syee99

Just tried to do a quick polish and wax today, but I'm running into an issue that's annoying the heck out of me. First off, here's what I'm using:

Orange Pad with Optimum Compound
White pad with Megs #9
Black pad with FS UPP

All applied using a PC 7424. I'm running the PC on 5-6 on the dial.

Car is a Nighthawk Black TSX.

I know the problem originates in the 1st step of my process. For some reason, after doing the Optiumum compound process, it seems to have certain spots that are very cloudy/hazy and I pretty much have to go over these spots again and again to actually clear this hazy finish off. It's more of a pain in the a$$ because of the fact that I can't really see whether it's cloudy or not until I wipe the product off at which point, I have to do another run of it. It seems to clear itself off after several attempts at buffing the cloudy spots but it's frustrating having to do this over and over again.

Also, the frustrating part about today's detail was that even after all the polishing and waxing, there's still swirls... Maybe not as bad as before, but they're still there and it's bugging me...

Anyways, any suggestions on how to get rid of the cloudiness quickly and effectively? I'm sure it's probably something in my technique or perhaps the pads are worn or I just need a change in product? This will be the 3rd time I've used these pads (I bought them a year ago). I was them after every use so they should be fairly clean...

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

i am not too sure what meguiars #9 is without looking it up on their website, but for sure with optimum compound and orange pad you are seeing some micro maring which is normal for an agressive setup like that...you will need to get to a swirl remover next followed by a very mild polish to finish it up, then top it off with your upp....the problem with going to agressive is that you need a few more steps to bring it all back...

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

alrighty, just got done looking up #9...seems to be a filler as well as an abrasive free swirl remover...what you need to do is get yourself some true polish, like optimum polish and go over your paint again with a white pad and then finsh it off with your upp...i bet that would take care of your problem in no time flat...

Jesstzn

Drop the #9 and get Optimum polish or Megs #80 Speed Glaze for the white pad as your second step to clean up the haze.

Are you seeing the swirls after the compound or after applying the #9?

exceldetail

Ditto..........
And the OC will leave marring as Vin stated. Its designed with some bite for heavier swirls. Also, make sure you take your time with the OC, as it takes some time to break down. That may be part of the problem, your not breaking it down completely. Try it with the white pad on a small area, and use small drops at 12/3/6/9 oclock. Work in, and continue to do so for several moments. Do a top/bottom, then a left/right, then finish up with a top/bottom run. Last run should be a real slow arm movement.
Were here to help.........
If that doesnt help, do Like Jes said, and go with Optimu Polish or Megs Speed Glaze (#80).

syee99

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Yes, Megs #9 is their swirl remover "2.0"

As for the hazing, I see it mostly on the 1st process (Optimum polish). It seems if I spent another 10-15 minutes on the hazy spots, it clears it up. It's almost like it's cleaning a bunch of dirt/crap off the paint because my orange pad is almost grey when I was done with it.

As for the swirls, I'm not sure when it appeared. It was mainly on my hood, which I did on Saturday. Unfortunately, it rained part way through my detail, so I had to take it back in teh garage to finish off the polish and wax. There wasn't nearly enough light in there when I was doing the polishing, so I really couldn't tell you when the swirls came about.

One more thing - the hood is "new" so to speak. I got in an accident around Xmas time and the hood was replaced so it's paint is different to the rest of the car.

conan777

Yeah I agree with the others, you need a mild finishing Polish. I like the Menzerna Brand such as nano polish to clean up the haze left behind by compounding and like Pat said make sure you break your polishes down all the way. WIth a UDM or PC it is not a quick process. Take your time and the results will look amazing. Good Luck

syee99

Thanks again for the suggestions. I'm pretty much finished the Megs #9 anyways, so it's a perfect opportunity to get something new.

I'm pretty sure I'm spending enough time on the panels (I think I spent about 2 hours on the hood alone). What I usually do is put a thin circle of product on the pad and dab it around a panel. I'll then set the PC to 5 on the dial, work left to right across the entire panel, then up and down. I'll then crank it up to 6 and repeat, then drop it back down to 5 again for one more pass. I was thinking in the back of my mind as to whether the product was breaking down properly (as I had faintly remembered reading something like that). I figured that 6 passes over the same spot (with 50% overlap) would be sufficient.

Looks like I might have to go look for some Optiumum Polish and give that a whirl. Any other recommendations in place of Optimum Polish?

SweetJazz

Megs #9 and a polishing pad using a PC is not going to get you anything in the way of clearing up the marring. I have never used Optimum Polish but the Megs #80 should clear up the haze and finish the paint nicely for your LSP of choice. Also, the number of passes does not determine when your polish has broke down. Typically a polish will flash or turn clear in color when the abraisives have completely broken down. Temperature, humidity, paint condition, etc. are all factors to consider when polishing your car. This is why I always recommend performing a test spot first. Once you find the right combo for the test spot then apply the same procedure to the rest of the car.