2015RDXTech

I have a 2015 Crystal Black Pearl RDX, and the exterior seems to scratch very easily. I know a lot of you will say that since it's a black car, it naturally will show its scratches much more than any other color. However, I am surprised at the level of softness of this paint, as even the lightest rub with a finger causes several scratches to appear. The car never had that smooth feel to it as most new cars do when they are fresh and clean after delivery. Currently, the car is only one year old and seems to have picked up thousands of tiny scratches and swirls. I am considering taking it to the dealer to get it detailed, and hopefully they will be able to remove the small swirls and scratches, and apply a paint protectant to prevent it from scratching so easily.

Do any other CBP owners have the same problem, or is it just my car that has a paint problem?

ceb

See my comment in your other post. Most dealers are notoriously bad at prepping a car for delivery and use glaze to make the car look good for pick-up but the scratches are still there - they are just covered up.

Find a good detailer (not at the dealership), get the scratches polished out then seal and wax it - or have them use a product like OptiCoat or AQuartz (not that crap that the dealers flog) to give you a harder, permanent coating that can only be removed mechanically.

Or - spend some time on a detailing forum, spend $300 on detailing stuff and learn how to do it yourself.

Kaputnik

A great post on dealing with the soft Acura black paint:

2006 Acura TL in Nighthawk Black Pearl (part 1) | Ask a Pro Blog

PS - NEVER take it to the dealer get detailed! DYI - it's actually not hard to do a great job yourself. You can buy all the tools and products for less than the cost of good detail.

2015RDXTech

I remember seeing that article! The TL ended up looking great, but my issue is that I don't have the time to do it myself.

snorf

Some of those scratches and swirls may have come from a car wash or from waxing. I use turtle wax ICE (spray on and wipe off) so the wax doesn't have to dry and there are no wax particles to grind into the paint Also, when you wax a black (or dark) car I would suggest applying and removing the wax in straight lines and not in circular motion. The circular motion will cause swirls for you. In the past (before clearcoat) many people used waxes as a "cleaner wax". I think the clearcoat pretty much taken care of the "cleaner" part of that process. Whatever wax you use will need to be redone every couple months. I think you are probably a good candidate for one of those spray on / wipe off waxes (Meguires, mothers, turtle wax, and others make it). Just be sure to use microfiber cloths.

ceb

Sorry, but that's just not right. But then again, neither is using Turtle Wax - you're dating yourself there.

As far as cleaner" is concerned, some inexpensive "one step" products combine a mild compound and some sort of wax substance to "polish and wax" all at the same time.

That has nothing to do with clear coat - the clear coat is merely an additional layer of paint. Prior to clear coats, the top layer of paint would oxidize, leaving a dull, faded finish if the car was not protected with wax. Now, the clear can turn dull but it won't look quite as faded as earlier cars.

snorf

Here's an article telling the major causes of swirl marks and how to remove them. Hope it works for you


How-To Remove Swirl Marks

ceb

Good basic article.

colt427

Most all in one paint cleaners and protectants are not good to use on black.
Got to go with a higher end paint cleaner and non abrasive wax/protectant.

That said today's paints are soft and not as durable as years ago.The paint chips and scratches easily.

damaged442

Honda/Acura paint is soft and this has been pretty well documented. As a result, you will see scratches pretty easily. Plus, well, it's black. You see everything with black.


I too would advise against having the dealer touch it. I have seen many a butcher job come back from the dealership "detail." If they do anything, it will be like ceb mentioned above and glaze it to provide a quick cover up.


As far as the comment above that mentioned all in one paint cleaners that are not good to use on black, this isn't necessarily true either. Now, I am not sure which AIOs are being thought of by that poster, there are very good ones out there. Specifically, I have had good luck with XMT 360, and I know others that have utilized HD Speed with good results


I have also seen good results from Meguiar's 105/205 on CBP, but clearly we are talking about more than one step here.


Not sure where you are from, OP. I live in NY where they sand and salt the crap out of the roads every winter. Chances are, I end up with more scratches and swirls than most, regardless of how careful I am.
Every spring, I polish out my paint. It does respond well to paint correction.


This may be a good opportunity to learn about detailing yourself, or get with a local pro. Again, I would not let the dealer at it.

colt427

I did post most AIO's.The cheaper OTC versions which many people buy.Stuff like NuFinish.

damaged442

Ah yes, Nu Finish...good call to avoid that one! That stuff doesn't really do anything well! Thank you!

andysinnh

Except for creating somewhat shiny circular areas on the hoods of cars in junk yards. Seems to do that OK.

2015RDXTech

Yes, I am planning to get a local detailer to take a look at the car. By the way, I live in the Charlotte, NC area.

2015RDXTech

Would it be advisable to detail the car in May instead, as currently there's a lot of pollen going around, and April showers are coming up?

ceb

Makes no difference. I'd opine that there are lots of decent detailers in Charlotte.