Ask A Detailer

[bigjorge3g]

I've seen this on other forums and it has worked great for them, so I will give it a try here. Being a professional detailer, I thought I would open a thread for people to ask their questions about exterior and interior care of their vehicles. Don't be afraid to post up any questions that you have no matter how simple or complex it is. I'll do my best to give you a timely answer.

Sincerely,

George

[Joker]

Thank you very much in advance George!

Joker - who thought bigjorge3g's reply in the other thread was outstanding

[FASTSX]

How do you deal with swirls? I have some on my bmw and i was wondering how to get them out. I have tried waxing too. Also for my tsx, i am wondering how to avoid the swirls. Also can you give the step by step process on how exactly to wash my car.(with a approved materials list). I wash my car every week (haven't missed one weekend yet, even in the rain) and i just want to know how i can take care of my baby.

Thanks

[bigjorge3g]

Originally Posted by FASTSX

How do you deal with swirls? I have some on my bmw and i was wondering how to get them out. I have tried waxing too.

Swirls will not be handled with wax, you need a polish for swirl removal. Polish works because it has abrasives in it (Make sure you get a polish that meets the needs and aggressiveness of your swirls / scratches). Polish is applied prior to wax. A pure polish will have no protective characteristics for the paint so make sure you follow it up with a nice coat of wax.

Originally Posted by FASTSX

Also for my tsx, i am wondering how to avoid the swirls. Also can you give the step by step process on how exactly to wash my car.(with a approved materials list). I wash my car every week (haven't missed one weekend yet, even in the rain) and i just want to know how i can take care of my baby.

Thanks

No problem, swirls can be created from a ton of things. Improper use of a buffer, too harsh of a polish/compound for your needs, debris dragged across your paint (usually when you wash or apply a coat of something), using to much pressure when washing it can lead to swirls/scratches if there is debris lodged in you paint.

To start with a fresh surface you can use a clay bar. This will remove all of the surface contaminants and make your paint silky smooth. In the case for your TSX make sure you use a fine grade clay bar since the car is newer.

When applying wax or polish, etc. on a horizontal surface you can apply it left to right rather than in a circular motion. On vertical surfaces apply it in an up and down technique. This won't eliminate the swirl problem but if it does swirl it is harder optically to see them if they are going in the same direction as the surface.

When washing make sure you select a good lubricating shampoo that has plenty of sudsing capabilities. I really like P21S Bodywork Conditioning Shampoo and Poorboy's Super Slick Suds. (Meguires Gold Class is a good choice if you need products that are usually found locally).

Avoid using tools like the Water Blade to dry the car. If you get any debris lodged in there you are asking for scratches. I use a Waffle Weave Microfiber towel for all of my drying. They seem to work a lot better than a chamois.

Make sure you don't let the soap sit too long on the surface, especially if you are in direct sunlight. Rinse often and keep the paint wet until you are ready to dry.

If you have an air compressor or blower, they work great at removing water that is lodged in creases, behind mirrors, seams, wheels, around and behind license plates, trunk & engine area, etc.

If I don't have time to polish and wax the car, I really like following up a car wash with some Quick Detailer spray. The one I am most fond of is Poorboy's Spray and Gloss, and Clear Kote's Quick Shine.

Look for my thread for the step by step procedure titled Spring Detailing Routine.

Keep the questions coming, I hope this helped!

Sincerely,

George

[Joker]

^^^ Another outstanding reply bigjorge3g

Joker - who hopes he keeps up the great work

[MemphisRheins]

Originally Posted by FASTSX

How do you deal with swirls? I have some on my bmw and i was wondering how to get them out. I have tried waxing too. Also for my tsx, i am wondering how to avoid the swirls. Also can you give the step by step process on how exactly to wash my car.(with a approved materials list). I wash my car every week (haven't missed one weekend yet, even in the rain) and i just want to know how i can take care of my baby.

