XMT 360 Fail??

G

galaxy

Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Messages
207
Reaction score
0
So my dad is a huge 360 fan; rants and raves about it all the time. I did some research and found pretty positive feedbacks on it. Well, ended up getting a brand new bottle cause my dad had extra. Couldn't wait to give it a go.

This morning, I had a couple of spots to touch up. Fixed the areas I needed fixing and finished that off with 205, leaving a perfect surface. Decides to try the 360 over this and see the results.

Well, lo and behold, I was not impressed. I noticed I was leaving swirls everywhere as I went along. This was with a black LC pad on my Flex with a speed of 4. Couldn't believe it was leaving that. Thinking it may be the pad, I swapped to a white pad. It was leaving swirls just slightly worse than the black pad!! I didn't really play around with the speeds after this as I was done, but I can't imagine speed would have much of a significant effect considering how soft the black pad is. I had to go back over my test areas with 205 to repair what had occurred.

So, question...WTF?? What are you guys that like 360 doing to achieved great results?? What's your application method and pad/speed combos?
 
I had no such issues with 360 on my dad's pearl white Acura. Although that color hides swirls very well. 360 has very little to no correcting ability in my opinion, just a good all around cleaner / sealant thats relatively easy to use and pretty easy on the wallet.
 
Anytime you are instilling swirls in the paint it is rarely due to the product itself. Based on your explanation, it seems that you did not establish a process and approach that would meet your expectations on a test spot, either. I could be off on a few things (don't mind being wrong), so clarify where you see fit.

In my opinion, if the surface was perfect after 205, a finishing polish, then moving to an AIO is taking a step backwards in my way of thinking. What were you looking to accomplish with 360 after perfecting the paint with 205?

Back to your question. I use a white or green pad speed setting 4 - 5, and perform a number of section passes with some pressure (but not too much) to activate the abrasives. As I end the polishing cycle I will reduce the amount of pressure to moves towards polishing. If the paint is soft then I would consider a green pad moreso than white.
 
you might want to look into something going on in your process other than the product. I've used this product before and IME it does not have the cleaning power to leave its own swirls. If 205 is finishing perfect, i dont see how 360 would not.

Try using firm pressure the entire time while buffing with 360 until you stop. A lot of AIO's use non-diminishing abrasives and its always best to use pressure throughout the entire buffing cycle. But again, if your having no issue's with 205, then you obviously understand this already.

strange. I found Blackfire's AIO to haze soft paint as well, but it did not leave swirls.
 
My guess is that 205 filled in some of those swirls and then when you used XMT 360 it cleaned the paint of the 205 therefore revealing the swirls.
 
Also a picture would be great.

Are the swirls very uniform ? Or are they only a couple in a circular pattern ? This will tell the true story. Products that leave there own swirls because of sharp abrasives, do so in a very uniform pattern like a wool pad would do. If your only seeing a few and there uneven in distribution its likely something your doing wrong. ie: not working clean.
 
I've never experienced that. I use either a LC orange, white or sometimes green (CCS or flat depending on what I have). I usually set the speed around 5-5.5 either on the PC (1st gen) or the Flex 3401.
 
My goal with the 360 was for that "in-between" super light swirl touch up from normal daily use/washing plus the sealant quality. Figured this'd be the perfect product to use under my XMT 180 that I like. It was just a coincidence that I was using it on top of the 205 today, but like I said, that was following some touch up spots today. My intent would be to use it I between polishing normally, not on top of.
 
Yes, swirls are very uniform, indicating (to me at least) the results of the product or the pad.

205 on a white pad immediately and easily took the swirling right away.
 
Did you re-wash the vehicle after using 205 to remove any possible dust/residue that was dried and pushed around by the 360?
 
weekendwarrior said:
Did you re-wash the vehicle after using 205 to remove any possible dust/residue that was dried and pushed around by the 360?
Click to expand...

that should not matter at all. a wipedown with a towel is all thats needed in this case of a cleaner wax.
 
No, but there was no dusting. Used a QD to get any 205 reminants off. Was not a factor.
 
Would it be safe to assume we all agree that it surely wasn't pad selection (either the black or the white) or polisher speed??

I'm kinda wondering if maybe I didn't have the pad primed or covered food enough?? Seems the black pad is gentle enough that this shouldn't matter though, no??
 
Product details state green foam speed 5. Also mention white CCS pad. Here is copy / paste:

"Prep the vehicle by washing and drying it. Use Pinnacle Bodywork Shampoo and then one of the Cobra Guzzler Waffle Weave Microfiber Drying Towels.
We recommend applying XMT 360™ with a Porter Cable 7424XP. For the best results, use the CCS Green Polishing/Finishing Foam Pad by Lake Country. Apply a quarter size amount of XMT 360™ onto the pad.
With the polisher turned off, spread XMT 360™ over a 2 x 2 sq. ft. section to avoid splatter.
Set the maximum speed at 5 on the Porter Cable 7424XP. Work XMT 360™ in a back and forth, overlapping motion.
Continue to polish even as the product dries. XMT 360™ disappears, leaving nothing on the paint but a clean, glossy shine. There is no need to buff. "

I think you used speed 4, not sure that matters. What size pad? 6" or 5.5"?
 
5.5" pads. There's no way 4 vs 5 on the speed would make a difference with this scenario.
 
OK, so I'm thinking it was a pad priming issue. Since I was just doing a little test spot, like I said, I didn't really prime the surface of the pad. Yesterday, I grabbed a black pad and primed the surface like I normally would. Finish turned out great! I wouldn't have thought a black pad would swirl like that without being primed though?? I would think it'd be soft enough and not induce any defects on its own. Oh well. This stuff may just work out after all.
 
Well, here's an update for you if interested. Was doing a full detail on the truck again. Got it cleaned and clayed, one very quick, light, once over on a few spots with M205 to make some corrections, then off to try the 360 again.

And yet again, the 360 did not work out so good for me. I tried a black and a white LC CSS pad with equal results; both of which I've never had a problem with. The black is really soft. Anyways, as with the first test a while back, the 360 leaves just the lightest swirls in the paint. I would describe it as markings similar to what M105 would leave behind, only a little bit lighter, but still there; and still enough to not get my nod of satisfaction. I did everything by the letter this time also; clean, prepped pad, fully primed and everything. Used my Flex on various speeds between 3 and 5 with no change in results.

Went back over the 360 markings with a light pass of M205 and right back to perfection. Just as a test to see if it was the pad or some other variable, I grabbed an old stand-by product…Mothers Sealer Glaze (step 2) and applied it (immediately over the M205) with a clean, primed black pad on speed 3-4. Perfect finish!

Since I had it out, I went on and did the whole truck with the Sealer Glaze and topped with a coat of XMT 180. Completely flawless finish just like I wanted. Still aggravating why I can't get the 360 to work for me after several attempts. Guess it just doesn't like my truck for some reason. Gonna give it one more try on my Lexus to see how it works out on that paint, but then I'm done with it.

IDK…any other thoughts? I guess that happens sometimes where a product just doesn't get along with a particular paint, yea??


…or maybe I'll give the Carnuba Finishing Glaze a try?!?!
 
Last edited:
use IPA, MS, or paint cleaner to thoroughly remove any polishing oils from the 205 and then inspect the paint to see it the paint is in fact perfect.

i know this is frustrating for ya. good luck
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top