unioncorps

As most of you know, I have an Obsidian IS350. I have followed all of the precautions of proper washing and drying techniques to prevent unnecessary marring, scratches and swirls, knowing that black shows everything and is an unforgiving color. I also purchased quality microfiber towels and wash mit from Amazon, meant for only waxing/washing cars - not the cheap ones you get from Walmart. They've been washed and dried without any dryer sheets.

I've washed my car probably a handful of times since I bought it, but here's my meticulous process:

1. Wait until there is enough shade and car is cool to the touch
2. Hose down the car good from top to bottom to get rid of excess dirt and dust
3. Using the 2 bucket method, apply soap all over the car using plush wash mit and dunk it in clean water before reapplying soap
4. Use a wheel brush to clean the wheels
5. Hose down the car good again and spray off the soap/dirt
6. Dry the car using 2 large waffle weave towels by blotting each section
7. When the surface is dry, apply spray wax to supplement wash using multiple quality microfiber towels and clean the windows

Every time, the car looks immaculate and the wax brings out the wet-look of the dark color of the car.

Then I went to fill up gas tonight under an overhand with fluorescent lights overhead. As I'm filling up, I see thin scratch (not swirl) marks here and there on my new car, but basically in a lot of places upon closer look. WTH?! Despite taking the necessary precautions to prevent this from happening, I see these scratches under this light so I still must be doing something wrong.

Is our paint this ridiculously soft?? Do you guys with black IS's have this issue as well? Any advice/tips? I feel like I'm ruining my brand new car.

blkisf7

Yes the paint is soft but I have an Obsidian IS 350 as well. Amazon wash mitts from brands like Chemical Guys won't work on this paint. I found a strict process that works for Japanese paints, which are notoriously soft. I also have PPF (Paint Protection Film) on the front end of my car, which helps.



Take a look at this video by Obsessed Garage. It's the process that you'll unfortunately have to go through if you want to keep swirls and scratches away. It's costly but I'm passionate about detailing. A lot of car owners simply use brushes at self-serve car washes. I would recommend Microfiber Madness Incredimitts or these Black Japanese sponges by Esoteric Car Care. If you want to get rid of the swirls, find a local detailer in your area for paint correction and then wash it like the process in this video. In terms of detailers, I'd look for one in the modesta network; they are very well-qualified as from what I understand it's hard to get certified for that coating. Let me know if you have any questions.

EvilJoker

Microfiber is really bad about snagging and holding onto dirt and particles, so you end up rubbing them all over your paint. I prefer cotton or wool wash mitt. You may need a good detail... Wash, clay bar, dry, polish and then wax. A REAL wax and buff.

doodlebug

TJR14IS350

unioncorps

Thanks for the tips everyone. I feel so bad right now thinking I've been doing all of the meticulous steps and following the proper procedure to wash the car, only to find out that I'm just enhancing or introducing new scratches.

A few questions for ya'll:
1. Does anyone have better experience with a wash mitt or a sponge (and which ones do you recommend)? I've been using a Meguiars soft sponge, but I'm hoping I'm not causing additional scratches because it holds onto dirt...
2. @Doodlebug: when do you use those towels in your wash routine?
3. I know it's not real wax, but what is the best application to apply spray wax and how do you do it?
4. For those using waffle weave towels to dry the car, how do you dry the car? Do you just blot a section at a time with the towel completely unfolded or gently drag?

doodlebug

Don't feel bad. Right after I got my car I was drying it with a microfiber towel and there was a small piece of debris stuck in it - I put a scratch down my entire hood. Last time I used typical microfiber towels, I was so mad.

2. I use those towels as my washing towel, rag, sponge - whatever you wanna call it. That's what I put in the clean, then ONR bucket for washing. The good thing about them is that I can see how much dirt is coming off of the car and use a new towel as needed so I don't reintroduce debris back into the wash medium.
3. I use Kenotek Showroom Shine after the wash. I spray that on another borderless towel (I think they are Chemical Guys Happy Ending towels).
4. I usually fold the waffle weave into quarters and dry. Of course, I'm doing a panel or two at a time..

Check out the detailing section and search for your answers. There is a lot of good information there.
You can also google/youtube some detailing forums for tons of info and opinions.

unioncorps

^ Thanks Doodlebug. Yes, before I bought my car, I scoured all of the tips and information on what these proper techniques especially for a black car so that's why I'm discouraged now. When you do the spray wax, how do you apply it onto your car? I've been spraying a section of the car then using a clean folded borderless microfiber towel to gently wipe off.

doodlebug

I spray it on the towel, not the car. Overspray on the windows is a nightmare with this particular product.

RKSTRAT

My Black Infinitis were like that. My Caviar IS300 finish seems much more forgiving.
I use a microfiber sponge, the two bucket method, and Chemical Guys microfiber towels.
As recommended I wash the towels in hot water and inspect then for trapped debris before use.
For summer, I used liquid or spray Meguiar's. For this winter, I already applied a Collentite
layer, which should last 6 months.

