Regardless what I do or how I wash the car - they still appear. month and a half ago did full paint correction on my civic, coated with CQUK, washed it twice using the safest technique I can only imagine with top quality products....and they are back on the car again. Not a whole a lot, but I'm seeing few here and there on the hood. I don't know men, I'm frustrated. Am I doing anything wrong? I just can't imagine any other 'safer' way to wash the car, really. Car is a daily and I drive quite a lot, can that be just road debris/sand/dirt or whatever else scratching it???? very disappointed....starting to feel bad about all the time and money I've spent choosing, buying and using the products. Or perhaps since it's a daily driver I just should let it go? don't know mates, very frustrating. What y'all think?
Scratches..scratches..scratches
- Thread starter parshisa
- Start date
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- #3
I’d say isolated swirl marks (single circular lines) as well as straight line (scratches)
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Desertnate
Well-known member
- Aug 5, 2013
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Honda paint is extremely soft and requires even more caution than most "average" vehicles.
Your description of the marring sounds like they are coming from the washing/drying. What do you use to wash the car and what is used for drying?
Your description of the marring sounds like they are coming from the washing/drying. What do you use to wash the car and what is used for drying?
- Thread starter
- #5
This particular was very hard to correct. I had to go all the way to fast correcting cream to level our light swirls i had on it (obviously not the most aggressive compound out there but pretty darn aggressive for application). Plus, i’ve only washed the car twice since corrected and coated.
Washing procedure: Sunjoe PW rinse, reset with foam gun, rinse foam again and wash with the same use microfiber madness mitt and pad (two bucket obviously). Pad drying with cry me a river by TRC and final buff with eagle edless by TRC with ech2o/reload/water mix as drying/protectant agent. I don’t get it mate, there’s the failure?
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TMQ
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- Mar 4, 2015
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I feel for you...! Kind of experiencing the same thing as you. Thought I got it in the bag and then later starting seeing things that I thought I got corrected.
First---Relax and don't feel bad about what you spent and how hard you've worked---You ARE getting better. You ARE ahead of 99% of population of people re how you "see" paint and address paint correction.
So there are several things and variables happening. Some are not discussed much, or I haven't seen discussed much.
Before highlighting my personal findings --- A couple of concepts needs to be established in your mind. Scratches! They do not appear on their own!
Two concepts mentioned are from Mike...
Concept number 1. How do you touch your car?
Concept number 2. How often do you touch your car?
Concept number 3. Personal growth and sensitivity. (This is my thought and my experience)
So as we understand---Scratches do not occur by itself. So...what happened? Could it be #1? #2? or #3???
In your case---I suspect it is a combination of #1 and #3.
Concept #1 "How you touch your car"
Are your towels perfect?? I mean really, really perfect? Did you wash them properly? Did you sit down and examine each and every towel after wash? Did you lay towels out and feel both sides with your hands? Are your towels correct for the task at hand? So as you can see...there are lots more to towels than just wash and go!
What is your touching technique? Do you "glide" your towels? Did you move towels one way? Did you wipe "back and forth?" Did you apply pressure as you wipe? Wipe circular? Up/down & side ways? Scrubbed with pressure? Are towels suited for task at hand, etc..etc...
Concept number 3. "Personal growth and sensitivity." (This is my thought and my experience)
You are changing in small ways. You are growing, changing and gathering experience on how you view paint. The eyes and your mind are becoming more sensitive and critical as you spend more time viewing paint.
It could have been possible the scratches were still there when you thought you've got them out before coating. You just didn't "see" them yet. Now you are seeing them. All part of the developing process and growth. The more time working with paint the more sensitive and critical you will become.
Summary:
Could be the towels are contaminated.
Could be you wiping technique.
Could be you are getting better and better seeing things.
So, don't beat yourself up! You are doing just fine. Just observe and evaluate as time goes on. If scratches are getting worse---gotta be towels/technique. If the scratches are the same after several washes---you probably just missed it during prep stage. Get it the next time you polish.
And, Relax...! It's just a car and you'll get it the next time around! Grin...
Sorry for the thesis...Lol.
Tom
First---Relax and don't feel bad about what you spent and how hard you've worked---You ARE getting better. You ARE ahead of 99% of population of people re how you "see" paint and address paint correction.
So there are several things and variables happening. Some are not discussed much, or I haven't seen discussed much.
Before highlighting my personal findings --- A couple of concepts needs to be established in your mind. Scratches! They do not appear on their own!
Two concepts mentioned are from Mike...
Concept number 1. How do you touch your car?
Concept number 2. How often do you touch your car?
Concept number 3. Personal growth and sensitivity. (This is my thought and my experience)
So as we understand---Scratches do not occur by itself. So...what happened? Could it be #1? #2? or #3???
In your case---I suspect it is a combination of #1 and #3.
Concept #1 "How you touch your car"
Are your towels perfect?? I mean really, really perfect? Did you wash them properly? Did you sit down and examine each and every towel after wash? Did you lay towels out and feel both sides with your hands? Are your towels correct for the task at hand? So as you can see...there are lots more to towels than just wash and go!
