Paint not shiny.

[JesusTheAgnostic]

Hello everybody so I have a problem. I don't know what to do about the paint on the roof and hood on my Sonic. The rest of the paint shines great. But the roof and hood kind of look like they have water spots and or tree sap on them. They kind of look like spiral notebooks when they've been in your backpack for too long and they get those discolored marks on them. I've clay barred the entire car and have tried turtle wax premium rubbing compound followed by their premium polishing compound. It made no difference. It removed some really annoying scratches the car had but that's about it. All the marks are still there.

Anyway some help would be appreciated I attached a picture. I think.

 

[2014 Blue RS]

Man I hope the clear coat isn't going. That's the first thing I thought of.

 

[JesusTheAgnostic]

I have no clue but it's only on the hood and roof. The roof is the really bad one. Everything else shines.

 

[Chrish051873]

ouch, have you used a claybar on it yet?

maybe it is some wax that did not get removed completely.

Chris

 

[AdorableKaren]

First thought was El Paso heat and sun could cause the damage. Do you park in full sunlight often or garage your sonic?

 

[Natesriv]

Time to get the pro's involved. I'd take it to a detailing shop for their opinion and an estimate. That might buff out, but they might have some better buffers and polishing compounds (in several steps) which might get that out.

Also, if it's just the hood that can be painted by itself and a color match won't be necessary as the car shouldn't have any fade by now...

Looks like a mesh of fine scratches in the clear... or some sort of chemical damage....

 

[nickalltogether]

The picture isn't that great, but if you can answer some questions I may be able to understand what your problem is a bit better and start helping you.

First- Where do park the car typically? Is it garaged, outside in the shade, under a tree, etc.

When you used clay bar did you use lubricant? You should either use clay lube or instant detailer as a lube for clay bar - even then, clay bars can mar the paint. With that being said, the Mother's or Meguiar's clay bar kits that you buy at the auto store are incredibly fine and only get out the smallest contaminants in paint. Something such as sap, overspray, or metal impregnation would need a heavier clay that can only be found through more specialty sources. Since you used Turtle Wax elsewhere I'm guessing you used the readily available fine bar.

How did you apply the rubbing compound and polish? Was it by machine or by hand? If by machine, did you use an orbital style or DA style? If by hand, what kind of process did you use? Rubbing compound and polishes take a ton of work by hand before anything will happen with them, so it's possible that the product didn't get worked enough to show any effect.

Did you apply a wax or sealant when you finished? Even if you have no clear coat left I would expect a wax to produce a better shine than that... haha.


TL;DR questions:

1- Where do you park?

2- What kind of clay bar and how did you use it?

3- How did you apply the buffing compound and polish?

4- Did you wax after?

5- If you rub your hand across it, how does it feel? Smooth, sticky, rough, prickly, etc.

 

[Hoody32]

How often have you waxed the vehicle?

 

[JesusTheAgnostic]

ouch, have you used a claybar on it yet?

maybe it is some wax that did not get removed completely.

Chris

Yes! I have clay barred it. Hmm maybe I'll use some soap that removes wax next time I wash my car.

 

[JesusTheAgnostic]

First thought was El Paso heat and sun could cause the damage. Do you park in full sunlight often or garage your sonic?

Don't have a garage, but the car was like this when I bought it. Didn't look too much at the roof I'm not that tall to notice.

 

[JesusTheAgnostic]

The picture isn't that great, but if you can answer some questions I may be able to understand what your problem is a bit better and start helping you.

TL;DR questions:

1- Where do you park?

2- What kind of clay bar and how did you use it?

3- How did you apply the buffing compound and polish?

4- Did you wax after?

5- If you rub your hand across it, how does it feel? Smooth, sticky, rough, prickly, etc.

Okay first, teach me master.

As to your questions:
1. I park half the time under a tree, half the time under the sun :/

2. I used the Meguiar's smooth surface clay kit. I followed the directions on the box.

3. I applied it by hand twice each on the hood. I didn't try it on the roof since I didn't notice a difference between the before and after on the hood. I'm not sure what you mean about the readily available bar in this part though.

4. Yes I did wax after. I applied turtle wax.

5. I'd say probably kinda rough. Though not rough enough to notice. However my car is covered in dust right now for some reason. Basically it feels like i should clay bar it some more.

Thanks!

 

[JesusTheAgnostic]

How often have you waxed the vehicle?

I apply a little bit of spray wax every time I wash it.

 

[nickalltogether]

Okay first, teach me master.

As to your questions:
1. I park half the time under a tree, half the time under the sun :/

2. I used the Meguiar's smooth surface clay kit. I followed the directions on the box.

3. I applied it by hand twice each on the hood. I didn't try it on the roof since I didn't notice a difference between the before and after on the hood. I'm not sure what you mean about the readily available bar in this part though.

4. Yes I did wax after. I applied turtle wax.

5. I'd say probably kinda rough. Though not rough enough to notice. However my car is covered in dust right now for some reason. Basically it feels like i should clay bar it some more.

Thanks!

Sorry it took me so long to respond. I would try a couple of things to start with. Pick a small area to work on (6" to a foot square) that isn't very obvious so you don't end up wasting a lot of time on a whole panel if it's not necessary. First, this is just my opinion so take it for what it is and it's up to you to not damage your paint.

1st- Wash the chosen spot. Because you aren't sure what is on the surface (if anything) I would prepare a solution of dish soap and water for your test spot. Dish soap is designed to break down anything biological (IE- food and grease) so it will strip anything off the surface that is relatively easy to remove. This will remove any applied wax and at least will start working towards your goal of assessing your paint.

