So I washed my new TLX and the black plastic between the doors got water spots bad. I put some wax on it and it made horrible swirl marks!!! Stupid of me I know, now! Any polishes out there to remove it?!? I googled and saw one called Menzerna Super Finish but have never used that.

Any advise is appreciated as I'm super upset this has happened!

 

^^ It depends on what you used for the wax and how severe the scratches/swirls are. Do you have a pic you could post? The problem is that this area is quite glossy and it doesn't take much to mar the finish....

 

Thanks! I can try and take/post one tomorrow in good light. I used turtle wax high gloss and applied with a blue applicator pad. I removed it with a soft cotton cloth. It only noticeable in certain lights. Mostly when approaching from the side. It's almost like more of a dulling of the area but once u look close u can see swirls Thanks for your help!

 

A quality plastic polish may help with removing the swirls/scratches.

 

do you recommend any specific ones? seems there are so many options, I'm clueless as to where to start.


thanks!

 

your hand will never generate enough power to get rid of the swirls in the plastic part.

you'll need a dual action orbital buffer. these machines are the weakest and wont allow you to damage your paint or plastics again....
you would use a product like the Menzerna Super Finish with the Dual action orbiter to get rid of swirls.

your use of the turtlewax product likely contributed to the scratches/swirls!!

 

Novus or Meguiars - may be able to find at auto parts store.

 

be mindful that once you get into this hobby of correcting paint, you'll likely to enjoy it and spend thousands and thousands on cool stuff to help maintain your new car!

 

any product that you use with your hand will likely not be able to get rid of the swirls.

because your hands just cant generate enough power to do so.

you will be just "filling" in the scratches or swirls if you do try by hand. which is a bandaid fix at best.

 

remember, when washing use the two bucket method with grit guards!
one bucket with soap and water and the other just plain water as your rinse bucket.

this will ensure that your wash media will be clean each time you drag the microfiber cloth against the car's body panels.. leaving you with swirl free paint!

even tags on the microfiber cloths can leave swirls and scratches, so make sure your wash media is clean and if ever dropped, use a new cloth.

 

^ This is great info. I use this method.. I even do a foam soak to start off sometimes.

 

I would question if you even want to try to polish the swirls out on that plastic. Do we know what's on top of the plastic as that's what you would be polishing down to remove the swirls.

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't use a dual action polisher on that even with a very mild abrasive. You risk completely ruining it. Frankly I wold try to find some product that will act as a fill (like some waxes do on paint) and just use that on occasion. Or maybe take it to a quality auto detailer in your area and ask for suggestions. I'm guessing it won't take a pro long to fix that small area - shouldn't cost too much provided it can be buffed out.

 

^it's plastic.

a dual action orbiter WILL not burn through paint.

<----------i detail cars.

 

you can use the dual action polisher on anything.
glass, plastics and it will polish out the scratches.

 

Kia Sportage that I took 12 hours on.







and yes, i took the DA on the A B and C pillar moldings.

 

filling it in is a bandaid solution and will wash right off the next time the car is washed....

 

Aye - I'm an (amateur) detailer myself! But I only stick to paint correction - I've never taken my PC DA to a non-painted surface.

It's my understanding that you're leveling the clear coat when you polish painted surfaces - my (amateur) concern was that there's no clear-coat on the plastic - so what is it that you're leveling? What do they put on the plastic on the B Pillar to make it glossy?

 

technically, you're grinding away at any porous surface.
but the PC7424XP is so weak it wont allow you to burn through anything.
even if you ramp up the RPMs to the highest setting, it still wont take off too much material.

I want to upgrade to the Griots DA as its more powerful and will take less passes to correct paint, but risks are involved.

risks are involved any time you use the machine....but to play it safe, use the least aggressive pad with the least aggressive product.

I cant answer the question about what makes the plastic glossy, but that would be my plan of attack. to attack it with the PC7424XP and some finishing product.

 

Here's my 13 Accord after I spent the weekend doing a full paint correction! The shine is so deep it gives the car an almost blue tint when the color is actually modern steel metallic.

 

Hey - quick question. I've got a white car for the first time in my life and while giving it a good post-winter cleaning I'm noticing some little spots of rail dust. What's the safest plan of attack for that? IronX then clay then some light finishing polish - followed by a good sealant? That's my thought but as I just polished the car last Fall I don't want to do the whole thing again - maybe just where the rail dust is?

 

^that's it!
the ironx and clay will remove the rail dust spots! then seal the car to protect it!

 

if you happen to marr the paint with the clay; then your only option would be bust out the machine to correct the paint

 

I liked it so much I tried that in the tub last night.....*lol* No swirl marks here but I have such deep wrinkles that no wax would cover them anyway!

...and don't offer to use your orbital to get my wrinkles out cause I haven't told you where these are yet!

 

Thanks for all of the replies and advice. The two bucket method is an GREAT idea for correcting the issue in the future. Not sure why I haven't thought of that before! After sleeping on it and looking back at it today, it's not THAT bad and I'm afraid if I start with machines and polishes I may make a worse mess... So I may seek a pro to look at it or just wait and see how it all turns out. Those shiny pieces seem to muck with finger prints super fast so it may hid any imperfection anyways Thanks again!

 

^^ The funny thing is I always tell my passengers to close the doors by using the painted surfaces of the car and not that black shiny part because the smudges drives me nuts!

 

Lol I tell my friends use their elbows on those door parts!

 

Dealgirl, best not to touch those pieces anymore except for regular washing. The material is so soft it's very susceptible.

Cheesypoofs, I'll do you one better, get a Nanoskin Autoscrub pad for your DA. You'll never use clay again. Its faster, as effective, and can be reused indefinitely (even if dropped).

 

Thanks - those have been on my radar for a little while - might pick one up before I do my wife's car this Summer.

 

It is probably the blue applicator that put the swirl marks in the plastic B pillar trim. If that material is solid thru color plastic than a plastic polish and a microfiber cloth and using good old elbow grease will do the trick. It doesn't take much to polish. Then just wash that area, don't try to polish it.

Be sure to break in that nanoskin before you put it on your car. Or.. break it in on your wife's car! lol