I just got a new X about a week ago, a black XLS, and decided I should give it a good cleaning. So went out and got some nice Meguires soap, some really nice Meguires liquid wax, some sponges, a shammy, and some cloth towels all in an attempt to keep my black X from getting those little scratches al over it from bad cleaning. Anyways, I washed it and it looked good. Then I waxed the whole thing. I wiped off a fender and it looked great. Then I put some more light on it and noticed a ton of little dots, smaller than sand dots, and a ton of swirls. I was very upset. So I figured I'd let the wax dry some more. Well, after about 3 hours t dry, same results. I don;t know what to do.
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Messed up the finish on new black XLS
- Thread starter fatboy0186
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RFR2212
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Do they look like fisheyes in the paint? If the fender was ever repainted, and there was (crap, i forgot from my autobody class....) but I think syntetics(armor all) when the the panel was being preped to be painted, it can fisheye... not totally sure how yers looks... Perry might know a bit more than me tho
Pete
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I'm not sure what you should do. I don't wax any of my vehicles but it sounds like you might just need to do a light buff job on it first.
I know there are a lot of other guys and gals here that spend a lot of time waxing so they might be able to help.
I know there are a lot of other guys and gals here that spend a lot of time waxing so they might be able to help.
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Ford's are pretty notorious for " orange peel " from the factory , but " fish eyes " are rare from the factory.
PFR is on the right path though. I think he is thinking of " solvent pop " that is when impurities get traped under the paint but then manage to escape during the drying process leaving tiny little pin holes in the paint.
Try this , get some tar/wax/ grease remover and rub it over the dots if the dots go away , it is probabally solvent pop. ( you traped wax in the little holes )
Unfortunately there is not an easy solution to this beyond repainting.
I now own my third black vehicle. Black is so georgous , and I'll never have another color. But with out question it needs more love and attention than any other color. It takes a lot to get it lookin' good but when it looks good , it looks great.
BTW Meguars , great choice. I use the gold class my self and I love it. On black that wax it just too sweet.
PFR is on the right path though. I think he is thinking of " solvent pop " that is when impurities get traped under the paint but then manage to escape during the drying process leaving tiny little pin holes in the paint.
Try this , get some tar/wax/ grease remover and rub it over the dots if the dots go away , it is probabally solvent pop. ( you traped wax in the little holes )
Unfortunately there is not an easy solution to this beyond repainting.
I now own my third black vehicle. Black is so georgous , and I'll never have another color. But with out question it needs more love and attention than any other color. It takes a lot to get it lookin' good but when it looks good , it looks great.
BTW Meguars , great choice. I use the gold class my self and I love it. On black that wax it just too sweet.
Mike 92 XLT
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Swirls are typically caused by a combination of the wrong products and the wrong techniques. As was previously stated, black is a huge pain in the a** to keep looking good. Here are some tips that you can use to minimize the chances of getting swirls in the future.
1) Washing: Use two buckets. One with water/car wash and one with just water. When you finish washing one panel, rinse your cloth in the water bucket before dipping it in the wash bucket again. This way your wash water is always clean and you're not grinding dirt into your paint. Also, use a 100% cotton wash mit or towel to wash, not a sponge.
2) Drying. Once you've washed the whole car, take the nozzle off the hose and sheet the water off the car. This will get most of the water off before you ever have to touch it with a towel of a chamois. Next, blot as much of the remaining water off that you can. Finally, all that you should have to do is buff the rest of the car using light pressure to completely dry it. The key here is to minimize actually rubbing the finish. The best towels are 100% cotton cloth or Microfiber.
3) Waxing. Use high quality foam applicators like the Viking grey ones (can be found in Autozone for $1.99) to apply the wax. To remove, use only 100% cotton towels that say "Made in the USA" like Cannon or Fieldcrest. Other cotton towels, even if they say 100% cotton cloth, are usually not truely 100% cotton, and will scratch/mar the finish.
Now, those dots you see may be industrial fall out (IFO), sap, or any number of different contaminants. A clay bar will take care of those quickly and easily. The best (IMO) is the Clay Magic blue clay bar. Autozone and Pep Boys have it and it's pretty cheap. The claying should be done after washing and before the waxing (but not every time. Once a year is usually sufficient).
So there are some good starting points. Black is very, very unforgiving, but with a few simple techniques, it will look incredible. Finally, a fantastic detailing site is www.autopia-carport.com You might try posting this question over there too and see what they say. There are plenty of other techniques like using a swirl mark remover (SMR) to remove swirls, tips on claying, etc. and just a ton of really great info. Good luck!
Mike
1) Washing: Use two buckets. One with water/car wash and one with just water. When you finish washing one panel, rinse your cloth in the water bucket before dipping it in the wash bucket again. This way your wash water is always clean and you're not grinding dirt into your paint. Also, use a 100% cotton wash mit or towel to wash, not a sponge.
