I previously posted this at autogeek.net but have not gotten any responses so i figured i would bring it to the fit community and see if anyone has any input.

I currently own a white 2009 honda fit that i purchased about 4 months ago. The car looked clean until i saw it at night under the street lights and noticed swirls and slight oxidation.

I decided to clean it up considering im going to be keeping this car for a while. Now im no stranger to detailing. I was a production detailer for 6 years at a local auto dealer. No experience with chemicals other than what we used in the shop, 3m products and dewalt equipment.

I puchased a porter cable and wolfgang swirl system from A.G.net along with a bunch of other goodies like a foam gun, grits for the bottom of my buckets. mf towels, clay, etc...
Wolfgang Porter Cable 7424 Swirl-Free Kit


My issue im having is after i did the full process on the car step by step with each pad the car looked great during the day. Once i got it back under the steet lights i noticed I had (hate to describe it this way) clouds. Just not nice clear reflections. No real swirls (its not 100% but white is hard to do during the day). Now my spoiler (plastic) looks nice and clear giving a perfect reflection but my hood (which i spent the most time on) roof and doors have this chemical looking cloud.

I washed, clayed, and followed the system. Put the sealer on and whiped it off right away but let the car sit overnight (12 hours) then i used a mothers carnuba wax the following day.


I dont have a very good camera to take pictures with but im hoping someone can point out my error and get me moving in the right direction.

 

Under the night lights did it appear to be almost like a hologram? If it's cloudy then you may have some slight marring usually caused after an aggressive polish such as Meguiars M105. Meg's has a new microfiber system out and you can buy it in a starter kit for around $100, this eliminates researching all the pads out there from Lake Country and Surbuff. I suggest getting the 5" pads since it's a better all around size. But to me it sounds as if you didn't use a low cut polish to bring out the depth. What color is your Fit? Also, before you redo any polishing steps be sure to remove any wax or sealant you may have applied. Dawn dish soap can do this (let it dwell). Sometimes I'll wipe a car down with Isopropyl Alcohol (80% IPA to 20%ish water) after a wash and again between each step (it doesn't take long). You can skip the carnuba wax, for our DD's a synthetic sealant such as Black Fire Wet Diamond or Menzerna Power Lock will far outlast any carnuba and give you better reults. Apply at least 2 coats and you'll be good to go!

 

I just noticed you said your ride is white. Under Halogens when I detail white is always hard to see swirls in. If you have access to a dual LED light then you can pinpoint where you may need more pressure or a very aggressive pad such as lake country's Purple Foam Wool Pad. The problem at the dealer where I got my car was that they used a "permanent" seal called R2000 without consulting with me first, so any factory blemishes or ones caused after their shit washing technique may have been trapped in there. Lesson learned; Never let the dealer wash your new car! EVER!
BTW, I was using a Porter Cable 7424 until it crapped out after less than a year, they fixed it for free and I got a Griot's Garage random orbital and let me tell you, day and night. The Griot's is so much better, not saying the PC didn't do it's job, the Griot's just makes my work a bit easier. Hope this helps.

 

You're going to want to let the carnauba cure out of the elements for as long as you can, whether it's overnight or 6-8 hours. Applying wax to a surface that has been sitting overnight can seal in contaminants that may cause a "cloudy" appearance.

I don't want to offend you as you do say you have the detailing experience. I am curious about this chemical-looking cloud. Could it be as simple as a blotch of wax/sealant that hasn't been properly wiped? Are you doing a thorough "final wipe" at the end of your detail? If under the street lights at night you were to wipe one of these clouds, would this in any way alter the appearance of the cloud?

Are you familiar with the bubbling reaction bird funk has on an auto paint finish when it is left to sit and bake in the sun? Even after wash/clay it still appears as a stain/discoloration in the finish. I would suggest a nice polishing compound, starting with the least aggressive method before moving onto a more aggressive compound. When I come across a stain/discoloration I first reach for Meguiar's SwirlX compound. If I need a more aggressive compound I look at Meg's ScratchX or even more aggressive, Meg's Ultimate Compound. Polish on a clean car and put a fresh coat of wax over the polished surface.

 

There isn't enough information here for an informed reply it really could be any one or several of half a dozen possibilities including polish not fully broken down, wrong pad selection, pads not clean, surface too warm, sealant or wax not fully wiped off, wax sweating, etc. I have never used the Wolfgang products other than the sealant so I don't know how they behave. I do not like the Lake Country CCS pads for wax application or removal and that is another potential cause. In any event it sounds like a lack of adequate lighting contributed.

 

2112 is right on target with the Griots comments! I too am a detailer, but not by trade, unfortunately but I got the Griots complete system and haven't looked back since. I just ordered their 3" random orbital to go along with the 6" one and have the orange pads for polishing and red for waxing, couldn't be easier and I must say, I did my g/f 07' Mazda 6 back in April and clayed half the hood and it was so bad but when I was done, amazing! Recently I did another detail to her car and because it was only 2 monthes later I only needed to use Griot's machine polish #2 (a bit more aggressive than 3 but I like how it works) and finished it with the Griots caranuba stick, looks like a deodorant stick and this stuff has 33% caranuba content.

I think you need to wait a while and let those products kinda wear off and do another detail and see what happens or if your a real go getter, do the entire process over again and concentrate in that area. I know Griots says there's no reason to apply any pressure to their wheel and I bet its like that with the PC too. I'm wondering if the dealer didn't do the damage, could need some professional paint correction.

Not to hijack the thread but because I'm new to the wheel and was so timid about using it for so long and am so happy that I now have it, please let me share some pics....

Griots machine polish #3 and caranuba stick, about 2 monthes old




Griots machine polish #2 and caranuba stick, just done this past weekend




Griots machine polish #2 and Griots Best of Show wax




Machine polish #3 and Griots One Step Sealant w/Klasse All in One mixed in






Thanks to Griots and their system, I'm a fiend when it comes to going to carshows now, I look at the finish on every car and its hard to believe how many have swirls Thanks Griots!!!

 

Nice details there Klasse. Especially on the fit. I use a bit of pressure on the Griots and I wonder if that may be the OP's problem. Maybe some photos under halogens or LED could help us diagnose this better. I've been getting interested in using more of Griots products aside from just the buffer but I want to wait until I use up existing product. Are you feeling good about the product lineup?

 

One thing is for certain - the paint on the Fit will drive you nuts! I use a 2 bucket system, nothing but Meguiers microfibers and I will still gets swirls from time to time. Hope you can get things corrected with the next go around. I am getting ready to do a 2 day detailing on my car for this big car show weekend after next and it will all be done by hand.

 

Nice gloss factor there K.A.! The reflective quality is where it's @ 4me2. Really nice +rep
Big Mike