Using Ultimate Compound, but oxidation is back in a matter of days???

[Kebo]

So I bought my 16 year old son his first car. It is a 2003 Honda Accord. The color is black. it is obvious that the previous owners did not take care of the car. There are spots on the roof and trunk where the clear has come off and the paint is visible. I am not worried about these, as a new paint job is the only way to fix them. I am a newb at using a DA, I have the PC 7424XP. I have always done all of my waxing and so forth by hand. Wow I should have bought one of those earlier.........anyway, while playing with the DA, I have used Ultimate Compound on the hood twice. Each time the paint looked really good afterwards, but within a few days the oxidation was back, not as bad but was definitely visible. Am I not doing something correctly or do I need a different product? Is the UC not strong enough for the severity of the paint. In fairness, it is pretty oxidized on all surfaces that face up toward the sun. I have watched just about all of the videos online on how to use the DA, so I am pretty confident that it's not my technique....... Thanks for all of the help and suggestions.

Kebo

[Murr1525]

Re: Using Ultimate Compound, but oxidation is back in a matter of days???

If the clear coat has failed elsewhere, it sounds like you may be working on an area that is currently failing. In that case, you would see improvement for a day or so, and then back to the whiteness.

A pic would help though.

[Kebo]

Re: Using Ultimate Compound, but oxidation is back in a matter of days???

I will see about getting some pics when I get home, thanks.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Using Ultimate Compound, but oxidation is back in a matter of days???

Did you get any paint transfer onto the pads while polishing the areas that are getting oxidation in just a few days? That sounds as if the clearcoat is gone and the color coat itself has zero protection left, causing it to oxidize rapidly.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Using Ultimate Compound, but oxidation is back in a matter of days???

It does sound very much as though you're dealing with a clear coat failure situation here and not oxidation in the sense we think about it with single stage paints. Clear coat failure can, in some situations, look very similar to oxidation in single stage paint, but the chemistry of what's happening is very different. With a clear coat fails it either starts to break apart or it delaminates from the color coat. In either case, you can't just buff it out like you could with old single stage paints, thereby restoring the finish. It comes down to the different chemistry of the two systems.

[ffboy]

Re: Using Ultimate Compound, but oxidation is back in a matter of days???

If budget isn't a concern, maybe a repainting job would be better since the paint seems really oxidized. Reapinting is costly, but sometimes using compounds may not be sufficient in restoring the showroom shine. What i would do first is to recondition the car's mechanicals (suspension, engine, cooling system, the basics) to make the car rock solid in every way (especially in reliability). It may not look that good because the paint isn't fixed yet, but you'll have peace of mind knowing all the basics are back to like new conditions. Now couple that with a new paint job, and you got an old but fantastic looking far.

Don't wax your car (if you got a repaint) for at least 30days, the solvents have to outgas during that time. Use Deep crystal polish, #7 showcar glaze, or #5 new car glaze during that time. YOu can apply frequently, or as often as needed. It will keep your car shiny, but it won't offer any real protection and it will not block the outgassing step of the paint

[gforgary]

Re: Using Ultimate Compound, but oxidation is back in a matter of days???

So I bought my 16 year old son his first car. It is a 2003 Honda Accord. The color is black. it is obvious that the previous owners did not take care of the car. There are spots on the roof and trunk where the clear has come off and the paint is visible. I am not worried about these, as a new paint job is the only way to fix them. I am a newb at using a DA, I have the PC 7424XP. I have always done all of my waxing and so forth by hand. Wow I should have bought one of those earlier.........anyway, while playing with the DA, I have used Ultimate Compound on the hood twice. Each time the paint looked really good afterwards, but within a few days the oxidation was back, not as bad but was definitely visible. Am I not doing something correctly or do I need a different product? Is the UC not strong enough for the severity of the paint. In fairness, it is pretty oxidized on all surfaces that face up toward the sun. I have watched just about all of the videos online on how to use the DA, so I am pretty confident that it's not my technique....... Thanks for all of the help and suggestions.

Kebo

I'm not sure if you've taken care of this issue yet, but did you put any form of protection (wax or sealant) afterwards? You might be having clear coat failure but if it's out in the sun without any protection, I would imagine it would just accelerate the process. Most wax and sealants have some sort of sun protection, which would be important since the UC would just strip it off.

I have an 2002 Subaru and polished the hood, slapped on some wax, and it just sits out in the sun and has been great. Unless the previous owner deliberately abused the paint it should be recoverable before you decide to repaint the car.