What am I doing wrong?

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Jak259

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So I have a black truck (my first mistake) and it's killing me. Everytime I wash it I notice more and more swirls. I just don't know where they're coming from. I thought I was doing everything right. I do a two bucket wash. Adams shampoo. I rinse it off really well before washing. I dry with a great white waffle weave towel. Then I detail spray using double soft microfibers. I dobt know if it's just me noticing what was there already or it it's more. I find myself looking at every black car or truck I see and I say " Damm I don't want mine to look like that! " I've only had the truck 3 months and at this rate I'll be correcting the paint every year!

Any suggestions? :frustrated:


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Z77Z77Z

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Stop looking at it...lol that's what I have to do to keep my sanity
 

Andy578

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in my experience this is just what black does which is why i went with white. there's a few products made just for black that can help but they don't usually last long
 

GlOcKnRaM

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Yeah its the price you pay..I had a black Silverado that I washed like every week, waxed 4 times a year and clay bar twice a year! Wax is going to be your best friend when it comes to owning a black vehicle!
 

jojo2012

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Yeah, black is pretty hard. When you see the swirls, try wiping them with your finger. They may just be left over product, from your microfiber not being dry enough. There is a product called Ultimate Waterless wash, that I use as like a drying agent on dark vehicles, and I haven't had any issues with swirls after using it.
 

Andy578

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Yeah its the price you pay..I had a black Silverado that I washed like every week, waxed 4 times a year and clay bar twice a year! Wax is going to be your best friend when it comes to owning a black vehicle!

yeah my motorcycle was black and was a real nightmare. i pretty much had to wash it every time i took it out. one thing that did work very well was a black detailing spray which gave it a wet look and actually looked like fresh paint but it was very short lasting
 
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Jak259

Jak259

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Yeah, black is pretty hard. When you see the swirls, try wiping them with your finger. They may just be left over product, from your microfiber not being dry enough. There is a product called Ultimate Waterless wash, that I use as like a drying agent on dark vehicles, and I haven't had any issues with swirls after using it.


I have adams waterless. Do you spray it on the wet truck after washing? Then towel dry? I may start using the blower to dry.


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charonblk07

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Welcome to the joys of black vehicles. With my last truck I was doing a M205 correction once a year because of the abuse the paint took in our winters and the only place to wash it was the local wand wash.

You seem to be doing everything right to keep the paint intact, but it's always an uphill battle with black.
 

jojo2012

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I have adams waterless. Do you spray it on the wet truck after washing? Then towel dry? I may start using the blower to dry.


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Yeah, I just take a water hose, with nothing on the end of it, and let the water sheet over the vehicle from top to bottom. There should not be a lot of water left on vehicle. Then I spray it on, and wipe it off, while I dry vehicle. So basically it helps dry the car, while also being like a quick detailer.
 

SprayTech

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Is it possible you're buffing the paint and putting swirls with the micro fiber?
I just use mothers carnuaba gold wash, and Maguiar's wax. I really loved glass wax, but can't find it anymore.
Once in a while if I start to see swirls I'll use Maguiar's hand rubbing compound.
And I use regular terry cloth towels.

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[email protected]

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Bottom line, any time you contact your paint, you have the potential to add swirls. In order to figure out what is causing the swirls, you need to do a full paint correction and remove the current swirls. In other words, you need a clean slate.

PAINT CORRECTION
Start by washing your truck. It is good you are using a two bucket system. Do you have Grit Guards in both buckets? If not, get some! Also, I use two different colored Grit Guards, so I use the same bucket every time for soap and the same bucket gets used for rinsing. I usually throw 2 ounces of All Purpose Cleaner in the wash solution to cut any grease during a strip wash.

Also, I use a larger wash pad (Adam's Merino Wool or Jumbo Pad) on the top half of my car and a smaller pad (Adam's Pro Wash Pad 9x9) on the bottom half. This is important because the larger pads are good for covering more surface, but they are difficult to handle down low and have the potential to pick dirt off the ground when cleaning low vehicles. Also, the bottom half of your vehicle will be the dirtiest part and you do not want to introduce that dirt to the rest of the paint. Wash pads are cheap, relative to your time and paint. Buy two new pads. Buy good ones. honestly, I would skip the drying process and go directly to clay.

Once you're finished washing, clay the truck. Have you clayed the truck yet? Put your hand in a thin plastic bag and feel the paint. Clay the paint and glass until it feels smooth using the bag. With the limited info on this post, I'd be willing to bet the truck hasn't been clayed, or clayed correctly and you are pushing impurities across your paint when washing, drying and waxing. You can use Detail Spray, Car Shampoo, or Rinseless Wash as lubricant. I keep a bucket in my feet as I clay. If you drop the clay and it hits the ground, it's trash. If it falls in the bucket and the bucket has a Grit Guard, you can reuse it.

Once the truck is clayed, use whatever paint correcting system you have. I prefer a machine, but don't know your setup.

