wax streaks or not??

[bean]

i polished my blue truck with meguiars car show glaze and then waxed it with meguiars gold class wax. after doing so, i noticed when sunlight hits my truck the color looks like its alternating from a darker blue to a brighter blue in vertical stripes (the same direction in which i polished/waxed) . Is this what wax streaks are? Or is this another problem? Its been awhile since this, I did it right before I went to college and havent had time to fix the problem until now.

[Magic]

I noticed spots like that on my truck. I believe it's from not removing the wax correctly. I just used my SS MF Towel, and just buffed it out, and it came right off

[Mike Phillips]

There can be lots of reasons for a streaky appearacne after using a polish and a wax, often times its related to technique or product choice, application and removal.

Try this, posted in the Hot Topics forum,

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7820

Final Wiping Techniques
One mention about your final wiping technique. (Not initial removal of product, but after the most of a product has been removed and now you're just giving the finish a final wipe).

Often times I witness people wiping the wax off their car, or giving their car's paint a final wipe using fast, spastic wiping motions. Instead, try this, take your wiping cloth, whether microfiber or cotton, be sure it is larger enough to fold it 4 ways to give you plenty of cushion to distribute your hand/finger pressure more evenly over the surface of the side of the cloth in contact with the paint, and then wipe the finish slooooowly, not quickly like you're trying to put a fire out.

Wipe the finish slowly. Give the substance on the surface enough time to transfer to the fibers of the wiping cloth. Think about it... if you move your wiping cloth quickly over the surface, you're only allowing nano-seconds for any minute wax/polymer residue to transfer from the paint to the cloth, if you slow down the rate of travel of the cloth over the finish, you improve the chance for whatever it is you're trying to remove to successfully transfer to the fibers of your wiping cloth.

If you follow all of the above, always using clean, dedicated applicator pads to apply your products, then removing them using clean wiping cloths, your finish should look clear, gloss, rich in color.

[Murr1525]

There could be a need for a need for a paint cleaning step before polishing as well, to get the best surface prep possible.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by Murr1525
There could be a need for a need for a paint cleaning step before polishing as well, to get the best surface prep possible.

Murr1525 makes an important and relevant point. The #7 Show Car Glaze is a pure polish with no cleaning ability and the Gold Class Wax, like NXT has only a sleight amount of cleaning ability.

What this means is both these products need to be and should only be applied to a finish that in in new condition, that is the paint is clean and free from any contaminants such as above surface bonded contaminants which you would remove using a clay bar, or from road grime, D.I.P., (Dirt In Paint, or another term to describe this is staining, or stained paint, as well as oxidation in any form, light or heavy.

If the finish you are working on is not like brand new, then the products you have applied are the wrong products and as a result you could see streaks in the finish.

So the question is... what are you working on and what condition is it it in.

when you draw the clean palm of your hand over the finish does it feel like smooth, clean brand new glass or do you feel little bump? If you feel little bumps, then you need to clay the paint.

After washing, when you inspect the paint visually in bright light, is it clear and glossy, or dull, hazy and filled with swirls? If the latter description fits your car's finish then you need to either use a dedicated paint cleaner or a strong cleaner/wax like ColorX.

Sorry I kind of glossed over these very important points, I've been trying to take advantage of this holiday time as the forum is kind of on the low activity side of things to work on my how-to book for all these things we're discussion right now.

It's so hard to carve out the time but my goal is to have it done and ready for people to read in the first part of 2006.

Thank you Murr1525 for delving deeper into this new members issues with streaking.

[Murr1525]

Neverminding my bad grammar.. glad to help

[Don]

Originally posted by Murr1525
There could be a need for a need for a paint cleaning step before polishing as well, to get the best surface prep possible.

Very possible, I agree with Murr1525 and Mike.

I tend to notice 'blemishes' like you mention primarily because the product you are using was applied unevenly, or not "worked" correctly. EX - not worked long enough to completely break down or not long enough to completely clean the finish (this also applies to not going over a panel twice if need be)

[bean]

Originally posted by Mike Phillips

So the question is... what are you working on and what condition is it it in.

when you draw the clean palm of your hand over the finish does it feel like smooth, clean brand new glass or do you feel little bump? If you feel little bumps, then you need to clay the paint.