Intermediate- If you believe there is sap on the car, you can try using bug and tar remover spray. If you do this I would recommend washing again afterward.

2nd- Dry the spot using a clean microfiber or similar drying cloth.

At this point I would take a step back and look at the paint. Does it look the same as it did before you started? If it does, post back here with another pic, if not then keep going.

3rd- Assuming you're seeing a little shine in this spot not and less cloudiness, I would next try again with the clay bar if you have a little left. Take a clean piece of clay (doesn't have to be a big piece, a third of the bar is enough), knead it together so it gets soft and flat. Spray the panel down with plenty of lubricant, and lightly run the clay across the surface. Do this a few times, keeping an eye on your clay for dirtiness. If you see particles on the clay then you need to fold and re-knead it.

4th- After clay, rinse off and dry the spot again.

You've now reached another assessment step. Look at your spot. At this point, it should be about as clean as it's going to get. You should have a decent looking shine with maybe some swirls or "spider webbing" in the clear coat. It's fairly common to see unless you have been meticulous with detailing up until now.

5th- Put your hand in a plastic sandwich bag, and run your hand across your spot. How does it feel? If it's smooth, you're good. If it feels mostly smooth but you feel the bag catch on spots here and there, then you need to clay again. If it feels like you're running the back across a sheet of paper, post back here.

6th- If you've made it this far, your spot is probably looking pretty good. The last step is going to be wax. Any wax will be fine, different types and grades provide different levels and lengths of protection mostly. Whatever you do, just be sure to wax when you finish.

This is a really basic how-to. I can give more info if needed... I wish I could see the car in person to give you a better idea, but unfortunately I can't. Everything I've detailed to you is fairly straight forward, requires minimal special equipment, and has a very low likelihood of damage.

Good luck.

 

[sonicchev]

I have the same problem with my 2013 Sonic. Only my car is black. I took it over the weekend to a professional detailing shop. They did just about everything. The hood of the car looked great for one night. The next day it returned as if nothing was done to it. The hood was sanded down to remove swirls and scratches. Its extremely weird because they all reappeared as if nothing was done to my car. Today I just got a call from the dealer I purchased my car from (it took 5 weeks) for them to determine that im at fault for waxing my car. I just dont understand how they are able to determine what I did to my car. If waxing was the case, the entire car would look like crap and not just the hood. The damage is an exact layout of the engine. The rest of the hood looks new. I must add that I do not have a garage and it sits in direct sunlight. The paint still should not be the way it is. I'm very disappointed with GM Chevrolet. This is my first new car and I have had nothing but troubles since the purchase. The dealership is also by far the worst at customer service.

 

[JesusTheAgnostic]

Thanks for the help. I'll do this stuff tomorrow morning, and then I'll post pictures. Hopefully they'll be better pictures.

 

[ohio_grad_06]

Been using spray wax on the cars when I wash. This is getting me thinking I may need to get back to paste wax more often.

 

[nickalltogether]

Been using spray wax on the cars when I wash. This is getting me thinking I may need to get back to paste wax more often.

I'd seal/wax a couple times a year then use spray wax to spruce it up after washes. Works for me.

 

[Hoody32]

In the owners manual it says waxing these cars is not recommended. I started a thread about the topic. I believe the moderator named it " to wax or not to wax". If it says in the owners manual that waxing isn't recommend, and you go ahead and tell the warranty department that you have waxed the care then they will surely find you at fault.
http://www.sonicownersforum.com/forum/maintenance-care/11802-wax-not-wax-question.html

 

[ohio_grad_06]

Read down to page 3 on that thread. To not wax the car is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard of imo. So I'll be waxing mine.

Application of aftermarket clearcoat
sealant/wax materials is not
recommended. If painted surfaces
are damaged, see your dealer to
have the damage assessed and
repaired. Foreign materials such as
calcium chloride and other salts, ice
melting agents, road oil and tar, tree
sap, bird droppings, chemicals from
industrial chimneys, etc., can
damage the vehicle's finish if they
remain on painted surfaces. Wash
the vehicle as soon as possible.
If necessary, use non-abrasive
cleaners that are marked safe for
painted surfaces to remove foreign
matter.

Occasional hand waxing or mild
polishing should be done to remove
residue from the paint finish. See
your dealer for approved cleaning
products.
Do not apply waxes or polishes to
uncoated plastic, vinyl, rubber,
decals, simulated wood, or flat paint
as damage can occur.


Notice toward the bottom it says occasional waxing is recommended. Probably means something about like what a detail shop might put on it. Not sure exactly. But every car I've ever owned always benefited from the occasional coat of wax as it helps protect the paint. How many cars even newer ones do you see that people haven't cared for them right and they've got giant spots in the clearcoat coming off or paint chipping? Not me. I'll do a hand wax 1-2 times a year and probably a spray wax at other car washes in between.

Disclaimer, I don't know how to use a buffer, and so I stay away from that. That could be the meaning, that maybe they know the paint is thin, and if you take a buffer to it, you can damage it if you don't know what you are doing, so it's easier to say don't do it.

 

[mightysonic]

Yes! I have clay barred it. Hmm maybe I'll use some soap that removes wax next time I wash my car.

A claybar should get 99% of the crap off the roof. You are fortunate it's just the roof! I had to use one when one of my wife's arts and crafts project went wrong. Basically got overspray from a spray-paint can all over both cars. Eight hours later with a claybar I was able to remove 90% of the overspray from both cars. Why only 90%? Cause it's hot as **** here in Florida and I don't want to pass out from heatstroke. When I get more time, I plan on doing it again to both cars to get what I missed the first time. The 8 hours for both cars also includes a coat of wax.