What is your touching technique? Do you "glide" your towels? Did you move towels one way? Did you wipe "back and forth?" Did you apply pressure as you wipe? Wipe circular? Up/down & side ways? Scrubbed with pressure? Are towels suited for task at hand, etc..etc...
Concept number 3. "Personal growth and sensitivity." (This is my thought and my experience)
You are changing in small ways. You are growing, changing and gathering experience on how you view paint. The eyes and your mind are becoming more sensitive and critical as you spend more time viewing paint.
It could have been possible the scratches were still there when you thought you've got them out before coating. You just didn't "see" them yet. Now you are seeing them. All part of the developing process and growth. The more time working with paint the more sensitive and critical you will become.
Summary:
Could be the towels are contaminated.
Could be you wiping technique.
Could be you are getting better and better seeing things.
So, don't beat yourself up! You are doing just fine. Just observe and evaluate as time goes on. If scratches are getting worse---gotta be towels/technique. If the scratches are the same after several washes---you probably just missed it during prep stage. Get it the next time you polish.
And, Relax...! It's just a car and you'll get it the next time around! Grin...
Sorry for the thesis...Lol.
Tom
- Thread starter
- #8
Oh man, you really made me smile and relax haha. Very well said, very very well.
Of course, i could’ve missed some qt correcting stage since my lights were not perfect for the job (at that point I realized how important lighting is - you can’t correct what you don’t see as someone said). But one thing i’m 100% confident in is my tools. My towels are very well cared for (as well as the pads), washed with proper wash media, dried the right way and store in a cool dry isolated place. I have a lot of towels, i mean..a lot. Way too many probably for maintaining two cars (although i think there’s no such thing as two many towels, pads and whiskey lol) I’m quite confident in my washing and drying technique as i’m always very gentle with the paint to a level where i get mad at myself for being so obsessed. But i agree, i need to change the way i look at things and problem will be solved. I like to work on someone’s car but i hate on mine cause i know i’ll see the finish to degrade over time and i won’t on someone’s. It’s complicated haha
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Desertnate
Well-known member
- Aug 5, 2013
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I think it's important to understand that even no matter how careful you are, stuff will happen.
On both my daughter's Honda and my wife's Toyota, the paint is so soft I'm sure the wind can cause swirls. I once marred the Toyota by wiping my finger on the paint to swipe away a bug. The Honda I somehow marred while drying with the exact same towel you use. To my eyes it was clean and flawless. My only guess was some tiny particle got on the towel and caused the marks. Fortunately they were very light and the paint is grey metallic so you had to look hard to find them.
Like Tom said, you're FAR ahead on car care than the general population. On a daily driver, you give it your best shot and strive to improve. Just don't get too discouraged when "life happens."
On both my daughter's Honda and my wife's Toyota, the paint is so soft I'm sure the wind can cause swirls. I once marred the Toyota by wiping my finger on the paint to swipe away a bug. The Honda I somehow marred while drying with the exact same towel you use. To my eyes it was clean and flawless. My only guess was some tiny particle got on the towel and caused the marks. Fortunately they were very light and the paint is grey metallic so you had to look hard to find them.
Like Tom said, you're FAR ahead on car care than the general population. On a daily driver, you give it your best shot and strive to improve. Just don't get too discouraged when "life happens."
- Thread starter
- #10
Same as the my car, grey metallic. Bloody hard to see the scratches and swirls in a first place. But i know where and how to look, that’s the problem! Ok, here’s another question I have: does Gliss fills the imperfections? I have a 30ml bottle i’d like to use on my car since i have only one coat of CQUK on it. As an alternative i have essense plus that does fill in and gives some hydrophobic properties so i wonder which one should i go with..
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Desertnate
Well-known member
- Aug 5, 2013
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Since you have already coated the car, I'd leave it alone for now and just enjoy it as-is.
I"ve never used either product and can't help you there. I've only used CQ once, and it's on my wheels.
I"ve never used either product and can't help you there. I've only used CQ once, and it's on my wheels.
TMQ
Active member
- Mar 4, 2015
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Ditto with what said above and can't help re products mentioned but...
Wait a few months/ do a few washes and see what happens.
Tom
Paul A.
New member
- Dec 21, 2007
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You might want to correct say half or 1/4 of your hood back to where you thought you got it last correction. Make a mental note of anything you couldn't remove (if any) and store that mental note...write it down or better yet photograph it if you can.
Then, at it's first wash, inspect it after the wash and dry. Go in a single direction when washing so you can see if its from the wash wipes. Blow dry and inspect.
That may help isolate if its part of the wash and dry process.
Then, at it's first wash, inspect it after the wash and dry. Go in a single direction when washing so you can see if its from the wash wipes. Blow dry and inspect.
That may help isolate if its part of the wash and dry process.
DaveT435
Active member
- Jun 23, 2012
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Where in Texas are you? Maybe there is someone close by that can help you try to figure out a method that won't scratch the paint. Most coatings don't offer a lot is scratch protection, but it should be enough to eliminate scratches from a gentle wash.
- Thread starter
- #16
I'm in spring. I'll should be giving her thorough wash including full decon as I plan on applying Gliss (unfortunately I dind't have it yet at time I put the CQUK on). On the other hand i could use essense plus and see if it fills them scratches in a bit. Perhaps gills would be a better option, wouldn't it?