Thanks

Personally, im just gonna answer your question first, and let Jorge give u his way, and prob critique mine a little bit and at least give you a much more detailed(no pun intended) description, I know im not a writer...

Personally on Swirls, I like Zymol Wax or a Fine hand polish usually does the trick just fine, and I have a Black TSX, which shows Swirls, Scratches the worse, (Honda paint is a )


Now to the overall question of washing a car, heres what I do
Find a somewhat covered area, Alot of people think that u want to wash a car in sunlight, if you do that, the soap dries onto the car, and you get spots, neither of which you want...

So first I give the car a preliminary soak down.. highlighting the trouble spots, (Wheel wells, ect).. Next you start washing the car from the roof down, personally I use either a Mitt or a Camel Hair brush, w/ a car wash soap of your choice (Ill let Jorge tell ya some good names)

once u have the roof, hood, trunk, and front and rear windshield done, take the nozzle of the hose, and let the water run down the car from the roof down, taking the soap off with it.... Next I do the windows, and the trunk and hood again, and then wash that off, next doors and tops of fenders, fenders/ bumpers...ect

Im a Huge fan on Shammie 's, I have an old Real one, that works well, Also have a couple of Synthetics, and hear good things about the "Absorber"


From here it depends how far you want to go, personally im obsessive compulsive with the TSX, and will likely repeat this and wash the car again, ever before shammie drying it so it takes me a couple of hours to do even a "Quickie"

The Next Step, Especially now coming out of the winter months, would be a clay-bar, mothers makes a great kit What a Clay Bar does, is remove contaminants from a cars paint, How you do this is you spray either a Quick detailer, or some people like using a Soap/water Mix (personally i use the detailer) over a small part of the cars surface, and then run over it w/ said clay-bar

The Clay Bar also removes wax, so you have to wax your car afterwards, also at this step if needed u can use a polish, Polish is an abrasive so id be careful with it, and probably not use it, if I didn't know what I was doing...


So now onto waxing, im sure u know how to wax a car so im not gonna go into detail about that, My Favorite Waxes are Mothers Reflections and Mcguiars NXT, I prefer Paste wax personally, but many like liquid...which I use on occasion

Ill also let Jorge take car of walking you through the interior if he wants, he did a great job in the leather care thread..

[MemphisRheins]

lol, well He didn't have his reply there, when i started typing... but there's another response to your question

[bigjorge3g]

Originally Posted by MemphisRheins

lol, well He didn't have his reply there, when i started typing... but there's another response to your question

You did a great job responding too Memphis

Some waxes do have "fillers" which will appear that your swirls are gone when in fact they are just hidden until the wax / filler is gone. To completely remove them you will need a polish / compound depending on how deep they are. If you can't get them out by hand the next step is to use a random orbital such as a Porter Cable 7424. If that doesn't work the next step is a Rotary buffer which I would leave to professionals because you can cause much more damage if you don't know how to operate it correctly.

Also when choosing a wax make sure you know the difference between polymers & acrylics / carnauba / synthetic waxes and when and where they come into play.

Polymers provide amazing protection and have the capability of giving a great shine when you layer coats of them. Make sure you let the wax cure before applying another coat on top of it. I use Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze and usually let the first coat cure for 8-12 hrs. So if you layer up to 5 layers, be prepared to spend a couple of days on detailing your car. Klasse is an acrylic which provides outstanding protection for 4-6+ months depending on how many coats are on there. Also sealants require very minimal products (less than 2oz per car) so this makes it very attractive to invest in a nice product such as Klasse, it will last years.

Carnauba waxes have very little protection but will provide outstanding show car gloss and depth and achieve that "wet" look. They only last 3-6 weeks compared to months. I really like Natty's Paste Wax by Poorboy's World ($16) and P21S Concours Carnauba ($32). Pinnicle makes a nice carnauba but runs upwards around $70 / jar.

Synthetic waxes will provide good protection and are similar to polymers but from what I've found I got the best results from using a polymer (or acrylic same thing) as a base layer then topping it with a carnauba for optimal protection and gloss.

