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Swirl Marks!!

5K views 19 replies 4 participants last post by  SonicNutrition 
#1 ·
I bought a brand new grey 14 M6 a month ago. This is my first brand new car, so I'm new to how to detail a car. I didn't know about swirl marks until a couple weeks ago. My problem is that right before I bought my car I asked the dealer to wash it, because it was so dirty (big mistake). I then realized a couple weeks afterwards that their car washing service brushed the dirt to create swirl marks. I'm not too worried about swirl marks, because I know it's inevitable, but I would like to do as much as I can to take care of my car, but it's already covered in swirl marks. I thought about going to a car detailer to get it fixed, but the only one in my town said, "if we were to polish your car it would just add more swirl marks". I thought that polishing a car evens out the surface? So, which one is it? Also, are swirl marks that noticeable on grey, or is it just me? And if I were to buff out the swirls by hand would it be effective?
 
#2 · (Edited)
Sadly, most dealer "detailing" services do more harm than good.

If thats what your local detail shop said to you, STAY AWAY!! A professional detailer should be able to easily remove the marks.

They can likely be removed by polishing the car by hand, but machine polishing with a dual-action polisher is much faster. A certain level of expertise is required to do it properly though. If you arent looking to invest a few hundred into supplies to get a machine & diy, then by hand is your best bet.

Start by washing your car & drying it.

Get yourself a clay bar kit & clay the entire car following the wash.

Next you will need a mild polish. I suggest Meguiars Ultimate polish. Work small sections at a time, no more than 18"x18". Work the polish in with a foam applicator (do not work it until it dries as that can induce scratches), and buff out with a microfiber towel, overlapping each section with the previous one.

After you have polished the entire car you will need to wax it to protect the finish. One again, i suggest Meguiars Ultimate wax if you are going about this by hand. Apply a thin layer of wax (use a seperate foam applicator from the polish) to the entire car & let it dry for 15 mins or so. Wipe down the entire car with a fresh, clean microfiber towel. A minimum of 2 layers of wax is best, so go at that entire waxing process again.

Its best to do the polishing & waxing indoors, but the Meguiars Ultimate line has been formulated to be able to use in full sun. Go indoors or in the shade if possible.

If you were close to me id gladly polish out your car by machine & give it the flawless finish a brand new car deserves.

If you want to so some reading on how-to's and talk with more guys who know their stuff, check out autogeek. I spent a few months on there reading & what not about machines, products, techniques, etc before making any big purchases. Ive also since started a polishing business on the side to make some extra cash.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Thanks for all the advice. I'll try to get some pics up as soon as possible. And I have another question. Where I live there is a car wash that doesn't use brushes, and air drys the car. I know the car wouldn't be the cleanest, but would it scratch the clear coat? I assume not, because there isn't anything touching the paint. I just figured that car wash would be useful in the winter to remove snow and salt.
 
#7 ·
@Mr.Smoke has got your back entirely correct on this. Dealer "clean up" crews are underpaid and could care less about proper techniques on the many cars per day they clean and "get ready."


All above is sound advise. Especially cleaning your car your self and using only Touch-less car washes. Your biggest enemy is dirt on cloth, causing abrasions in the clear coat.


All the supply and techniques I'm about to mention are well covered on Auto Geek.



  1. Wash the car using the 2 bucket method. 1 with clean water, the other with car wash. Always wash the mitt in clean water and then dip in car wash bucket.
  2. Dry the car. ( Best results are to do all of these things in a shaded area.
  3. Clay bar! It does magic. making the clear coat silky smooth.
  4. Compound rub and fine polish.
  5. Wax!

There is so much more to that but I highly encourage you to learn for your self. One of my all time favorite video teachers is Junkman2000 , He is absolutely great!
 
#10 ·
So, I just got off the phone with a car detailing shop that's an hour away from where I live. He said he could guarantee satisfaction for me, or my phone back. He said it'll take half a work day, and the pricing starts at $125. Is that a good deal, and does it honestly take that long? Oh, and he said he was international certified, so is this guy legit?

