Problems with Meguiars Ultimate Polish

[jeffinjapan]

So I'm fairly new to detailing, but watched every video and read every "how to" that I could come across trying to pick up the basics. So I bought a 2004 Subaru last week (black) and while the paint didn't look horrible it had some swirl marks and hard water spots on the roof, so I decided to try Meguiars Ultimate Compound followed by a Maguiars Ultimate Polish using a PC 7424 polisher and buffing out by hand using microfiber cloths, needless to say the results were far less than satisfactory. First of all the compound failed to remove any of the swirl marks or water spots, this after repeated passes working in small areas, but the real problem was when I got to the polish, it was almost IMPOSSIBLE to remove by hand, even after using the PC in small 1' x 1' areas, using plenty of product; the entire car now has this hazy look to it. I even tried doing it again today using the Ultimate Polish by hand using a new foam applicator, and it turned out even worse...

Any tips on what I might be doing wrong?

[ffboy]

Re: Problems with Meguiars Ultimate Polish

Meguiar's polishes, compounds/cleaners are not to be applied and removed like wax. You will encounter problems if done that way. You have to massage them into the paint until it becomes a clearer, and is removed while wet. Did you use the correct pad combination? It could also come from using too much product, so instead of the compound breaking down and getting clear, you may be ending up with too much unbroken down product drying on the paint and making removal real bad and difficult. If not, it can either make the paint look hazy or remove none of the swirls.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Problems with Meguiars Ultimate Polish

If you are having a hard time wiping the product off it almost certainly is due to working the product too long (ie letting it dry too much), and/or using far too much product.

How long are you working the product into the paint? How fast are you moving the pad across the paint while polishing?

How much pressure are you pushing down with? Is the pad movement being altered due to the pressure at all?

[ffboy]

Re: Problems with Meguiars Ultimate Polish

I've had success correcting paint by hand, so it should be even much better for you since you have a Dual Action polisher. Try using less product, far less than what you were using and work slower and maybe add a bit more pressure. Don't lose hope, you will get there soon. All it takes is a bit more practice and exposure to detailing. And when you get there, you will be hooked and have keener eye for keeping your paint as flawless and shiny.

[wifpd4]

Re: Problems with Meguiars Ultimate Polish

Please tell us how you prepared the car for buffing, washing?, claying? Also what pads were you using? Were you working outdoors or indoors? Also mention what settings you were using on the PC.

Also sometimes water spots and swirls need slightly different methods to remove them. It's always worth the extra effort of searching that on Meguiar's.

Photographs usually help the folks here analyze your difficulties. Good luck working through this difficulty.

[NZ ECO1]

Re: Problems with Meguiars Ultimate Polish

David has asked some good questions there. If you were working outside on a black car even on a not so hot day, if the sun hits the polish it gets tough to remove pretty quick.
The rest I would say is down to technique. The roof isn't the easiest panel to work on as a beginner either. Depending on how tall you are you may be on a step ladder, reaching forward a bit or a combo of both.

[waterbeads]

Re: Problems with Meguiars Ultimate Polish

Meguiar's polishes, compounds/cleaners are not to be applied and removed like wax. You will encounter problems if done that way. You have to massage them into the paint until it becomes a clearer, and is removed while wet. Did you use the correct pad combination? It could also come from using too much product, so instead of the compound breaking down and getting clear, you may be ending up with too much unbroken down product drying on the paint and making removal real bad and difficult. If not, it can either make the paint look hazy or remove none of the swirls.

hi..u mentioned to remove it while it is wet...im als new to detailing...ill be cleaning my car this weekend so needed some advice..i will be washing then will be using a clay bar. so after clay i will polish the car and on top of that will use ultimate paste wax...and i will be doing all by hand..the paint is in good shape with very less swirls...so my question is how to apply the ultimate polish as i will be using my hand...u said to wipe it wile its wet..please need some guidance..i am using the polish to get more gloss and depth..

also what do u recommend..should i use UP or Synthetic Sealant #21???

[Murr1525]

Re: Problems with Meguiars Ultimate Polish

so my question is how to apply the ultimate polish as i will be using my hand...u said to wipe it wile its wet..please need some guidance..

Since you are not really looking to remove swirls/scratches, it is pretty simple. Just applying it to the panel with a little more pressure that you would a wax. Then remove from the panel before moving on.

On the hood, roof, etc, maybe 1/4 or 1/2 a panel a time.

It can be easiest to sort of wipe over the area to remove the bulk of the product, then wipe across again to remove more , or the rest.

also what do u recommend..should i use UP or Synthetic Sealant #21???

If you mean UP = Ult. Polish, then those are not the same.

Ult. Polish is a mild cleaner/polish.

#21 is a synthetic wax, kind of the older version of Ult. Wax.

