While it’s easy to tell when a car is dirty and needs to be washed, it’s not as easy to tell when other parts of the detailing regimen need to be performed. The simple answer is that each step should be performed “as needed.” This chapter contains tips & tricks which will assist you in deciding which steps are necessary to perform during each detailing session.
There are many different types of paint issues which can be corrected during a detailing session. The diagram below is a cross section of what average pre-detailed paint looks like. The black blobs on top of the paint represent bonded contaminants and the v-shaped marks in the clear coat paint layer represent scratches. These conditions combine to create an uneven paint surface which produces little to no shine.
Most of the conditions in the diagram above are correctable. Surface contaminants such as bug remnants, tar, & sap can be removed chemically with bug & tar remover or mechanically with detailing clay and scratches can be removed through polishing. After a complete detail, a cross section of your paint would look similar to the diagram below.
Detecting these conditions in your own car’s paint is a fairly simple matter. Being able to detect the defects in your car’s paint will go a long way in helping you to correct them. Each of the two types of paint defect has a corresponding method of correction.
Bonded contaminants are a more common paint imperfection than most realize and can be found on almost any pre-detailed car including brand new cars which are straight off the truck. Sap, tar, and rail dust are some of the most common types of bonded contaminant you will find on your paint. While bonded contaminants are not always easy to see they are always easy to feel.
To detect bonded contaminants all you need is some thin plastic preferably plastic wrap or a plastic zip lock bag. On a clean car, place the plastic between the paint and your hand. While pressing lightly on the plastic, run your hand over the paint. If you feel bumps on the paint then bonded contaminants are present. In order to remove this type of imperfection, simply treat your paint with detailing clay (see chapter IX). If you
do not feel any bumps, then there are no bonded contaminants and claying is not necessary. Be sure to feel multiple areas of the car. Bonded contaminants are most commonly found on horizontal surfaces.
Scratching is also present on more cars than most realize. Of course, there are varying degrees and type of scratching. When the average car owner thinks of scratching most picture the marks resulting from an accident or when the car is keyed. These types of scratches are often extremely deep. However, there are more subtle types of scratching such as cob webbing (a/k/a spider webbing), swirls, and buffer trails which can even more severely impact the appearance of your car.
To detect these types of scratches, you will need to look at your paint’s surface under a strong light. The best light to examine paint under is the sun. Bright sunshine will expose almost all types of paint scratches. If you do not wish bring your car outdoors to examine the paint or are working at night or on an overcast day artificial light can be a powerful tool as well. Fluorescent lights, xenon lights, and halogen lights can all be used to see paint imperfections. It’s a good idea to have all three types of light on hand as each light works better with certain colors of paint and certain types of imperfections. Determining the severity or depth of more subtle scratch can is done visually. Expertise in this area will come with experience. In order to remove these types of imperfections, the paint must be polished (see chapter X). However, not all scratches can be polished out. Polishing removes scratches by removing paint around the scratch until the level of the paint is even with the lowest level of the paint. Some scratches penetrate the clear coat deep enough that you would have to remove much or the entire clear coat in order to put the paint level with the bottom of the scratch.
| Cob webbing | Buffer trails |
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Some other common paint imperfections include paint chips and water spots.
| Paint chip | Water spots |
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The only way to repair a paint chip is to use touch up paint and a “blob remover” product like Langka or wet sanding. Paint chip repair is not covered in the Detailing Hand Book as the book instead concentrates on how to make your remaining paint look as good as possible.
Water spots are a very common problem for many people. These spots can result from several situations like not drying the car properly, sprinklers, or rain. How to remove the water spots depends upon how hard the water was that caused the spot and the length of time the spot has been on the paint. First try using vinegar, detailing clay, or bug & tar remover to remove the water spots. These can remove the minerals left on your paint by the hard water. If this fails then the water spot may have etched the paint. Removing etched spots will require polishing and some etching may be so deep that it is through the clear coat and can only be repaired by a body shop.