Look what happened to my car!

[BMW443]

This is what my car looks like after being "detailed" at a local shop.

The glaze and black wax hid all of the damage for about a week.

After talking to the owner, I found out that the glaze was done with a wool pad.

(Sorry for the low quality pictures)

http://i.share.pho.to/248a66ad_ss.jpeg (http://pho.to/6R1yl)


http://i.share.pho.to/a2de5105_ss.jpeg (http://pho.to/6R1yl)


More pictures:
Share.Pho.to | This photo set was shared via Share.Pho.to (http://pho.to/6R1yl)



How bad does it look?

[swanicyouth]

Looks pretty bad. But it can be fixed.

[Kamakaz1961]

Wow That sucks!!! swanicyouth is correct; it is fixable. I would look into the 2-step correction phase. I like Menzerna FG400 and then polish with SF4500. Flex 3401 VRG Orange Pad and White Pad. Now that is me and I am sure you will get different opinions!

I am sure there are many brands available that do the same thing. But whatever you do, DO NOT take it back to the same guy! If you can fix it yourself I would.

I feel for ya....sorry to see that on such a nice ride!!!

[rms64]

Ugh...hate to see that. It can be fixed as others have said here...and welcome to the forum! :xyxthumbs:

[RTexasF]

Live and learn.

[StreetShotz]

Fixable, but clearly the "detailer" had no idea what they were doing.

Usually see this with budget detailers. How much did they charge you to install those scratches?

[GenesisCoupe]

Unless this car was 10x worse and customer opted in for a 1 step correction...

[EVOlved]

Congrats on the DISO (detailer installed swirl option) and DIHO (detailer installed hologram option).

Seriously if you post where you are I am sure we can find you someone good to take care of that. Granted it may cost a bit more than that hack did. DO NOT GO BACK TO HIM!!! Get your money back.

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Hi, welcome to AGO.

Hate to see a new black M235i jacked up by a hack detailer. But this is fixable. IMO, I would invest in the tools to do it yourself so that way you can correct it now and also later on down the road.

Keep us updated so we can help you reach your goals.

-Mike

[BMW443]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Unfortunately, I had already dropped the car off again to be fixed right before making this thread. The main issue was that the car looked slightly worse after the first detail.

The first detail (pictures from first post) I was paying for a clay, polish, glaze, then synthetic wax.

Different products and pads were used the second time (swirl remover, polish, carnauba). The swirls are less noticeable in the sun than before the first detail. Car looks decent when walking around it.


I used a different camera setting this time, so I'm not sure if those hologram lines are caused by the flash or settings:


http://i.share.pho.to/b5cd66dd_l.jpeg

http://i.share.pho.to/c2369cf4_l.jpeg

I only paid $190 total so I guess this is acceptable for that price? I was told that wetsanding would be needed to correct it further (which I thought was BS :nomore:).

I'm looking into getting the Porter Cable 7424XP from here once I have a complete understanding of the correction process.

[Davidsousa]

That sucks. When bring your car to any shop , ask questions. How long have you been cleaning cars? Are you certified? If not, do you have pictures of your work? Can I take a look at your shop? Are you insured ? If you want your car reconditioned the right way by the right people, don't be afraid to ask questions. My customers know what their getting when they come to me. Professional work. If I can't correct the paint, I don't take the car. It's not fair to the customer.

[Blackthorn One]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Unfortunately, I had already dropped the car off again to be fixed right before making this thread. The main issue was that the car looked slightly worse after the first detail.

The first detail (pictures from first post) I was paying for a clay, polish, glaze, then synthetic wax.

Different products and pads were used the second time (swirl remover, polish, carnauba). The swirls are less noticeable in the sun than before the first detail. Car looks decent when walking around it.


I used a different camera setting this time, so I'm not sure if those hologram lines are caused by the flash or settings:


http://i.share.pho.to/b5cd66dd_l.jpeg

http://i.share.pho.to/c2369cf4_l.jpeg

I only paid $190 total so I guess this is acceptable for that price? I was told that wetsanding would be needed to correct it further (which I thought was BS :nomore:).

I'm looking into getting the Porter Cable 7424XP from here once I have a complete understanding of the correction process.
The holograms were caused by their rotary buffer. Wet sanding isn't what should be done to fix them. A DA can fix holograms. It's the best way. The holograms weren't caused by the flash or the settings.
As far as the other scratches, I don't know if they caused them with their buffer or not. Too bad you can't get a refund.
This is hack detailing.
If they are polishing like that, you shouldn't have to pay for a glaze. The glaze hides their holograms, their mistakes so their work looks better than it is when you pick it up. They benefit from using the glaze.

[ShaunD]

Hey there BMW443. Welcome to AGO. Sorry it's under these circumstances. Where are you located?
The paint/clear coat on your BMW is some of the softest OEM paint, and usually requires finishing with a finishing pad, not wool. When the package included polishing and glaze I would have questioned the detailer's techniques right away before even thinking about dropping the vehicle to him. The damage I see can be corrected with a light polishing and or finishing pad using a finishing polish. I would do a full two step on this car unless there are defects deeper than the holograms. BTW, your camera isn't creating holograms, the hack detailer created all those for you.:) The car is covered with holograms and micro marring from the wool and rotary that was used. This is not a car I would recommend you to learn on, even if it is with a DA. Especially without knowing the paint thickness after it has gone two rounds with Mr.Hack "the detailer".
In the right hands a rotary with a finishing pad can finish out BMW Jet Black to a deep black pool of wetness. Sometimes with soft clear like on your car, a DA can leave tick marks/DA haze. If you can locate a forum member near you, then I would recommend seeking them out to help you correct the holograms properly. Definitely not by wet sanding and a rotary with a wool pad though.:)

[AutowerxDetailing]

DO NOT LET THEM WET SAND YOUR VEHICLE! The technicians working in this shop obviously have no idea how to properly polish a vehicle. Just think what damage they would do with sandpaper...

At this point you basically have 2 options:

1) Take the vehicle to a reputable shop. Interview the MGR and/or technician(s) scheduled to work on your vehicle and understand the process they intend to use to fix the holograms. Make sure they intend to remove them with a finishing polish using a dual action machine polisher and NOT USE A GLAZE.

2) Do it yourself.

[Audios S6]

Call them immediately and tell them not to touch your car. They don't have a clue what they are doing and they are wasting clearcoat chasing a problem they don't understand.