia!
 
Even the toughest sealents and waxes only last about 6mths or so. It needs to be re-waxed.





You get swirls (micromarring) on your vehicle when (in simple terms) something abrades against the clearcoat. 98% of the time, this is during the washing of your vehicle. Either your wash/drying media gets contaminated with dirt/worn out over time, or your washing technique is poor and you drag dirt along the paint, marring it up.



You can (and should routinely) test your washing and drying media - do a cd test - take an unused cd (cd rom), shine a halogen light on its back. It should be scratch free (why make this difficult for yourself with a used one that's scratched up). Now gently rub one piece of media against it. Examine the back and see if you see any marks under the halogen light. If nothing, that media is safe to use. Test your next washing/drying media. If it doesn't scratch the cd, it shouldn't scratch your clear.



As long as your washing/drying media (and anything you use that will touch your paint, like foam applicators for wax) does not marr the cd, it should be safe to use on your car without fear.



At that point, any swirls induced will be as a result of poor wash technique (which is like a 100pg thread in itself - you can search to find more information)





If your has been washed properly (i.e., is perfectly clean), and your wax applictor and removal media is cd-test passed, then using gentle pressure it should be near-impossible (unless you've got some devil clearcoat liek BMW's jet black) to induce any swirls/marring.



Spray wax won't be very durable, especially on the winter where you want to set it and forget it (I don't know about you, but I sure as heck ain't washing my car when it's -30 and covered in salt; I'll let that sit a few mths) - some of the more durable waxes/sealents are Collonite 845, and Blackfire Wet Diamond (with polycharger).
 
A year ago I had the paint restored... not just waxed actually. They completely corrected the paint, and it looked better than new.



But, I'm totally scared of polish. I see black cars all over the place with horrible swirl marks and holograms. I think that's beyond my skill level. There is something called Optimum Poli-Seal, which says it contains micro abrasives.



Clay bar, Optimum Poli-Seal, Opti-seal?
 
1) Hollogramming is from improper use of a rotary. Using a newbie friendly machine like a flex 3401 or cyclo has next-to-no chance of inducing them.



2) 99% of swirls are caused during washing/drying. Either your washing/drying media is contaminated, or your washing technique is poor and you end up dragging dirt along the surface of the car as you wash it (causing swirls and marring)



Anybody can learn to polish and wax their own vehicle. An initial investment of $400 (or so) to buy decent tools and products, an hour or so of practice with said new tools and product, will yield a lifetime of :wow: results.
 
efnfast said:
...Anybody can learn to polish and wax their own vehicle..
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Yep :xyxthumbs



Study up and develope a thorough understanding of this stuff; it's not voodoo, and once you understand it you should be able to do fine. The underlying causes of problems only seem mysterious until you understand them, just like so many things in life. Heh heh, "it's all about abrasion" pretty well sums up the serious stuff in a nutshell ;)
 
Accumulator said:
you should be able to do fine.
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I dunno about you, but somedays I wish I could go back to cleaning a car with 2-3 paper towels soaked in water and thinking I'd just done a great job :laugh:
 
efnfast- Heh heh, I keep saying that my next beater car is gonna get treated differently, but it never quite works out that way ;) Maybe this '93 Audi I just got, what with its major paint failure....we'll see. Knowing me, I'll throw some stupid $10K paintjob on it and treat it like all the others :o
 
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