Paint Imperfections Question

[waldron80]

I just got my PC yesterday for my B-Day. I wanted to test it out and I had some old Meguiars Swirl Remover #9 I had purchased a while back. I tested a small place on the trunk of my 2000 Black Honda Civic. I used the orange pad with the #9 and it did an o.k. job of getting rid of most of the swirls, but not all. I then used some old Black Fire Cleaner Polish I had with the white Pad. Although most of the swirls are gone there was still allot of small minor scratches, dirt, imperfections, or just not that perfect paint look I want. I don't feel like my paint is that bad. Is the #9 not a very aggressive compound? Does polish/cleaner/wax have a shelf life? I was planning on using the XMT 3 with an Orange Pad, XMT 360 with White, then finish with the XMT 180 and I'm starting to wonder if that will not be aggressive enough? Should I purchase a yellow pad? Should I use XMT 4? Oh, yeah, what is MARRING?

Thanks Everyone
:cheers:

I've added some pics. These pics are of my hood after XMT 3 with Orange Pad, the 360 with white pad, then 180 with black pad. Have any of you seen something like this before and how do you correct it. What you see in the pictures is not dirt but little tiny micro scratches that when I run my finger nail over has no depth. It seems as though it is under the CC.

[RJones]

Don't purchase a yellow pad unless your paint is in horrible condition (ie oxidation, major damage). XMT 3 w/ orange pad should be good enough. Menzerna SIP/106ff would be an even better addition to your polish collection.

[n7plus1]

marring:
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) (http://dictionary.reference.com/help/luna.html) - Cite This Source (http://dictionary.reference.com/cite.html?qh=marring&ia=luna) mar http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/premium.gif http://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/luna/thinsp.pnghttp://cache.lexico.com/g/d/speaker.gif (https://secure.reference.com/premium/login.html?rd=2&u=http%3A%2F%2Fdictionary.reference.com%2Fbrowse%2 Fmarring) /mɑr/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mahr] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –verb (used with object), marred, mar·ring. 1.to damage or spoil to a certain extent; render less perfect, attractive, useful, etc.; impair or spoil: That billboard mars the view. The holiday was marred by bad weather. 2.to disfigure, deface, or scar: The scratch marred the table.
[Origin: bef. 900; ME merren, OE merran to hinder, waste; c. OS merrian, OHG merren to hinder, ON merja to bruise, Goth marzjan to offendhttp://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/luna/thinsp.png]

—Synonyms 1, 2. flaw, injure; blot. Mar, deface, disfigure, deform agree in applying to some form of injury. Mar is general, but usually refers to an external or surface injury, if it is a physical one: The tabletop was marred by dents and scratches. Deface refers to a surface injury that may be temporary or easily repaired: a tablecloth defaced by penciled notations. Disfigure applies to external injury of a more permanent and serious kind: A birthmark disfigured one side of his face. Deform suggests that something has been distorted or internally injured so severely as to change its normal form or qualities, or else that some fault has interfered with its proper development: deformed by an accident that had crippled him; to deform feet by binding them.
—Antonyms 1, 2. enhance, adorn.


Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. American Heritage Dictionary (http://dictionary.reference.com/help/ahd4.html) - Cite This Source (http://dictionary.reference.com/cite.html?qh=marring&ia=ahd4) mar http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/premium.gif http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/speaker.gif (https://secure.reference.com/premium/login.html?rd=2&u=http%3A%2F%2Fdictionary.reference.com%2Fbrowse%2 Fmarring) (mär) Pronunciation Key (http://cache.lexico.com/help/ahd4/pronkey.html)
tr.v. marred, mar·ring, mars
To inflict damage, especially disfiguring damage, on.
To impair the soundness, perfection, or integrity of; spoil. n. A disfiguring mark; a blemish.

[n7plus1]

did you clay the are before you polished it?

[scottgt]

megs 9 will only remove light swirl marks...its good for a follow up with a polishing pad

[waldron80]

Yes I did Clay. I just got in the XMT 3, 360, and 180. I applied the xmt 3 with the orange pad, 360 with white pad, and 180 with black pad. I'm still disappointed. I can't seem to get out these tiny little scratch looking marks that are all over the hood of my car. They all seem to be the same length but just in random orientation all over the hood. They are about 3 mm long and they are fine, thin, and white in color. I can run my finger nail across them and it doesn't catch. I can't seem to get these out. Could this be acid rain? I just don't know. Should I use a more aggressive compound or pad?

[alban61]

In this picture, the small scratches/nicks look like maybe it's just dried polish in the chips? Did it look like this before you polished? Couple of people had almost similar problems before and it turned out to be dried polish. Isopropyl Alcohol/water mix was used to get that out. Don't know if that's your problem.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/attachments/porter-cable-7424-pad-forum/1824d1189207461-paint-imperfections-question-carpics-006.jpg
(http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/attachments/porter-cable-7424-pad-forum/1824d1189207461-paint-imperfections-question-carpics-006.jpg)

[alban61]

The larger spots in this picture, almost looks like CC failure. But I could be wrong.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/attachments/porter-cable-7424-pad-forum/1827d1189207979-paint-imperfections-question-carpics-018.jpg

[waldron80]

Yes, It was like this before I polished. I was counting on the XMT 3 to get it out but it didn't. If the XMT 3 doesn't get it out, what makes you think Isopropyl Alcohol/water mix would work? Also, how would dried polish leave little scratch looking marks? Thanks so much for your help and advice.

[alban61]

Yes, It was like this before I polished. I was counting on the XMT 3 to get it out but it didn't. If the XMT 3 doesn't get it out, what makes you think Isopropyl Alcohol/water mix would work? Also, how would dried polish leave little scratch looking marks? Thanks so much for your help and advice.
If it was there before you polished, then it isn't dried polish as I first thought, and water/alcohol would not help.
Anyone else have any ideas what it could be? :confused:

[xebola]

It looks like etching to me. Do you have really hard water?