Does any one else with a MB z have problems with clear coat scratches im so careful and they are all over is it just me or does everyone have this problem? I feel like i dry my car and they are all over it looks great at night but when the sun hits it i see all the swirls. It makes me so mad

 

What do you dry with? The key in my opinion is to avoid friction at all costs. I use a leaf blower after washing to get most of the water off, and then go over the whole car with some quick detailer so there is not water spots. I very rarly dry my MB, and if i do it is with a meguiars microfiber. Those swirl marks can come from debris on the bottom of the wash bucket, or from any little particles on the wash mitt. I suggest rinsing the wash mitt frequently during the wash, and also make sure not to wash/dry your towels with any type of fabric softeners. Fabric softeners get into the towels fibers and can scratch the clear.
I know what a pain swirls are, and with black it is nearly impossible to avoid. Good luck

 

clear coat surface scratches are unavoidable. There are steps to prevent and try to not get them but that is nearly impossible. You just need to start polishing your car once in awhile. It also doesn't help that your car is black which you can notice it the most on.

 

hmmm a leaf blower not a bad idea
i need to get my car detailed i hate it i feel like i ruined my new cars paint and i was trying to keep it clean. I just took a 2006 gs300 lexus to a detail place and it had swirls worse then mine and it all came out i was shocked. I think im going to get it detailed then get a leaf blower. Im using microfiber towels ive been soo **** about it i just keep buying new towels and new mits and my cars is still scratched. black i think is the best looking color but so hard to keep swirls away

 

detailers use polish to take out the swirls. But yeah, since you have no knowledge of car care, you mine as well let the pros do it.

 

All cars get swirls, the darker the car, the worse they show. They come from one common source - owners who don't know how to wash and dry their cars.

Check out Autopia.org - it has an excellent Detailing Guide:
http://autopia.org/forum/guide-detailing/

also available here...
http://www.bettercarcare.com/cardetailing.html


Here's my little dissertation on the subject...

One of the most common complaints by car owners is that their car is full of scratches and swirls. Besides being careful where you park, there’s not much you can do about scratches and door dings that result from outside contact. However, the fine scratches and swirl marks that you pick up over time are a result of how you wash your car. There is something you can do about that.

Proper washing and detailing can go a long way in helping to prevent swirl marks. It all boils down to the methods and tools you use when washing your car. I have gleaned the following tricks, tips, procedures, etc. from various sources, personal experiences, trial and error.

One commonly asked question is “what towels should I used and how should I dry my car so I don’t scratch or swirl the paint?” It's about more than just towels and how you dry. In fact, what you use and how you wash it are probably more important than what you dry it with.

If you use a sponge or something that holds dirt, then you're scraping the dirt across the surface of your car when you wash. Never use something like a kitchen dishtowel or an old T-shirt. There are too many things in them that can scratch your paint (i.e. nylon threads). Use a lamb’s wool or cotton chenille mitt. A good wool or chenille mitt can hold a lot of soapy water and that’s important to flushing away dirt instead of trapping it.

If you use a 1 gal bucket of water to wash the whole car, then by the time you're finished the water looks like chocolate milk from all the dirt. Again, you're rubbing it all over your paint. Use a 5 gal paint bucket - actually two of them. Fill one bucket with soapy water to wash with and the other with clear water to rinse the mitt. Use the process of soaking the mitt in the soapy water, wash an area of the car, and then rinse in the clear water.

Do you use powered detergent? Don't, it doesn't totally dissolve and the solid particles will scratch your paint. Use something that is designed for washing cars, not dish or laundry detergent. They’re too harsh and will strip most waxes or polishes. If you use a polymer like Zaino, either use Z-7 or pick a car wash that is compatible with polymer-based products. Meguirers Deep Crystal is one example.

Do you wash your wheels with the same mitt/cloth as the car? Do you wash the wheels first? Don't, the brake dust will get into the cloth and your wash water and will scratch the paint. Wash the wheels first then rinse everything out before washing the car. Use a soft cloth on the wheels that never touches the cars paint.

Don't wash the lower parts of the car first - they're usually dirtier having picked up road grime, tar, etc. Always wash from the top down.

Drying the car is the easy part to avoiding scratches. When done properly most of the water beads off anyway. What little is left can be absorbed just by laying a WW towel on it. No rubbing - no scratching. Use the “pat dry” method rather than rubbing a towel across the surface.

Another trick that is helpful when drying is to use a leaf blower. It gets water out of all the crack and crevices that you can't dry with a towel. By blowing most of the water off the car, that is less you have to dry with a towel and less chance of introducing scratches.

 

is it ever to late to get them out?

