Black Paint Frustrations

[Kingsford]

So yesterday I decided to start buffing my new Colorado, It had swirl marks up the wazzoo, well it still does thats why I'm getting upset and frustrated... I've never had this much trouble buffing a vehicle.

 

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves....

 

This first one is after I got upset and just started the process completely over.

 

I hit it with a yellow pad followed by an orange pad and this is what I got.... A **** ton of micro marring and HAZED sooooo hazed.

 

 

So I finished the process up with about 10 passes of FMP... Work the product till it flashed wiped clean... repeated this 10 times. Not 8 not 9 but 10 times. This is what I got.

 

 

It got rid of the haze but its still had micro marring.

 

Then I noticed this..... I worked this spot for 1 hour and it only got worse....

 

 

Finally I got so frustrated I just put some wax on it and gave up.

 

I dont know what the hell to do.

 

:help::help:

 

 

 

I've buffed black paint before and I've never EVER had it look like that after all the work. I've never had the Yellow or Orange Pad make haze like that ether. What is up with this!?!??!

[Odds and Ends]

PC or Flex? How old are the pads?

[Kingsford]

PC or Flex? How old are the pads?

 

PC, 4" Pads because its a small tight area.... Pads have probably been used about 2 times.

[BlueGenCoupe]

step up to the flex or rotary.. I personally don't like the pc...takes way to long and too much effort.

 

Are the pads causing the micromarring or were they there from before?

[Kingsford]

step up to the flex or rotary.. I personally don't like the pc...takes way to long and too much effort.

 

Are the pads causing the micromarring or were they there from before?

 

I sold my Flex because it was too much for me and I wont go back to it. Plus the area is too small for big pads.

 

The Pads are causing the micro marring. Before I started, it was just swirl marks from washing.

[mrmsmop]

that last pic where the scratches are look like you polished through the clear coat. hope not maybe its something else i see but thats what it looks like. black paints a bear.

[Kingsford]

that last pic where the scratches are look like you polished through the clear coat. hope not maybe its something else i see but thats what it looks like. black paints a bear.

 

I have no idea how I would of went through it, this is the first time it's been polished and its a brand new truck.

[mrmsmop]

might have worked the area to much, is that spot where the scratches are grey and dull before you waxed it?

[the1inblue]

What speed are you working it at?

 

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[Kingsford]

Here is a picture from before I even took the PC out of the bag....

 

(Note that in the 2nd picture the hood looks pretty damn good, that was me )

 

The red circle is the area with the scuff.

 

As for the speed, I spread at speed 3 and buff at 5.

 

 

Different Angle.

 

Edited October 2, 2011 by Kingsford

[Kustom_FX]

Jason, is it 100% new, or gently used? If its used then it may have one of those Sealants applied to it. That gave me a world of nightmares on my truck.

[mrmsmop]

is the spot your talking about the gray spot with the scratches right at panel separation?

[Kingsford]

Jason, is it 100% new, or gently used? If its used then it may have one of those Sealants applied to it. That gave me a world of nightmares on my truck.

 

Had 200 miles on it when I got it. It was made in May 2011

 

is the spot your talking about the gray spot with the scratches right at panel separation?

 

The Scuff spot I am talking about is to the upper left of the fender flare. The whole situation of micro marring not going away after polishing is the entire top half of the fender

[mrmsmop]

if its dull and grey before you waxed it your through the clear coat which after working it that long would not suprise me. were you using alot of pressure?

[Kingsford]

if its dull and grey before you waxed it your through the clear coat which after working it that long would not suprise me. were you using alot of pressure?

 

No I wasn't using a lot of pressure and the 2nd pictures I posted were BEFORE I did anything to the fender and it is still dull and grey under the light.

[the1inblue]

If your using the 4inch pads you should be on a speed setting of 4. 5 is too fast for the 4inch pad.

 

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[mrmsmop]

i really think your through the clear coat saw a car (black) looked just like that that was through the clearcoat, i'd have an auto painter look at it and tell you for sure. maybe someone else tried to buff the spot out before you got it and messed it up.

[Kingsford]

If your using the 4inch pads you should be on a speed setting of 4. 5 is too fast for the 4inch pad.

 

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Looked every where (including the new Reference Guide Dylan just put up on the forum) and this is the first time I've heard this.

 

It's been like this since I got it, so I highly doubt it was something I did. I was actually buffing the area because of that mark.

[the1inblue]

Look in Vol 7 videos he explains it there.

 

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[Chris@Adams]

I would put the 6.75 pads back on your PC and start with the Orange pad & SHR, work on 5 or 6 speed go slow and use 9-14 lbs. pressure.Then go to the White pad & FMP. Do a 2x2 flat spot so you will know what you need to do to correct the whole truck.

[Kingsford]

I would put the 6.75 pads back on your PC and start with the Orange pad & SHR, work on 5 or 6 speed go slow and use 9-14 lbs. pressure.Then go to the White pad & FMP. Do a 2x2 flat spot so you will know what you need to do to correct the whole truck.

