When I picked up my car I noticed swirls on the paint under the bright light of the dealership's showroom. This being my first car I didn't think too much about it. However, it still bugged me.

So I went to see a detailer. They tried to remove the swirls by polishing the car. They informed me that the guy working on it tried it on a small section and was not successful. Short of painting the whole car they say it should be wet sanded. They also mention that the swirls are covered by something and that's why polishing did not work.

I am not an expert on this, but what's up with that? How reasonable does that sound? Even if the dealership put the car through a carwash or used someone who did not know/care what they were doing, shouldn't it be possible to remove the swirls by polishing?

At this stage I have no idea what to do. Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

Pictures?

Are you sure the dealer didn't add them? Sometimes they think they're doing you a favor by having it 'buffed' when really all they do is never change the pad and use it on every car the past 10 years and just grind dust and other particulates into the clear coat... that wouldn't be a shocker. I'd make them fix it.

Here's an old thread but it's principles still hold true...
http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7011

But there's numerous of sites out there...
http://tinyurl.com/2vt6oet

 

Go back and talk to the dealer and have them get a detailer out to fix it. Simple swirls can be removed fairly easy with some mild machine polishing.

 

yep the dealership I got my car from washes and buffs the car as part of dealer prep right before you drive off the lot. That is why no matter where I buy my cars from I tell them not to wash it. Its not easy to use a buffer correctly and most wash boys haven't been trained well enough. Does your paint feel smooth? Have you clay bared it yet? I don't think I would let them wet sand it in fact I wouldn't want them to touch it any more. Meguiar's = good stuff

 

Same here, last 2 Ford's I have bought I requested no dealer decal and no wash.

 

If they can't prep the paint, what makes you think they'll know how to wet sand it properly?

 

I would request they pay for a private detailing company to get the swirls out. Like it was said earlier, a mild polish with a machine should take care of it. If you really don't want the dealer or anyone touching your car paint anymore, you can pick up a Porter Cable 7424 kit that comes with the right polish you'll need.

 

I used to be a detailer at a new car dealership, and the only cars we would buff were any trades or auction cars we got that were to he resold on the lot.
We never buffed the new ones, only put the dealer sticker on them. And for delivery, we would wash them and take all the plastic out, then install the floor mats. Where I worked though, we did use a chamois to dry the car, perhaps someone used an old one that was dirty to dry it off. We hardly ever got new chamois where I worked.

During the summer we had to spray the lot down about once a week and dry the cars, plain water rinse and chamois dry. I knew that wasnt a good idea, but thats how we did things. When you are making $8.00 an hour, you dont argue, or you will be replaced.
And yes, dont let the idiots at the dealer detail shop touch your car. Cant tell you how many tines I got to watch a moron burn the paint on a car, then get fired cause he lied on his app about knowing how to buff.

 

I wouldn't let the dealer touch it. They will use the cheapest detailer they can find. Find a reputable detailer yourself and see if the dealer will pay part of it.

 

I will try to get some pictures when the weather is cooperating.

I guess I was not too clear on who did what. The detailer is not the same as the dealer and they are not connected in any way. I went to a detailer and wanted them to get the swirls (caused by the dealer) out. However, the detailer said they could not do that without wet sanding. They claim that there is something on top of the swirls (covering them) and simple polishing would not take it out. It just sounds weird to me.

I haven't had a chance to talk to my dealer but I don't think they would do anything besides washing the car during prep work. The swirls look like regular swirls to me (not scratches or something like that). So I am surprised that polishing can't take care of them.

 

The detailer you spoke with is a hack then. Chances are, if there are no deep scratches and only minor swirling, a good detailer with a dual action or rotary polisher could use M205 and a black pad (detailing lingo) and remove them.

I'd head over to Autopia and see if there are any detailers in your area, then based on replies, check out their work on the site.

Pictures of the swirls would help tremendously.

 

I agree with Overboost , that guy is a hack. Take some time out of your day and go to autopia, or detailing bliss and teach yourself how to properly detail your own car. 98% of car detailers dont know what they're doing and that's the truth. Investing in a Porter cable, some polishes, microfibers, and sealant/or wax would do you wonders. Don't bring it back to the dealer, and dont hire the first person you see.

 

Have you tried Meguiars Swirl X? It's pretty cheap and I would probably try it first, personally

 

I wouldn't. That stuff is idiot-proof, but will fill the scratches in.

 

Isn't that a good thing?

 

No. Filling is the half-*** way to fix it. You actually want to polish them out and remove them.

 

The swirls you are describing are most likely caused by the assembly plant that was fixing a minor paint imperfection. They use a small polisher and compound to do this. It's usually a speck of dirt or paint run that is polished out. The swirls are more noticeable under certain lights and angles. I would try using a good name brand wax on it first which usually takes care of the problem. If not, go to a very good detail shop that knows how to properly use a polisher.

 

Got it. Thanks

 

I would even try going to a good body shop, might even be cheaper. Any good painter knows exactly what to use and exactly what caused the swirls. They won't be trying everything in the shop to see what works, they will know right from the start how to fix it.

 

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