[ffboy]

Re: Problems with Meguiars Ultimate Polish

Also, Ultimate Wax is the most durable wax/sealant meguiars has to offer, so I would just use that instead of having to buy #21, and should have the edge on dark paint. If you still have problems with Ultimate Polish drying up on you, I would just reapply/rework the area with more Ultimate Polish to reliquify it. Same goes with Ultimate COmpound, like dissolves like.

[Blueline]

Re: Problems with Meguiars Ultimate Polish

S when I got to the polish, it was almost IMPOSSIBLE to remove by hand, even after using the PC in small 1' x 1' areas, using plenty of product; the entire car now has this hazy look to it. I even tried doing it again today using the Ultimate Polish by hand using a new foam applicator, and it turned out even worse...

For what it is worth, I had the same issue with UP when I tried it as a replacement for ColorX. Black car, in the garage. Just tried a 2 x 2 area on the trunk and it WAS impossible to get off. Thought I was going to have to use paint thinner to get it off. KIDDING. Thankfully I found a supply of ColorX which removed it. Probably my technique, (I will accept responsibility) because many seem to use it fine, but I would never use that stuff again. Anybody want a slightly used bottle of it?

[dwg51357]

Re: Problems with Meguiars Ultimate Polish

I had the same problem when I first used UP with a DA. Thanks to help from the Megs vets here, I learned that I was using too much product and not working it in enough. Now, for a 2x2' section, I use 3 or 4 tiny dabs of UP on the pad and work it slowly for 6 section passes in alternating directions, then wipe excess with MF towel. Also, am cleaning my pad with an old bath towel between sections. Results are terrific.

[drumdan]

Ultimate Polish has become one of my favorite products to use. It took me a minute to get used to it when it first arrived. I used it on an 09' Honda Civic yesterday, and even on their shiny, garage kept silver finish, UP deep cleaned the paint, and brought out a beatiful gloss, and reflection.

I used it on a pc with a white ccs pad. Just like the user above me mentioned, three small dots of product, and six passes. I cleaned the pad after every other pass with a brush. No problems whatsoever. For me, less is more with UP.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Problems with Meguiars Ultimate Polish

Wow, an extended discussion on an old revived thread - we don't see that too often!

There is another potential issue going on here that has yet to be addressed. It is a bit surprising that the OPs issue is on a 2004 Subaru and not a brand new one, because we're getting numerous reports of new Subies using a paint that is very difficult to deal with. Specifically, on this new paint they're using it's darn tough to wipe anything off - compounds, polishes, waxes and from a wide variety of brands, not specifically our products. And these reports are coming in from very elite detailers across the US with years of experience doing absolutely top notch work. In short - these guys know every trick in the book.

Our COO has a 2009 BMW M3 coupe that exhibits similar issues. It's the only car I've ever worked on personally that even M205 is a pain to wipe off of. And M205 is usually a breeze to work with. Doing two cars in the same day, including this BMW, is a real eye opener because on the first car everything just works the way one would expect it to, and then on this M3 it all just all just falls apart. Same day, same weather, same garage, same buffer, same bottle of M205 (or anything else) and it's just a huge fight with this car. Now, we know that there was some sort of an issue in the painting process at the factory with this car because a few years ago we did a full wet sand, cut and buff on it and there was extreme swelling of the paint during the compounding process, concealing the sanding marks and frustrating us to no end.

The point here is that sometimes you come across a particular paint that just doesn't like a particular product (or, in the case of the newest Subarus, a paint that doesn't seem to like much of anything applied to it!). The good news is these really annoying paint systems tend to be few and far between, but they can be factory paint or repaints. We had the exact same issue on a restored (and therefore repainted) 1959 Ferrari 250GT that we detailed at RM Auctions in Monterey, CA a couple of years ago. Everything else was fine on it except Ultimate Polish.

Again, from personal experience, I've worked a car, just one, where M105 was instantly turned into a gummy mess on the surface and was completely unusable. I've seen one car, just one, where every single quick detailer used on it left a film that you could run your fingers through and leave streaks, but those streaks would eventually disappear as the film took over the clear areas. Just the craziest thing, but it turned out eventually that M34 Final Inspection was perfectly fine on it. The car had been waxed with NXT Tech Wax 2.0, which we've seen on thousands of cars without causing any sort of issue with any quick detail spray.

We could go on and on with examples of paint systems that react in really bizarre ways to very common inputs and products but we think you get the point here. Of course, for someone new to this hobby it's extremely frustrating and very hard to sort out how to overcome the challenge. Detailing forums like MOL and others, along with manufacturer's call centers and even discussions on Facebook exist for these reasons - to help people figure out the hows and whys of detailing.

[mikepro66]

Re: Problems with Meguiars Ultimate Polish

I use Ultimate polish, Sometimes it wipes right off, sometimes its hard to remove. For my self... I use a quick detailer spray or right now I have a big bottle of speed shine from griot's. just a light spray and it comes right off. I use the same method for Ultimate compound if it gets hard to remove.

[pontiac1965]

Re: Problems with Meguiars Ultimate Polish

the cowpown makes lines and they do not leave what to do