I have a 2006 Black Z - Took it to a detailing shop to have it polished. The car came back beautiful. All the swirls were gone, and the shine was impressive.

The guy told me not to wash it for a week, so i didnt.

This morning, i gave her a wash, and while i was drying, i noticed wheel marks on the hood, and on the rear 1/4 panel. They're only visible in the sun, but let me say...They are VERY visible in the sun. This was a well known shop in the city too.

Why did this happen?
Why did the car look like a million bucks when he finished? (and when I paid them)
What can be done to fix the problem??

Thanks!

 

I'd bring it back. If there are swirl marks and he said don't wash it for a week, he may have thrown on wax to hide the issue. Bring it back and show him. We had the same problem here at the dealership and it was just left over wax. I'd take a microfiber rag and wipe over it after you wax it to see if it comes off. If not, they'll be fixing the car!

 

Wow, that was a quick reply...I love this forum!! Thanks!

Does it just require another polish? or is there serious damage to the paint?

 

why not just buy a buffer and fix it yourself with better polish or paste... sounds like the treatment he did left swirls..

 

Hand waxing never leaves wheel marks. I always wash/wax/everything by hand. KTHX.

 

You are absolutely right!

i just assumed that taking it to a professional would be best.

 

Sometimes the "professional" isnt all that great.. I remember spending 110 on a detail and felt like i coulda done a better job!!

 

Take it back to them and tell them to correct it. If they knew what they were doing, they would not have left marring. Most likely, they used a glaze before the wax that hide all the imperfections.

 

If you are seeing swirls (fine scratches in the clear coat) that would mean they were not fully removed. If the detail was supposed to remove the swirls you may want to bring it back to them.

If you are seeing "holograms" in the clear coat that is generally from too much heat on the buffing pad. They can be removed with more aggressive polishing. You can do this yourself with the right buffer, pads and polishes or you can bring it back to the detailer.

Often times glazes, sealants and waxes will temporarily hide some of the imperfections. Additionally if you're not in good lighting it can also make seeing the actual results difficult. Good luck and let us know what happens.

Greg @ Detailed Image

 

Its an old detailers trick. He finished the job with a light detailers spray (did you notice an oily residue on the surface?). Looks fantastic. Gone after the first wash.

 

You are correct with the Holograms!!! The marks are visible on the Hood, as exactly the right angle, in the sun.

What can i do to solve this problem?

Can the marks will be taken car of?

 

Where can i find this magical detailers spray?.....

 

It can be removed but sometimes it takes a lot of work to get it done, so it's unlikely you can guarantee it's going to be like new again by tomorrow. It definitely can be removed it's just a question of when. Like I said you can do it if you get the right buffer, polish and pads or a professional can do it. It's hard to know what is needed. The worse the marks are the more aggressive polishes and buffer speed I would use. Therefore it's hard to know what I would do without seeing it and experimenting with some different combinations. You could go to the store and get a polish (Scratch X or a 3M polish) and try to do it by hand. However in my experiences I think it's unlikely the marks will go away but you could certainly try. Let me know if I can help you any further.

Greg @ Detailed Image

 

Right, they would need to be polished out. Generally speaking the holograms come from a newbie with a rotary using a high cut compound/polish. This would have to solved with correct polishing techniques, without a machine buffer you don't have much of a chance unfortunately.

 

What are the right questoins to ask a detailer to figure out if he knows what he's talking about or not?

Clearly, just being employed at a reputable shop isnt enough.

 

Just tell them that you want the damage corrected. Go back and make the same people do it, just make sure to tell them that you want it done right this time.

 

I'm not overly confident about their skills anymore, considering what they've done so far. However, they should be fixing it for free.

I just feel that taking it back to them would be risky. Can they do even more damage, in attempting to correct the holograms?

 

yes. There are many detailers in canada that are capable find another shop and pay to have it done right this time.

 

I would like to thank everyone that took the time to reply....

However, i still have one unanswered question......

How can i determine, if the particular shop i take the car to REALLY knows what they're doing???? What are some questions i can ask to really determine a detailers skill? ...and what are the right answers??

...it's not like it's a government regulated occupation. Some guy that buys a wheel can call himself a detailer, just as easily as the guy that has 10+ years of experience and truly takes pride in his craft..... (yes, i'm talking about you greg - thanks man! )

 

It's a million dollar question. If there was an easy way everyone would know basically what the value of a detail would be. In my opinion the best way is to ask a good amount of questions, seek out reference and find out what products/equipment they use. If you research some basic information on polishing and then ask corresponding questions that would be a great start. Look for examples of his work, customer feedback, etc. They have seen what the detail looks like months after the process, not just right after. Another huge point of emphasis is the products/tools used in the process. The detailers doesn't need to have the most expensive products but quality products do help. It shows they do some research and are willing to spend a little extra because quality counts to them. I'm not sure it's realistic but another big factor to me would be the washing tools, removal towels (hopefully microfiber) and buffing pads. These tools should all be clean and in good condition. Using low quality or contaminated tools is a huge concern to me because the detailer is likely adding swirls. They can be buffed out with a polish, which is needed to remove holograms, however it's a bad sign to me. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Greg @ Detailed Image