2012 Black Tacoma

[differential]

About two weeks ago, I purchased a new black 2012 Toyota Tacoma Pre-runner. The truck was manufactured in October, and the paint is almost flawless.

This weekend, I washed the truck with Meguiar's Ultimate car wash, then followed up with some Ultimate Polish. I used the ultimate polish in areas where there were water spots leftover from the wash.

All in all, I was not very pleased with the results. In the shade, the truck looks amazing, but when looking at it in the sun, where I polished looked a little bit hazy.

I used brand new microfiber towels and wash mitts. What am I doing wrong?

[Murr1525]

Re: 2012 Black Tacoma

What did you apply the polish with?

How much pressure was applied?

[differential]

Re: 2012 Black Tacoma

I used a round micro fiber wax applicator. Also, I did not use too much pressure. Probably about the same as using a computer mouse on a desktop if that makes sense.

[Murr1525]

Re: 2012 Black Tacoma

And you did mean hazing like swirls, not just a cloudy/residue look?

That would seem to be a very mild approach. You dont have any other products at the moment, like a cleaner/wax? Or maybe a smooth foam applicator?

[differential]

Re: 2012 Black Tacoma

It's kind of hazy and cloudy. It doesn't look like it was too abrasive, and it's not detectable in the shade, only in direct sunlight. I'm thinking maybe a follow up with some instant detailer may help?

[Murr1525]

Re: 2012 Black Tacoma

A detailer is always good to try on a problem.

[Andrew Wilson]

Re: 2012 Black Tacoma

Just as Murr suggested, you could use a Detailer and see if that solves the problem or you could also try applying the same product with a foam applicator. They are a bit less aggressive than a microfiber applicator, which could be causing the cloudiness.

[Shawn Devlin]

Re: 2012 Black Tacoma

New car prep completed by dealers don't typically have the best track record for quality, search 'dealer installed swirl marks' or 'DISM' in case you are not familiar with this "option". The products and processes dealers use can involve very abrasive means such as rotary polishers, wool pads, improper technique, or any combination of these and other contributors will lead to a poor finish before you have even been handed the keys.

What does this have to do with your less than desirable results? Well, it is entirely possible the products used by the dealer filled in the shoddy work performed by the individual who prepped your truck, and your wash and light hand polishing simply removed these fillers hiding the defects they created. This poor prep is going to be much more discernible on black than other colors, so immediately you are going to look at your own attempt at polishing as the cause of the hazy finish.

How to correct this? The next steps are up to you, the suggestion for finding a reputable detailer to get you back on the right track is certainly a good one if you are hesitant about taking your efforts any further. If you prefer to tackle this yourself AND what I speculated above actually is the case then Ultimate Polish alone probably isn't going to be enough to do so. Since you are working by hand you may want to step up to something more aggressive such as a bottle of Ultimate Compound, then follow it with your Ultimate Polish. Before you go and try this on your truck do a small test spot, if you are happy with the results then proceed to duplicate the process on the entire vehicle.

As far as working by hand to maximize your effort you may want to check out this nice article on hand polishing techniques, it is a few years old but still completely relevant. As far as the mentions of SwirlX in the article, just use the Ultimate Polish you have in its place:

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?30910-Tips-for-removing-swirls-by-hand-with-SMA-Technology

Good luck, and keep us posted!

[Buck91]

Re: 2012 Black Tacoma

When I used UP on my 96 Mustang I noticed that if I worked the product in to the point where it dried AT ALL it was extremely tough to remove and resulted ina hazy like appearence. Simply applying more UP and wiping away was my cure.