I have an 08 galaxy grey mazda 3 hatch that i try and take the best care of that i can. It seems to get swirls VERY VERY VERY easy hell even thinking about it getting swirl marks probably puts 1 on there thats how easy it seems to happen. I use the 2 bucket wash method with microfiber towels that i clean after every wash. My methods dont seem to be the issue here but what seems to be the issue is that swirls will make themselves seen in between washes even without me touching my car and the hood seems to get them between every wash. I find myself doing swirl removal far too often on the same areas and afterwards it will look good until it gets a light coating of dust even with regular hand washing and using correct methods i cannot find a solution. I use meguiars products swirlx to rid the swirls with a DA and ultimate wax by hand i use a light to look for swirls after ising the swirl x before waxing to ensure theyre gone. Anyone else with galaxy grey or other dark color that has this issue and found a solution. The swirls show up between washes without me touching my car with my hands or anything else in the spots they show up in. I clayed it a few months back to no avail and polish helps no more than swirl x
Galaxy grey and swirl marks that drive me insane
- Thread starter kms1990
- Start date
- :
- San Diego, CA
- :
- 2014 Mazda3 S GT auto, 2008 MX5 6-speed
I've found that it is virtually impossible to make swirls stay away when it comes to darker vehicles (like my deep blue 3 and Galaxy grey MX5). I simply cannot see any swirls in my wife's RX400h "Bamboo Pearl" (very light green) paint, nor could I ever see swirls in my 25 year old white MX6 GT when I had it. I'm afraid that if I'm too swirl-averse with my Deep blue Mazda3, I'll end up removing the entire layer of clear coat with SwirlX.
So, if the swirls are very obvious at more than one viewing angle and lighting situation, I'll remove them but really, I try not to do this often.
The good news is that I cover my cars while at work, so the only time (with few exceptions) people see them is when I am driving. Therefore the swirls are invisible to the average bystander or vehicle driver.
So, if the swirls are very obvious at more than one viewing angle and lighting situation, I'll remove them but really, I try not to do this often.
The good news is that I cover my cars while at work, so the only time (with few exceptions) people see them is when I am driving. Therefore the swirls are invisible to the average bystander or vehicle driver.
Yeah the galaxy grey seems to be way to prone to this as i just googled mazda galaxy gray swirl marks and got a bunch of people with the same issues but no solutions. I guess ill just wax less and do swirl removal only when i wax ill just do it once every 4 months instead of waxing once a month like i like to do. Makes me sad as the color looks great when the swirls are gone. 1st and last dark colored car for me. Im like you i guess i will have to live with the swirls because i dont wanna eat away all my clear coat. Swirlx says its non abrasive though but swirls being knicks in the paint it has to cut down some paint each use.
Last edited:
- :
- San Diego, CA
- :
- 2014 Mazda3 S GT auto, 2008 MX5 6-speed
SwirlX is certainly less abrasive than rubbing compound but as you say, the swirls are shallow scratches. Maybe some of the clearcoat blends into the scratches but some of that clearcoat has to go some where. Dark colors do look upscale, though.
New member here.
i don't know much about Meguiars Ultimate, but I suspect that you are simply filling in and hiding the swirls temporarily with your wax, which once broken down after a few washes, reveals what has always been there. Meguires scratchx or swirlx is okay for minor touch ups, but to clean up your paint properly, you need to polish it out with a decent orbital buffer. Polish might be sufficient, but if you have some scratches, you may need to move up to a compound. My set up is a Porter Cable 7424XP with Lake Country flat orange and white pads and Optimum compound and polish. I normally do this every spring, (winter can be brutal up here) but sometimes twice a year. it is a full days work to do it properly, and finish up with wax. For finish (wax), I have been using Zaino for about 16 years, and love it. Long lasting protection and amazing shine, can be used on plastic without turning white, and can apply multiple coats in one session. My black vehicle is pristine even after 3 years, and when I am done polishing, it looks BETTER than new. If you don't have or want to invest in the tools, seriously consider having it done by an auto detail shop. You can find coupons online through Groupon or other coupon offerings in your area. Then, just ensure you maintain it, which is a good segue to the next section.
How long you keep swirl free also depends on what you are using to wash and dry. I have a very good and plush microfiber mitt, and use the two bucket method...one with soap, the other with clean water (both having grit guards at the bottom). i soap up, wash a section, then rinse the mitt in clean water, then back to soapy bucket. I also rinse vehicle well to remove lose grit before starting, and then spray soap on each section before the mitt touches the surface. some use fancy sprayers...I got a small hand pump sprayer at a hardware store called Lee Valley...does the trick for me. There are a ton of soaps out there, and I figure as long as your using a popular brand, you should be good. But don't go using your dish soap. You want some lather to provide a fine barrier between your mitt and any grit it has picked up and your paint. Finally, drying. I dry most my vehicle with a dedicated leaf blower and only touch up spots with good quality waffle weave microfiber towels. This has two benefits: first, less contact with surface means less swirls, and second, it knocks out all that pesky water that likes to sit in the nooks and crannies, and come out only after you start driving, leaving those unsightly drip marks.
All this makes a huge difference, but requires some dedication. All this stuff can be found at popular on-line auto detail stores.
Hope this helps.
i don't know much about Meguiars Ultimate, but I suspect that you are simply filling in and hiding the swirls temporarily with your wax, which once broken down after a few washes, reveals what has always been there. Meguires scratchx or swirlx is okay for minor touch ups, but to clean up your paint properly, you need to polish it out with a decent orbital buffer. Polish might be sufficient, but if you have some scratches, you may need to move up to a compound. My set up is a Porter Cable 7424XP with Lake Country flat orange and white pads and Optimum compound and polish. I normally do this every spring, (winter can be brutal up here) but sometimes twice a year. it is a full days work to do it properly, and finish up with wax. For finish (wax), I have been using Zaino for about 16 years, and love it. Long lasting protection and amazing shine, can be used on plastic without turning white, and can apply multiple coats in one session. My black vehicle is pristine even after 3 years, and when I am done polishing, it looks BETTER than new. If you don't have or want to invest in the tools, seriously consider having it done by an auto detail shop. You can find coupons online through Groupon or other coupon offerings in your area. Then, just ensure you maintain it, which is a good segue to the next section.
How long you keep swirl free also depends on what you are using to wash and dry. I have a very good and plush microfiber mitt, and use the two bucket method...one with soap, the other with clean water (both having grit guards at the bottom). i soap up, wash a section, then rinse the mitt in clean water, then back to soapy bucket. I also rinse vehicle well to remove lose grit before starting, and then spray soap on each section before the mitt touches the surface. some use fancy sprayers...I got a small hand pump sprayer at a hardware store called Lee Valley...does the trick for me. There are a ton of soaps out there, and I figure as long as your using a popular brand, you should be good. But don't go using your dish soap. You want some lather to provide a fine barrier between your mitt and any grit it has picked up and your paint. Finally, drying. I dry most my vehicle with a dedicated leaf blower and only touch up spots with good quality waffle weave microfiber towels. This has two benefits: first, less contact with surface means less swirls, and second, it knocks out all that pesky water that likes to sit in the nooks and crannies, and come out only after you start driving, leaving those unsightly drip marks.
All this makes a huge difference, but requires some dedication. All this stuff can be found at popular on-line auto detail stores.
Hope this helps.
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