Haze after final polishing and waxing?

Did you say where you're located? A second set of eyes on a problem never hurts (neither would some pictures).
 
Just east of Nashville. I'll try to post some pics before the week's out.
 
paul_g said:
You state it's on the hood... which after running the engine will heat up any product not removed.
Click to expand...


Also just to point out... typically the hood gets buffed the most since it's the major focal point of the car and a detail job.

Thus my thoughts are, if this is the factory Cermiclear finish (on the hood), it's been over buffed and this could be why the owner is finding it more difficult to perfect it to the same level as the other body panels. Just a guess...


If you read my article on Cermiclear paints, it documents this same exact issue experienced by my friend Sean Kelly.


Cermiclear Paints - Be Careful



:)
 
Mike, I think your post and your "Be Careful" link is a pretty good description of my situation and where things ended up. I'm just glad that the final polishing and the LSP got it looking good, although not as great as I was wanting.

Paul, it's an intriguing idea that since I didn't use alcohol to wipe the polishes clean in-between applications that heating of the hood could have caused some residual product to "bake out" as it were. I've never heard of this happening, but quirky things happen with the different chemistries involved I'm sure. As I mentioned earlier, I didn't see the haze until after I had driven the car about 50 miles. At the time, I just chalked it up to the fact that since I didn't have it out of the garage, I just didn't see the haze in the garage lighting.

I think the lesson here is not to tempt fate and use anything aggressive at all from this point on. Since the rest of the car is immaculate and finished out beautifully, I'll probably have the hood repainted later this year at my fav MB body shop.

Thanks again fellas. Very helpful thread, and I hope other MB owners will also benefit. Will post pics the next sunny day.
 
Finally got a warm and sunny day here in Nashville, so here's my first washing since the multi-stage polishing I did a couple weeks ago. It was a basic wash with DP shampoo, DP wheel cleaner, a waffle weave drying towel and Pinnacle Black Onyx Tie Gel.

Overall, I'm really pleased with the appearance. Although many of the deep water spots still remain on the hood, the paint correction and Menzerna polishing greatly diminished their appearance and for the most part they can't be seen beyond 18" or so.

The crazy thing about black finishes is that as soon as your finished with your detail, you're already inducing new micro swirls and marring on your very first wash!
 
Mike, great information. In reading this article, there are links to other articles you wrote on the subject, with bread crumbs to other links. I followed them all and have come to a conclusion.

Unless it's brand new Benz (from the dealer) with "C" paint, to be conservative, one must assume on a used benz that it has been compounded at some point.

Thus, probably the best approach (as always) is to not go into a job with "c" paint with an expectation of full paint correction to eliminate defects, but rather a least aggressive polish to enhance gloss and appearance. Is that a good assumption?
 
Mr SL500,

Looks good! Congratulations on conquering the hazing issue. Thanks for the pictures, I was curious how you made out.


Steve
 
SL500 said:
Mike, I think your post and your "Be Careful" link is a pretty good description of my situation and where things ended up. I'm just glad that the final polishing and the LSP got it looking good, although not as great as I was wanting.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback and the update.

For the record for anyone reading this thread into the future....

My personal take is that the PPG Ceramiclear paint system is one of the best paint systems on the market as long as the paint is properly maintained from the time it leaves the assembly line.

The problem is most people and this would include most people that purchase a brand new Mercedes-Benz with the Ceramiclear paint option, don't know squat about how to properly take care of any paint finish.

Thus they do stupid things like run their Ceramiclear finished Mercedes-Benz through a swirl-o-matic car wash or let the dealership wash or detail it for them or just as bad, hire an unqualified detailer to wash and/or detail it for them.

All of the above is a recipe for disaster.



SL500 said:
I think the lesson here is not to tempt fate and use anything aggressive at all from this point on.
Click to expand...

That's a good plan and the same practice I used for our SLK350 and the same plan I use for our current SL500.



SL500 said:
Since the rest of the car is immaculate and finished out beautifully, I'll probably have the hood repainted later this year at my fav MB body shop.
Click to expand...

I have a call into my buddy and local painter Paul Grosso, his shop uses the PPG Global Refinish System. I'll ask him what he charges to squirt a MB hood with Ceramiclear just for an FYI.


SL500 said:
Thanks again fellas. Very helpful thread, and I hope other MB owners will also benefit.
Click to expand...

Pay it forward and share the below article with all your MB buddies!


Ceramiclear Paints - Be Careful

D8182.jpg



:dblthumb2:
 
paul_g said:
Mike, great information. In reading this article, there are links to other articles you wrote on the subject, with bread crumbs to other links. I followed them all and have come to a conclusion.

Unless it's brand new Benz (from the dealer) with "C" paint, to be conservative, one must assume on a used benz that it has been compounded at some point.
Click to expand...

Yes. I full agree. You're a lot safer to assume the worst when it comes to the C paints then to actually hope, pray or think that the person that previously owned the car actually knew something about paint or car detailing.

Or the person that owned the car was wise enough to avoid,

Any type of car wash but a careful hand wash
Complimentary dealership washes and details
Washes and details by any commercial business.

There's just not enough of the top layer of fumed mica to take for granted has been unmolested by the uninitiated.




paul_g said:
Thus, probably the best approach (as always) is to not go into a job with "c" paint with an expectation of full paint correction to eliminate defects, but rather a least aggressive polish to enhance gloss and appearance.

Is that a good assumption?
Click to expand...


I think so.


Here's the write up for how we tackled the SLK350 after we bought it with 50,000 miles on it. We were lucky or smart and purchased it as a one-owner car and there were virtually no swirls or scratches.

We ended up machine polishing with the Wolfgang Finishing Glaze which is a FINE CUT Polish and a foam polishing pad on simple dual action polishers.

For those that just read the above sentence that's a recipe for a very NON AGGRESSIVE machine polishing approach.




2006 Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 Show Car Makeover Pictures


Second Test Spot
I did the second Test Spot, which we should have done the first time, (my fault), only this time I used the same type of pad but went less aggressive with my product and tool. For this test spot I used a 5.5" Tangerine Hydro-Tech Flat pad on the Porter Cable 7424XP and Wolfgang Finishing Glaze.

This comb removed whatever light swirls, scratches, oxidation there was on the paint so this is the combo we used over the rest of the car. It's kind of nice to have a car where the paint isn't completely filled with deep swirls and scratches for once.


2006_SLK_350_078.jpg




End results...

2006_SLK_350_095.jpg




I have not even completely detailed our new SL500 since we purchased it. I have machine polished the roof and trunk lid and that's it. Like the SLK above there are virtually ZERO swirls or scratches in the Ceramiclear finish. We purchased this SL500 with only 9000 miles on it. It's a one-owner, garage kept car and my assumption is it's never been detailed and rarely washed. My guess is the factory Ceramiclear finish is completely intact.

That said I'm only planning on doing fine cut polishing and then coating this car or maintain it with McKee's Jeweling Wax.

Stacys_SL500_002.jpg





:)
 
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