i've used the california duster on 2 occassions on my NBP. After washing and waxing my car yesterday, I noticed a bunch of little itty bitty scratches that you can only see if you put your face millimeters away from the car. I'm worried that I permanently damaged my paint. My question is....... is my paint seriously damaged...or is there a way to repair this....hopefully the dealer put some type of clearcoat protectant? My car is only 2 months old. Someone please tell me there is a way to correct this!

California duster users beware!

 

1) Don't panic.

2) Clear coat and dealers don't mix.

3) You'll be able to get rid of those "microscratches" by polishing your car.

4) Visit autopia.org for thorough explanation.

Lastly, your paint is not permanently damaged. Visit the following link and read on how to determine if your paint is good for restoration:
http://www.autopia-carcare.com/inf-polishing.html

 

A number of members use the CD and I don't recall anyone mentioning those type of scratches. I don't think there is any damage to the clearcoat if you have to look that closely to see it. Look at it in the sunlight or under a very bright lamp to see if it's visible. Nothing a good polish can take care of. Here is a before and after example of swirl marks (from West6MT't thread).

 

I have been using the CA duster for years and I have no issues other than using the cheap worthless CA duster with the plastic handle (wood handle or nothing). Relax, your paint is far from damaged. Since we have no pictures to look at it is hard to tell what those scratches are really from? I would be suprised if the CA duster is the culprit unless you used too much pressure. If you want to learn about polishing and removing swirls/scratches try the Meguiars Online Forum.

 

sammieboy, I know exactly what your talking about. I used my CD on my civic (color: electron blue) for years and I loved it! But when I got my NBP TL and I used it for the first time I noticed all these "microscratches" on the surface I just wiped over. It seems like when you use the CD it moves the dirt around causing these small scratches on the clear coat. Some wax fixed the small scratches but since then I have not used my CD on my TL. I wouldn't recommend the CD for black cars, just because you can see every little scratch/blemish on them.

I just resorted to washing my car instead of dusting it

 

Yes, I'd be weary about dusting a black car because there's no "wetness" there to minimize the friction between the dust and the car.

How about the California blades (squeegies) anybody have good/bad luck with those?

 

With the blade you're squeegieng water off the car after it's been washed, so there's no abrasive dirt there to cause any damage. I've used mine for a couple of years now with no issues.

Just make sure you only use it after washing the car, not to get rain off or something like that. It really does reduce drying time.

 

I noticed the same thing. I have the Royal Blue Pearl paint, and I think it's easier to notice on darker colors. My brother swears by the Cal Duster, but he has a white car. I used it twice, and noticed the scratches - no more for me! I haven't tried to apply wax or buff out the scratches yet, but at least I know they're not getting worse.

 

This thread only confirms what I've been saying. And it has nothing to do with technique.

Bottom line, your rubbing dry dirt across the paint.

 

some are probably applying pressure as they use it. as long as you don't do this, you should be straight.