wax streaks?

[asianisafish]

So I've waxed my car with megs 26. I let it dry and haze up. Then I buff it off. But after I buff it off I can see where the wax was. It is black paint and some parts of the black paint are significantly darker and "blacker". Ad by significantly I mean it is blatantly darker. Am I not applying the wax correctly and getting full coverage? I'm applying the wax with a yellow foam applicator and I'm going in circle motions and I'm cover g the entire panel/car. I don't do straight lines as the wax doesn't cover as well and I end doing more passes. Am I doing something wrong?

[Mask]

"Ghost" on black paint...
The key is to apply thin ;)

[swanicyouth]

This is called ghosting, sweating, hazing, or wax holograms depending on how it presents. There are a few things that can contribute to it:

1. Color of car: more noticeable on black/dark

2. Temps: applying wax to a hot panel.

3. Specific wax: some products are just more prone to this than others. With some waxes, it's very difficult to not have this happen on a black car.

4. Over-application / over-curing: using too much product or letting it sit on the paint to long (less likely than other reasons to cause this).

There are a few solutions:

1. Switch waxes: this is the easiest thing to do, but not the cheapest. Some waxes just ghost or sweat on black in high heat / high humidity.

A trick is to wipe the car down with ice water when your done waxing. It's an old trick - and I doubt it really works. Washing the car again after waxing is a PIA, but can help minimize or eliminate the issue.

This is where more expensive waxes may be worth the $$$$. I can recommend multiple waxes that won't have this issue on black.

2. Switch towels: the best towel to bite off and level wax IME is the Crazy Pile from MicroFiber Madness. This towel can make a big difference for waxes that leave wax holograms.

3. Wax indoors if hot. Remove wax panel by panel.

[jimbob]

I own a black car and have experienced headaches with this in the past as well.

As mentioned, try to apply THIN!! More isn't better in this case. Also as you are buffing off the wax try to slow your arm speed down to give the MF pile a chance to "grab" and "bite" off the wax. I learn that off one wise Mike Phillips. You may have heard of him.

Also, ive found this following step to help dramatically on my black car as well: 2 to 3 hours after the initial wax application go back and apply an ultra thin coat but this time buff off IMMEDIATELY. (Remembering to work in small sections) This completely removes any smears or streaks leftover from the first application for me. Not sure of the exact mechanism, perhaps solvents in the wax helps to remove the excess on the second application. This may just be something pertinent to the specific wax I use but could be worth a shot. Usually I only get these streaks on my bonnet so it's only really an extra 10 minutes or so of extra work

[Kamakaz1961]

Ghosting or Hologram can happen frequently on a black car. All the threads are correct. I use my car and my buddy's car (which is Black too) and test out waxes that ghost or hologram when layered on top of a sealant or just by itself. I usually will let the car stay out in the sun for at least 2 - 4 hours to see if it ghosts or hologram. If it doesn't ghost by then it passes my test.

The easy fix is to get a QD and spray the area and wipe off. Sometimes it will re-appear which sucks!! swanicyouth has the best explanation.

So all these responses from your thread are correct so there is really no need for me to tell you how to fix.

That being said, here are a few waxes that do not ghost or hologram for me. I have about 30 different waxes and always get more.

If you want to try the following waxes I am pretty sure you will not have to worry about the ghosting/hologram affect:

Pinnacle Souveran Paste or liquid
Sonax Carnauba Paste wax
Any of the Son1C waxes
Natty's Blue or Red
Blackfire Midnight Sun
Any Collinite Waxes I would look at 915. 476 & 845. Collinite waxes will ghost ON TOP of a sealant (1st hand experience). They are better wax only.
P21S 100% Carnauba
Menzerna Colorlock

I gave you a wide variety of choices as all IMO are quality waxes ranging from $ to $$$. Give any one of those a try. BTW, AGO carries them all. I hope this will help.

[Daviddear30]

Agreed. Collinite 915 ghosted extremely bad for me on top of iudj and juice boost combo. I had major trouble getting it off. It's a very durable wax. Ended up using mineral spirits to get it all off to start over

[asalesagent912]

So I've waxed my car with megs 26. I let it dry and haze up. Then I buff it off. But after I buff it off I can see where the wax was. It is black paint and some parts of the black paint are significantly darker and "blacker". Ad by significantly I mean it is blatantly darker. Am I not applying the wax correctly and getting full coverage? I'm applying the wax with a yellow foam applicator and I'm going in circle motions and I'm cover g the entire panel/car. I don't do straight lines as the wax doesn't cover as well and I end doing more passes. Am I doing something wrong?
Did you clay before you waxed?