Need Polishing Advice

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TPreston

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Hi - three weeks ago I purchase a black, 2017 MKZ. The car had never been titled because the dealership used it as a loaner. For this reason, I received the new car warranty. It has 10,000 miles on it but was kept outside in the weather since 2017. Before I made the purchase, I asked them to correct paint swirls I noticed. Because the swirls are showing again, I'm sure that they did not buff the paint but instead, just gave it a coat of wax.

When the swirls reappeared, I decided to educate myself and do the polishing myself. However, after claying the rear trunk lid, I noticed the white patches seen it the photo. I applied little-to-no pressure while using the clay block so I'm guessing that the clay simply removed the wax and exposed damaged clear coat.

Am I right...is this damaged clear coat? Will it polish out or will polishing cause more damage? I'm stuck here and don't know how to proceed.

Thanks for any advice,
Tom

View attachment 66447
 
Several things. First, you don't have damaged clear on a 2017. Second, wax wouldn't hide it if you did.

To me, that looks like marring from the clay possibly? Was there any evidence of anything on the clay after you used it? That's a really weird texture, like what you'd expect to see if you marred the paint on a textured painted surface, like the bottom of the doors on trucks or possibly on a car with a lot of orange peel. Whatever it is I'm sure it will buff right out. Get your polisher out, put on a heavy polishing pad and hit that spot with your favorite one step polish.
 
Remember when you clay you can never have enough lubrication. Almost all marring can be completely avoided by keep the clay clean (not using real clay is a good start) and keeping the surface well lubricated.
 
Agree with suds. That looks like clay marring.

And just to add, I work at a Ford dealer. The orange peel on all of their vehicles is horrendous.

Not that I don't have a little on my Ram, but I can notice the OP on the new cars on the Ford lot from 10-15' away.
 
Well, technically it is damaged Clear coat but repairable perhaps. I see some scratches if I zoom in on that pic. The whiteness appears to me as if someone put something like a box on the trunk and slid it across the paint. I would try polishing starting with a fine polish and see how that works. Step up to a medium polish or compound if necessary.
 
Well he made it sound like it wasn't there until after he clayed. You're not hiding scuffed paint with wax, certainly not with whatever cheap spray wax they applied at the dealer. But you're right it does look like a scuff.
 
I would assume it will buff out.
 
If you used a clay block did you break it in on the windows first. That little of what is on clay alternatives when you first use it without breaking it in on glass can and often does get you a lot of clay marring on the paint. Also the clay lube when useing these clay alternatives I think is very important to be getting you a high lubrication. Although they have been getting better and better. From what I can see on the pictures it's clay marring you have or like something that was draged on the paint as noted above. It's not certain that you did it either but was covered up by the dealership. But gets uncovered when you have started to maintain it. I would take a close look at your clay block and your clay lube so they don't get you in more trouble if that's the problem you have.

It's quite easy to correct clay marring. But as with all things it's about how they where done and how deep it digged in the clearcoat. And to be able to avoid the damage in the future.
 
Having absolutely NO experience with this, it certainly could have been caused by my lack of claying technique.

I used a Chemical Guys clay block and their lube. I'm sure I used enough lube but maybe I applied pressure on that part of the trunk lid (and it just so happens that the only marred portion of the paint is where I started claying...the rest seems fine). I see nothing on the block.

Thank you very much for the reply. The weekend weather here in the Chicago area prevented me from trying to buff it out so I'll be giving that a shot next Saturday. Your opinion that it will buff out is very, very comforting. Thanks again!
 
SWETM said:
If you used a clay block did you break it in on the windows first. That little of what is on clay alternatives when you first use it without breaking it in on glass can and often does get you a lot of clay marring on the paint. Also the clay lube when useing these clay alternatives I think is very important to be getting you a high lubrication. Although they have been getting better and better. From what I can see on the pictures it's clay marring you have or like something that was draged on the paint as noted above. It's not certain that you did it either but was covered up by the dealership. But gets uncovered when you have started to maintain it. I would take a close look at your clay block and your clay lube so they don't get you in more trouble if that's the problem you have.

It's quite easy to correct clay marring. But as with all things it's about how they where done and how deep it digged in the clearcoat. And to be able to avoid the damage in the future.
Click to expand...

I used a Chemical Guys clay block with their lube...but I never saw anything about breaking it in on glass before using it. You can be sure I'll be claying my glass before I resume doing the paint. And you can be certain that I'll examine the block carefully first. Thank you!
 
Thank you all for your helpful advice. What a great resource and great group of people this is!
 
TPreston said:
I used a Chemical Guys clay block with their lube...but I never saw anything about breaking it in on glass before using it. You can be sure I'll be claying my glass before I resume doing the paint. And you can be certain that I'll examine the block carefully first. Thank you!
Click to expand...

Yeah if it is a synthetic clay the folks at griot told me to break any aynthetic clay on glass. Clay like normal and do all windows first


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Yeah the information about these things can be very low sadly. If you remember if it where there you started to clay and then didn't see any more clay marring. It could be that you broke it in on the paint. Many have had an awefull experience cause of this where they didn't break the clay alternatives in on the glass first. When you take a new clay alternative you often don't have that sticky feeling from it out of the box. When you have gone over a window or 2 you start to feel it's gets sticky feeling. But with doing all of the windows first time out of the box is much less of a chance to get this clay marring. And also just needed to be done the first time you use it. As you abrade the protection it has when new.

You don't need pressure when claying. Just glide the clay block back and forth until you feel the slight resistant goes away. This is the tell that you have picked up the contaminants on that section. It's also easy to work in to large of sections when you useing clay alternatives. If you have used clay bars before you know about when you need to be folding to a clean clay side. With clay alternatives you rinse them off thoroughly instead. I at least do so as if I where haveing a lot of contaminants picked up. I don't want that to be rubbed in on the paint again. Useally have a bucket with car soap in it that leaves nothing behind. And massage the clay alternative as you are cleaning out a polishing pad. Since I use claylube I will press the clay alternative between my hands to get the most of the wash solution out of it. Then spray a couple of spritzes of clay lube on it and on the paint section I'm going to clay. This is just what I think is a good method. And others that uses it a lot more than me can be experienced with how big of a section that can be done with the clay alternatives they useing. But if you use it without are ready to polish afterwards I'm very carefull and useally on the cars I do too. So I don't creat more clearcoat to be abraded off even if it's not that much. So it's much of a personal preference on how you do this. But I like the thought about rinse the clay alternatives when you would fold clay bars. As the contaminants is picked up by the clay alternatives like they are on clay bars.
 
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