After washing, when you inspect the paint visually in bright light, is it clear and glossy, or dull, hazy and filled with swirls? If the latter description fits your car's finish then you need to either use a dedicated paint cleaner or a strong cleaner/wax like ColorX.

the paint is in very good condition. its an aftermarket paint job and is only about a year old. when inspecting it in bright light its clear, and there are hardly any swirls.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by bean
the paint is in very good condition. its an aftermarket paint job and is only about a year old. when inspecting it in bright light its clear, and there are hardly any swirls.

Hi bean,

Now knowing what you're working on, I default back to my first reply in this thread, that is to make your final wipes nice and slow and methodical.

Three other things to consider that will help you in the future, I'm not saying you didn't do any of these things, I'm just trying to cover all the bases.

1. Always apply thin coats when working with pure polishes, polish/waxes and pure/waxes; Gold Class is a polish/wax.
(When working with cleaner/waxes you want to use the appropriate amount and sometimes this is a light coat and sometimes this is an ample amount. So thin coats for all other waxes.

2. Remove pure polishes immediately after you have applied them. In the Meguiar's line, the only products that need to dry are our waxes, everything else is applied, worked-in and then removed.

3. Aways wait for a wax to fully dry before removing, use the Swipe Test to know for sure if the wax is ready to remove.

How to tell when a Meguiar's wax is ready to remove - The Swipe Test

[bean]

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
Hi bean,

Now knowing what you're working on, I default back to my first reply in this thread, that is to make your final wipes nice and slow and methodical.

Three other things to consider that will help you in the future, I'm not saying you didn't do any of these things, I'm just trying to cover all the bases.

1. Always apply thin coats when working with pure polishes, polish/waxes and pure/waxes; Gold Class is a polish/wax.
(When working with cleaner/waxes you want to use the appropriate amount and sometimes this is a light coat and sometimes this is an ample amount. So thin coats for all other waxes.

2. Remove pure polishes immediately after you have applied them. In the Meguiar's line, the only products that need to dry are our waxes, everything else is applied, worked-in and then removed.

3. Aways wait for a wax to fully dry before removing, use the Swipe Test to know for sure if the wax is ready to remove.

How to tell when a Meguiar's wax is ready to remove - The Swipe Test

Okay, thanks I will certainly follow those steps in the future. But as for now, is there a way to remove the problem? Would I have to re-wax the paint correctly? Or would that only make it worse?

[Tim Lingor]

Hey,

My suggestion would be to re-wax the paint correctly using the steps pointed out above to prep the finish. Even though a paint finish may be new, any exposure to the elements, will to a certain degree, cause contaminants on the paint's surface. Those contaminants need to be removed before applying the wax or sealant. Using a paint cleaner followed by the wax (be sure to use the Swipe Test noted above) should eliminate any streaking, leaving you with a glossy, and deep looking paint!

Tim

[bean]

Originally posted by 2hotford
Hey,

My suggestion would be to re-wax the paint correctly using the steps pointed out above to prep the finish. Even though a paint finish may be new, any exposure to the elements, will to a certain degree, cause contaminants on the paint's surface. Those contaminants need to be removed before applying the wax or sealant. Using a paint cleaner followed by the wax (be sure to use the Swipe Test noted above) should eliminate any streaking, leaving you with a glossy, and deep looking paint!

Tim

I washed the truck before I waxed it, is this a good enough way to remove the contaminants before waxing? Or should some other product be applied?

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by bean
I washed the truck before I waxed it, is this a good enough way to remove the contaminants before waxing? Or should some other product be applied?

Perfect.

Now apply a thin coat of the Gold Class, work it in well, I usually make three passes over the finish whether by hand or machine.

Allow the wax to dry until it swipes clear and then carefully and gently remove the wax. Turn your wiping cloth to a clean fresh side often. Follow the guidelines in the Final Wiping Techniques.

Also... have fun doing it.