Flash5

The way I see it, it's damn near impossible to avoid getting minor scratches in the clearcoat. I just two bucket wash with a microfiber glove and call it a day. If you're the type that has the time and will to wash your car for 6 hours then go ahead and try to be super meticulous with washing it. I personally love to take care of my cars, but I refuse to sit there once a week for 5 -6 hours washing my car so I just do my own detailing, paint correction, glaze, seal, and wax once a year to make up for it. Just my personal opinion on the matter, no offense to anyone who does like to be super careful with their paint. d:

osiriskidd

try the gary dean/1 bucket method.
- bunch of towels in a bucket of water/soap.
- rinse car/foam lance it.
- fold the towel you're using so you should get about 4-8 sections on the towel (generally 1 towel per panel).
- used towels go into a different pile/bucket to be rinsed and washed.
- when drying, spray some detailing spray on the dry microfiber towels to help it glide/stay lubricated.

maintaining your wash mitts and mf towels are pretty important too.
- wash mitt and mf towels can be washed together but keep old/dirty towels separated (newer towels for panels, older towels for glass/interior, gross ones for rims/wheels).
- using mild APC and a hypoallergenic/non scented liquid detergent will help clean the fibers without damaging them. (dont use fabric softner/powder detergent since they can clump or leave residue on the fibers).
- wash in warm/hot water but tumble/very low or air dry (high heat can melt the fibers and they can trap what theyre holding or the fibers end up scratching your paint).

wax will only fill in the swirls for a little bit, so you'll still see the swirls no matter how many layers.
best case if you're really chasing perfection is to do a 1 or 2 stage compound/polish depending on how deep those scratches are, and then either do sealant+wax or ceramic+wax.
there are some really good consumer level ceramic coatings you can apply yourself.
- compound/polish
- ISO alcohol wipe to clear the polishing oils
- ceramic coat and let it cure and then a layer of wax OR sealant, cure, layer of wax.

some products that i use:
- Jescar Powerlock for the sealant (sometimes under menzerna)
- Carpro Hydro2 Sealant (I use this one when im in a rush or lazy - spray on silicone sealant that lasts 2-4 months)
- Collinite 845 Insulator Wax (liquid application and a little goes a long way)
- Aquapel (kind of like a ceramic coating for windows)
- Wolfgang Uber Ceramic/Cquartz/Gyeon (all good products, wolfgang is easiest IMO).

also, best way to not get swirls is to avoid touching the paint (i.e. not washing every 2-3 weeks, not leaning up on the car, ect).
once you get a good ceramic/sealant on the car, most maintenance washes should be quick and minimal touching.

good luck and dont go crazy on compound/polish since you only have so much clear coat to work with

EvilJoker

I forgot to mention, the mitts I use, only get used one time on the paint. I buy 6 or 7 at a time (snow white 85-320). Use one, for one wash, then it becomes a wheel mitt. Next wash I break out a new one for the paint. After the wheel one gets used, it goes in the garbage. Seriously, those mitts are only like $2 or $3. Way cheaper than new paint. And Simple Green on the tires and wheels breaks up a lot of road grime, and pulls that yucky brown tint off the tires, so they get that new flat black look again. Spray wax is ok, but its just made for detailing/touch up. Dont rely on it for protection. As far as brands of wax or polish, look for stuff with UV protection. For windows on the outside, I use those white scrubby pads that the window tint shops use. It gets your windshield super slick (you'll thank me later), and your windshield wipers will last longer and work better. I also wax all my windows except for the windshield (sounds silly, but makes a difference).

unioncorps

Thanks for the inputs everyone! To Flash5's point above, I do not want to spend countless hours washing the car but at the same time, I do want it to look good and without damaging it either. Definitely not looking for perfection. It hurts me when at certain light angles I can see scratches on the trunk and all along, I thought I was really being careful knowing already that the car's paint was soft.

I'll invest in a cotton/wool wash mitt instead of a microfiber sponge. For those that use spray wax, what's the best way of wiping it off once applied on the car? Is it using a folded borderless towel and wiping in a straight direction or in a circular motion, until the wax has been absorbed? (and of course the assumption is that all of this is done as gentle as possible on the paint)

LEXSTEW

As a fellow Obsidian black owner I feel your pain. In my case, and likely yours as well, those micro scratches you see where likely there before you took possession of the car.

I won't pretend to have the best method, the method mentioned by blkisf7 is an outstanding route to go, but here is my maintenance wash method I have developed:

1: Rinse the car with pressure washer just to get the paint wet.
2. Use foam cannon attachment with pressure washer to foam entire car.
3. Rinse off the foam. ( Step 2 and 3 where to break down and remove much of the dirt before ever touching the paint)
4. Refoam entire car. (This is to provide extra lubricant for step 5)
5. Begin standard 2 bucket wash method ( I wash with 4 mitts: 1 for top of one half of car, 1 for bottom of half of car, etc).
6. Rinse off car.
7. I dry the car with microfiber weave towels while using a quick detailer as a drying aid.

This may sound like a long process, but I find that the extra foam step leaves me with a much quicker 2 bucket wash.