scratches in clear coat

[Jostudly]

I have a 2009 black Rogue and it scratches really easy. I had my car in last Sept to get it acid washed, clay barred waxed and new clear coat applied but after the winter a lot of crap was stuck on the doors when I washed it. Since I do not have a clay bar I used my finger nail after washing it 4 times to try and get the rough dirt off and it scratched my clear coat again. Is there a better wax or something I can get to make the clear coat less likely of getting scratches on it? I will probably end up buying a clay bar and try and get the dirt off myself and apply another coat of wax but I do not have a buffer to get the scratches out that are already there. Any suggestions as I want to keep the wax to it so I do not have to keep getting it buffed out every time as I heard its hard on the paint.

[TrevorK]

After you get your vehicle professional detailed next time you can discuss having a paint sealant put on. This will help the issue you have of wanting to not wax it as often. A paint sealant is a good suggestion for someone who doesn't want to do waxing and that themselves because it lasts a long time.

[ImStricken06]

I have a 2009 black Rogue and it scratches really easy. I had my car in last Sept to get it acid washed, clay barred waxed and new clear coat applied but after the winter a lot of crap was stuck on the doors when I washed it. Since I do not have a clay bar I used my finger nail after washing it 4 times to try and get the rough dirt off and it scratched my clear coat again. Is there a better wax or something I can get to make the clear coat less likely of getting scratches on it? I will probably end up buying a clay bar and try and get the dirt off myself and apply another coat of wax but I do not have a buffer to get the scratches out that are already there. Any suggestions as I want to keep the wax to it so I do not have to keep getting it buffed out every time as I heard its hard on the paint.

with all due respect, if you even thought of using your finger nail as an option to remove anything from your clear coat; i highly suggest you leave the clay-bar/detail work to the pro's.

your vehicle while driving will be sand blasted, assaulted with rocks, pooped on, rained on, heated from the sun, frozen, and brushed by snow removal brushes. It will also be scratched by the sponge dragging tiny sand and dirt debris while being washed.
Swirl marks are going to happen no matter who detailed your car, or how often. its just a part of life.

PAINT SEALANT: its a sales gimmick just like "window etching". call any professional detail shop and ask them what "paint sealant" is and what it does. Untouched, it last about 6-9months. its worthless, and nothing more than a wax that is put on your car.

your best bet is to hose the vehicle off hard prior to touching it with a sponge, then gently washing it with a car wash soap that DOES NOT CONTAIN WAX BEADS OR ANY OF THAT CLOGGING CRAP, and then dry the vehicle off well. Take a simple turtle wax paste and wax your car every 3-6 months.


(take my advice how ever you feel like it, but detailing is something im pretty good at. here is my work from my girls G37s that was key'd):

[Rogue One]

Wow! And my biggest problem is the pine tree sap on my Rogue. Haven't found any way to remove it safely, but I did cut down the two trees that mucked up the finnish. Now all I have to deal with is the daily coating of pine tree pollen from the woods surronding my house.

[Jostudly]

I will try the clay bar because I cannot afford a couple hundred dollars to detail my vehicle again. And I will find someone with a buffer to try and get the scratches out and re wax. I do believe that Nissan uses cheaper paint and clear coats then other manufacturers like GM.

[ImStricken06]

I will try the clay bar because I cannot afford a couple hundred dollars to detail my vehicle again. And I will find someone with a buffer to try and get the scratches out and re wax. I do believe that Nissan uses cheaper paint and clear coats then other manufacturers like GM.

i STRONGLY urge you to not even think about using a buffer to "get the scratches out". you can burn the paint so easily, its not even funny.
if you want to learn how to properly compound, polish and wax a car = go to the junk yard and ask them for a hood from a car, and bring that home to practice on.

there are groups of colors that require different pressure, different cuts of compound, and different techniques. every sponge is different and more or less abrasive and can only be used with a specific product(ie; compound/polish, etc). There are a lot of techniques that you don't know, that can make or break your work - and can actually begin to remove layers of clear coat. Compound and wax has grit levels just like sandpaper (3000-1500) that takes layers of oxidized clear coat off - so if you work that in to often, or to hard even once - you will remove clear coat and expose paint. DONT DO IT, UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING!

JUST STICK TO WASHING & HAND WAXING!