George

[Meinbeast]

This is such a useful thread, esp for myself as this is the first car i have purchased and am taking care of on my own. I have a question about touching up chips in the paint. My MR tsx seems to be very suceptable to getting chips on the front bumper. Washing it right after coming home from a long highway trip i have found nearly 2 times as many chips as b4 on the front bumper, they actaully becoming significantly noticeable now, not cool. what is the best way to go about touching something like that up?

[MemphisRheins]

Best Recommendation is to get a clear bra, I regret not doing that now, once I get my front bumper repainted (Some schmuck hit me and ran) im definitely buying one of these... Personally, I feel that the little blobs that touch up paint leaves (its very hard not to leave a little bump) just looks like crap...so i haven't used it.... Mothers I believe just came out w/ some new touch up paint system, thats Supose to be really good... I dont know much about it maybe jorge goes

[bigjorge3g]

Originally Posted by Meinbeast

This is such a useful thread, esp for myself as this is the first car i have purchased and am taking care of on my own. I have a question about touching up chips in the paint. My MR tsx seems to be very suceptable to getting chips on the front bumper. Washing it right after coming home from a long highway trip i have found nearly 2 times as many chips as b4 on the front bumper, they actaully becoming significantly noticeable now, not cool. what is the best way to go about touching something like that up?

Thanks for the compliments on the thread Meinbeast. Touch up work is typically more of a body shop type of work. I strictly do detailing however I have done some research and plan on taking some courses for automotive paint to expand my knowledge and skills offered to my customers.

Taken from Better Car Care by David Bynon

WHAT'S POSSIBLE & WHAT ISN'T
Touching up small nicks and scratches is well within the skill level of most do-it-yourself car enthusiasts. Some nicks can be quickly repaired with a small dab of touch-up paint, while others will require more time, effort and skill. It’s important to know what you should and shouldn’t tackle based on your knowledge of paint and tools.

By far the easiest colors to repair are black and white. Black and white are very forgiving on shade variations. Conversely, metallic paints (those with metal flakes) can be quite difficult to match perfectly.


This is a medium scratch. You will be able to feel it with your fingernail, but it does not go through to the primer. The best way to fix this king of scratch is to round down the edges using a medium grit rubbing compound and bring back full gloss with a good polish.

Before you get started repairing nicks and scratches, you should know what to expect. Small nicks are easy to repair by filling the nick with paint, leveling the filled area, and buffing the repair area to blend and restore luster. Repairing small scratches, from a key or shopping cart, is similar, but more time consuming. Fixing a ding (a small dent which may or may not have a nick out of the paint) is not commonly possible by the do-it-yourselfer.


Deep scratches and chips that go through the color coat into the primer or down to the metal can only be repaired using touch-up paint.

Here are some other things you should know:

If you know your car’s factory paint code, you can purchase an exact color match touch-up paint from your local dealer. If you don’t know the factory paint code, look in your owner’s manual for the location of the code, or ask your dealer. If you have a late model car, chances are you will find a color match at your local auto parts store.

Use a small artist’s paint brush (#2 is ideal) or a round, wooden toothpick to apply the touch-up paint, not the fat brush included with the bottle of touch-up paint.

Always test the touch-up paint for color match in an inconspicuous area.

The area to be repaired must be perfectly clean and free of wax, rust and oils.

Don’t attempt a touch-up if the temperature is below 60 degrees F.

Here’s what you need to properly repair nicks and scratches:

Color matched touch-up paint

Automotive or metal primer

Citric acid based cleaner like P21S Total Auto Wash

Prep solvent (Prepsol) or denatured alcohol

Foam swabs (from electronics supply) or pop swabs containing alcohol

Meguiar’s Unigrit Sanding Block and 1200 grit wet & dry sand paper

3M medium grit hand rubbing compound

#2 Artist’s paint brush and round toothpicks (wood)

Cotton terrycloth towels

New pencils with unused erasers

Rubber cement

Plastic cups

Blue masking tape (easy release type)

Large diameter paper hole punch (hand type)

PREPARATION PROCESS
Before applying paint, you must prepare the chip to accept paint. Although paint may adhere for a while to a chip with rust, dirt or oil, eventually the repair will fail. The preparation process begins the day before you repair the paint chips and scratches.

