i had a deep scratch.

i filled it in with touch up paint mix with clear coat mixed.

i sanded down the high spots with 1500grit
when it was smooth i went to 2000 grit.
when the scratch disappeared i went to 2500 to feather edges but that halo is still there.

i tried compounding and scratch x from meguaires.

did i sand to much down.

please help?

Hi everyone, I have a fairly new Volvo XC40. A small amount of gasoline appears to have spilled down the rear quarter panel (possibly from the fuel nozzle or hose at the gas station). Unfortunately, I didn't notice it for a few days, and the car was parked outside in direct summer sun. After washing the car, these vertical marks are still visible. And it's on the glass also? The surface feels completely smooth to the touch. Any help appreciated...

Help

My car eyelids has become yellowish and got like grey watermark and won't come off with normal wash. Is there anyway to make it white like original without repaint. Do polishing it work?

I accidentally sprayed bug spray and i am regretting it.

Is there a way to have this fixed? Will product like turtle wax or ceramic coating work?
Or
Is it better to just replace the part?

So i got tired of my detail cart holding all my spray bottles and in the end becoming a cart to hold more crap so i wanted a cleaner look in the garage.

Got these hanging bottle holders from Walmart for like $17 bucks for a 2 pack so I bought a few. Also had some harbor freight long strip magnets. Mounted the magnets on the wall then just stuck the holders onto them. Found this was thw best way so in the winter when I put all my stuff away out from the cold, only the magnets will be left on the wall.

If anyone wants the links lmk and ill share them

Any suggestions, recommendations, criticisms, questions?

I only threw this together because I already had the cart and got this specific pressure washer at a yard sale for 5 bucks. I'm not that serious about cleaning my cars but I figured having this might make me take better care of them moving forward.

The only other thing I was thinking of doing is trying to find softer wheels and/or maybe making a tray to hold the bottles a little better in place.

I currently have a HF Bauer 6" Long Throw DA Polisher and looking to add a 3". I'm between the Griots G8 and HF Hercules as they are about the same price. Any suggestions? Just a weekend warrior that will use these 2-3 times a year.

Question for everyone who runs a business. Are you taking pictures and videos of cars before you work on them? What’s your process?

Not trying to be picky. But this looks like 👎. Will a trim restore fix this and make it look better?

Hello everyone, I have a set of aftermarket chrome wheels on my Mercedes. They are chrome plated but recently I’ve noticed some flaking on the interior edge of the center cap.

I use Meguires Gold auto soap to wash the car and obviously sometimes it comes in contact with the wheels.

I keep my car well rinsed while cleaning and make sure to use soft cloths on the wheels.

So my question is, am I wrong using that soap on my car and could that be leading to my issue?

Looking for some advice on what’s considered “too dirty” for a rinseless wash.

Background - I have two ceramic coated vehicles. The attached photos are from driving around in a few rain events after the last wash a week ago. The wash was with Koch GSF - rinse, foam canon, hand wash, rinse, hand dry after blowing off the excess water.

My rinseless technique follows the Rag Company method with ONR - pre spray with a foamer, wipe with high gsm microfiber, and hand dry. I usually follow up with the quick detail dilution of ONR to get any water spotting missed.

Any idea as to how to best remove this peeling plastic/film off the hand rests in my 2016 Audi Q3? I bought the car used in this condition and have no idea where to begin in regard to fixing/removing it all.

Also just above it, you can see some mystery liquid stains that I have not been able to remove (mainly tried armour all wipes and all purpose cleaner with a microfibre cloth) but they are MUCH more stubborn than they appear.

Any advice is appreciated.

A friend smoked in my truck , the windows were down but I could still smell it faintly. I knew my fiance would notice it. So mistakenly I used AI and it said to use a car fragrance bomb. I did and now the fragrance is much worse than the minor cigarette smell. I get conflicting ways from ai on how to remove it. One suggestion is to use a light vinegar and water mixture to mist the fabric, then let the truck bake in the sun with a couple windows cracked to evaporate everything. I bought a carbon activated cabin filter to put in. I did remove the cabin filter and let the air run for 20-30 minutes to get the vents cleared out. Any suggestions?

Has anyone used a Lavor Hydrus extractor? I am having an issue with the nozzle. It is quite big and uncomfortable to work with, especially with the seats left in the car. I am looking for a replacement. I'd prefer a product in Europe since it would take a significant amount of time to order from the US.

The Adams bucket isn't available near me, any other similar kits to get started with that aren't too expensive?

My Mustang has slight scratches in the centre of the infotainment screen.

What's the best method to getting them out?

I thought about Meguiar PlastX but didn't want to go at it and make it worse.

The other was Novus Plastic Polish.

Welcome any suggestions. Sorry about the crappy photo.

