Fixing "dealer washed" Opti Coat

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chris11le

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So yeah, dealer didnt quite listen when I said "DO NOT WASH". All the dirt and grime from the winter in CT was wiped around my black car, and now its swirl city.

Luckily, at least MOST of the car was Opti Coated (Ive questioned some spots because they didnt bead/sheet like the others, but for now my goal is just get rid of most of the swirls)

What would be my best plan of attack?

Can I assume the swirls are just in the Opti?

What products are recommended to try and correct it? The underlying paint is VERY soft (Infiniti Malbec Black) which is why I chose Opti in the first place, so I really want to go light and slow even if it takes a whole lot of time. Id rather under-correct than over-correct in this case.

Thanks in advance.

-Chris
 
It sure is frustrating....the car was almost perfect before they "hand washed" it.

Right now I have the original Porter Cable and a bunch of different pads. Ive corrected many a car, but for some reason my initial go at my G was an epic fail. *Something* was swirling all over it, I could never figure it out. Took it to a pro and had him correct and Opti Coat it. He said it looked like there was some sort of coating already on the paint, that was swirling as I polished it. He did a chemical wash (similar to Power Clean Im thinking) and it all came off. THEN he was able to correct it as normal, but the paint itself was very soft.

Product wise I have a bunch of stuff. I had initially tried Gtechniq P1, thats when I started seeing swirling. Also tried Megs 205 and 105 and again, that swirling. I still have all of those products, but Im also open to newer products (its been 3 years since the car was coated), especially from Optimum after watching Opti Coat hold up so well and possibly save the actual paint.

Also in contact with a local mobile Opti Coat "installer", but Im not sure how much correction will need to be done. Price is kind of a consideration, but there is also the "I let it beat me once but I wont do that again" feeling too.
 
Milford, CT (sorry, all the way on the other side of the country from you :) )
 
How bout demanding they pay for a good, quality detailer in your area to clean it up? I realize you most likely want to do this yourself but that would anger me to no end if they f'ed up your paint after you told them NOT wash it! I would hold them accountable for total disregard of your request. Maybe hook up with another AG'er here in your area and see if they'll work with you a little on the education phase.

On the Dealer's dime. A win-win!
 
They'd get an ear full if it was me.
They must be held responsible for their actions.
 
Me too, hateswirls! And specifically the manager would hear me out!
 
I never used a coating of any kind.
My question is if I had my paint coated how would I go about it to remove it if I wanted too? Safely
Could I polish the paint using Meguiar's 205 Ultra Fine Polish and not disturb the coating ?
If I was do get swirls in the paint could I buff out the swirls but not remove the coating?

Let's say it's DP Paint Coating, from my understanding it's really only the only coating I could use on my single stage paint.
Why couldn't I use PBL Diamond Coating on my single stage paint?

I'm very curious.

A lot of questions I know but I'd love to get some answers from some of the pros here.
 
The service department will be hearing from me on Monday morning.

Heres how it went down - Ive gone to the dealer 2 or 3 other times. Each time I tell them DO NOT WASH, and put it in the computer DO NOT WASH. And, they DO NOT WASH.

Dropped the car off yesterday morning and forgot to remind them DO NOT WASH. I called a few hours later (after realizing I forgot to tell them again), told them DO NOT WASH.

Picked the car up yesterday and it was raining outside so the car was covered in rain. Couldnt tell right away that they had washed it (probably couldnt have seen the swirls anyway because of the weather). In the sun this morning I realized what they did, and sure enough the service order said "Wash? Yes"

So Im sure they might call it partially my fault, but I do plan on bringing it up to them as soon as I can. I wouldnt be surprised if they offered a free detail by someone, but at this point its going to be beyond that.

For the heck of it I wiped down a small portion of a panel with ONR, then Power Clean, then I just used a polishing cloth with 205 on it. It took away some of the swirls with some effort, but some still remain. With the power of a machine behind it 90% of what it used to be might be easily attainable.

There are a few "swirls" that I can feel if I run my fingernail over it, but my fingernail doesnt catch on them. I know that might mean rotary (or just never fully corrected), so thats beyond my abilities.

EDIT: just talked to service department.......service manager isnt in today (since its Saturday), he is calling me back Monday morning. They did offer to wash it again (LOL)
 
I would make a laminated sign that says "DO NOT WASH THIS CAR" and put it some where easily seen like on the dash in conjunction with telling the service advisor. Our Lexus dealer runs the cars through a swirl-o-matic car wash at the neighboring Acura dealer and then abrasively dries them...:nomore:
 
GreatAvalon said:
I would make a laminated sign that says "DO NOT WASH THIS CAR" and put it some where easily seen like on the dash in conjunction with telling the service advisor. Our Lexus dealer runs the cars through a swirl-o-matic car wash at the neighboring Acura dealer and then abrasively dries them...:nomore:
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Funny thing is I got a deal email from a different detialing supply co offering a laminated Do Not Wash rear view mirror hanger with purchase. That should have given me the idea, but its too late now :(

At this point Id just like the car at least close to what it was. The dealer will definitely be hearing from me, but Im not holding my breath about them helping fix it.
 
chris11le said:
Funny thing is I got a deal email from a different detialing supply co offering a laminated Do Not Wash rear view mirror hanger with purchase. That should have given me the idea, but its too late now :(

At this point Id just like the car at least close to what it was. The dealer will definitely be hearing from me, but Im not holding my breath about them helping fix it.
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Haha how ironic! That sucks, maybe do it for next time so it doesn't happen again when you get it all looking better. For me, dealer stops are not a rarity. With being in warranty and all maintenance paid for, it goes to the dealer for everything, even tire rotations lol. I have all the stuff and more to do all maintenance and repairs, but if its free, they can do it. I need to get a sign like that as well, a Rear View Mirror hanger is the ticket, thanks for the idea!

LOL yea I wouldn't trust the dealer to provide help in fixing it if their first reaction was "we can wash it again" lol, they just don't get it. Keep us updated Chris, and sorry to hear about your Infiniti!
 
I figured out the best response to the "we'll wash it again for you", but I was already off the phone

"Yeah, wash it again, this time swirl in the opposite direction and it will get rid of them, right?"

Trying not to burn the bridge just yet, so probably for the best that I wasnt quick enough on my feet with that reply.
 
Just talked to a mobile detailer (I had reached out to last year to see if he could "refresh" my OptiCoat)

After seeing my swirls he suggested I could fix it myself with a fine polish (suggested Hyper Polish spray because of no oils) and a white Lake Country (or Sur Buf) pad.

He also gave me a quote for him to fix it....Im thinking of telling the service department thats how much they owe me. I bet they never forget "DO NOT WASH" again.
 
In Texas we have to have No Lave signs. They still don't read them!!!

I would definitely make them pay for it!!!

My dealer swirled my black Avalanche. So, they offered two free oil changes. When I took it in for the first oil change, I told them not to wash it. While the truck was there, the service manager called to verify that I didn't want it washed. Apparently the service writer left it off the service ticket. They almost did it again.

I never took it back for the second oil change!!!
 
Sorry to hear this! Dealerships are like the devil! I service all my own cars at home, can't justify paying someone to screw up my car. Signs are a good idea. All too many times they "forget" to not wash it. MB put my car thru their swirl-o-matic when it was in on a warranty repair.
 
Yeah, this is a real bummer. Hopefully I can get it back to the way it was....the price I was quoted isnt cheap, so its not something Im likely to pay for. I dread just having to live with it, so hopefully the really bad swirls will go away without much trouble.
 
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