The afternoon before starting your chip repairs, wash your car. After washing with your normal car wash, spray the areas you plan to repair with P21S Total Auto Wash, allow to sit for a minute, then scrub well with your sponge. P21S Total Auto Wash will remove all wax and oil from your paint. Dry your car thoroughly and put it away for the night.

After washing your car, make up several sanding pencils. Use a hole punch to punch out a few dots from the 1200 grit wet and dry paper. Apply the sandpaper dots to the end of your pencil eraser with rubber cement. Allow them to dry over night. You will use the sanding pencils to scuff-up and clean out nicks.

To make a chip ready for touch-up paint, you must make sure it does not have loose edges, clean it, and sand it. I use a toothpick to check the edges of a chip. If loose or lifted, I use the toothpick to knock off the loose paint. To clean, I like to use denatured alcohol or Prepsol and a foam swab. I pour a little bit into a plastic cup and use a foam swab to clean the chip and surrounding area.

Next, I use a sanding pencil to clean out the chip and rough-up the edges. Simply dip the sanding pencil into a cup of clean water, dab a few drops of water on the chip, and gently rotate the sanding pencil over the chip. Keep the area you sand as small as possible. Rotating the sanding pencil back and forth in your fingers 8-10 times should be enough to do the job. If the chip has exposed bare metal, or if you can see rust forming, use the edge of the pencil erasure to remove the rust. When you finish sanding the chip, dry it with a terrycloth towel and clean it again with Prepsol and a foam swab.

APPLYING TOUCH-UP PAINT
Once the damaged areas are cleaned and prepared, you can begin the touch-up itself. If a chip exposed bare metal, you must primer the chip before the color touch-up. After mixing thoroughly, pour or spray a small amount of your primer into a plastic cup. Next, use a clean toothpick to apply the primer. I do this by dipping just the tip (2-3 mm) of the toothpick into the primer. If I get a blob, I wipe it back.

Next, I touch the tip of the toothpick to the center of the chip and allow the paint to flow off of the toothpick into the chip. You will be amazed how well the capillary action works. If you prefer, you can use the #2 artist’s brush. Do not allow the primer to overflow the sides of the chip. Allow the primer to dry for 2-3 hours. You can speed dry the primer with a hair dryer after allowing it to air dry for one hour. Simply wave the hair dryer 3-4 inches over the primered chip for 30-40 seconds. Do not touch the chips with your hands, as the oils from your skin will prevent the color coat from adhering.

Now, mix your color-matched paint thoroughly and pour a small amount into a clean plastic cup. As with the primer, use a clean toothpick or #2 artist’s brush to apply the color coat. Touch the toothpick or brush to the center of the chip and allow capillary action to pull the paint into the chip. Apply a small dab at a time and allow it to dry for 2-3 hours. You must repeat this process several times, so don’t try to fill the chip in one pass. Apply several thin layers, and you will get much better results.

The color touch-up process is complete when you have applied enough coats to slightly overfill the chip onto the roughed up area surrounding the chip. Once you’ve filled the chip, allow it to dry for another 24 to 48 hours. The longer the better.

I’m often asked if it’s necessary to apply a clear coat over chip repairs. I don’t think it’s necessary or adds any noticeable difference. If you get the proper touch-up paint from your dealer, it will match without using a clearcoat. However, if you’re a purist in pursuit of perfection, substitute a clearcoat for the last 2-3 coats.