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App
 
#11 ·
Satisfaction or money back is always a statement. He is obviously confident in his work.
Half a day of work sounds about right for using a one-step product to remove the swirls & protect the finish. Price is right on par with what i charge for that amount of time correcting a finish.

Not too sure about certifications (im assuming you are in the US), but he has likely been recognized by some sort of organization.

I would ask what equipment, pads, products & process he will be all using/doing. How long has he been correcting paint? Ask if you can come see some vehicles he has done or pictures of before & afters. Ask if the products he uses has any fillers in them.

Rotary buffers are potentially dangerous machines if used in the hands of unexperienced people. You can literally remove paint with them. Dual action polishers are basically idiot proof & are next to impossible to damage a finish with, even in the hands of a novice. Educating yourself will be a huge help in keeping the finish on your car looking great.

I mentioned asking about fillers as you dont want those products being used. They do exactly as they sound, and literally fill in blemishes instead of removing them. Detailing shops love to use these as after a few washes, the scratches start to come back as the fillers are washed away. This means a return customer for them as we want those scratches gone again.
 
#12 ·
We need better pics of the swirls. I used to do detailing until I realized it was to much work for me and my day job didn't allow for the time it took. Take some pics of the swirls by using halogen work lights, turn your flash off as well. Much like everything else its all about the prep work. You want to wash the car with a good citrus based car wash to get rid of all the dirt, grime, and previous wax. Once that is done you want to clay bar the entire car to get the contaminants off that the car wash did not get. Once the paint is completely clean after the previous processes you want to wash it again to get the clay grime off. You finally have a clean slate to work on. Depending on the condition of the paint you may be able to get rid of the swirls with a compound followed by a polish using something like a Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher. More than likely you are going to need something more aggressive like a Makita rotary polisher. You need heat to cut through the clear coat and eliminate the swirls/imperfections. You also need to be careful not to burn through the clear coat with a machine like this. I'd really recommend taking it to a professional. Make sure they are clear with what their approach is like. Expect to pay possibly around $500 for full paint correction. It's going to take at least 3-4 hours for the paint correction steps itself never mind the washing and clay barring. I'd recommend signing up for an account on Autopia detailing forums and finding a local detailer closer to you, or one who will travel to you. Remember after that its all about MAINTAINING. You only have so much clear coat on a car. Use quality wash mitts and clean drying products.
 
#13 ·
A rotary should not be needed @vengez. Ive removed heavy swirls & extreme oxidazion with my PC7242XP paired with M105/M205. A brand new car should not require a buff by rotary.

You said there is only so much clear to work with. Why would you use a more aggressive approach than needed by opting for a rotary? Just doesnt make sense to me. You can anchieve stunning results with a D/A.

I do agree that better pics of the swirls are needed.
 
#15 ·
Depends on the condition of the paint. I only recommend rotary as it will be quicker and therefore probably cheaper in the end. From there its all about maintaining and not getting the swirls back. If they are light swirls then yea PC is the way to go. Something tells me if a dealer got their hands on the car it's going to be much more efficient to use a rotary.
 
#16 ·
Yes Yes and yes.

Depends on the condition of the Clear coat and the depth of the scratches. I only recommend rotary as it will be quicker and therefore probably cheaper in the end. From there its all about maintaining and not getting the swirls back. If they are light swirls then yea PC is the way to go. Something tells me if a dealer got their hands on the car it's going to be much more efficient to use a rotary.
Fixed that for you. I agree with @Mr.Smoke and that light swirls can easily be removed by hand with compound and polish.

@Randallel Have you contacted the dealership's General Manager? I recommend you get in talks with them and have them cover the cost of the professional detail since its VERY clear their crew is inept. Also fee free to mention how you are going to get in contact with Mazda, They all bow before Mazda customer care division. Customer satisfaction, ESPECIALLY in new car sales and delivery is very important to Mazda NAO.
 
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