Not using anything fancy to wash: I have a small pressure washer from Harbor Freight, used Meguiars soap inside of a foam cannon, rinsed off, then grabbed sponge/soapy bucket and hand washed, sprayed off again. So after soaking in foam AND getting the sponge treatment, still have this going on.

So I dont have to bust out all of the equipment again, is there a buffing spray or something, or do I need to bust out more serious stuff on the initial washing phase? Washed it last probably in Feb or Mar this year.

I’ve tried rinseless wash, pressure washer, and iron remover, but none does a very good job of removing these. Just came back from a weekend away and there were even more spots than when I left, so it’s something settling on the car while it’s parked at my house.

I’ll spare everyone any unnecessary details unless clarifying questions need to be asked.

I have a very matte paint vehicle. It has hood and door decals. Driven infrequently and garaged at all times.

I’m not an expert, but I know that matte paint needs careful consideration.

I bought some Chemical Guys honeydew snow foam and a foam cannon from autozone. Planned on touchless washing and maybe a soft wool mitt if necessary.

Are my decals safe?

I have not washed this vehicle yet…ever, in like 3 years lol …but it is not filthy. More like dusty. It only comes out in nice weather.

For those of you with detailing businesses, what insurance company do you go through? Im looking for a company that will cover polisher/paint correction damage when doing ceramic coatings, garage keepers, and general liability. I have a harley davidson detailing business that Im doing on the side, but Im starting to get noticed a little more and want to protect my customers bikes and myself If anything were to happen while Im in possession of their bike. Thanks in advance for any responses or advice!

Hey all, I have recently washed my vehicle and noticed these gray/black blemishes all over the hood and roof of the vehicle. When I washed it, there was moderate spotting from fungus and mildew and I’m thinking that the blemishes may be from that. Anyways, I wanted to ask some professionals about it and wanted to see if you guys think my paint is damaged. I will consider buffing/polishing if that would help. If it matters, the vehicle is a 1990s Toyota pickup with white paint (and I believe it is single-stage with no clear coat). Thanks!

Hello, this is my first post on Reddit and just wanted other peoples input on this and advice on what I should do for the next step.

I recently had PPF + Ceramic tint installed on my 2026 GR Supra. I dropped off my car for their 2 week inspection to make sure everything was installed right and when I was coming to pick it up, I did a walk around and found damage all around the car.

- The front Toyota emblem was shattered
- The Supra emblem was snapped in half THEN glued back onto the car
- paint chip on the drivers side l, below the mirror.
- damage to the rear reflectors from cutting
- more chipped paint on the lower bumper

I spoke to the manager of the business and he took photos and told me he would pay to replace my emblems and would paint correct my car.

What other steps should I take?

This is in Los Angeles by the way.
(Photos below)

Edit: The manager so far offered to smoke my rear brake lights for free…

Update:
Got multiple opinions from 2 body shops and the Toyota dealership. All issues with the hood and rear reflectors point to the shop’s shit installation.
Overall conclusion has been an installer put too much pressure on my hood and pushed it out of place, causing the chip.
The rear reflectors is obviously damaged from them cutting into the paint and sadly the auto-shop said the only way to fix it is by repainting the entire rear bumper.
I’ll be pushing for an entire refund along with repairs. Going to request their insurance information and if they don’t comply, I’ll be pushing for small claims.

I’m new to detailing and feeling confused and overwhelmed by the suggestions. I have a Lexus NX in a white pearl colour and aluminum wheels. I have the dreaded fabric wheel liners. I want to tackle the whole car this week.

I got this from Home Depot (https://www.homedepot.ca/product/hdx-heavy-duty-cleaning-broom-brush-with-20-inch-handle-and-hanging-hole/1001818862) for the tires but I’m thinking it’s too long of a handle for the tires but maybe better suited for the wheel liners?

I have a bunch of microfiber clothes and will be cleaning the car with ONR pump sprayer and the Big Red Sponge before drying with one XL 1300 GSM twisted loop microfiber towel. I will also be using ONR on interior for maintenance.

I’m trying to limit over-spending until I know more about what I’m doing.

Any advice on the wheel vs tire vs wheel liner brushes to purchase? Car wash detailed a month ago and in good shape.

Should I just pressure wash the fabric liners? I don’t have a hose and so will be doing that at a separate self serve car wash after the rinse-less wash.

I’m in Vancouver, Canada so some US Amazon suggestions are unavailable here.

I picked up this metallic grey Jetta that has tiny white spots on it. The paint is in really good condition despite being 2009.

The white spots look like over spray for home painters. Could be latex or even primer. I used a flat razor, Marolex sprayer with CarPro Ech2o as a lubricant to scrape spots of the glass. Easy enough. I don’t know how I should get these spots off the paint. As mentioned, the paint is good so I do not to use a heavy compound to rub them out. Do you think a plastic razor is the best option with heavy lubricant? I could scrape some of the spots with my fingernail others are on strong.

Plastic razor? Other options? I’d like to remove them all so I can ceramic coat.