2) Drying. Once you've washed the whole car, take the nozzle off the hose and sheet the water off the car. This will get most of the water off before you ever have to touch it with a towel of a chamois. Next, blot as much of the remaining water off that you can. Finally, all that you should have to do is buff the rest of the car using light pressure to completely dry it. The key here is to minimize actually rubbing the finish. The best towels are 100% cotton cloth or Microfiber.
3) Waxing. Use high quality foam applicators like the Viking grey ones (can be found in Autozone for $1.99) to apply the wax. To remove, use only 100% cotton towels that say "Made in the USA" like Cannon or Fieldcrest. Other cotton towels, even if they say 100% cotton cloth, are usually not truely 100% cotton, and will scratch/mar the finish.
Now, those dots you see may be industrial fall out (IFO), sap, or any number of different contaminants. A clay bar will take care of those quickly and easily. The best (IMO) is the Clay Magic blue clay bar. Autozone and Pep Boys have it and it's pretty cheap. The claying should be done after washing and before the waxing (but not every time. Once a year is usually sufficient).
So there are some good starting points. Black is very, very unforgiving, but with a few simple techniques, it will look incredible. Finally, a fantastic detailing site is www.autopia-carport.com You might try posting this question over there too and see what they say. There are plenty of other techniques like using a swirl mark remover (SMR) to remove swirls, tips on claying, etc. and just a ton of really great info. Good luck!
Mike
Flight_951
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There's a lot of useful info about cleaning and maintaining a finish at www.carcareonline.com
For instance, to avoid swirls, do not apply and remove wax in a circular motion. Apply it back and forth in a straight line, front to back.
On the last black car I owned, I used 3M Imperial Hand Glaze to clean the 10 year old finish and strip the old wax. I then applied Zymol (Costco variety) for protection. The results were amazing.
I have used Meguirs but my results were not as good as with the 3M and Zymol. The 3M is about $9 and the Zymol is $15 for a 2 pack at Costco. Well worth the money, IMO.
For instance, to avoid swirls, do not apply and remove wax in a circular motion. Apply it back and forth in a straight line, front to back.
On the last black car I owned, I used 3M Imperial Hand Glaze to clean the 10 year old finish and strip the old wax. I then applied Zymol (Costco variety) for protection. The results were amazing.
I have used Meguirs but my results were not as good as with the 3M and Zymol. The 3M is about $9 and the Zymol is $15 for a 2 pack at Costco. Well worth the money, IMO.
Flight_951
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I agree that Zymol seems to last only a couple months, especially if the vehicle is not garaged. I enjoy waxing my car so that's my excuse.
rob41185
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"Orange Peel"??
hey i was just curious what orange peel is on the paint. Is it just orange spots? This is my first car and i've only had it for a little while so i'm just not too knowledgeable yet. Thanks for the help
hey i was just curious what orange peel is on the paint. Is it just orange spots? This is my first car and i've only had it for a little while so i'm just not too knowledgeable yet. Thanks for the help
Flight_951
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Re: "Orange Peel"??
Look closely at your car and you may notice a somewhat rough texture to the paint finish, almost resembling looking closely at the outer peel of an orange. High end paint jobs are super smooth, almost like glass. Doesn't have anything to do with color, just texture.
Look closely at your car and you may notice a somewhat rough texture to the paint finish, almost resembling looking closely at the outer peel of an orange. High end paint jobs are super smooth, almost like glass. Doesn't have anything to do with color, just texture.
Ketch
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Paint concern
After reading through the entire thread, I have to believe the concern is ferrous oxides on and in the clearcoat.
IE, rail/brake dust, small ferrous metal particles.
One way to find out, go to www.autoint.com and explore the Tech Tips section for the concern, there are pictures and explaination text (these are part of the materials we use to train new FCSD hires in Dearborn), that may make it easier for you to understand.
Under the OEM/TSB section is a Ford area. Contains many of the advisors that Ford provides dealerships regarding paint/trim and other cosmetic issues.
In that section is the Ford Technical Service Bulletin for the tested and approved repair procedure.
This bulletin is now included in the shop manuals for all Ford 2002 vehicles, not just a TSB any longer, but required process by the dealerships.
Good luck,
Ketch
:smoke:
After reading through the entire thread, I have to believe the concern is ferrous oxides on and in the clearcoat.
IE, rail/brake dust, small ferrous metal particles.
One way to find out, go to www.autoint.com and explore the Tech Tips section for the concern, there are pictures and explaination text (these are part of the materials we use to train new FCSD hires in Dearborn), that may make it easier for you to understand.
Under the OEM/TSB section is a Ford area. Contains many of the advisors that Ford provides dealerships regarding paint/trim and other cosmetic issues.
In that section is the Ford Technical Service Bulletin for the tested and approved repair procedure.
This bulletin is now included in the shop manuals for all Ford 2002 vehicles, not just a TSB any longer, but required process by the dealerships.
Good luck,
Ketch
:smoke:
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