[c_bova]

If you use a Dual Action Polisher like the Griot's Garage (this is what I have now) or Porter Cable (used to have one of these) chances of burning your paint are slim to none. Also to reiterate about a sealant, it doesn't protect from scratches, it's just a synthetic wax that will last a lot longer than wax and there is nothing wrong with them. I use Meguiars 21 syn wax or BlackFire Deep Crystal Sealant which is great because you spray it on and spread it around and there is no need to wipe it off.

If you want to read up on detailing your best bet is to go over to autogeekonline.net

And I will also say that the paint on the rogue does seem to swirl/scratch easily. I had just detailed my fiance's black 2011 rogue and even with some of my good microfibers it would leave light marks. If you have any other questions let me know. I now unfortunately have to re-clay, polish, and wax again since she got paint overspray all over it from the bus garage across the street from where she works. They did give us money based on an estimate though, but I'll be doing the work myself.

[ImStricken06]

If you use a Dual Action Polisher like the Griot's Garage (this is what I have now) or Porter Cable (used to have one of these) chances of burning your paint are slim to none. Also to reiterate about a sealant, it doesn't protect from scratches, it's just a synthetic wax that will last a lot longer than wax and there is nothing wrong with them. I use Meguiars 21 syn wax or BlackFire Deep Crystal Sealant which is great because you spray it on and spread it around and there is no need to wipe it off.

If you want to read up on detailing your best bet is to go over to autogeekonline.net

And I will also say that the paint on the rogue does seem to swirl/scratch easily. I had just detailed my fiance's black 2011 rogue and even with some of my good microfibers it would leave light marks. If you have any other questions let me know.

WELCOME TO THE FORUM!
glad to have guys like you around to give good advice.

and i do agree that nissan's paint isnt the top notch, like that of Infiniti and others.

[TrevorK]

PAINT SEALANT: its a sales gimmick just like "window etching". call any professional detail shop and ask them what "paint sealant" is and what it does. Untouched, it last about 6-9months. its worthless, and nothing more than a wax that is put on your car.

I'm not sure what magical properties that you have been told paint sealant has that has led you to such negative views of it. Paint sealant will typically last longer than wax, which when someone like the OP is paying for the detailing service will save him money in the long run while still maintaining his vehicle and keep it looking good.

[ImStricken06]

PAINT SEALANT: its a sales gimmick just like "window etching". call any professional detail shop and ask them what "paint sealant" is and what it does. Untouched, it last about 6-9months. its worthless, and nothing more than a wax that is put on your car.

I'm not sure what magical properties that you have been told paint sealant has that has led you to such negative views of it. Paint sealant will typically last longer than wax, which when someone like the OP is paying for the detailing service will save him money in the long run while still maintaining his vehicle and keep it looking good.

i meant it as a add-on feature when buying a car. its a complete sales pitch by many dealers when selling a car.
anything you add to protect your vehicle is a plus, but it depends at what cost. I have seen dealers try and charger between $200-$500 for this "paint protection" that they guarantee will protect your paint and save you money on less car-washes which again- is complete BS.

[kerrton]

I agree with most of what has been said here. Paint sealant as an additional item at the time of purchase is almost always a big waste of money, dealers often charge several hundred dollars for the sealant which is basically a high quality synthetic wax that is designed to penetrate and last longer than regular wax. You can buy your own paint sealant and apply it yourself, this is what I did and I couldn't tell the difference between this and other synthetic waxes I've used in the past, but it seemed to be a good product.

If you are going to do a basic detail on your car yourself to try to remove scratches and don't want to do a lot of research, I would not shy away from a random orbit power buffer but just be careful and don't sit on one spot for too long or let the bonnet get really dry. Keep the polisher moving and follow the directions of the wax your applying. I'd recommend using a high quality synthetic wax, not a cheap wax but there are still the old school carnuba waxes out there but they leave a white residue that is tough to get off plastics and tougher to buff away after it dries to a haze whereas synthetics are very easy to buff out.

Also, I'd highly recommend purchasing a tube of scratch remover wax for $10 or less. I've used this stuff and for surface scratches and it has been pretty amazing for me, completely filling in and elminating the scratches where other expensive waxes have failed. Just be patient and follow the product directions and you'll be fine!

[Jostudly]

Okay thanks for the info guys