New Corolla owner here just checking in. looking for advice on paint issues.

[Ricetruck91]

Hi everyone! I just wanted to introduce myself. I recently (4 months ago) bought a new to me 2012 Corolla LE Nautical blue with Tan interior. It's got 72K miles on it and i bought it certified preowned which is great. I have had zero mechanical issues with the car and it's been getting great gas mileage compared to my old Volvo s60 T5.

The only issue i have with it is that the paint or maybe clear coat seems to be incredibly thin. so much so that i went through a car wash that unfortunately was not touchless ( the only one in my area ) the brushes minorly scratched it. When i first noticed it had been a few days after which unfortunately was too long after the wash to really do anything about it. So i went ahead and just got some equipment to wash it myself instead.

Well i washed it today using Meguiar's soap/ wax combo ( not the greatest but i've used it before and it gets the job done) Microfiber sponges and clothes and to my dismay once the car dried the scratches had gotten even worse. I'll post pictures soon, but i'm just curious if anyone else has had this problem. Would this be something i can take to the dealer and get fixed for free or a discount of some sort? Or am i S.O

 

[beach bum]

Do you have scratches or swirls? Scratches are down into the paint, swirls are the fine scratches you see in good light that are all fine in texture and side by side. If you try to buff out swirls you make your clear coat thinner every time you do it. The best thing to do with swirls is cover or fill them. Mothers polish (sometimes labeled as sealer and glaze) or Meguiars show car glaze both do an excellent job on filling (hiding) swirls, and they contain a fine cleaner which is all you need on a good finish. The polish must then be covered by a non-cleaner wax such as Mother's pure carnauba, Meguiar's #26 or any of the Collonite waxes, except sapphire, which is a cleaner wax. You won't find these on the shelves at auto zone maybe with the exception of Meguiars so go online to amazon or one of the many detail places. The car was buffed out by the dealer before you bought it so if you do it again you will thin the clear coat even more. You also run the risk of burning the paint or rubbing it through with a buffer if you don't know what you are doing. Please keep away from clay bars. They are nothing more than rubbing compound without the car, and unless your paint is faded or oxidized they have limited value and thin the clear coat. Keep away from car washes. Also, get a good cotton wash mitt and pitch the sponge.

 

[Ricetruck91]

Thank you for your response Beach bum, I will certainly make amends to my set up and gear. Sorry for the prolonged update. weather and work have made it difficult for me to find time to upload and what not. It is most definitely scratches.. There are swirls as well but i'm not nearly as concerned about those as they aren't so obvious.
Also it's not letting me post links yet because I need three posts

 

[beach bum]

You are welcome Ricetruck. I don't want to come across as a know it all, but this happened to me some years ago, and it caused scratches on my new Altima. You can pick up small gravel pieces when you wash your wheels and tires and introduce them to your wash water and onto your finish, hence scratches. Have you tried the two bucket system? one bucket soap and water, and with the second bucket, full of plain water, you rinse out your wash mitt after each use and before you put it back into the soapy water for the next panel. Also, you can use old wash mitts for tires, wheels and lower body and do them last, but I'm sure you already do that. I had to learn the hard way. Also, I live in the snow belt so except for using the spray at a car wash to blow off the road salt, I never use the brushes there. I have seen people use these brushes on the undercarriage of their cars, and they become filled with small gravel that are a source of scratches. If the scratches aren't too deep have you tried Meguiars scratch X? I know more than a few people who have used this product with good results. Congrats on your new car. I wish the new ones had better color choices, but such is mass marketing.

 

[Ricetruck91]

It is all good I appreciate any advice. I live in Maine it's hard to keep a clean car. I will certainly try the two bucket system. I might as well ash my car the same way i do dishes with a wash and rinse. I'll look into scratch X and give it a try it won't hurt. Thanks for your replies.

 

[SuperchargedMR2]

I would wash and clay the paint. Then use a mild polish to see if that takes the lines out that you can see. If not use a little more aggressive polish until you see them disappear. Then use a good sealant and then wax. I use Griot's Garage products and I have for years and they are amazing. And always use a 2 bucket system when washing your car. I also never take my car through any car wash. The touchless car washes also use very harsh chemicals that can strip your wax protection.