 

No, it's never too late. All you need is a random orbital buffer and some swirl mark remover.

Here's what you need in order to polish/wax a car with a ROB.
1) Porter-Cable 7336SP
2) 6" Velcro backing plate: http://www.topoftheline.com/porcabvelpad.html
3) 7½" Lake Country VC foam polishing pads: http://www.topoftheline.com/7durvelpad.html
I use the Yellow, White and Black pads. You'll probably want two, maybe three of each.
4) Polishes: I use 3M Medium Cut Rubbing Compound (39001); 3M Swirl Mark Remover (39009); Zaino Z-PC Polish/Cleaner.
The compound is for removing moderate scratches, deposits on paint, rough spots, etc.
The SMR is for removing swirl marks, hazing caused by the compound or other polishes.
The Z-PC is for use in place of the SMR on a Zainoed car.
5) Helpful instructions on how to use the Porter-Cable:
http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=14421
http://www.roadfly.com/magazine/7/po..._buffer.1.html
http://forums.roadfly.com/forums/det...1430487&page=1

The P-C can be bought at Lowes for $109. The backing plate and pads come from www.TopOfTheLine.com. The 3M products I get from a local CarQuest Paint Store. It's a special version of a CarQuest parts store that sells professional paint supplies and equipment. The 3M products are pretty widely available in any case.

 

thanks for the help

 

No to hijack the thread but, Dave, how often do you usually Polish I am about to get the PC myself but I wanna make sure I don't polish too often since I understand everytime you polish you're in essence taking a very small amount of clearcoat off.
Do you wait till it has gathered a few swirls before you polish (eg. couple of times a year) or do you polish more often (ie. every time you start getting swirls)? Maybe spot polish a scratch everytime you get one or is it a better idea to polish the whole panel/car?
I've been reading a lot on autopia and seems the best ones around seem to be Menzerma (Intensive and final polish) and 3M (Swirl remover)... any experience with menzerma?
I have a MB as well...i know what you guys go tru...with swirls and the dreaded rock chips!!

 

I've never polished my Z. It's not something you do regularly since it's a remedy for a problem, not a maintenance procedure. I've been fortunate enough to keep swirls to an almost unnoticable level. I've hand polished a few small scratches and scuffs.

Once the car gets to the point where you can't stand the sight of all the swirls, then that's when you want to take the PC and do the whole car.

Worse case, it you did it every couple of years or so, you shouldn't have to worry about thinning the clearcoat and getting into the paint.

 

Dave, excellent posts, and the same techniques I use. Except, I dont use two buckets. I use one 5 gallon bucket, but I cut a piece of plastic "grate" for the bottom. I broke off a piece of milk crate and put in the bottom. It allows the dirt to fall to the bottom, but not your wash mitts. I dip frequently to rinse the dirt from the mitt.

Another thing I have done is to stop using my mitt on my front windshield. The windshield holds a lot of dust, dirt and grime that gets on the mit. I wash my windows with window cleaner and disposable shop towels.

I give a good polish once a year. I keep my car in the garage or covered, so I dont suffer the abuse that some Zs do. My car is also a "weekend only" car. Not a daily driver.

 

I've seen a couple of the detailing supply places pushing the bucket grate. While the larger particles sink to the bottom, there is still dirt suspended in the water, especially because you are constantly agitating it. That's why I prefer the 2 bucket method. Of course, if you only have one handy or are trying to minimize water usage, the grate would be beneficial in that situation.

 

lolll at the leaf blowing option haha.

how about u use a shammy?

 

+1 i used shammy before its good but recently i clean my z with that mr clean gun wash thing it comes with 3 settings water, soap, and dry the dry is like this special liquid that dries spotless they sell it at your local discount stores for like 15 bucks and has refils for the soap and that other stuff. theres no need for scrubbing only in the front area were the bugs r.i.p with a micro fiber towel

 

EXCELLENT POST.

 

Great post -- good consolidated info!

I go one step beyond the two-bucket approach, and it seems to help minimize the swirls. After I have cleaned a section of the car, before I rinse my mitt in the clean, non-soapy water, I spray the entire mitt clean with the hose on high pressure stream -- then I rinse the mitt in the rinse bucket. If you get into the rhythm of spraying off the mitt and the adjusting the hose nozzle so the water flows out in sheets, to rinse the section of the car you just washed, the added mitt-rinsing step doesn't really add much time.

MB sure is a PAIN to keep clean, but it looks AMAZING!

 

dont use ur micro fiber towel.

buy a sponge. just like any other soft cleaning one.

use a misquito remover.

wet the *****, spray the misquito stuff, then use ur spounge with soap and it will come off.
or clay bar works but it gets kinda nasty