Once corrected, a good coat of sealant is required. Additional coats may be a good idea, if this is a daily driver and going to see a lot of use. Sealant will not only prevent impurities from embedding in your paint, but it will also help wash pads glide over the paint. Sealant will also prevent water spots. I apply sealant in a circular motion, either by hand, or machine.

PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
Once your paint is corrected, you need to identify any issues in your cleaning process. There is a 90% chance the damage occurs during the wash and dry process. Hopefully you have two buckets with Grit Guards and two new wash pads at this time.

When I wash a vehicle, I use a straight sweeping motion with the pad, usually going the length of each panel. Use light pressure and let the pad and soap remove the dirt. Using straight sweeps is important, especially if you plan to dry the vehicle with a towel. This will help you determine what is causing the damage.

I do not dry my vehicles with a towel, unless I am in a pinch. I use a Blaster Sidekick or Air Force Master Blaster (I have the Sidekick @ my house, the Master Blaster @ our shop). Anytime you contact your paint, you can scratch it! If you remove contacting your paint from any step, it removes the risk of scratching! That $80 Blaster Sidekick will look cheap compared to your time to correct damage.

If you have to use a towel to dry, I recommend a waffle weave microfiber, like Adam's Great White Drying Towel. When using the towel, spray the paint, one panel at a time, with Detail Spray. I also prime the towel with Detail Spray, to prevent a dry towel from contacting the paint.

When drying, go in straight lines, perpendicular to the direction you went with the wash pad. By doing this, you will be able to determine whether the wash process, the drying process, or both are causing the damage. Sealant should be applied in a circular motion and this will show in the swirls as well.

Hope this helps you figure out your problem!
 

AdamsPolishes

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Ahhhh, the joys of owning a black vehicle!!

My last 3 vehicles have been black, and they are a full time job to take care of, for sure!

Correction once per year isn't out of line at all, and it all hinges on the level of defects in your paint you can live with (i.e., how crazy you are. ;) )

You're using a solid wash process, and that's key to minimizing swirls/scratches. You'll never be able to totally avoid them, and that's no more evident than on black paint, unfortunately.

As you mentioned, a dryer is a great investment to add to your arsenal. With black, the less you touch your paint, the better. Blowing off the majority of the water means less wiping to dry, and less wiping = less swirls!
 
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Jak259

Jak259

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Thanks for all the insight guys. Yes I do have two buckets and grit guards in both. Do use two wash pads(from adams). And do use adams great white towel. Everything I have that touches the paint for wash and dry is from adams so I know it's good stuff. I think I will do a paint correction and start fresh. Nor sure when. Gotta find a lot of time and energy because I know it's a big job. The paint isn't as bad as some may think. I'm just very particular. To the normal person they'd say it looks great.

I'm defiantly gonna invest in some kind of blower to dry. I agree with less touching equals less chance to swirl.

Thanks again!


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THETANK

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my last 5-6 vehicles have been black and I have yet to see any swirls. I use light pressure when touching the paint and always do everything in a straight line as opposed to a circular motion. Good luck and have fun.
 

chris*1989

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I found with my trucks and street bikes, your best bet is to go completely touch less in the wash. Pre-soak, soap, and rinse. Get a bottle of spray wax as opposed to the car washes cheater wax, and your best bet is to do it in the car wash after the vehicle is dry. The second you move, you're going to throw some dust or debris onto the paint and then swirl it around when you wipe the spray on.
 

Cobayashi

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may i ask what is the water source that you use as well as the drying method that you use, this may have been covered in the thread i just skimmed through it quickly. in south louisiana we have the hardest water in the planet earth, so on my water hose that i primarily use to wash my vehicles i have a watts 52002 2-stage filter online before my hose, with a contaminant and a mineral filter. from what i have learned in the past few years that even if you take 1,000 safety steps to insure that your not damaging your paints surface, if your washing with contaminated water your wasting your time. i have been doing this for a year and i still towel dry using minimal pressure with a more high dollar drying towel. one other thing that i have learned is never dry with a bone dry towel always always damp your towel before you begin drying. with these two steps both my 2013 sport and my wifes 2012 gmc acadia are both black and this method has worked flawlessly for me these past two years every time.
 

Pull Ya

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IMHO--the least amount of "touching" you can do is the best. Use a blower to remove as much as the water as you can and always try to wash your truck when the surface is cool and if you can, wash in the shade. Always good to use a spray detailer on the truck before you dry--I also add Opti Spray Wax to my bucket of wash water. It works great.
Jay
 

tbond669

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Hey guys got me a 14 Ram Big Horn Edition back in June...love the black color especially when it is clean...whew...hard to start that way...today I tried a few products you guys had mentioned...seemed to do pretty well...Washed with a microfiber hand mitt...hand washed the suds from a spray down at the local wash...Meguiers Chrome Wheel Cleaner...spotless rinse...wipe down with microfiber towel...then applied turtle wax black detailer...Meguirers Tire Gel...thought it turned out pretty good...I want to play with several products...lol thanks for all of you guys insight... uploadfromtaptalk1407030958208.jpguploadfromtaptalk1407030977900.jpg
 
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