I have black on black g35c. I noticed that there are thin white scratches on the paint. Is this because I have non-metalic paint? I waxed the car on the first day and only washed about 5 times. Is there any type wax that could hide these scratches? And has anyone experience similar problem? It seems like the paint on my g35c is very thin or I am doing something wrong.

 

I have black on black g35c. I noticed that there are thin white scratches on the paint. Is this because I have non-metalic paint? I waxed the car on the first day and only washed about 5 times. Is there any type wax that could hide these scratches? And has anyone experience similar problem? It seems like the paint on my g35c is very thin or I am doing something wrong.

 

I have black on black g35c. I noticed that there are thin white scratches on the paint. Is this because I have non-metalic paint? I waxed the car on the first day and only washed about 5 times. Is there any type wax that could hide these scratches? And has anyone experience similar problem? It seems like the paint on my g35c is very thin or I am doing something wrong.

 

are these very fine scratches that are only visible under very bright light? You might just be getting these from washing with circular motion and applying too much pressure. Essentially between washes, your car picks up dirt and dusts on the surface, your wash mit picks this up and you grind it in by rubbing too hard in that cicular motion... I've discovered that the key to proper paint prep and maintenance is to wash and wax with very little pressure... I'd suggest an orbital buffer with a good waxing compound, but when you use the orbital buffer, don't apply pressure, just let the buffer do the work and glide across the surface of your car... you don't need lots of pressure to lay the wax down on your paint surface.

As for a particular type of wax that can hide the scratches, there are products like meguiar's scratchX, but in general I stay away from "scratch removing" products, as these just tend to wear down the rest of the paint... Nothing a scratch remover can do, that a good high quality wax, oribital buffer, and some patience can't get rid of.

 

Thanks for your comments. However I still cannot believe the paint is so "soft". It annoys the heck out of me to see the scratches on my beautiful black. How long can I keep up? I hate the fact that I need SPECIAL consideration while washing or driving.

 

Thanks for your comments. However I still cannot believe the paint is so "soft". It annoys the heck out of me to see the scratches on my beautiful black. How long can I keep up? I hate the fact that I need SPECIAL consideration while washing or driving.

 

Thanks for your comments. However I still cannot believe the paint is so "soft". It annoys the heck out of me to see the scratches on my beautiful black. How long can I keep up? I hate the fact that I need SPECIAL consideration while washing or driving.

 

tpark,

first let me start off by saying that black cars are very hard to maintain. as far as the scratches go, you should determine whether or not they are scratches or swirl marks.

swirl marks come from basically anything that is abrasive that comes in contact w/ your car when washing (ie cotton towels from anywhere other than USA), hence the swirl pattern. Towels generally pick up loose debris, etc. when you use these towels/rags to dry your car, swirlies happen. I made the mistake of bringing my car to a hand carwash during the winter and have been kicking myself for it ever since. these can usually be taken care of by yourself or a professional detailer depending how deep.

it's it's a real scratch, well that sorta comes w/ the territory. you can compound yourself, use touch up paint or again, bring it to a professional detailer. personally i would opt for the last.

 

You have "swirl marks". I have them to an extent on my twi-blue sedan. My stupid dealer did it. I always tell them NOT to wash my car, because I know they don't do it correctly. They did it anyway, and gave me swirl marks.

Swirls are light scratches in the vehicles clear-coat. They appear as "swirls" because they are a reflection of the sun, and the sun is obviously round. (I swear this is true).

Wax will cover them up, but I suggest using 3M Swirl remover. The best way is to use an orbital buffer, but you can do it by hand if you have a lot of time.

After fixing the problem, you can prevent it from happening again, although you will always have it to some degree with dark paint. Make sure you rinse your care VERY well before washing, and use a COTTON wash mitt (wool can scratch). Keep the mitt very clean, and rinse it between body panels. When you dry the car, I recommend the California Water Blade, followed by a chamois. When you wax, use only made in the U.S.A. 100% cotton towels to buff. Hope this helps.

 

sorry moc,

i have to disagree on the water blade. you have to be **very** careful when it comes to that. i've read about tons of horror stories, where the water blade picks up the smallest of contaminants (sp?) and scratched the surface of whatever their cleaning. when the car is completely clean, it does wonders. personally i use the absorber towel (this can succumb to the same problems, but contaminants are easier to identify). i've been meaning to try microfiber towels, but haven't come around to purchasing them yet.

 

True, the car has to be very clean, and the blade has to be clean. After a fresh wash, the blade should not cause any issues. I have not had any yet.

 

I've had one incident with the water blade the very first time I used it. <font color=red>You do not need to apply any pressure at all.</font color=red> Just glide it over and peel the water off. Do not go back over the same area again. Getting those few extra drops of water is not worth the risk of scratching the surface. It's not a window squeegee! Do it once and wipe down excess after.

03.5 Sedan AT (Black-Willow-Premium-Sport-Aero)