Mystery Swirls
 

So when I first got my car, I made the mistake of not telling the dealer to leave it alone so they did a complimentary wash. Once I received it here in San Diego (it was shipped from CO), I had a local guy do a full detail and opticoat.

I just washed it this last weekend using the two bucket method:

• korean microfiber cloths
• grit guard in both buckets
• and other stuff recommended here

So I dry it and I can definitely see swirls in the paint (the car is black). Washing and drying were done exclusively with straight lines so I don't know where these swirls came from. Could they be from the dealer? Or could it be the detailer who did something wrong? I noticed he left wax marks all over little nooks and crannies so I'm doubtful of the quality work he did.

The detailer failed to remove the swirl marks. The swirl marks are only in the clear coat. It must be done by first washing, then claying, then polishing with different "strengths" of polish, then sealing, and finally waxing.

Or the swirls were introduced during your wash. The paint on these cars is quite soft and being black doesn't help.

Get yourself a foam gun and get in to the habit of doing a couple foam pre-washes before going anywhere near it with a bucket and sponge. This will help soften and remove any dirt on the paints surface before a bucket wash. It's the best way to wash a black car and minimise the risk of putting swirls in the paint.

Well put and I totally agree, but he did say he washed only back and forth, but still sees the "circular" swirls, which leads me to believe the detailer didn't remove them and then sealed them in with the opti coat. He could have introduced new marks as most everyone will no matter if you use a foam gun or two bucket, etc. wash, a very small amount of swirls will again be introduced. I would go for a "professional" detail once the current opti coat wears off, and look at the paint before it is either opti-coated again or sealed and waxed.

Or go back to the current detailer and possibly discuss options with him. Especially because the opti-coat doesn't really just 'wear off.'

Then again maybe not since you said he left wax, but it was opti-coated? Was the wax on top of the coating and after the recommended curing time?

Well a few things can happen.

1. You might have put them on there from either dirty MF rags, being too aggressive while you wash or maybe not rinse the MF sponge properly.

2. Detailer did not correct the paint, but merely hid it with glaze. This would re appear if you used any type of soap designed to remove bugs/tar/wax.

Ideally you wouldnt want to use clean MF sponges and very light pressure to wash. Remember you're just letting the soap and sponge do the work. I just lightly drape it and brush off, no need to lean into it. Also, use a wash and wax concentrate.

Optimistically you can just reapply any sort of retail wax on your car and it should help hide the swirls and add depth for a week or so.

Wow thanks for all the feedback guys! I've gotten a recommendation from another member on these forums for a different detailer down in San Diego so I'll probably just pony up and go to him to see what my options are.

And I definitely tried to follow the recommendations others made here. I went with Meguiar's Hyper wash for the soap and really really tried to not apply any pressure. I used this video, posted by another user as my reference: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xobp-uptqtA&feature=g-hist"]Washing Your Vehicle Using The Two-Bucket Method - YouTube[/ame]

I still need to find a quick detailer and a spray wax, but I've read a few threads on here so I have an idea of what to get.

My favorite retail combo is Meg's NXT 2.0 liquid or paste wax, and finish with ultimate qd

My favorite professional combo is Opti Seal + Pinnacle Crystal Mist :D

Good luck!

The swirls need to buffed out with the proper compound depending on the swirls, plus the proper foam pads to remove the swirls.