flyingpuck

So I take my car into the dealer for a small problem and a quick repair. They do me the favor of washing my car for me and then proceed to leave swirl marks ON EVERY PANEL OF THE CAR! I'm shocked, the clearcoat is covered with small circular scratches and they claim its not their fault. Fast-forward about 30 minutes, they take responsibility, and offer to wax the car to fix the problem. Will a waxing fix this? I seem to think it will not, but any advice here would be appreciated. I'm already preparing to go back after said waxing and negotiate a further paint service. Am I nuts to think this waxing won't fix the scratches??? Let me know!

Roleez

I've been detailing cars since I was 14. To really get rid of swirl marks, a good polish (not wax) should be used first to fill in the swirls. This will leave a super-glossy finish. Then follow with a coat (or two) of a good quality wax. To get the best results (and not waste hours of hand-waxing/buffing), use a random orbital buffer. And do not work on a car that's been sitting in direct sunlight for hours. A cool-to-the-touch car is always best. Hopefully the dealership you go to (Rusnak BMW? I see you're in T.O.) will have their detailer restore your car to showroom condition. Good luck!

DrLev99

Will need a polish from a buffer to get out the swirls....Hand waxing won't do the trick.

Good luck!

info@trinityautosport

whenever i go to the dealer i always tell my SA not to have it washed. he knows what i mean and agrees and always writes on the paper in red ink "NO WASH" and underlines it 3 times.

GoRovers

Are dirty rags the culprits that cause swirl marks? (Reading this thread makes me worry about even continuing to take my car to those "high end" "hand" car washes...)

thegre8tone

First thing i would do is NOT to have them fix it...All they'll do is throw some glaze on it...Meaning, a polish with filling properties, thus filling in the scratches in the paint. It'll look awesome when you first pick it up and then wear off after you wash it a few times. To truly fix it, you'll need to have a professional detailer look at it and see how bad the scratches are. I would guess it will take anywhere between 4- 8 hours to truly fix the damage they've done. You could do it yourself, but you'll need to a Porter Cable, several products, and past experience.

Again, the worse thing you can do is have the dealer trying to fix it. It'll probably come back with something worse than swirls...Holograms!!! If you're serious about getting it fixed, go to the forums on autopia.org and find yourself a mobile detailer...If you want a good one in So Cal, PM me and I'll refer you to him...Good luck!

E60Sim

I know the feeling. I do the same when leaving the car to my dealer.

Here in Denmark the dealers use mashine autowashes= swirls all over the car...


Good luck with your car, I hope they polish the car for you, since wax wouldnt be able to do the job

thegre8tone

Yes, dirty rags are the culprits among other things...If you truly want to make sure that you won't be getting anymore scratches from car washes...You'll need to learn how to do it yourself or hire a professional detailer. As I mentioned in the other thread, go to Autopia.org and educate yourself on the proper washing technique...

ivan545

i feel you i had the same problem they always leave my car with swirl makes, so i hate to remind them not to wash my car and they still forget sometimes, i got tired of reminding them already. yeah polish it, it should go away.

vancouverE60

I'm not sure if a polish will fix the problem totally but insist that you take the car to a specialist and get them to foot the bill! thats the only way you can get your car back to the condition it was before the horrible wash... its the least they can do for mucking up your car!