What did I do wrong? First time clay.

[Humps]

Hi guys. I've been around for a while but this is my first post. Great forum.

I decided to try my first clay before waxing my wife's black (I know) A5. I washed and dried the car and decided on one half of the trunk lid for my test spot. I clayed with Mother's clay and used quite a bit of lubricant. It seemed to leave a residue so I used Pinnacle Cleansing Lotion and then buffed it clean. I followed with P21S Carnauba and then finished with Crystal Mist.

The spot is much smoother than the other half of the trunk but is very hazy in the sun. It looks pretty bad. What did I do wrong here and how can I fix it? Thanks for your time and assistance.

 

[vman]

Couple questions:

-Could you post a picture of the trunk?
-Did you use a rotary or a da to apply the cleansing lotion?
-Have you tried buffing the spot with more quick detailer to make sure it wasnt leftover wax residue?

 

[Chris@AutoCleanse]

Hi guys. I've been around for a while but this is my first post. Great forum.

I decided to try my first clay before waxing my wife's black (I know) A5. I washed and dried the car and decided on one half of the trunk lid for my test spot. I clayed with Mother's clay and used quite a bit of lubricant. It seemed to leave a residue so I used Pinnacle Cleansing Lotion and then buffed it clean. I followed with P21S Carnauba and then finished with Crystal Mist.

The spot is much smoother than the other half of the trunk but is very hazy in the sun. It looks pretty bad. What did I do wrong here and how can I fix it? Thanks for your time and assistance.

When you washed the car , did you wash it with a shampoo that would strip most of the contamination off before claying.

 

[Humps]

Thanks guys. I applied all products by hand and did not use a stripping shampoo. I washed the car again today and buffed the area again really well with the CM and it looks a lot better. In your opinion, is it necessary to polish after every clay to remove marring or will the correct technique not leave any damage behind?

 

[rider9195]

You might have induced some marring while using the Paintwork Cleansing Lotion, or possibly over applied the P21S. I would try rewashing the trunk and if that does not get rid of the haze, it could be micro marring.

 

[Meticulous-Detail]

Thanks guys. I applied all products by hand and did not use a stripping shampoo. I washed the car again today and buffed the area again really well with the CM and it looks a lot better. In your opinion, is it necessary to polish after every clay to remove marring or will the correct technique not leave any damage behind?

I always polish after clay or you can do a good AIO for a one step which will remove any haze or residue. If I am doing a dally driver, after clay my go to product is D151 and this easily removes any clay marring.

 

[ShinyRex]

You might have induced some marring while using the Paintwork Cleansing Lotion, or possibly over applied the P21S. I would try rewashing the trunk and if that does not get rid of the haze, it could be micro marring.

+1 since you are unsure if it is micro marring or residue from either the clay or the wax a good wash (one that will strip) will let you see the true condition of the paint.