Ultimate compound left surface faded and dull?

[Trauma]

So I have a 2011 Wrangler, its a year old now and it has some deep water spots and swirls all over I want off. (Its black, total pain in the *** color)

I picked up some ult compound today and used it lightly on a 6"x6" area of the hood to test it out. It left the area dull and with noticeable circular patterns from using the product.

Am I supposed to be using something afterwards to buff the surface back to a shine or did I just ruin my paint with this stuff?

Mind you I was not aggressive in my application in any way.

[MirandaAutoSpa]

Re: Ultimate compound left surface faded and dull?

HI sorry to hear that it left your finish dull and swirled.
I assume you used it by hand?
I have found that it works great with a DA polisher myself, but if you don't have one...
Well depending on the paint, was it ever repainted? It may be very soft clear coat.
Try using a less aggressive product, like SwirlX or Ultimate Polish. Or even just a Cleaner Wax.
It certainly sounds like your paint is soft.

[davey g-force]

Re: Ultimate compound left surface faded and dull?

Yes, it sounds like your paint may be on ther soft side. UC is fairly aggressive too.

Don't worry, you haven't ruined anything! You will be able to restore the shine with a less aggressive product such as SwirlX or M205.

[the other pc]

Re: Ultimate compound left surface faded and dull?

What did you use to apply the UC?

Some applicators can swirl a surface even if the chemical doesn't.



pc.

[Trauma]

Re: Ultimate compound left surface faded and dull?

I used a different applicator and while it didn't buff the surface or remove scratches it did remove water spots and the dull fade came off.

By hand I assume I'm not likely to be able to cut deep enough to do any irreversible damage if I'm not working a spot for an hour.

[marquette]

Re: Ultimate compound left surface faded and dull?

For the water spot i believe you should clay it first. UC apply by DA seems cannot remove water spot unless you do some overpass as it wil make your clear coat thinner. As for the faded and dull paint, did u apply it when your hood is in hot condition? Don't worry, you can make it shiny again as UC might need another polishing or finishing step. M205 will solve your problem in no time.

[dtuna42]

Re: Ultimate compound left surface faded and dull?

UC can be anything and everything from very mild to very aggressive. It all depends on the applicator and the application. If you want to be mild, use a soft foam applicator pad (IMO, cotton/terry and microfiber applicators are much more aggressive), and apply with very slight pressure and an even / flat grip on the pad (to avoid finger marks). Work it in gently and briefly, and wipe off gently with a soft microfiber.

If you did "over-correct" some spots, you definitely can follow up with something milder, such as SwirlX, to smooth out the problem areas and get rid of some hazing...