Here is a close-up picture of a scratch after being repaired with touch-up paint. The touch-up creates a raised surface. In order to perfect the repair, the raised touch-up paint must be leveled. I will use 1500 grit sand paper to level the repair. If you are new to wet sanding, use 2000 or 2500 grit paper. I recommend 3M brand paper or Meguiar's UniGrit.


LEVEL & BUFF
Until you level or mill the paint repair down to the same plane as the original paint, all you’ll have is an ugly looking blob. This is easily done using the Meguiar’s Unigrit Sanding Block, which helps remove sags, runs and other isolated defects with surgical precision. Don’t forget to soak it overnight before use, as the directions indicate.

To level your paint chips, use your finger to put a small dab of car shampoo on the chip repair for lubrication. Next, use the Unigrit Sanding Block or 3M sanding paper to mill the high spot off of the chip repair. I always pull the sanding block towards me. Never rub it back and forth or in a circle. When the block dries out, dip it into your bucket of water again. Keep the area well lubricated with water and shampoo. The sanding block will dull the paint. Don’t fear, as your polish will easily restore the luster. When the surface looks level, dry it with a clean towel and inspect with your fingertips. If you can feel a high spot, it needs more work.



This picture shows the repair area after a couple of passes with 1500 grit wet & dry sand paper. The scratch touch-up is almost level, and you can clearly see the surface scratches (micro-marring) I put in the paint surface.


The final step is to buff out the repair with a good hand polish. I like to use 3M Perfect-It Rubbing Compound or Eagle One Scratch Remover (fine or medium grit compounds) followed by Meguiar’s Hand Polish or 3M Perfect-It Swirl Remover. Apply the compound and polish to a clean foam applicator pad, rub into the paint area using a short back and forth motion (not in circles), then buff out with a clean terrycloth towel. Tada! The blemish is gone.


The next step is to compound and polish. I did fewer than 20 passes (strokes) with rubbing compound. It does not take much to remove surface scratches. To completely polish and restore the surface, I polished the area twice with 3M Perfect-It for Dark Cars.



As you can see, the repair and paint finish turned out to be quite beautiful. There are no visible surface marks in the paint, and the touch-up cannot be detected.


SUMMARY
Learning to repair paint chips and scratches is not difficult. After buffing out a few scratches and filling a couple of chips, you will become comfortable with the process. The reward is a great looking car and a lot of money saved. Most paint shops won't bother with repairing chips because it's often faster for them to repaint an entire panel. If you keep up with repairing the chips and scratches, you can avoid repainting for a long time.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I drive an S4 and a lot of the people on the boards are turning to 3M clear bra as well and when applied correctly you can hardly tell its there.

If you do decide to touch it up yourself best of luck and let us know how it turns out.

Sincerely,

George

[Meinbeast]

In my position a clear bra is gonna have to be the quick fix, gonna do a little research on that now, thanks for the quick reply

[gunner]

[marcura02]

like an idiot i got the parchment int because I was tired of buring my ass in the summer. I take my dog everywhere. Her flithy little furry butt gets paw prints everywhere on the leather. how should i clean it?

[bigjorge3g]

Originally Posted by marcura02

like an idiot i got the parchment int because I was tired of buring my ass in the summer. I take my dog everywhere. Her flithy little furry butt gets paw prints everywhere on the leather. how should i clean it?

I personally would recommend Leatherique products. They are the product of choice for Bentley and Rolls Royce owners. A little on the pricey side but they are by far the best leather care products I feel are available. They come in 2 forms. A rejuvenator for restoring hard, cracked, faded and dull leather. It replenishes the leather's natural properties which leaves the leather soft and plush again. The prestine clean works deep into the leather's porus surface and brings all contaminents to the surface for removal. I'm always amazed at just how much cleaner the seats are after I use the prestine clean. When these two products are used together it really makes a huge improvement in the leather's appearance and quality. There is no oily residue left so your seats are soft and not slippery.

Here is a link to the steps of Leatherique:

http://www.tsxclub.com/forums/showpo...2&postcount=13

Sincerely,

George