 

I'm taking it to the dealership and *****ing. I went over the whole truck and found several paint flaws in it, some things I have never seen before. They aren't going to like me but oh well. If they truck needs to be repainted they are paying for it.

 

The only thing that has no defects on it is the tailgate.

 

Why should I pay close to $30,000 for a truck with F'ed up paint?

 

I mean am I wrong to think a truck with 200 miles on it after being driven from Iowa to the dealer should have next to perfect paint?

 

:explode:

[02Xtreme07ss]

I'm taking it to the dealership and *****ing. I went over the whole truck and found several paint flaws in it, some things I have never seen before. They aren't going to like me but oh well. If they truck needs to be repainted they are paying for it.

 

The only thing that has no defects on it is the tailgate.

 

Why should I pay close to $30,000 for a truck with F'ed up paint?

 

I mean am I wrong to think a truck with 200 miles on it after being driven from Iowa to the dealer should have next to perfect paint?

 

:explode:

 

I know how frustrating black paint can be, but hang in there. I do not think you are though the clear. When you break through the clear on a black GM vehicle and get into the base, you'll see a mottled look, it won't be grey. It will almost be like the base is transparent over the primer. I really don't think you are there yet from your pictures. Sadly, I know this only because I have some spots on my DD that I experimented on after someone keyed it a few years ago. Not to mention, you'll start seeing black pigmentation on your pads. If you aren't seeing either of the above, you are probably not through the clear.

 

Take a break and a deep breath, try doing an IPA strip on another panel, then start your process again. See what sort of results you get.

 

The last thing I will say is that you probably aren't going to find perfect paint on a new GM truck. Both my 07 and my 09 TBSS's were purchased brand new from the dealer. Both have various issues with the factory paint. There are some spots on my silver 09 where the metal flake in the paint didn't lay down correctly and caused some 'discoloration'. There is literally dirt and dust nibs in the paint on my black 07. I'm not talking about repaint or repairs, I'm talking straight off the truck from the factory. I would give Dylan a call and see what he thinks you should do next as he knows GM 8555 pretty intimately.

Edited October 2, 2011 by 02Xtreme07ss

[Guest Gone & Forgotten]

Hard to see the first set of pics, grainy. I just posted vids of me doing my new Camaro - BLACK - I feel your pain. I was having some hazing and pad markings - Halogram'ing. Mine was only haze from the pad residue. I only used the 4" over scratches I needed to fine tune and never pulled the trigger full throttle on y 18v Makita drill. I DO NOT use the 4" pads on the PC, don't like it. Big machine, little pads, plastic-ish parts between the machine and my paint - too many horror stories. I also like to forced rotation aspect of the drill. Gets those tough marks out fast, only light pressure, single maybe two passes and it's gone.

 

surely you could polish with the large pads.. ? no? I used them on mine and the Camaro is cut up with alot of those little edges like the Colorado has.

 

I'll be watching this thread closely.

[vinci]

FWIW, I did my black Explorer Sport Trac a year or so back and got exactly the same results you had in the first pic after using the orange pad and SHR. I was ready to mail it in after that, but the FMP/White pad cleaned it up perfectly.

 

The only thing I can see that is different between us is that I used the larger pads only and the "slow cut" process where you go over it at 5, spritz a little detail spray on the pad, then go over it at 6. In no case did I spend an hour in one place, though. If anything, I probably cut the process short a little, but the end results were great! So good in fact that a dealer asked if the truck had just been repainted, and a friend who had been looking at the truck for months bought it the first day he saw it after this.

 

I don't have nearly the experience that others do on here, but thought I would comment since our 1st step results were identical.

[Guest Gone & Forgotten]

Ford clear coat, GM clear coat = 2 different animals. Unsure what the millage is on the two.. I'd love to own a paint thickness gauge.

[3PedalMINI]

Do a search on gm paint. Since 2002 gm has had terrible paint. Since the bankruptcy it's only got worse. My 2010 Sierra had defects all over, luckily when I had it lettered it covered all the crap.

 

On another forum somebudies 2011 escalade looked like the paint was shot outside in the wind next to a gravel pit. On top of that his roof was delaminating. My buddies dads 2010 commaros trunk and side skirt was delaminating. And finally my moms 2002 Yukon is starting to de laminate on the doors and roof.

 

Sorry to say this but I've been to gm regarding the sierras paint the escalade guy is suing and my buddies dad went to gm and they do not warrAnt it. The say sorry and apologize but do NOTHInG to fix there mistakes.

 

Dark colors and metalics are gms worst paint. Something todo with the water based formula and primer. They also have since lessoned the thickness of clear coat for 2010+ models. Be very carefull polishing new gms.

 

Also what I was told is gm dealers are going through glazes by the gallons to help hide the imperfections. I was told to do a ipa wipe of the vehicle before taking delivery of it (my lemon law lawyer told me this if I was going to purchase another GM yahhhh right, like I'm going todo that lol. But it's GTK)

 

Knowing that your new vehicle is a 2011 and gms coats are so thin it is very plausible that you did go right through the CC. Do you know anyone with a paint meter?

 

Good luck man, since you know the dealer maybe yo will get lucky and respray your truck but from my experience and others gm doesnt care.